Fundraising Helvetas is calling for donations - on World Water Day The politically and denominationally independent organization has big plans for its 50th anniversary year: to increase its membership by 25 percent to 50,000 and to update its core mission, which is expressed in the claim "Life needs water". Because for over a billion people, clean water is still not a matter of course. The death sentence for millions of people. Every year. As the success of the tsunami fundraising campaign has led charitable organizations to fear that this year's contribution may be exhausted, their advertising activities need to be even more concise and emotional despite extremely limited resources. Aid organizations that are clearly positioned and support specific projects should find it easier to communicate their often comprehensive information packages in a concise and clear manner in their advertising. The less information overload there is in advertising, the more well-targeted emotions with a high recall value can be conveyed.
Helvetas pitch winner Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett (SFLB) made a virtue out of this need. To ensure that Helvetas' commitment remains possible, the development organization is calling for donations on UN World Water Day, 22 March, with a very simple campaign. The appeal symbolically shows what the donated money will be used for: Coins are dropped into a half-full glass until the water level has risen to the surface. "Help bring drinking water to the surface," it says. This idea was implemented as an advertisement, film and mailing.
The campaign is framed by various activities on World Water Day. Guests at some Zurich cafés will be served a glass of dirty water with their espresso. This will remind them that clean water is still not a matter of course for over a billion people.
How money becomes water: The Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett (SFLB) campaign.

Luca Aloisi

Newspapers The cultural event organizers in Basel are seeking reconciliation with the Basler Zeitung (BaZ), lifting the boycott against the BaZ-Ausgehagenda, with which they had reacted to the introduction of fees for the entry of an event at the end of 2004. According to the news portal Onlinereports.ch, the general assembly of the organizers involved has unanimously decided to enter into negotiations with BaZ. BaZ editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann was pleased about this. However, he does not believe that BaZ will abandon the obligation to pay.

Industry The Bern-based PR agency Zoebeli Communications is starting the spring with two new contracts. The agency is realizing the new annual report for the listed Komax Group.Komax is based in Dierikon LU and produces wire processing systems and assembly machines. Zoebeli is in charge of a major internal communications project for Swisscom Immobilien AG.

Television Local broadcaster Intro-TV has gone bankrupt and will cease broadcasting with immediate effect. The television station for the Solothurn region is owned by the private broadcaster U1, which was no longer prepared to finance Intro-TV on its own, according to a press release. According to the trade union Comedia, U1 has repeatedly failed to pay the salaries of Intro-TV employees on time in recent months. Comedia also contradicts Intro-TV's claim that U1 has offered the affected employees equivalent positions.

Events For the Bern Museum Night next Saturday, the Botanical Garden (Boga) is serving up a "special edition" of Knorr's legendary alphabet soup, with the packaging of the strictly limited edition bearing the signature of fruitcake graphic artist René Rüegsegger, as befits a museum piece.

Fashion You can't deny the jeans brand Levi's music competence. Which is why you believe it when it predicts that digital will replace conventional singles charts in 2005.The right moment for Levi's to position itself as a fashion trendsetter in youth culture again after a long time: The European division launches a ringtone contest. All entries will be judged by a jury of music industry professionals. The best ringtone will win a professional remix and - bucking the trend - pressing on vinyl.

Customer magazines The Swiss Magazine has turbulent times behind it and exciting ones ahead.Swiss' in-flight magazine has only just overcome internal problems - and already new, even greater challenges lie ahead with the preparations for the marriage between Swiss and Lufthansa.First to the latest turbulence: at the end of 2004, Swiss Inflight Media (SIM), an agency in Basel that exclusively marketed the Swiss Magazine and the rest of Swiss' in-flight media offering, cancelled its sails and returned its mandate to Swiss. SIM owner Marcel Wernli does not wish to give reasons. However, he emphasizes that he relinquished the contract of his own accord and that Swiss acted fairly in doing so.
In the meantime, Swiss has reversed the outsourcing of advertising sales and bundled its acquisition forces in-house. The crew for the entire in-flight media offering - from refreshment packs to advertisements in Swiss Magazine - is now housed at the customer magazine publisher at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse and has been headed by Roger D. Müller since January. Müller previously marketed Swiss Magazine - at SIM, no less - but left the agency a year ago. He was approached by Swiss at the end of 2004 for the new-old job. However, he does not want to say any more about the change of acquisition.
He also does not wish to comment on the future of Swiss Magazine, as the "constructive negotiations on a takeover and integration of Swiss into the Lufthansa Group" (press release dated March 13) are still too early to do so. However, he was relieved to read in the communiqué that there was talk of "maintaining the Swiss brand". "An airline called Swiss will continue to need a Swiss Magazine", Müller hopes. He does not rule out an advertising combination with the Lufthansa magazine, but points out that Swiss Magazine is a member of the international industry association Inflight Marketing Bureau (www.imb.com) and is therefore already involved in combination variants.
Marcel Wernli, who has already represented around 60 airline magazines from all over the world exclusively in Switzerland through his second company Inflight Media Marketing AG (IMM) - including the Lufthansa magazine - could imagine the possible merger of the two airlines having further repercussions for the print sector at Swiss. "Unlike Swiss, Lufthansa has the Lufthansa exclusive - a monthly magazine for frequent flyers - in addition to the in-flight magazine. It is therefore conceivable that Lufthansa will initiate a similar magazine at Swiss," he says.
Fewer passengers, smaller circulationSwiss carried around 9.2 million passengers in 2004, one and a half million fewer than in the previous year. This again means lower frequencies for Swiss Magazine. In 2002 there were still 11.6 million passengers.
The bilingual on-board magazine (German/English) is published eight times a year with a non-Wemf-certified circulation of 80,000 copies and also has a double issue with 1,300,000 copies each in July/August and December/January.
For comparison: Lufthansa magazine is published by G+J Corporate Media with a circulation of 280000 copies. (mk)
Destination uncertain: It is not yet clear what will become of the Swiss in-flight magazine after the Lufthansa deal.
Markus Knöpfli

Brands In the consumer study "European Trusted Brands 2005" by Reader's Digest, 72% of the 25,000 people surveyed stated that some brands were worth paying more for.72 % The most important criteria for brand trust are "high quality" (81%), "personal experience with the brand" (78%) and "understanding of customers' needs" (68%).

For wellness fans among advertisers, it has been clear since last week that the ideal employer is Lowe's. Not because the working atmosphere or office air are healthier there - the advertising company on Talstrasse is no different from any other in this respect - but Zurich's first day spa has recently opened just around the corner at Sihlporte. And it has it all. On two floors, you can indulge in the very finest pampering without having to book a five-star hotel. The feel-good oases of the Labo-Spa, designed by Lukas Meier's Aroma Productions, delighted the guests, who, after a short tour, went to the Kaufleuten Lounge to celebrate with cocktails and canapés.When Michel Pernet and Pete Kurath from Blofeld Entertainment come up with something new, it usually has a lot to offer - and on the occasion of the latest throw, long legs too. There were plenty of them to be seen on the catwalk set up especially for this evening in Zurich's Brockenhaus. For the "Fashion for Benefit" event in aid of Theater Hora, the organizers invited various Zurich scenesters to the second-hand goods treasure trove on Neugasse. It's amazing what the Brocki's clothing trove has to offer.
everything there is to discover.
Because it was for a good cause, TV celebrity Kurt Aeschbacher took on the role of presenter - and there were also some familiar faces on the catwalk, such as Gwendolyn Rich. However, Brockenhaus managing director Hanspeter Hürlimann took the cake with his performance - with a cinematic appearance as a mafia boss. Conclusion: even used clothes make people.
Beat Fritsch lost himself last week under the banner of lifestyle and well-being. The Labo-Spa promises the latter in the middle of the city and without having to book an entire hotel arrangement.
An ideal place to relax for CD-impaired creatives and BGL-stricken consultants.
The ideas of the guys from Blofeld Entertainment are always pretty unusual. This time, under the title "Fashion for Benefit", they hosted the first official fashion show from the haute couture stock of Zurich's Brockenhaus. It's amazing what's hanging around there.
Lukas Meier from Aroma with the night market girls Conny Schmid (l.), Nemuk AG, and Daniela Jeck from Unisono.
For a quick aperitif in the Kaufleuten Lounge: personnel consultant Silvia Gassmann (l.) and Bettina Bussey from Popfilm.
Cock of the walk: Dit Gertsch with Brigitte Bolliger (right) from Asphalt Urban Footwear and IT specialist Judith Jäggi.
Melanie Locher (l.), advertising agency Garbini Biedermann, and Nadine Queloz, PR manager at Christian Dior Parfums.
Leif Langenskiöld (l.), head of the Red Bull Racing Team USA, and Luc Rosset from the in-boutique La Boucherie in Kreis 5.
Film and commercial specialist Nadia Rosasco with friend Serge Riedener, Creative Director at the advertising agency Inhalt + Form.
Always good for ideas: Michel Pernet (l.) and Pete Kurath from Blofeld Entertainment.
Tina Venus Weiss from the Bern-based event and hosting agency World of Venus with Zurich bar legend Christian "Bossi" Bosshard.
Mafioso: Fashion show presenter Kurt Aeschbacher (l.) with Brockenhaus boss Hanspeter Hürlimann in Borsalino style.
Lisa Brühlmann from Star-TV and director Daniel Cherbuin were delighted with the dresses from the Brocki collection.
Without the third-largest economic area, your brand lacks powerNadia Fernandez (left), freelance journalist, and Bettina Brenner, ex-advertiser and now running her own fashion label.
Jeannette Kuster, Swiss family, and Beat Schlatter, for once not on stage himself.
A delegation from Jung von Matt/Limmat also came to Brocki: Christine Kuhnt, Sacha Baer and Sabrina Arthur (from left).
Old event professionals: Manfred Ettlin (left) from Neuerdings Events and Hubert Lüscher, project manager at Modernlight.

At the invitation of pioneer and NeunLive boss Christiane zu Salm, renowned thinkers (including Professors Glotz and Bolz) and doers (such as Hubert Burda and ex-RTL boss Hans Mahr) answer this question in this collection of essays. An inspiring and controversial tour d'horizon.> Interactive television: a magic machine? The future of TV between flowering dreams and business models by Christiane zu Salm (ed.). Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2004. 240 pages, 98 francs.
...
Media (r)evolution
The authors of this volume of essays examine the social and political consequences of the new communication technologies from the perspective of journalism studies. They also take a critical look at the Confederation's official vision of the Swiss information society.
> Information Society Switzerland: Media and the Public in Transition by Heinz Bonfadelli and Werner A. Meier (eds.). Seismo Verlag, Zurich 2004. 262 pages, 38 francs.

Magazines Ski magazine will be relaunched under a new name in the fall. The definitive title has not yet been determined, as reported by the Aargauer Zeitung.magazines The magazine Ski will be relaunched under a new name in the fall. The definitive title has not yet been determined, as reported by the Aargauer Zeitung. The working title "snowEmotionspur" shows the direction that the publishers Vogt-Schild/Habegger and Swiss-Ski want to take: an opening from pure skiing to the general snow experience, which also includes newer sports such as snowboarding and airboarding. Members of the ski sports association receive the magazine free of charge at home
Vogt-Schild/Habegger would like to attract more readers with the redesign.

Ad screen At Naville, TSR merchandising products and program content are to be promoted.
For Naville to even start thinking about screens at the kiosk (WW 9/05), it obviously needed the impetus of the French-speaking Swiss television station TSR. In any case, it all started with the book on TSR's 50th anniversary, which was distributed last year via Naville sales outlets, among others. Figures on how well the book sold at newsstands are not available. But sales must have been so good that Naville approached TSR and asked to be allowed to sell other items from the TSR boutique - primarily books, DVDs and videos. "We agreed, but wanted a kind of barter deal: Naville would be allowed to stock our boutique products on its shelves, but in return would also do something for promotion," says TSR press officer Manon Romerio, describing the negotiating position of French-speaking Swiss television. In the course of the talks, the idea of screens at Naville sales outlets crystallized - probably along the lines of the British American Tobacco (BAT) screen network at independent kiosks in French-speaking Switzerland that has been in place for a good eighteen months (see WW 7/05).
However, there was one difference: TSR didn't just want to advertise its own merchandising products or other kiosk items, they also wanted a promotional channel for their own program content. "TSR has various short formats and we now want to test how these are received by kiosk customers," says Romerio.
Weather reports, short news items or sports results would also be possible. However, the spokesperson emphasizes that there are no plans to feed them into the screens at the same time. "And we won't be producing any special programs for the new screens."
However, it is not yet clear whether there will even be a cooperation in the screen area. It is also unclear how long a loop will be - and how large the proportion of TSR content would be. All of this is currently the subject of a test at a single kiosk in Geneva. If this is successful, Romerio estimates that around 50 to 100 Naville sales outlets could be equipped with screens. The investment would be Naville's responsibility, TSR would supply the content and SRG subsidiary Publisuisse would be responsible for advertising sales. Whether this will happen will be decided by the middle of the year, says Romerio.
Also an issue for ValoraScreens at the kiosk - this is also an option for Valora with its 3000 k kiosks in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. "We have been pursuing this topic for several years and are convinced that our sales outlet network is ideally suited to it," says press spokeswoman Stefania Misteli. She also believes that "our partners and suppliers would certainly welcome this new form of communication at the k kiosk".
Nevertheless, the retail giant is hesitating with the implementation, currently
The cost-benefit ratio is still being examined. "The main cost drivers are still the flat screens," says Misteli. In other words, Valora is shying away from the investment and waiting for screen prices to plummet. "In due course", however, the company will "certainly press ahead with such a project", she assures. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli