Commuter Newspapers: Peter Rothenbühler, editor-in-chief of Le Matin and founder of Matin Bleu, on rhetorical low blows and the “free paper war” against 20 Minuten. WW: Because
The exceptionally high readership of *Le Matin* is due to its
Free-
Matin Bleu Line Extension Already Available for Tamedia CEO Martin Kall
The second free newspaper in French-speaking Switzerland. Does this surprise you?
Is this a provocation, Mr. Rothenbühler?

Peter Rothenbühler: None
A little. But it doesn't really bother me. Because whoever counts the number
Readers who haven't purchased a paid newspaper themselves tend to be critical,
is shooting itself in the foot. At the Tages-Anzeiger, this
The number of unreported cases is certainly around 60 percent. With arguments like these
Blick had already tried to downplay the 20 minutes. Where this attitude
leads to, as we know today.

WW: In any case, these are the first salvos of a well-known war rhetoric …
Peter Rothenbühler: …
which wasn't quite as dramatic back then during the Express project
were interpreted as in the linguistically and ideologically more sensitive
Zurich. I think «guerre des gratuits» is a good and fitting term
for what lies ahead for us here.

WW: Does that mean you don't expect the Express Syndrome to recur?
Peter Rothenbühler: No,
This time, the announcement is not just intended to improve the
Negotiating position. 20 Minutes is coming, because Tamedia wants to and has to
expand geographically. The fact that the first step «abroad» was into the
Romandie is in the lead—what an honor for us.

WW: Military
The Freiburg-based newspaper *La Liberté* also focuses on vocabulary and interprets *Le Matin*
Bleu, established by Publicitas in partnership with Edipresse
«The »Maginot Line” against incursions from German-speaking Switzerland.
Peter Rothenbühler: How
Ever since I've known our publisher, Pierre Lamunière, it has been a
It's a matter of honor to conduct this debate with dignity—and to
win. With P, we have, of course, the best ally of all.
That doesn't mean, however, that we have any exclusive rights in this regard
enjoy. Switzerland's largest advertising agency works
Basically, everywhere and with everyone. In the end, the winner will be whoever
has more readers and better prices.

WW: Speaking of...
Prices: The new national advertising rates from 20 Minuten are for
Announced in early December. How will you respond?
Peter Rothenbühler: In terms of content
No adjustments will be made to the competing product, neither
Now and next year. We'll do our best right from the start
Free newspaper. And we've tailored the pricing structure so that,
that hardly any readjustments will be necessary. After all, there is already a
Market …

WW: …
consisting of independent entities or those controlled by its French archrival
Hersant-controlled regional newspapers. Both potential partners have
Kall made official overtures in the Le Temps interview cited above
done.
Peter Rothenbühler: Many
People both inside and outside the industry are happy when a new
A major player in the media industry is coming to French-speaking Switzerland. We, too, welcome the
The entry into the market of a major publishing house such as Tamedia.
On the one hand, because of the appreciation it expresses for our
home market. On the other hand, it was also starting to get annoying to constantly be seen as
to be denounced as a voracious monopolist. Because regional
The restraint we have therefore imposed on ourselves corresponds to
not the dynamism of a major publishing house—and certainly not that of
Edipresse's philosophy. In that regard, we are pleased to welcome Kalls
A challenge.

WW: To
You have the new competitor to thank for this, national advertisers.
With Ringier, which will likely soon become the second-largest commuter newspaper in German-speaking Switzerland
If it takes off, you could launch a rival show to "20 Minuten.".
Peter Rothenbühler: Advertising Space
Offering services nationwide sounds simple, but in reality it is
Cross-linguistic practice, however, shows the opposite. We know that
Media planners are just as good as creative agencies. Even if a provider
Even if you think you're covering everything, you still need to tailor your advertising.

WW: Still, is partnering with a Zurich-based publisher a strategic option for Edipresse?
Peter Rothenbühler: Sure
Actually, yes. Pierre Lamunière spoke at the most recent Western Switzerland Publishers' Conference
In Lausanne, he said that in the future he would like to work with interesting
Collaborate with media companies in German-speaking Switzerland or even
I'd like to take over. But, of course, always as the driving force behind the deal.

Interview: Oliver Classen

Mariano Tschuor becomes editor-in-chief of Radio e
Televisiun Rumantscha (RTR). He has already been in charge of Rhaeto-Romanic television since 2003. The appointment of an editor-in-chief RTR in personal union is intended to
Cultures to merge radio and television, the SDA quotes from a press release. Thus the
Editorial potential better exploited. Tschuor takes over
the new function in the spring of next year when RTR moves into
the new media house in Chur. He has previously worked for Radio Rumantsch as an editor, presenter and program manager.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion
Michael Schumacher extends his ten-year contract with the
partnership with Omega. In 1995, after winning his first
world championship title in Formula 1 has become a figurehead for the Swiss
watch group. Schumacher will continue to serve as CEO for the next five years.
international ambassador for Omega.

Mike Gut takes over operational management
of the agency Vitamin D Cultivate Emotions by CEO Daniel Schärer. Good
has been with the agency since the spring. Previously, he was, among other things, head of marketing at Radio Z and took on the project
Radio Max took part in the tender for a Zurich youth radio station.
With vitamin D, thanks to its pragmatic style, the quality of the
projects to increase noticeably, according to a release.
In the future, Schärer will work more intensively on the conception and creation of
projects and dedicate themselves to acquisition and consulting. Another
New addition to the team of the Zug agency is Dominique Ghilardi. She will be working in the
Provide support in the area of graphic work and visualizations
and take over part of the back office. Rob den Otter, Project Manager
Communications, on the other hand, is leaving Vitamin D. The position will not be newly
occupied, currently various solutions for the outsourcing of the
Communication tested, the agency informs.

Schweizer Illustrierte could be the next
year received a daughter. According to a report by Persoenlich.com
works at Ringier under the title "Schweizer Illustrierte Young"
monthly magazine for women aged between 20 and 40.
report on the parent title from the world of international stars and
are produced by an independent editorial team, quotes the
industry service from "well-informed sources". The launch is expected in
planned for next spring. The Group management has given the green light
SI Young has yet to be approved by the journalistic committee.
be approved. Ringier spokesperson Marco Castellaneta confirmed the
existence of the project, but relativized it to Werbewoche as
usual: We are only in the market clarification phase; the
The project has therefore not yet passed through all the necessary committees. "The
There is still a good chance that it won't happen," says Castellaneta.

Underwear In my last post
I was able to show you the strict semi-order according to which a
red women's panties on dislocated calves excellent for
shoe store advertising. In comparison, the
Rear end groping for men's briefs is virtually a conditio
sine qua non. All respect, Mr. Mey!
But first things first: I once read a book about
type advice. You know, seasonal color palettes,
with which a man can make more of himself. That's well meant, but for
rear sections is completely unnecessary. As is well known, the freely ventilated
loin area is still the most popular among men in the 21st century.
Etiquette does not. True to the motto: "We don't wear underpants,
but responsibility". For all others - i.e. irresponsible people with
problem areas - the German textile manufacturer Mey has developed a textile
"Antidote" tailored with three holes. And advertiser Jockey
Schiesser (name changed by the editors) a face-lifted ad
two buttocks, well known from the SF-2 late-night show, and
an instruction manual in the copy. Absolutely foolproof. With this
dirt-slinging Kukident rockers should also be able to find their problem areas in
get a grip. (la)

Daily newspapers On October 31, Le Matin Bleu launches as a free version of the Edipresse tabloid Le Matin. The editorial teams fear redundancies. "From a journalistic point of view, Edipresse has no
Project more!" The verdict of a veteran Edipresse editor is
hard: The launch of the free newspaper Le Matin Bleu by Edipresse
is a purely entrepreneurial response to the risk that others will take a
could launch a free newspaper. Instead of strengthening their own titles and
to keep the reader interested through journalistic quality,
he is given the false message that information is free.
"The launch of a free newspaper by the publisher is a
Declaration of war on the editorial offices," another colleague summarizes the
mood together. In the countries affected by the free competition
Newspapers are bracing themselves for redundancies.

Savings options under discussion
At the two Edipresse regional newspapers 24 Heures and Tribune de
Genève, various savings options are being discussed, including the
Merger of the first bundle of the two newspapers. Decisions are
but none have been made yet. Rumor has it that
at 24 Heures, 20 jobs are at risk. Philippe Dumartheray, the
deputy editor-in-chief of 24 Heures, however, only confirms that
cost-cutting measures were unavoidable and redundancies were not
could be ruled out: "There are absolutely no figures available yet.
before." Antoine Exchaquet, Deputy Publisher at the Tribune de
Genève, announces a reduction in the number of pages, but reassures: "It
are not exclusively editorial pages, and the
The measure is limited in time until the end of the year." Exchaquet also
does not rule out redundancies at a later date: "In the
At the moment, however, we need to be strong and solid." They are planning a
"Revolution of the local section", which in Geneva is both micro-local and
must be international.
The unrest has also affected newspapers other than those directly affected in
Lausanne and Geneva. Now the pressure of advertising on the
content will increase even more, our colleagues complain. The editorial team of the
Fribourg's La Liberté even feared that publisher Albert Noth was allowing himself
into the battle of the free sheets and is tempted to
to launch their own. Albert Noth denies this
Press reports: "It's a misunderstanding." He had heard from
a local free newspaper that could be launched,
if another publisher launches a free newspaper in Fribourg.
would. There was never any talk of a commuter newspaper: "We know
but our limits!"
Some editorial teams are already starting to think about counter-strategies.
discuss. Pierre Meyer, business editor at the Tribune de
Genève, outlines an optimistic scenario: "It is possible that a
new medium with short texts, without commentary and with lots of
Services give new impetus to traditional paid newspapers
there," he writes in the association's organ journalistes.ch. Meyer hopes for
a possible coexistence between free and paid newspapers, if
The latter should focus on their own strengths and not try to do so,
to ape the free newspapers. However, this is only possible "if a
Part of the advertising revenue of the future orange-blue pair Le Matin and
Le Matin Bleu shot into the other Edipresse newspapers
becomes". The money could be used to improve the quality of paid newspapers.
and a salutary differentiation between entertaining and
serious journalism.
Théo Bouchat, in the publishing management of Edipresse for "orange-bleu"
does not wish to comment on the proposal. With Antoine Exchaquet
Meyer's ears are more receptive: "Why should it be possible within the same
publishing house not communicating vessels?" he says, but adds
adds: "At the moment, it's still a bold idea." The "double brand"
Matin/Matin Bleu is something new for Switzerland, and the free newspaper
must first show whether it is successful.

Publisher as soap salesman
Meanwhile, an open letter is circulating in French-speaking Switzerland with the title:
"Information at risk!". A group of journalists from a total of
eleven editorial offices drafted the text. "The press fulfills its
duty to inform and their task of critically analyzing events.
less and less, focusing instead on entertainment",
says the letter. And: "Information is no longer the goal,
Seduction and PR strategies replace it or even try to use it to
to merge."
Christian Campiche, business editor at La Liberté, is coordinating the
Action. He does not see the letter purely as a reaction to the
Commuter papers. The free newspapers increased the pressure on the
paid sheets, but they are not the only problem. "The
The problem is that publishers have forgotten what their job is.
Instead of providing independent and credible information
guarantee, they sell newspapers like they would sell soap."
Now the authors of the letter want to exert pressure: "The publishers must
to return to their profession," demands Campiche. One idea is
in the air: the convening of a conference at which the profession
situation and discuss measures.  

Helen Brügger

René Worni on "la guerre des gratuits." Let's go for a merry fly-by between
the blue free edition of Le Matin and 20 Minuten, more recently 20
(vingt) minutes. So there's no need to ask whether Edipresse and
Tamedia does not opt for a joint newspaper at the last minute after all
could have reached an agreement. Apparently, nobody values the advance of the
Zurich strategists as a mere threat with express effect - Tamedia
gets serious.

Thus the "guerre des gratuits" in French-speaking Switzerland, and may
Le Matin boss Peter Rothenbühler is looking forward to the esteemed competition from
the German-speaking part of Switzerland, who would like to see the Edipresse
from its long-standing monopolist image (page 19). Seen in this light
any competition is good for Edipresse's image.

The readers of Le Matin Bleu will have something to thank the
Swiss-German audience of 20 Minuten: The
Romands are more aware of their reception behavior than others
free newspaper readers in the world, because they will know the difference
between a paid and a non-paid newspaper directly
at the newspaper boxes. Orange costs, Bleu is
free of charge. What the content of a newspaper is (still) worth will be
exemplified in day-to-day practice along Lake Geneva and later
across the board towards the Röstigraben. A difficult
environment for the newcomer from Zurich.
 
The flying shreds are additionally stimulated by the considerations of
Michael Ringier, who recently admitted in the Standard that his publishing house had
missed the launch of its own free title. If you count
Further rumors were added, according to which some regional newspapers in the Bern area,
Lucerne, Basel, Zurich and St. Gallen at a joint
commuter newspaper project (which, after all, both Lucerne and
is also neither confirmed nor denied in Basel), so with
civil war-like conditions in the Swiss newspaper industry.

In French-speaking Switzerland, journalistic conscience is making itself heard these days
in an open letter signed by journalists from eleven countries.
Editorial offices worried about loss of quality and jobs signed
have (page 17): The publishers, who are currently behaving like soap salesmen
had forgotten what their task was: namely to work for
independent and credible information.

René Worni

Food She has always been racy
- the world-famous Maggi seasoning. To give the new variety with fiery
temperament the piquant individual profile, the
Publicis creatives get very hot in the announcement ad. The
bottle as a source of fire has an effect on the peppers and on the
advertisement itself. Because not only the "new" star was scorched, but also the
and the most sacred thing: the Maggi logo. If only the advertisers
do not burn your tongue, pardon the fingers ...

Alcoholic beverages Content & form wants to
a tasty and viral positioning of Feldschlösschen's beer brand
Bringing Hürlimann out of the woodwork. "What, they still exist?" The most common
reaction reflects the perception and current profile of the
Zurich's traditional beer brand Hürlimann. A street survey by the
advertising agency Inhalt & Form, which won the budget in a multi-stage
The presentation of the competition, which was won by the
days. The Hürlimann star, which joined the Rheinfeld beer family in 1996
Feldschlösschen, has only shone weakly for several years.
And this in a shrinking market - per capita consumption fell in 2004
to 57.3 liters, the lowest value since 1990.
But the trend is also moving in the direction of local color and thus towards a
greater diversity. However, this has been growing for years, mainly thanks to
niche products, i.e. specialty beers. And as such you can
Hürlimann cannot be described as such. The brand still enjoys a good reputation in almost all
age groups have a high to very high level of awareness, says consultant Jürg
Meyer. However, there is little left of the brand personality and its core.
something retrievable. Only nostalgics are still attached to the workers' beer and its
down-to-earth image, which was also characterized by the
Horse and cart used to distribute the barrels to the restaurants.

Clients willing to take risks
To relaunch the brew, the creative team around CD Serge
Riedener and AD Daniel Käser received from the client a certain
Willingness to take risks. There is not much image capital to
lose. And so the almost 170-year history of beer is being
The new look continues, at least as far as the advertising presence is concerned.
Based on the fact that three out of four beer consumers are men
the central statement was formulated and sharpened to make it
Attention-grabbing and amusing on "Hürlimann - only for men"
to. Three words for the claim that is easy to remember and recognizable
and should be enough to set the beer apart from the competition.
The male positioning is "free of any chauvinism", says Meyer,
initially implemented on posters, advertisements and cinema spots. Of course
everyone in the advertising idea the relationship with the detached
IWC power campaign. However, industries and target segments are so far apart
that, after the initial irritation, the parallelisms even
seem more typical for a beer. In any case, in
international beer campaigns more and more often shirt-sleeved
flippancy, which is reflected in her response to political
Correctness is particularly popular with young audiences.
As simply knitted as the men, the
Hürlimann campaign: product - whether as a stick or in a six-pack - in front of red
background, accompanied by a pithy headline such as "The
A climax for men. And guaranteed not a fake one" or "The
Man survives three days without fluids. Real guys don't".
The campaign is complemented by the newly designed website,
which will also be cheekier and younger. Here you can
online test to measure its virility. Anyone who fails ends up on the site
from Betty Bossi.    

Luca Aloisi

Oliver Classen on Swiss media blogs, Chinese walls and hybrid media
(It's bad enough that Das Magazin has given its
Star author Max Küng wrote eight full pages for a (makeshift as
disguised as an environmental policy report).
The fact that the back cover of the issue, in which the song of praise for the new
Lexus with hybrid engine appeared, through an advertisement for this very
noble body, however, "beats the bottom of the barrel" -
writes "Madman". And of course means credibility
our Saturday Schmonzette.

Madman is a media blogger and as such has
outrage potentials, in order to overcome the jaded, professional
industry observers can only envy. He still believes in what New
York brokers christened the "Chinese wall" in 1929 and is still the mantra of the
Journalism is. Okay, the commentary on medienspiegel.ch is not
particularly differentiated. (Of course, this famous faux pas is not, as Madman suspected, due to
Kall's return targets, but to internal miscoordination
to be attributed). But it is honest, correct and, above all, a kind of
"Reader test report" that those responsible take damn seriously
should.

Because just as Küng promotes his SUV, Madman & Co.
Mood against the blurring of editorial and commercial content
and interests. The "commuter blog", which specializes in 20 minutes
under the evocative title "Yellow Pages" even already a list
such offenses against the responsible reader. The Grimme Prize, which the German
the model bildblog.de was recently awarded, it should still be a long time
will not be enough. But a start has been made here in Germany too.

So the good news is that the blogosphere is increasingly taking over
a complementary, because emotional, control function over Chinese
Walls and other minimum ethical standards. And the bad one:
Product PR, trivialized as "lifestyle journalism", has been removed from the
opinion-forming press. Nevertheless: We remain
and are looking forward to the next swamp flowers from the
Publishing houses.

Oliver Classen, Editor

Fundraising RiveGauche\TBWA Genève has dramatized the problems of this world up close in Switzerland for Médecins sans Frontières Switzerland.major disasters in this world
usually happen very far away. In Switzerland, you can then do more
or less affected and help more or less accordingly.
Then life resumes its usual course. And when it does
would no longer be the case? What would it actually look like if the misery
of this world would suddenly have to take place right before our eyes?
A few weeks ago, RiveGauche\TBWA Genève won the pitch for a new
campaign for Médecins sans Frontières Switzerland. After the
internationally award-winning idea from Advico Young & Rubicam with
the messages "sewn" into wounds as well as the impressively effective
"violated" posters from Publicis last year, RiveGauche was
creatively challenged. - And came up with a completely new idea
effectively in the series of successfully stirring advertising
can contribute.

Confusing eye-catchers
The campaign from CD Alphonse Garcia's team works in two ways
Phases. In the first, teaser posters astonish with dramatic
sounding reports of disasters and their dire consequences. On
at first glance "familiar" messages, such as those we receive in our daily
News is therefore unlikely to cause much of a stir. However, the
horror story becomes an eye-catcher when this misery suddenly turns into
takes place in Switzerland.
"Amandine Favre, 10 years old. Malnourished because of the crop failure in
Canton of Vaud, caused by migratory locusts and drought", confused
us on such a teaser, for example. The explanation then follows in
the second phase with the reassuring addition: "... Is currently in
intensive medical treatment." There is a link to the collection campaign
of doctors working across borders with the claim: "Elsewhere
treat what would be tolerable for us."
The campaign uses seven posters and six commercials. In
these films are budget-conscious and yet emotionally impressive
the same fateful figures as on the posters.
see. The identical text is also shown off-screen, for example
Example: "Manuela Rota, sick with cholera when she was in front of Ticino's
rebels fled across the Alps. Is kept in a mobile care center
treated as an emergency case." Or: "Marco Schmid, eight years old, from
armed troops from Zurich after their victory over Lucerne rebels
raped and tortured ..."
In other subjects, an AIDS widow with five children from the
Val de Travers in the local infirmary the necessary
treatment or an Urs Liechti from Basel his necessary resources
against malaria. Here, thanks to the highly developed Swiss
Healthcare. Across the border thanks to our donations for Médecins
sans Frontières.
    

Andreas Panzeri