Medien Grey Geneva is now in charge of the communications mandate of French-speaking Swiss television station TSR (Télévision Suisse Romande), winning the pitch in two rounds against four competitors. Strategy and its creative implementation were the deciding factors, according to a press release. The first measures will be seen at the beginning of 2006.

Posters Despite their extraordinary popularity at the time, theater posters from the Victorian era have largely been forgotten today, as the stylistic innovations of the French poster from the end of the 19th century superseded the charm of its British counterpart, which clearly set itself apart from official art and was entirely dedicated to the narrative-folkloristic tradition. From July 19, the poster collection of the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich at the Swiss National Bank will be showing a number of works by old masters such as Dudley Hardy and John Hassall.

Poster currency crisis among Swiss out-of-home advertisers. Swiss out-of-home advertisers APG and Clear Channel Plakanda (CCP) have been working on the Swiss Poster Research (SPR) project for five years. The aim of this well-advanced project is to develop a common currency for the contact opportunities of poster sites (see box). Last week, CCP suddenly announced its withdrawal. In the meantime, SPR project manager Professor Martial Pasquier has even been tasked with liquidating the simple partnership SPR. This company owns the rights to SPR, the data collected from Winterthur and Zurich and 350 GPS devices.Beat Roeschlin, CEO of CCP, makes it clear: "We are saying goodbye to SPR's observation area approach because it sometimes identifies contacts that do not actually occur." There is hardly any going back. "There would have to be fundamental changes at SPR. But after the mediation talks of the last two months, I no longer believe that will happen." Nevertheless, he is still interested in a common poster currency for Switzerland. "In our opinion, the best approach would be to examine the path pursued by the official German research organization AGMA (see box) for Switzerland as well," he wrote in a press release on June 28.
But the CCP CEO has already made up his mind. "AGMA offered us and APG talks on standardized poster research last week. CCP will certainly accept this offer," says Roeschlin. He hopes that APG will follow suit. "We want to avoid an arms race in poster research. But if necessary, CCP will also go it alone."
With the AGMA approach, definitive figures for the whole of Switzerland could be available within two years - at the same time as the AGMA survey in Germany. Roesch-lin already knows why this could be implemented so quickly: The data on the mobility of the Swiss population required for the survey is available from the Federal Statistical Office.
Faster and cheaperThe reach data for the poster sites in Zurich and Winterthur is available, and the survey for the city of Geneva will be carried out this fall - SPR liquidation or not. Roesch-lin: "We stand by this signed contract with the IHA-GfK institute." CCP expects to receive a certain number of SPR mobility meters at a later date, giving it a free hand to survey further agglomerations itself. As the AGMA concept requires far fewer cases, test persons and test weeks, the outstanding cities could be surveyed more quickly and cheaply. At APG, CEO Christian Kauter describes the withdrawal of CCP as "running amok against itself". CCP and APG had jointly defined the research method, agreed on a hard currency and had all steps assessed by the independent user group. "The fact that CCP is now suddenly jumping ship is absurd and incomprehensible." APG will determine its next steps this week. "But we will certainly not switch to a new methodology 50 meters before the finish line," says Kauter with a view to the AGMA offer.
Professor Martial Pasquier, the spiritual father of the SPR, is not surprised by the CCP's move after the mediation talks, but regrets it. At the same time, he notes: "The SPR data is accurate." It was also clear from the outset that specific solutions would have to be sought for a small number of poster sites. He believes that the AGMA approach is possible for Germany, but not for Switzerland, as the mobility data available here is too heterogeneous across the cantons. "This is precisely why the CCP and APG decided in 2003 to survey the mobility of the population using GPS," says Pasquier. This is time-consuming and expensive, but also very precise.
The User Group and the Association of Swiss Advertisers (SWA), on the other hand, were surprised. The User Group considers it an affront that "we were never informed about the apparent implementation problems and differences between the two providers". SWA Director Jürg Siegrist has also "not been able to detect any signs of a rift". However, because the SWA has mediated between APG and CCP before, the SWA Director again invited all parties involved to separate talks. "Harder data for the poster is urgent. That's why I now want to know exactly where the problems lie," he says.
How the SPR worksThe SPR measures poster usage with the help of the satellite-based navigation system Global Positioning System (GPS). To do this, the test subjects carry a cell phone-sized receiver called an SPR mobility meter on them for a week. This stores the signals from at least four satellites every second, allowing the distances covered to be transferred to a digital map with meter accuracy. The map also contains the positions of the poster sites and their observation area, which is usually defined with a visibility angle of 150 degrees and a maximum distance of 80 meters. When a test person passes through an observation area, the angle to the poster site and the speed of passage can be determined. The contact is then weighted accordingly. Around 1800 test weeks were required to obtain representative data on mobility and reach in the city of Zurich. The plan is to survey around 10 to 15 large Swiss Agglos over a period of several years. (mk)
This is how AGMA poster research works "In Germany, we cannot limit ourselves to the largest conurbations. We have to survey the poster reach nationwide," says Lothar Hannen, Board Member for Posters at AGMA. The SPR approach, which uses GPS to record the reach of the sites and the mobility of the population, is not suitable due to the large number of cases required. AGMA therefore relies on a three-stage procedure: Data from the Federal Ministry of Transport provides information on overall mobility, GPS is used to validate this data and the range survey is carried out. And thirdly, the individual locations are classified, for which a recognized value already exists, the G-value of the GfK Institute. "The concept has gone through all the necessary committees," says Hannen. The
AGMA wants to collect comprehensive GPS data as early as next year and is expected to publish it in 2007. Lothar Hannen leaves it open whether Switzerland will also be surveyed at the same time. (mk)
Split: Christian Kauter (l.) and Beat
Roeschlin (r.), and Martial Pasquier (center).
Markus Knöpfli

Newspapers The new Landbote is unrecognizable apart from its name: On September 16, the Landbote, now in its 169th year, will be published in a completely new look. "It's the biggest and most decisive relaunch to date," says Editor-in-Chief Rudolf Gerber, who is taking part in a paper overhaul for the fifth time in the past two decades. Gerber is entering the new era with a good feeling, although readers will no longer find much that is familiar. A 16-page Landbote mini-zero number was presented to the media last Wednesday. It comes directly from the Tamedia printing center, where the paper has been printed since the cooperation between Ziegler Druck and Tamedia was agreed last year. Compared to the well-known Landbote, it is a completely new product in terms of form and content, which even dispenses with the title in Fraktur. However, new pages, new containers, a change in paper architecture and clearer imagery in a modern, colorful and yet restrained layout - for those responsible "a quantum leap in terms of content and design" - are unlikely to meet with any resistance from the public.
The five-column layout of the Vierbund newspaper was created by 38-year-old Zurich graphic designer Jürg Candrian, his largest project to date, for which he drew inspiration from American and English models.
The newspaper architecture features an innovation that is unprecedented in the Swiss newspaper landscape: Page 2, the "Tagesschau", offers an overview of the most important events of the previous day for quick readers. Together with the front page, the reader is quickly informed about the essentials - a small "20-minute effect", cleverly packed into the full newspaper. This is no coincidence, as the Winterthur-based company has identified additional readership not directly among young people, but among the somewhat younger readership: "Our analyses have shown that the Landbote still has growth potential in the age group between 30 and 50," says Lothar Dostal, Managing Director of Ziegler Druck- und Verlags-AG. This middle generation of readers has changed its expectations of a newspaper since the Internet and 20 Minuten. "We want to turn them into regular readers with the new Landbote," hopes Dostal. The mix of topics in the third section, "Life", with cultural articles and a series of daily changing service pages (e.g. fashion, travel, consumption, lifestyle, multimedia) is particularly aimed at this segment.
Editorial team expandsMore reader proximity is the credo of the makers. The second section, "Local", will focus on local news. There, the opening page with the most important story acts as a window into local events. However, the local focus should also be increasingly cultivated on the front page and run through all newspaper pages if possible.
The Landbote is also introducing what larger daily newspapers in particular are familiar with: a newsdesk with topic-setting and producing editors and journalists conducting thorough research enables the editorial team to react flexibly to the current news situation. However, this is only possible with a massive expansion of the editorial team, specifically with 550 additional full-time equivalents. "It is with a heavy heart that we are discontinuing the weekly magazine 'Spots'," explains Publishing Director Denise Pernet. The content, namely cultural and event articles, will therefore move to the third bundle. A complete nightlife agenda will also be published on www.landbote.ch. Dostal is also already thinking about a monthly cultural magazine together with Winterthur event organizers. The relaunch of the newspaper will go hand in hand with the relaunch of the website, which has been streamlined to include news, a calendar of events, a reader forum, tips for going out and a new SMS service for Winterthur.
Service-oriented websiteIn the wake of dwindling advertising revenues, the new Landbote is of course also courting commercial customers, for example with the redesign of the tariff structure or with the new website, which is intended to make it easier to put together customized cross-media offers.
Landbote readership is currently stagnating at 69,000 readers (circulation around 38,000). "Over the next five years, we want to increase our reach to around 8,6500 readers," explains Denise Pernet. She is a member of the mainly editorial project group that has been working intensively on the relaunch since last fall and is being coached by the communications agency Contract Media Publishing AG (CMP) on the basis of a previous analysis. With success: experts such as Rolf Bollmann and Karl Lüönd are quoted in the zero number with benevolent to cautiously euphoric comments.
In September, the nightly relaunch party takes place in Winterthur's Salzhaus, but without Angelina Jolie. Although she will be the number girl in a decollete leather top on the "Leben" opening page of the zero number, the actress will still only be seen on the big screen in Switzerland's sixth-largest city.
Unity in the shadow of the big playersSuddenly, what was previously unimaginable for many years is now possible: not only the Landbote (Tamedia's sphere of influence) has lifted its face, but also the other three Zurich regional newspapers Unterländer, Oberländer and Zürichsee-Zeitung (NZZ/PubliGroupe's sphere of influence) have come together to form a new layout. They print in the joint DZO printing center in Oetwil - without the Landbote following Tamedia's takeover of 20 percent of the Landbote. The Land newspapers are expected to appear for the first time on 23 August with a standardized, customizable look. "However, it will be more conservative than that of the Landbote", estimates Benjamin Geiger, Editor-in-Chief of the Zürichsee-Zeitung.
Nevertheless, nothing prevents the editors-in-chief from holding informal meetings in Winterthur, where they chat about synergies and plan joint car supplements, for example. "Since July 1, we have also shared the radio and TV pages," reports Landbote editor-in-chief Rudolf Gerber. (rw)
Obvious improvement: Rudolf Gerber and Denise Pernet with the old and new Landbote.
René Worni

Press The association of newspaper publishers in Ticino has given itself a new name. The Associazione Ticinese Editori di Giornali (ATEG) has become Stampa Svizzera ("Swiss Press") and, according to a report in Corriere del Ticino, the general assembly has also accepted the Sunday newspaper Il Caffè della Domenica as a new member of the association

Sponsoring The Internet service provider Green.ch is increasingly focusing its marketing strategy on electronic and classic advertising in the future.The Brugg-based company has announced its withdrawal from sports sponsoring as of July 2006. The contracts as main sponsor of FC Zurich (FCZ) and the ZSC Lions would no longer be extended. However, the personal commitment of Managing Director Guido Honegger, who serves as Vice President of FCZ, will not be affected. In the past, Green.ch has shown that it stands by its clubs even in difficult times, and will continue to do so in a different form in the future.

Radio combinations Publicitas' new radio ideas are dividing the One Pool, and because they want to "keep all strategic options open for the future", Radios Argovia and 32 have terminated the One Pool as a precautionary measure at the end of the year. Both radios, in which AZ Medien now at least has a say, chose exactly the same wording to explain their decision. No comment on the new options was available from Baden. "There are new ideas on the Swiss radio scene," says Christian Müller, Chairman of the Board of Radio 32 and CEO of Vogt-Schild/Hab- egger, succinctly. He is probably referring to PubliGroupe's radio plans, which, according to CEO Hans-Peter Rohner, should be finalized by the end of the year.
Incidentally, Radio Grischa has also terminated the One Pool "as a precautionary measure", but Grischa boss Hanspeter Lebrument justifies the move with his station's radio control data, which has been blocked for one and a half years. "Without figures, we become a burden for the One Pool," he says. He openly admits that the P plans influenced the termination, but he says they were not the decisive factor.
Interesting: Elsewhere, the situation seems calm. The City Pool, the Swiss Radio Pool and the Pool 2000 had not been terminated as of June 30.
(mk)

Guides The Illnau-based agency 4 Elements has put an end to the countless Swiss city guides and recently packed the five most important German-speaking Swiss cities into a single pocket-sized brochure.highlights and tips in the "Best of" have been carefully selected and described and organized thematically, announces the press release. The guide will be distributed free of charge in prominent Swissness stands to a total of 700 addresses and will be published quarterly with seasonal content.

Media I'm sure you've also asked yourself: Are there any willing advertising consumers for whom bad is not bad enough? After all, it follows all the rules of the bland cheerful effect in order to target the coveted communities of the visually impaired and cuddly toy owners.
The particularly elegant layout should be emphasized here, which highlights the amazing performance of the "artists" from Dufourstrasse. Not only is the bravura of the quartet impressive, the levitation of the Jack Russel is also special. Added to this is the thorough work of the stylists, who know only too well how to design these special, likeable animals and transform them with the utmost care into little masterpieces of questionable taste.
Visual treats of this caliber are rare and must therefore be duly appreciated. We will keep this advertisement safe in our vault. Right next to the 100,000 francs that the publishing house responsible has given us - not as winners, but as
injured party - has paid out. It's a nice compensation for so much aesthetics.
(la)

Local radio station Radio Framboise in the canton of Vaud changed its name to Rouge FM at the beginning of July and introduced a new philosophy: unlike its competitors, it does not want to concentrate on music, but rather emphasize information, magazines and interactivity, according to a press release. Rouge FM is thus positioning itself as a direct competitor to the SRG station RSR La Première. The parent company Maxiris, which took over Radio Framboise in April, is investing CHF 3 million in the station and creating seven new jobs. Rouge FM is expected to break even in two years.

Online store The Zurich agency Neutral has been entrusted with Stromberg's advertising and PR activities. Stromberg is one of the first purely online fashion retailers in Switzerland and sells brands such as American Apparel, Misericordia and Schiesser Revival.

Generic marketing What print can do better than other media groups has now been demonstrated by Burson-Marsteller in Bern with an advertisement. The idea of supporting a charitable organization with a welcome media presence and a suitable platform for appeals for donations also appealed to photographer Andres Serrano and his New York gallery owner Paula Cooper. They provided the image subject free of charge. The donations received have not yet been massive, which according to Insieme, the association for the mentally disabled, is not surprising given the usual delayed response to appeals for donations. However, many positive reactions have been received from the Insieme community. According to those responsible, the advertisement was noticed and aroused sympathy.