Column The best editorial ideas are often buried at the bottom of the desk. A vacation clean can bring the zombies back to life.Live fast, die young. That, Mbwana, is the most successful motto in show business. (Just ahead of Hollywood mogul Louis B. Meyer's tip for a good movie: "Start with an earthquake - and then slowly build up!" And Alfred Hitchcock's motto: "Always pay close attention to what the others are doing. And then do exactly the opposite!")Journalism is a sub-discipline of the show business, perhaps the most mundane and boring, but nevertheless. That's why it's a tragedy that journalists aren't beheaded at 40. Instead, they become department heads, editors-in-chief and permanent opinion columnists: what follows are 25 years in which the same show is varied day after day. Routine becomes senility. And live, in front of everyone.
A similar fate awaits me, Mbwana. I am 39, have learned nothing else and am too happy and too cowardly to commit suicide. So I've decided, if not to change my skin, then at least to change my office chair and quit my job at the weekly newspaper WOZ.
Now I'm tidying up the desk: Mountains of notes, prehistoric sandwiches and plans never followed through or implemented. Some of them are too good to be dumped directly in the trash, so I'm sending them there indirectly via your head. Thank you!
1) An editorial team hires clever and malicious professionals from the industry for a month, who criticize all articles on the same page. The consequences would be: 1) Everyone would write more ambitiously. 2. you would have something very rare in the house: a fiery quality debate. 3. readers would read the newspaper like crazy that month - first the criticism, and then the article, regardless of whether it was praised or slated: To see if the criticism is true. (Disadvantage of the plan: it requires a very self-confident editorial team).
2) In the Christmas edition, every journalist writes about where they were wrong last year and why: misjudgements are nothing dishonorable and are often more interesting than reality. (And finally, in the January issue, one could legitimately list the mistakes made by the competition - as a little treat for self-flagellation).
3) A newspaper like the WOZ has a great tradition. If you leaf through yellowed volumes, you often find shamefully well-written, amazingly up-to-date articles. Once you have digested the insult that good journalism was not invented by you, you could republish excellent old articles - with a researched box: What happened afterwards.
4) In general, a strategy should be developed that takes into account the lack of real news, primeurs and scandals: No news is good news! Readers love stories; only journalists are interested in primeurs. One of the most popular WOZ formats with the public is the cheer-up article: Being happy about a victory or angry at a defeat. No news, but the message: We empathize, we understand you!
5) Other plans: Basically write all comments as pro-con memos; a series on the rehabilitation of do-gooders as interesting minds (not only evil contemporaries are clever); telephone terror as a new journalistic genre; a series along the lines of "How do I convince my aunt to think left on this issue? Arguments for domestic use"; etc. pp.
So far, Mbwana, my landfill, which is now temporarily stored in your head. And now let's go on vacation!
> Constantin Seibt was editor for politics and economics at the weekly newspaper WOZ until today.
Constantin Seibt on the many ways to spice up texts in an original way.

Presse Publicitas has failed in its appeal against the awarding of the contract for the Anzeiger Region Bern, the advertising agency appealed against the awarding of the advertising mandate to which it had itself been awarded the contract. It complained of additional costs because the local authorities responsible for the Anzeiger had awarded the contracts for prepress and printing to different locations and demanded that its compensation be reassessed.

Competition Commission Is Radio Basilisk being disadvantaged by the monopoly of Basler Zeitung? A case for the Competition Commission (ComCo).
With the relaunch last summer, the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) banned the radio program from its pages. At the request of readers, however, it later gave the programs of DRS 1 and 2 some space again - and on a 16 square centimeter residual area also the program of Radio Basel 1, which belongs to Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM). On the other hand, rival station Basilisk is not mentioned, which annoyed its parent company Tamedia. "BaZ systematically excludes Radio Basilisk (nota bene the number 1 in the Basel area) in its program notes. In our opinion, BaZ is exploiting a dominant market position, which is why we have filed a complaint with the Competition Commission," says Tamedia spokesperson Franziska Hügli.
The Weko is taking the complaint very seriously. It is not just about a few square centimetres of newspaper space, says Deputy Director Patrik Ducrey, "but about the question of whether a company with a quasi-monopoly position is using this power on a downstream or neighboring market to the detriment of competitors or whether there are sufficient alternative options for radio listeners to find out about Radio Basilisk's radio programming". The Competition Commission has therefore requested a statement from BZM.
The third party is happyBZM is not worried, however. "We see the lawsuit more as a sign of increasing nervousness at Basilisk, because our Basel 1 is gaining more and more listeners," says CEO Beat Meyer.
When Zurich and Basel quarrel, there is joy in Winterthur. "This lawsuit is great," laughs Günter Heuberger, head of Radio Top and TeleTop. He hopes that the Weko ruling will send a clear signal to the St. Galler Tagblatt. The newspaper has been publishing the programs of Radio Aktuell and Tele- Ostschweiz, which belong to the Tagblatt Group, for years, but the top stations remain unmentioned.
Markus Knöpfli

Out-of-home advertising APG is continuing the poster research project, which previously ran under the name Swiss Poster Research (SPR).
This is despite the fact that competitor Clear Channel Plakanda (CCP) two weeks ago
withdrew from the joint project (WW 26/05). "Only the
SPR concept provides a clearly understandable contact definition," emphasizes
APG announced in a press release. The fundamental decision for the previous
method is at the same time a rejection of the approach of the German
AGMA, the research sponsor, gives preference to the CCP. How the APG
poster research will be presented on August 17. (mk)

Cosmetics If you're afraid of showing bare skin in summer, you don't have to visit a plastic surgeon. The message for the firming Bodytonic lotion from Garnier was to be implemented by Publicis in a striking way, which the creative team did directly on the billboard - on adjacent B-200 posters - once with "unkempt" waves and next to it with a smooth poster. The posters were supported by a campaign in hairdressing, cosmetics and beauty salons - a small banderole for women's magazines.

David Allemann is the new Managing Director of Advico Young & Rubicam with the aim of establishing the agency as number one.
For David Allemann, advertising is "the rock'n'roll of the business world". What does that mean? In his opinion, only in a few other industries, such as the music industry or film, do creative ideas create "so much emotional value for consumers and commercial value for companies at the same time". And it is precisely this mix of business and creativity - the rock'n'roll - that not only fascinates the new Managing Director of Advico, Young & Rubicam, but also makes his professional commitment particularly enjoyable. Another premise: After a certain time, it has to be "always something new" for him. He sees this as another advantage of the fast-paced advertising industry.
David Allemann actually studied law. "I also found architecture exciting, but I saw the tough daily battle for the best design solution with my parents," he says today, as both his mother and father worked as successful architects. During his studies of laws and regulations, however, the youngster was attracted to something new. Together with a few friends, Allemann founded the party organizer "use it!", which is still active today.
Despite the countless parties associated with it, for professional reasons as it were, he completed his studies - only to discover something new straight away.
Hardly anyone was more familiar with the Internet when Allemann was given the opportunity to build up the Internet agency Futurecom for AY&R as part of the start-up team in 1996. At the time, few believed in the coming revolution of how advertising and the completely new technology of the Internet could be combined. But after just one year, the Futurecom adventure, which started with three pioneers, had 25 people.
David Allemann's success led to an appointment at the parent company AY&R as Group Account Director. In Gockhausen, he was entrusted with responsibility for major client projects. He was attracted to this entry into classic advertising because this work constantly involves solving new tasks with new problems from a wide range of industries. "That fascinates me."
Nevertheless, even in this role, his curiosity was not finally satisfied. A further development opened up for him at McKinsey. David Allemann worked for the renowned management consultants for just over two years, until 2002, as a strategy consultant. As an advertiser and lawyer among engineers, managers and financial experts in the team, he was mainly involved in projects in the areas of marketing, media, telecommunications and banking. "I was given the opportunity to broaden my spectrum and perspectives once again. I was lucky enough to be involved in many growth projects," he says, praising this time. As his greatest success at McKinsey, he says with a wink that he met a doctor as his future wife in the McKinsey consulting team.
David Allemann gained his knowledge as a strategist "in the best possible way", namely "in practice". For him, AY&R has always had a leading strategy department and a strong consultancy. "I benefited from that and from my colleagues." He later learned at McKinsey how to achieve a corporate goal using business management methods in addition to marketing. He was also able to attend an MBA program at McKinsey in the USA and supervise various projects abroad.
Allemann himself teaches as a guest lecturer at the MBA of the University of St. Gallen HSG and at the ADC/BSW Creative School. What interests him about his subject of strategy is the fact that it involves a strong focus on the future. "You have to know a goal in order to formulate a strategy. Not a status quo, but the question: what will happen in a year, in five years - and what is the best way to get there?"
After three years back at AY&R, where he most recently headed the strategy department, he will now be "responsible for the further development" of Advico Young & Rubicam as Managing Director, together with the two CDs Dani Comte and Urs Schrepfer as well as Lukas Tenger, who is new to Gockhausen and was previously Unit Head at Publicis.
"The agency has been in a spirit of optimism for three years. A lot has happened during this time, both in terms of new business and the great talent that has joined us. We want to solve the most challenging communication tasks for companies with creative strategies and campaigns." The aim is "to become the number one creative agency again".
In addition to Sunrise, AY&R has just acquired the Campari portfolio "with all its great traditional brands" and the Swiss Ski Association as new customers.
Allemann believes it is important for the agency to have "a
discussion at eye level". You don't just want to advise on how an advertising campaign should look, you also want to find out: What is the customer's real problem? How can we use effective communication to help solve it? AY&R has also just presented an expanded latest edition of the Brand Asset Valuator brand study on this topic (see page 9).
The new study component "Y&R Buying Steps" analyzes what the brand does in the buying process.
In his private time, David Allemann likes to live out his passion for architecture and design in his own home. He also tries to take at least three weeks off every year and travel far away. Most recently, he was in Burma, a "country that has not yet been discovered by tourists and is still very spiritual".
Andreas Panzeri

Awards With 9 of the 14 gold medals awarded, Germany was the big winner of the ADC of Europe Awards 2005. Two awards went to France, one each to the Czech Republic, Austria and Portugal, and the ADCE juries only award nominations in addition to gold. There were seven of these for Switzerland - as in Cannes - mainly in the DM category. The nominees were Ruf Lanz for McKinsey, Matter & Partner for Tribis Hundeschule and the living mailing by Jung von Matt/Limmat for Tur & Partner. Publicis also made it to the final for Médecins sans Frontières as well as for the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund and the ADC Yearbook 2004 by AY&R.

Television Hersant has been awarded the contract for the
Geneva's city broadcaster Léman bleu gets it, Edipresse comes away empty-handed. Now
The only thing missing is the approval of the Leuenberger department.
The shareholders of Geneva's Léman bleu television company
French publisher Philippe Hersant. One question remains
open: Will the Leuenberger department approve the new composition
of Léman bleu AG?
"We have saved the station's local roots and are retaining the
full control over the advertising direction," says Olivier-Georges Burri. The
legal advisor to the City of Geneva is satisfied. No wonder: the
In the struggle for the future of the local television station Léman bleu, the city has
ideas were fully implemented. While Philippe Hersant and
his Geneva-based partner Stéphane Barbier-Mueller each hold around 20 percent of the
shares, the city and the company it controls retain the shares.
cable network Naxoo holds the majority of voting rights.
With publisher Philippe Hersant and real estate agent Stéphane
Barbier-Mueller is joining the Board of Directors in a tandem that will
Hersant has to be the first to save the broadcaster from bankruptcy.
promised 1.2 million francs has already been deposited in the bank, is
from an informal source. Subsequently, it is likely to be mainly
be dependent on his plans, in which direction and with which
synergies Léman bleu is developing, Hersant is the only
Media professional on the Board of Directors.
His group has won the concession for private television in the
Grenoble in France and friendly neighborly relations with the
bordering High Savoy station TV8 Mont-Blanc; it has three
Western Swiss daily newspapers on Lake Geneva and in the canton of Neuchâtel,
plans to launch a commuter newspaper in the region.
Geneva-Lausanne is rumored. The city of Geneva wants to ensure that
The station's local focus and proximity to the public should not be betrayed: "We
will ensure that both the program and the production
remain Geneva-based," says Burri. For questions about the final distribution
of the share capital and to a publishing line that has yet to be
must be designed, it is too early.
The decisive factor for Hersant was the latest offer from the recently
Geneva-based heirs to the press empire of "newspaper eater" Robert
Hersant. Son Philippe Hersant allows the broadcaster to use his own
and will take over all advertising activities for five years.
Deficits.

Edipresse withdrew its offer
Competitor Edipresse did not have as much money to put on the table
the publisher also saw a cooperation with the advertising department of the
Geneva's private radio station Radio Lac. Edipresse withdrew its offer in
back at the last minute - and the Lausanne publishing house is wondering something
gloatingly, why the left-wing city government would want to
real estate agent and a press magnate,
There is a chronic housing shortage in Geneva, and people are falling
French press products not exactly characterized by social commitment
on.
From the looks of things, Hersant and Edipresse are therefore likely to be involved in
one of the two most lucrative private television projects in French-speaking Switzerland
participate. For Hersant Léman bleu in Geneva, for Edipresse Vaud TV, a
Merger of three or four local television stations in the canton
Vaud, in which Edipresse will hold a stake of around one third. For
Vaud TV has only issued a letter of intent, the license application will be
only submitted after the new RTVA came into force.
But Léman bleu AG will also be a talking point for a few more months.
Because while the takeover battle was still raging, the Federal Office for
Kommunikation (Bakom) with a letter to the organizer: The
The majority of shares were in the hands of a state-owned community,
could pose a problem, because both the federal constitution
as well as the Radio and Television Act guarantee the independence
of radio and television. This also includes independence from
state influence.
What does the constitution say? "The independence of radio and
Television and autonomy in program design are
Article 93 of the RTVA states that "Article 5 of the RTVA does not say
much more: "Unless otherwise provided for by federal law, the
Organizers are not bound by the instructions of federal, cantonal or
municipal authorities." The interpretation of the Bakom meets with
Geneva meets with little understanding; here the view is that the constitution
only prohibits influencing the editorial content. According to
Lawyer Burri resolved the differences at a meeting in Biel
"We convinced the office that we had fair intentions and that we
and don't want to make state television," he ironizes. To the
To safeguard their independence, the new owners are implementing a strict
and establish an editorial board that is independent of the Board of Directors.
editorial committee on its feet.

Skepticism at Bakom
But Marcel Regnotto, the responsible Bakom section head, is not ready,
to lay down their arms so quickly. Léman bleu must submit a request
which will be submitted for consultation, after which the Federal Office will
for the Environment, Transport and Communications (DETEC) to decide whether to approve the
economic transition - all of this takes three to four years.
five months. "We will examine whether the promised
accompanying measures are sufficient to safeguard journalistic freedom and
independence in the structural and organizational area.
preserve." For Bakom, this is a precedent-setting case: "Léman
bleu is the only regional organizer of significance with a
such a shareholder structure," says Regnotto.
Does the Office at least understand that the City of Geneva, which is located in
the nineties with La Suisse and Le Journal de Genève two
newspapers, holds her hand over her transmitter? "Yes, I do."
says Regnotto, but the organizers have been made aware of this.
that with the new RTVA, Bakom will also be responsible for the local reference
guard. "If an organizer wants to claim fee money, they must
fulfill a regional public service. And", is the rhetorical
Question, "Do you know of a single broadcaster that does not receive license fee money?
wants?"
Meanwhile, trust is good, says Geneva, but control is not.
better. "We may be able to work with Bakom on a small
have a legal problem to solve," says Patrice Mugny, member of the
City government. He does not understand why a city or a
Municipality must not be the majority shareholder in a radio or television station
could. "If necessary, we'll go all the way to the federal court - and why not
all the way to Strasbourg?"

Helen Brügger

Caterpillar is not only known for construction machinery and work clothing. Promotor Time Network, worldwide licensee for Caterpillar Timekeeping Equipment and CAT Watches, was looking for a new advertising agency in a competitive presentation and found it in Formelzwei in Bern. A worldwide advertising campaign, an online presence as well as brochures and promotional material are planned.

A new free newspaper was launched last week under the title Engadiner Wochenzeitung (ewo).Presse The tabloid has a circulation of 18,000 copies and is delivered to all households in the Upper and Lower Engadin, Bergell, Puschlav, Münstertal and Samnaun on Fridays. An online presence is also planned. The publisher is Joachim Ernst, owner of Multimedia Touristik Design in Samedan.

TV The online marketplace ImmoScout24 has extended its partnership with the real estate program "wohntraumTV" until the end of 2006, stating in a press release that television sponsorship is an ideal complement to the Internet sales channel. Thanks to this commitment, which has been running since fall 2003, ImmoScout24 has been able to significantly increase its level of awareness in German-speaking Switzerland. "wohntraumTV" can be seen weekly on TeleZüri, TeleTop and Schaffhauser Fernsehen.

Food The Swiss eat a good 82 million Cervelats (9000 tons) every year, according to sauce manufacturer Heinz. Thanks to its popularity, the Cervelat is Migros' number one best-selling Swiss product. It is followed by butter, minced meat, pork chops and meat loaf.