Financial press Following its relaunch last June, the business daily L'Agefi increased its retail sales by 25 percent, with advertising volume from June to December up 35 percent on the same period last year. L'Agefi is now optimizing further. Reporting from French-speaking Switzerland is being strengthened, as are service, stock market commentaries and analyses

Denner advertising manager Stefan Maegli, who has been with the company since New-Denner (2001), talks about the discounter's new direction in marketing communication.WW New-Denner was launched four years ago. Traditional advertising started just under a year ago. Why so late? Stefan Maegli We did our homework first, i.e. clearing out the stores, improving the product range and quality and winning back trust. The Markom measures based on this were only planned for the final phase from the outset.
But now they come in a concentrated and unusual form. How
Have the changes to the advertising presence been accepted internally?
The jolt that went through the company and the small administration was palpable and was mainly received positively. We wanted to shake people up again and make the new spirit tangible. The reaction was most successful on the front line, where more than 2,500 people work, because they felt more valued. The focus was placed on people, minimum wages were raised and all "grievances" were corrected.
However, the latter was hardly decisive for the change of course at Denner.
It was a necessity, because you can only survive in the market with a certain size. Without any fundamental debate, it was clear that Denner had to continue to grow. A clear realignment was therefore unavoidable.
How many advertising agencies did you work with during the implementation of the concept?
In 2002, we pitched for the opening advertising of the new branches. Christinger Partner managed the external appearance of the sales outlets according to our specifications. WHS was responsible for the original launch communication during the conversion phase. For the phase after completion, we wanted to advertise at image level for the first time. A radio and later a poster concept from Bonaparte came into discussion for this. Since last April, we have been expanding our advertising presence with ViznerBorel. However, this process took two years of persuasion. Only gradually, with each new subject that went on air, did those responsible in other areas that are more traditional acquire a taste for witty, intelligent image advertising.
But the Denner piggery ads will continue to exist.
That was our compromise, because the pork belly is under close scrutiny because it creates frequency. But you still have to optimize it massively. Regardless of whether it's image or pork belly, it's important to be present with the right message to the right people. Both measures benefit from each other if they are implemented consistently.
How has the advertising budget developed during the New Denner concept? during the project phase, investments increased by over 25 percent to cope with the whole thing. Now we have an additional, substantial amount again. There has been a shift: whereas previously 95 percent was spent on campaigns, today more than 15 percent is spent on image-building measures. It is clear that we are in a launch phase that is budgeted higher in proportion to sales than at a later stage, when the core message will be well established.
Can you already see changes in the structure of your clientele as a result of the repositioning? we are conducting an image track to determine the target group in which we have gained relevance. Statistically and empirically, nothing can be said yet. That will take time. But from what I hear, we are reaching more and more people from higher income segments.
In the initial phase of the realignment, Denner wanted to have 400 super discounters at the end of the conversion. You are a long way from that.
We have set ourselves the target of finding 100 additional locations of our own within five years. Franchising opportunities have increased again due to the changes at Primo/Vis-à-vis. There are still locations that we would like to have. Even on greenfield sites.
In other words, where the competition from the north will soon be advancing. How do you feel about the market entry of Aldi and Lidl?
Discounting will certainly become more popular in the initial phase. As we have done our homework and Denner has clearly positioned itself within the sector for the next five years, we are already in a good position. Of course, we still have potential to step on the gas, for example in the wine segment.
Profiling not only through the permanent low-price battle: ViznerBorel shows in the Denner TV commercial that discounters also have a sense of humor.

Interview: Luca Aloisi

The Zurich-based creative agency Ruf Lanz is now designing Nike's Swiss presence. The first result of the new collaboration will be seen in record time, writes Ruf Lanz: in March in the run-up to the Zurich Marathon, for which Nike is the official supplier. The international Nike campaigns will continue to be handled by Wieden & Kennedy.

Media policy The SRG Audience Council calls for SRG to take its programming mandate for the foreign market seriously.Swissinfo/SRI must continue to be provided with sufficient financial and human resources to produce high-quality programming in the national languages and major world languages, writes the Council. The mere recycling of productions for the domestic market is not enough.

Awards The Federal Office of Culture (BAK) has honored "The Most Beautiful Swiss Books" of 2004. The jury selected 33 winners from 400 books and also awarded the Jan Tschichold Prize, which is presented annually to a personality, group or institution for outstanding achievement in the field of book design. It goes to the Elektrosmog design team (Valentin Hindermann and Marco Walser) in Zurich. The award ceremony will take place on May 28 at the opening of the exhibition "The Most Beautiful Swiss Books" at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. The list of award-winning books is available for download at www.bak.admin.ch.

The Vaud cantonal court has made a U-turn in the legal dispute between the publishers Edipresse and Hersant. Hersant had had the term "La Côte" super-provisionally banned by Edipresse, as it publishes a newspaper with this title itself. The court has now lifted the injunction and rejected Hersant's request for provisional measures. In an editorial, editor-in-chief Jacques Poget writes that 24 Heures opted for the term "Région La Côte" as a peace offering.

Transport advertising 2004 was a very successful year for VBZ TrafficMedia, the transport advertising division of the Zurich transport company: with sales of CHF 10.2 million, it achieved a new record, 6.25 percent above the previous year's result. Rear advertising, which was only introduced three years ago, experienced a boom with 40 percent growth. The 13,000 spaces for hanging boxes were 75 percent utilized. Posters on newspaper boxes were 80 percent utilized. There was a "slight increase" in roof advertising and window banners. The overall result also includes income from bus stop advertising, although VBZ does not specify a trend. The partners here are APG and Clear Channel Plakanda. The new Traffic Light Posters in Tram 2000, introduced in November 2004 and realized with APG, were immediately in great demand. VBZ also increased its passenger numbers. In 2004, they transported 289 million passengers in the city alone, 2.6 percent more than in the previous year. (mk)

Publishers LZ Medien was successful in 2004 and is already approaching the figures of the record year 2000 again. However, it was not possible to speak of a slump - or then only at the level of advertising revenue. The foundations never slipped: The equity ratio remains at 66 percent, and the flagship, the Neue Luzerner Zeitung (Neue LZ), is slowly but steadily growing in terms of circulation and readership. The basket of the Boten der Urschweiz (WW 5/05) is a downer for Neue LZ, but not a setback, and the Central Swiss media company bucked the trend in 2004 with significant growth. Turnover rose by 5.1 percent and consolidated profit by 20.2 percent. The latter amounted to 9.88 million francs and is only just under 200,000 francs below the record value of 2000. 124.1 million francs is also the third-highest value for the group, in which NZZ holds a 51 percent stake.
The revenue structure cannot be compared with the year 2000: although the advertising business (Neue LZ and weekly newspapers) still accounts for the largest share (40 percent) of Group sales at CHF 48.3 million, this is significantly less than four years ago, when it still accounted for around 60 percent. Subscription and kiosk income (share of sales: one third) and the printing business (around 25 percent) are strong pillars. The latter in particular made up ground last year, growing by 15.1 percent.
Newspaper printing Neue LZ AG and the LZ subsidiary Multicolor Print AG contributed in particular to this growth. Then also the takeover of Kürzi Druck (Einsiedeln) in 2003 and last May the acquisition of a 42.4 percent stake in Beag Druck AG in Emmenbrücke. The Luzerner Woche, the Willisauer Bote and the Wiggertaler Bote are now also printed by Neue LZ.
In the meantime, LZ Medien has already secured an additional print volume with the purchase of Calendaria in December (see box), which will give the print sector even more weight. "We really don't have a newspaper cluster risk, the business areas are a little more spread out than before," says Board delegate Erwin Bachmann. This does not rule out the possibility that advertising revenue, and thus the still dominant newspaper business, will increase again with an upturn in the economy.
However, the fact that LZ Medien has almost returned to the 2000 level, not least thanks to the expansion in the printing sector (commercial and newspaper printing), provides it with a solid basis for the future. According to Bachmann, the "more effective strategy" drawn up last year also envisages that the company will continue to diversify. Initial projects are also being considered in the reader market, now that 20 Minuten has made inroads into Central Switzerland. "We want to do even more for young, urban readers," says Bachmann, without giving away any details.
Calendaria print volume back in Switzerland as of December 23, 2004
LZ Medien took over the Immensee-based company Calendaria,
the Swiss market leader for picture calendars. "Calendaria is an excellent fit for LZ Medien," says Erwin Bachmann. It will work closely with Multicolor Print, which belongs to LZ Medien, and thus also shift the printing volume from Italy back to Switzerland.
The company location in Immensee will remain the same, as will the management structure. The number of jobs has been increased from 39 to 43 and a separate sales organization has been incorporated. Calendaria generates annual sales of around CHF 10 million. (mk)
Growing mainstay: The printing business made a significant contribution to LZ Medien's good result in 2004.
On the up again: LZ Medien increased sales and profits.
Markus Knöpfli

Research The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen AG has commissioned Primetime to produce the film "The Carbon Cycle", which is being produced exclusively in three dimensions. The carbon molecules, which are invisible to the naked eye, are shown in the form of figures. The special projection gives the viewer a three-dimensional experience thanks to 3D glasses. The seven-minute film will premiere in summer 2005 at the PSI Visitors' Forum in Villigen. Primetime is the producer with overall responsibility for the script, design, image and sound production.

Business mediaAfter a two-stage competitive presentation, the advertising agency Hochspannung prevails against three competitors and wins the advertising budget of the business title Finanz und Wirtschaft, which has been published since 1928. The mandate includes the development of a new communication presence as well as all classic advertising measures for subscribers, readers and advertisers. The first works will be on display from April.

Free newspapers A weekly Stadt-Zytig wants to take on 20 Minuten, Baslerstab and BaZ Beat Alder, the head of Basel's second television station Nordwest 5 (now NW1), who was dismissed in the fall of 2004, is launching the free weekly Stadt-Zytig in Basel on March 17. It is Alder's second newspaper experiment in Basel; 16 years ago, he launched the Basler Bebbi (blessed), but unlike that free paper, which was put in every letterbox, the Stadt-Zytig will initially only be published with a circulation of 28,350 copies, which will be sent to "hundreds of restaurants" for distribution.
The 32-page tabloid will also be distributed on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings in the city center of Grossbasel and Kleinbasel. Newspaper boxes are also planned, but approval is still pending. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the paper will pay CHF 100 per year.
In terms of content, the newspaper will be a tabloid - "but with longer texts than 20 minutes and, above all, with its own primeurs", emphasizes Alder. As in Bebbi's day, he wants to get involved in local political events. Primarily, however, he wants to make a newspaper for young people and focus strongly on the weekend. Accordingly, there will be previews of parties, events and happenings.
Does Alder see his chance in the protest by cultural workers against the paid event listings in the Basler Zeitung? "That wasn't the motivation, but of course it suits us," says Alder. In any case, the Stadt-Zytig was well received.
In the team of seven, Alder sees himself as "advertising salesman, editor-in-chief and go-to guy for everything". A four-color full-page ad costs 3,000 francs gross.
Stadt-Zytig is published by Alder + Zehnder GmbH. Zehnder stands for the publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder, head of the Zehnder publishing house in Will SG and owner of 22 free newspapers with a focus on Eastern and Central Switzerland. Alder founded the two NOZ (Neue Oltner Zeitung and Neue Oberaargauer Zeitung) ten years ago and left them to him. He has now approached Zehnder with the new project, who will also be responsible for the printing. Alder has only taken a 2.5 percent stake in the young publishing house, with Zehnder holding the rest. However, the contract stipulates that Alder can take over up to 50 percent, they both say.
New bridgehead: publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder enters the Basel market.

Markus Knöpfli

Sponsorship The sportswear manufacturer Craft (Suisse) has entered into an equipment partnership with the Neuchâtel Xamax football club and, as a Neuchâtel-based company, wants to support the canton's "lighthouse" team, according to the communiqué. In its country of origin, Sweden, the national team already wears the company's underwear.