Every year, the Idee-suisse Association for Ideas and Innovation Research awards the Swiss Innovation Prize to promote economic opportunities for the future. On Thursday, the prize was awarded to SwissregioTV. The citation states that the company, which was founded in August 2005, is "Switzerland's first internet-based regional television company to offer regional moving images via the internet". The company combines new technologies and interactive communication with the need for regional identity in an innovative way. At the same time, it also offers SMEs a way into moving image communication. SwissregioTV sees the award as an "incentive for hopefully many others to also take an active and entrepreneurial approach to the new communication tool IPTV", as the press release states. SwissregioTV was founded by Gossau-based Decatron Media AG, Swissregiobank and Mediapolis AG für Wirtschafts- und Kommunikationsmanagement.

On Thursday, the Allgemeine Plakat Gesellschaft APG announced the foundation of a new, neutral research company under the name "Swiss Poster Research Plus AG". The press release states that APG is thus fulfilling its promises in poster research. The research company has been renamed for legal reasons, and the "Plus" in the name means a new beginning with the same research methods. Swiss Poster Research Plus AG will be managed by Felix Mende. Until the launch in October, he will be supported by Affichage project manager Florian Walz. At the same time, an accompanying research commission is being set up, which will include "recognized and competent personalities from the advertising market and research". This will be headed by Dr. Martial Pasquier. As Christian Kauter, CEO of APG, explains in the press release, the establishment of Swiss Poster Research Plus AG and the market-oriented commission have created "optimal conditions" to "achieve the neutral research objectives while meeting the promised deadlines". It remains to be seen whether the conflict over the research method with the second major Swiss poster company, Clear Channel Plakanda, can be resolved.

The Jungfrau Zeitung increased its advertising revenue by 7 percent in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the previous year. This is the fifth time in a row that the micro-newspaper has increased its net advertising revenue from January to March, as announced by publisher Gossweiler Media. The Jungfrau Zeitung sees the reasons for the renewed growth in its specific publishing concept, the Internet workflow and the dual strategy of online and print. The focus is on the online edition, from whose news flow a printout is produced twice a week. According to the Wemf Net-Audit of March 2006, 18,000 different users per month use the online version, as reported by Gossweiler Media. 10,000 households subscribe to the print edition of the Jungfrau Zeitung, which in turn generates 25,000 readers (GfK study 2005). According to the communiqué, around two thirds of the advertising revenue comes from cross-media offers.

In May, CE Verlag launches the new magazine ELMAG Elektro Haushaltgeräte Magazin in German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland. The magazine is aimed at resellers, i.e. specialist stores, specialist stores, department stores and all points of sale of electrical household appliances. The magazine is launched in German-speaking Switzerland with 6,000 copies and a publication frequency of 10 times a year, and in French-speaking Switzerland with 2,700 copies and a bimonthly frequency. The editor-in-chief is Marc Landis. At the launch, resellers will be supplied free of charge, with plans to convert this into a subscription at a later date. CE Verlag previously published the consumer electronics magazines CE Markt and CE Romand as well as Fascinations, a special interest magazine for audio, video and photography.

After twelve years in its old guise, the Rapperswil weekly newspaper Obersee Nachrichten has been given a facelift. The layout has been simplified and made more airy, the reader guidance improved. The new look was designed by Denon Publizistik AG in Rapperswil, as Persoenlich.com reports. However, the Obersee Nachrichten has deliberately refrained from making any major editorial changes so that readers do not feel alienated, editor-in-chief Andreas Knobel told the industry service.according to media data, the free weekly is the largest newspaper on Upper Lake Zurich. It is published every Thursday with a circulation of 61,314 copies (Wemf certified 2005) and is distributed to all households. This means that Obersee Nachrichten has 74,000 readers (Mach basis 2005) and the broadest coverage in economic area 27.

Phonak Hearing Systems has commissioned Metzgerlehner Worldwide Partners with the creation and realization of two advertisements. They are intended to communicate the hearing technology company's commitment to sponsorship. This year marks the seventh time that Phonak has supported its own cycling team in the ProTour, the highest category in professional cycling. The ad for the Phonak Cycling Team reflects the message "We race for better hearing". Phonak is also an official supplier to Alinghi, for whom a wireless hearing and communication system is currently being developed. Metzgerlehner explains that perfect communication on board is a decisive factor for success in the world's most prestigious sailing race. The two advertisements in four languages will appear in newspapers and trade magazines worldwide from April.

Advico Young & Rubicam is honored by ADC New York: The agency in Zurich-Gockhausen wins a Merit Award for its Leica posters. The same campaign had already won bronze at the Swiss ADC.

The Ticino-based bank BSI, formerly known as Banca della Svizzera Italiana, wants to realign and dynamize its brand. At the same time, it is concentrating its private banking activities on markets with high growth potential: Switzerland, Italy, South America and the Middle and Far East. The Zurich agency Hilda Design Matters developed a comprehensive corporate design program for BSI in addition to the new brand logo. According to the communiqué, the visual centerpiece of the new image is a violin from 1737, the Guarneri del Jesu. This collector's item has become the property of the bank, according to the agency. BSI's new image is intended to be a visual and acoustic treat for lovers of classical music.

Following the change at the helm of the NZZ and Markus Spillmann's assumption of the editorship, the constitution of the new management board of Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG has also been completed. It now consists of Markus Spillmann, who chairs the board and is responsible for journalism, Dr. Daniel Hofer for publishing and production and Alfred Hümmerich for finance, IT and human resources, and a new advertising market division has been created within the publishing and production division. Together with the internal and external sales and marketing organizations (NZZ Media, Tourmedia, foreign agencies), it is responsible for marketing the NZZ, NZZ am Sonntag, NZZexecutive, magazines and supplements and other products to advertisers and media agencies. The head of this new unit is Dr. Christoph Bauer, the former Head of Marketing at NZZ. Ulrich Oswald, Head of Marketing Magazines, will continue to market the monthly magazine Folio with an independent sales team.
Kurt Blum, previously Head of Project at the NZZ publishing house, will take over as Head of the Readers' Market. He replaces Vincenzo Vito, who is handing over the reins at his own request to take up a new challenge outside the NZZ Group. Vito will, however, remain with NZZ until the fall and work on various strategic projects for NZZ.

However, the most powerful brands in the world are at home in the USA - according to a study by market research company Millward Brown. Microsoft takes first place in the "Brandz Top 100" with a brand value of 62 billion dollars, followed by GE (56 billion dollars), Coca-Cola (41 billion dollars), China Mobile (39 billion dollars) and Marlboro (38 billion dollars). The European brands have nothing to report in the top ten. Millward Brown notes, however, that Europe sets the tone for luxury brands: Louis Vuitton is in 24th place, Mercedes in 28th, Porsche in 44th, Chanel in 75th and Cartier in 82nd. The demand for luxury goods is constantly increasing in view of the growth in global wealth and new affluent customers in developing countries. It is not surprising that Chinese brands, such as China Mobile and Lenovo, are rapidly becoming more powerful. Millward Brown also identifies an increased brand awareness when shopping, which benefits companies such as Wal-mart (6th place), eBay (38th), Amazon (78th) and Zara (87th). The study was based on data from the market researcher, which covers around 30,000 brands. Not only financial data and growth rates were analyzed, but also findings from surveys of 650,000 consumers.

(pr) As the first entertainment marketing agency in Switzerland, the Zurich-based company Creative Assets (www.creative-assets.com ) companies, organizations, brands and products in all aspects of entertainment marketing at the interface between industry and entertainment. Experts such as the successful Swiss producer PC Fueter are convinced that professional entertainment marketing, which has long been established among companies in the USA - key words: film sponsoring, merchandising, product placements, promotions, etc. - is also becoming increasingly important among European and Swiss companies. More and more companies and brands are recognizing the potential and value of the motion picture medium as a good image promoter, especially with younger target audiences, and are looking for suitable ways to stage their products, for example in the context of an entertainment film. The win-win situation of "Mein Name ist Eugen" and Mobiliar is exemplary.
Marketing through professional product placement also in vogue with Swiss companies
Current examples in Swiss filmmaking show that this new form of cooperation is a targeted and marketing-oriented way for companies and their products and brands to reach customers. This is also noted by the successful Swiss producer PC Fueter ("Mein Name ist Eugen" and "Grounding"): "The professional management and use of product placement, long established in the USA, is also becoming increasingly important in the local industry. For both sides, producers and companies, it is becoming increasingly important to work with partners who specialize in this."
 
Creative Assets: First Entertainment Marketing Agency in Switzerland
As the first entertainment marketing agency in Switzerland, Creative Assets develops holistic, target group specific entertainment marketing concepts for companies, organizations, brands. As an interface between industry and entertainment, Creative Assets takes over the strategic planning, development and target-oriented implementation of entertainment marketing activities in the field of film.
Team of creative assets with many years of experience in the entertainment and film industry
This includes the placement of brands and products in film, TV, theater, internet as well as all other entertainment media (so-called product integration) as well as their accompaniment and support by celebrities and opinion leaders (talent support). Furthermore, Creative Assets offers professional support and consulting in the search and selection of innovative and tailor-made sponsorship opportunities in the entertainment industry. In addition, Creative Assets has access to specially developed tools for the evaluation and assessment of film projects.
"Creative Assets brings a long history of marketing and entertainment experience in film production, sponsorship operations, prop integration and marketing, as well as excellent national contacts with companies, producers and directors," said Manuel Nappo, founder and partner of Creative Assets.
Cooperation agreed with cinecom in the field of film sponsoring and product placement
The Swiss cinema marketing company cinecom ag is also taking up this trend and is supplementing its existing cinema offering with customized solutions in the areas of film sponsorship and product placement, which it offers and implements in close cooperation with Creative Assets.
Creative Assets will communicate about current and future mandates and projects for companies and products at the appropriate time.

Digital printing Océ is expanding its range of printing systems and extending the possibilities for using in-house inks at this year's traditional
open house event at his plant in Poing near Munich, he presented
Océ presented its latest products at the end of March. However
solutions at the customer event for the challenges of professional printing
(in-house print shops, digital printing service providers, etc.)
in the foreground. For example, the 6000 square meter
concrete practical applications will be demonstrated in the exhibition area and
various software solutions as well as connections to the diverse
processing systems were shown live. The spectrum ranged from
Document management via large format printing, color and
Black and white digital printing, newspaper printing solutions up to complete
Book-on-demand production lines for the production of books in
small print runs.

World's fastest duplex digital printing system
Océ also used the open house event to inform the specialist audience about
innovations. The focus of a specially organized
The world's fastest duplex printing system was at the center of the press conference,
Océ VarioPrint 6250, the newly developed printer that can print 125 double-sided
printed A4 sheets per minute (Océ is talking about
of 250 A4 prints), making it the fastest digital
duplex sheet-fed printing system. The speed leap is realized
through a technology called "Océ Gemini Instant Duplex". "With
this groundbreaking technology, we are underlining our
claim to leadership in the digital production printing market," explained Rokus
van Iperen, CEO at Océ, confidently.
 
With the Gemini or "twin printing system", in contrast to other
duplex systems, the paper sheet is transferred continuously via a transfer belt.
printed on the front and back. In addition to the high speed
the system shines at the same time through a perfect
Register accuracy. The demand for the printing system
Océ apparently has no worries: According to Michel Frequin, who is responsible for the
Océ Digital Document Systems, would be responsible for more than
80 percent of all high-volume digital prints (in the sheetfed sector)
printed on both sides. Because other duplex systems print significantly less
emissions, he therefore sees very good opportunities for a
successful market launch planned for the fourth quarter of 2006.
 

Getting to grips with the form
Océ also had news to report from its continuous feed printing systems. So
the VarioStream series, which is primarily used in the so-called
transaction printing and therefore for printing invoices, account statements and
The 9230 model has been added to the range of similar products. With the new
printer, the leading group in transaction printing now offers for the first time
a 3/3-color perfecting system. For printing the two
spot or special colors that can be used in addition to black can either be
an existing color palette, or the customer can use an existing
can mix special colors as a special feature of Océ
leave. The recipe is produced under strict safety precautions.
so that the toner can be remixed at any time.

This offering, which Océ calls CustomTone, is intended to complement the
color enhancement of the documents ideal as a possibility for cross
Selling: The invoice form can be used for the so
white space marketing, which refers to the placement of
of advertising elements on invoices. Whether the white space
However, it is questionable whether marketing will find favor in our part of the world.
It also remains to be seen whether, as asserted at the press conference,
invoices are really paid faster because a colored logo
is emblazoned on an invoice printout.
 
However, the three-color printing system offers in-house print shops yet another advantage.
completely different advantage. Océ believes that in the area of
In the future, transaction printing companies will focus on the production of
forms could be dispensed with, because now documents with
Have logos/signets produced in house colors and in one pass.
The color space that can be addressed with the toner mixtures goes beyond that of the
offset color space, especially in the colors often referred to as corporate colors.
shades of blue and red. 

But the printing system is not only suitable for color transaction printing.
predestined. It could also prove itself in digital newspaper printing
establish. For example, the printing system VarioStream 9230
produced open-house newspaper with the spot colors blue, red and black
produced. The colored elements make it stand out clearly from the
black-only edition of the NZZ, which is also printed digitally,
which was also on display at the Océ Open House.
 
Following the introduction of the VarioStream 9210 duplex system (10
= monochrome) two years ago, with the 9220 model last year a
two-color machine and now, with the VarioStream 9230, a three-color
system, the question was in the air as to when a
four-color system onto the market. Océ only went so far here
into the cards than to work on such a system,
but no announcement can be made at present.
 

Océ steps on the gas in large format
Océ wants to step on the gas in large format printing. After the company
last year, the partnership with MacDermid ColorSpan, the
American supplier of large format systems,
announced Tom Egelund, who is responsible for large format printing
another partnership with the Japanese company Mutoh. As
The first product of this new connection will be a large format printer
was added to the portfolio under the name Océ CS9065. Egelund
is ambitious: "We want to grow in the display graphics market. In
In the next twelve months, no provider will achieve the same level of
offer a competitive product range comparable to Océ
can."

To illustrate this commitment, in addition to products for the
CAD market also presented those with which signage,
Have vehicle or floor lettering and posters produced. Arnd
M. Hungerberg, Director of the Corporate Digital Document Business Group
Systems at Océ Switzerland, is pleased to be able to offer the local market
now also has a product in this segment with the Océ CS9065,
"to get off to a good start".
 

From butter ink to digital color printing including document management
The foundation of the 128 year old company Océ goes back to the
Dutch pharmacist Lodewijk van der Grinten. He had
developed a colorant for butter. The product grown from the pharmacy
Family business benefits from expertise in the field of colorants
and uses this knowledge to get started in reprographics. In the
In the 1920s, the company enters into the production of
light-sensitive blueprint paper ("blueprint"). The sons of the
company founder perfected the paper coating process and
call it "O. C. Papier", which can be traced back to "without components".
is made. This is how the company gets its name Océ. Today, Océ is regarded as a co-shaper of the copying and printing market and
developed since the breakthrough of the xerographic printing or
Transfer process for plain paper copying systems for the office market
and large format copying systems for design offices. Today the
based in Venlo, the Netherlands, in addition to black and white and
Color printing systems Products and services for the professional
document management.

Jürgen Franck