The editorial director of NZZ Online is moving to the news magazine Facts as head of politics and member of the editorial board as of May 1. The law graduate was a member of the NZZ domestic editorial team from 1995 to 1998 before he was entrusted with the responsibility of expanding the NZZ online editorial team and the conception and further development of the platform. Breitenstein has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Dispatch Agency since 2003.

Gratispresse Publishing professional Daniel Sommer is to professionalize Zehnder Print AG's free newspapers. After just three weeks, he is announcing the first concrete steps.
Free newspaper king Rolf-Peter Zehnder, 65, twenty of his
newspaper titles to Zehnder Print AG, which has been his partner for six years.
belonged to his son Andreas. Zehnder junior, 40, then immediately made
clear that the professionalization of the qualitatively strong
different titles is serious: since January 9, the
Wil in St. Gallen for the first time ever in the 150-year history of the
company history, a person responsible for the Zehnder sheets
Publishing director with profound industry experience.

The man's name is Daniel Sommer, he was publishing director of the
Basler Zeitung and previously worked for Publicitas in Zurich and in the
active in Welschland. Sommer now appears in Zehnder Verlag with
weekly titles such as the Winterthurer Zeitung, Bodensee Nachrichten and
the Neue Oltener Zeitung about great entrepreneurial freedom to
have.

"I certainly wouldn't have had a publishing professional like Daniel Sommer
if I didn't want to give him a lot of freedom. Even
I'm working at full capacity with the print shop," says Andreas Zehnder
made clear to Werbewoche. At the printing center in Rickenbach TG
In addition to its own titles, the daily newspapers International Herald
Tribune and the Wall Street Journal for Europe.

Initial assessment after three weeks
In the first three weeks of his new job, 51-year-old Daniel Sommer
new job, I've done what a publishing professional can do in terms of new
place of work. He has visited locations, had countless conversations
and get a detailed picture of the individual newspapers and magazines.
organizations. Sommer's assessment of this first phase: "The
Our range of titles is very heterogeneous, much of it is historically
grown, and the differences are great, both in terms of content and
commercially." He sees a need for action depending on the region and the
the prevailing competitive situation.

Sometimes it's about commercial matters, sometimes about process technology, sometimes about
content, then again more about personal matters. Commercially strongest
two Zurich titles, the Züri Nachrichten in Horgen and the
the Zürcher Rundschau in Zurich North. As an immediate measure, Sommer
has prompted a move to the center at both locations,
"Where the people are. A regional newspaper belongs in the
center," Sommer is convinced. It is equally clear to him that the
Weekly newspapers will have a uniform face in future
should. This also applies to recurring editorial sections and
journalistic vessels.

The total print run of 780000 copies is ultimately to be
and to make the association fitter for national campaigns.
be made. It has already been decided that by 2007 new
all newspapers have Mach figures and further
Improve the planning basis for agencies and major customers
should. "But the people are already doing a good job. In the
You have to work very hard in the free newspaper market. I am impressed
of the performance of my employees," he says, praising the teams he
has encountered.

Standardized editorial system
In terms of content, Sommer wants to play the regional card more strongly in future.
play out. The titles would have to be even better in the respective regions.
and more frequently bring topics into the spotlight that the
really moved people. "Readers have to find out for themselves
recognize," says the publishing director, "they should say to each other, häsch
gläs i dä ...?" The internal editorial processes and the
Cross-divisional cooperation within the individual newspapers
is to be improved. One title after another is now being transferred to a
standardized electronic editing system.

The prevailing spirit of optimism at the publishing house can be felt in summer
enthusiastic. The question of whether and to what extent there are more than
a free title, Sommer does not want to generalize.
answer. That depends on the market size and circumstances. The
He sees the free newspaper 20 Minuten less as competition. Both
Publication methods, reading habits and the target group are very different.
different compared to the Zehnder weeklies. Addressed
to the sometimes criticized political right-wing bias of individual
Zehnder title, Sommer waves it off. "It's not about the political
orientation, but rather that we bring topics into the spotlight which
really interest the readership."

With an office at his home in Basel and an office in Wil, the new
publishing director is currently traveling across the country, using a laptop and
mainly a cell phone. And enjoys the entrepreneurial freedom,
that he is granted. But he is also aware of the great responsibility,
that the newly created position entails. However, Sommer would like to
not yet provide any information on when it will be able to convert the newspaper fleet to
course.   
Rolf-Peter Zehnder retains two titles
Rolf-Peter Zehnder can't give up the free newspaper business entirely.
In addition to its leisure activities (gastronomy, cinema, fitness), the
65-year-old kept two newspapers. These are the
Zuger Woche and the Basler Stadt-Zytig. The latter was the center of attention in the
a theater of grotesque proportions over the past few months. After
the former editor-in-chief Beat Alder had fallen out with Zehnder,
A power struggle broke out between Alder and Peter Kleiber, his
former
employees. At present, Kleiber seems to have prevailed and
has been publishing the Stadt-Zeitung with Zehnder as a partner since January 13.
out. Alder has filed lawsuits against Kleiber (theft, damages, fraud
and more). The case will be heard again at the end of January.
The outcome is open. Daniel Sommer, the new publishing director in
services of Andreas Zehnder, shows himself to be a long-standing
BaZ publishing director "not unhappy" that he did not have to worry about
the Basel gossip.

Michael Zollinger

The canton of Fribourg has given itself an information service and has hired an information officer, Marc Valloton, as of the beginning of April. The current Fribourg correspondent of the Westschweizer Fernsehen was previously a journalist for the newspaper La Gruyère for 6 years. The 30-year-old will be the future link between the State Chancellery and the media.

Brand Management As an instrument of
Corporate sound is highly relevant for brand management. This results in a
A few weeks ago, the Swiss company MetaDesign published a new study.
television presented its new image, the reaction of the
viewers to the visual changes (mostly positive) - and to the
acoustic mistake (confused and amused). The embarrassing reason:
Some of the advertising melodies introduced sounded similar to the
Swisscom logo and had to be replaced. The fact that the strategies of
attention control fail in such cases is
obvious.
Of course, the originators of the modern appearance knew about the
The importance of the acoustic logo in a world flooded with stimuli
information society. After all, audio branding has
has its origins precisely in the electronic media. However, the
sound design is given too little importance. Yet media science publications have long been concerned with
acoustic perception and the use of musical instruments
Trademarks for marketing purposes. Even in the development of
vehicles or household appliances, the sound of the product plays an important
important role. The same applies to the characteristic sound
of a brand or a company; corporate sound is an integral part of the
Part of the overall CD concept.

Importance of corporate sound
The latest results from this discipline are provided by a recent
expert study published by MetaDesign, one of the leading
international agencies for branding and corporate identity. The
Central question for representatives of listed companies from the
German-speaking countries, global players and journalists was: Which
The importance of corporate sound today and in the future
granted? In addition, it was determined how the audiovisual
brand staging develops, what potential it has and which
opportunities and risks associated with it. The experts agreed
agree that acoustic brand management is gaining in importance.
to differentiate the brand, emotionalize it and bring it back to life.
to make the brand recognizable and thus also increase identification with the brand at
to a sensual level. Especially in connection with the
Visuals create a very high level of efficiency in brand communication,
and corporate sound can thus contribute to the branding and learning ability of
brands has a strong supportive effect and thus ensures
efficient use of resources.

However, there is often still uncertainty and methodological ambiguity in the
dealing with this issue, explains Bruno Schmidt, partner at
MetaDesign. Additional learning processes for brand managers would be
therefore urgently needed to improve understanding of corporate sound and
to strengthen its numerous possibilities. It is about much more than
the development of a suitable acoustic logo. The focus was on
the design of a brand's overall sound atmosphere as part of the
holistic presence, just as Bluewin or Yallo would have done. It
The study concludes that it is important for corporate sound to be recognized as a
brand sound experience composed of all possible sound sources
is recognized, which exerts its power in all channels and with different
elements, from the acoustic logo to the corporate voice.
For a nominal fee, the study "Corporate Sound as an Instrument
of brand management" can be ordered at [email protected].

Luca Aloisi

Internet giant Google increased its profits by 82% in the last quarter - but still fell short of analysts' expectations. The share price on Wall Street reacted with a downward spiral. Google's turnover actually rose by 86 percent to 1.9 billion dollars. Google generates almost all of its revenue from online ads. According to Google, the slump in English advertising activities over the holidays was responsible for the failure to meet sales expectations.

On March 8, French-speaking Switzerland will have a second commuter newspaper. From this date, 20 minutes, with two regional editions from Lausanne and Geneva, will compete with the free newspaper Le Matin Bleu, which was launched on October 31 last year, for the French-speaking commuter market. As with the regional editions of 20 Minuten in German-speaking Switzerland, 20 minutes will also contain two pages of local news and events every day. It will be launched with a circulation of 120,000 copies, which will be available in 110 boxes in railroad stations and over 300 boxes at public transport locations. Le Matin Bleu currently has a circulation of 100,000 copies and around the same number of newspaper boxes have already been installed. According to the press release, 20minutes.ch will be launched online at the same time as the print edition. The aim is to utilize the proven editorial and commercial cross-media opportunities.

Column The ambivalence between
sophisticated high culture and dull everyday culture is the core of the
marketing strategy recipe for success.
Why "or"? "Mozart and the World Cup are coming
don't get in each other's way" - as the feature writer surprisingly reports in
of the NZZ, after taking a look at his busy schedule with the
irritating title: "With Mozart through the World Cup year".
Anxiously, he tries to imagine this successful coordination of appointments by
explain that "the target clientele may be interested in both".
interested".
The obvious irritation about this can be justified by the
possibility only with a deeply rooted idea that
high culture and everyday culture are clearly different and that
Football clearly belongs to the latter and Mozart to the former
is. However, both fail to recognize the real connections and ignore
This also represents a key aspect of the attractiveness of football and
Mozart. For what both have in common is their ambivalence precisely in relation to the
traditional juxtaposition of (sophisticated and "honorable")
high culture and (dull and "stultifying") everyday culture. This
Ambivalence is virtually the core of their respective
marketing strategy and marketing technology
recipe for success.   

Nowadays, the feature writer can no longer succeed in
intellectual or poetic football fan a guilty conscience
when he gets football fever. He only imagines himself
himself offside. Franz Beckenbauer is certainly the time once again
is a little ahead when he declares football to be high culture. But it is
Obviously, football is no longer just for the regulars' table.
is discussed. Peter Bichsel, for example, openly confesses
on football: "I'm interested in it and I like it." And he
deals with him no less than 65 times in his columns -
and also critical and differentiated. With the famous "mixed
Feelings". This is how everyday culture becomes acceptable.

And it is probably exactly the opposite with Mozart. His profile is
initially also and above all ambivalent. His name now stands for
demanding operas and for easily digestible sweets. Those with him
connected products range from the catchy tune to the barely
Repertoire capable. Its sales team includes mass marketers
and avant-gardists. His life story has since been published in
has produced many and varied images. The feature writer
(Die Zeit) can't get hold of him: "Mozart is a
Simple-Difficult. Is a child-God-angel-man. Is a
Joke-serious-night-sun-artist. Is a
Preserver-completer-renewer."

For him (the feuilletonist), the ambivalence of the Mozart images
almost unbearable consequences. The current marketing success of the
"Pop Mozart" would only be despicable to him if it were based on that,
that he "supposedly wrote music that everyone in the world
understands". In this view, high culture loses its meaning the moment
Brilliance when it becomes suitable for everyday use. The "high-spirited comedian"
may we forget the "ironist, the sarcastic player with
Deception and truth" into our hearts.

ambivalences, at least when they cross the dividing line between high and low.
everyday culture, do not seem to be to the taste of the
feuilletons. From a marketing point of view, however, they are
obviously not a problem. Many of us like them. Certainly also because
we can deal with them well.

 Jürgen Häusler is CEO of the Interbrand Zintzmeyer and Lux Group in Zurich and an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig.

The web agency Mysign, based in Aarau, is taking over the communications agency haltestelle in Bern with retroactive effect from January 1. With this takeover, MySign is expanding its expertise in the areas of communication and marketing. The takeover is the logical consequence of the close cooperation between the two companies. Haltestelle will remain a subsidiary.

Technology Siemens Transportation Systems
Kristofori Felber Group can be seen as the ideal system provider for
the rail transport sector. With international Swissness. The rolling stock from Siemens
Transportation Systems (Siemens TS) transports millions of passengers every day.
people - as an S-Bahn composition in the greater Zurich area, as a Combino streetcar
in Basel and Berne and as a high-speed train throughout Europe and
Asia. This reveals the role of Siemens TS in the public sector.
traffic. However, the brand is primarily perceived in the B-to-C sector.
For both state and private railroads, however, STS is regarded as the most comprehensive
System providers in rail transportation: the range extends from systems to
products through to individual components.

The actual core business of STS in Switzerland, however, lies in
the field of railroad automation - from electronic interlocking to
from signaling to switch systems. Only rail automation makes traveling
faster, more reliable and more comfortable by train. These values
however, are difficult to communicate: In contrast to the
rolling stock, not even the narrowly defined target groups get such
systems, components and products. Finally
They provide their services discreetly in the background. But that is not to say that
that they can't still be attractively staged. Because in order to
The core area of STS with stakeholders - politicians,
railroads, authorities and the tourism industry - as an innovative
Technology trendsetter and global player with strong Swiss roots
the industrial company must position itself with an eye-catching
campaign. This is the advertising concept of the responsible team CD
Rudy Felber and AD Nicole Schranz.

Views from the train
The tonality of the new campaign plays with wanderlust and the
travel fever of the viewer and arouses emotions that are rationally
are comprehensible. Creatively and from new perspectives, the
Ad motifs vague ideas of famous travel destinations with places
and landscapes in Switzerland. "And from the point of view of the railroad, the rolling stock and the
rail automation systems and components from Siemens," explains Rudy
Felber the special look. Thanks to the innovations of the railroad
Siemens to places where we would otherwise hardly be able to go, open up
this realization completely new landscape images (photographed by Jost
Wildbolz), which raise awareness of the beauty of our country.
The night-time view from Zurich's local mountain resembles a sea of lights
of Los Angeles. And the dreamy idyll near Rheinfelden is reminiscent of
the view of the Venice Galley Canal. 
 

Luca Aloisi

Awards What the British usually do
can also be realized in Switzerland. The jury
of the New York Festivals has chosen the spot "Powerflame" by the Zurich agency
Walker awarded bronze in the "Best Humor" category. On
In the same competition, Walker also won bronze for "Durgol" in the
category "Best Original Score" for music. For the
Walker spots, this is not the first award. "Powerflame" has it
also made it onto the shortlist in Cannes and, in addition to London
won silver at the flap.

As of now, the gates of Cannes Lions are open for applicants to submit works. From February 2, it will also be possible to submit the application forms online (web link below). Deadlines for the different disciplines:Press & Outdoor - 10 March 2006
Film - March 10, 2006
Radio - March 17, 2006
Direct - March 17, 2006
Promo - March 17, 2006
Media - March 17, 2006
Cyber - March 24, 2006
Titanium - March 24, 2006
This year, sales promotions will also be judged for the first time. The 53rd Cannes Lions Festival will take place from June 18 to 24 in Cannes.

The free newspaper 20 Minuten has revised and restructured its website following user criticism. The new concept has significantly expanded the news section in particular. According to the press release, 20 members of the editorial team report for 18 hours a day. The forms of advertising have been reduced, but in favor of a higher impact. Community features such as forums and surveys have also been intensified.