Expansion The Gallus Group is investing 12 million Swiss francs in a new production site for screen printing plates, an important step in the development of the label printing machine manufacturer's commitment to Eastern Switzerland. The new production facility is located in Herisau, close to the main site in St. Gallen.

Magazine The women's magazine Edelweiss in French-speaking Switzerland is getting a new layout. From March 18, Edelweiss will have a generally more colorful and sensual look, writes publisher Ringier.

Ann Fudge, CEO international of Young & Rubicam, on integrated marketing, creativity and the Swiss subsidiary agency AY&R.
WW Ms. Fudge, you worked in marketing for consumer goods companies such as General Mills and Kraft Foods for 20 years. What attracted you to switching to the agency side? Ann Fudge The opportunity to bring a very customer-focused approach to Young & Rubicam and to create comprehensive marketing communications.
When I was working on the client side myself, I worked with many agencies individually. Y&R Advertising, Landor, Burson-Marsteller, Cohn & Wolfe and so on. It wasn't until much later that I found out they were all part of Y&R. I found that frustrating. I asked people: "Why didn't you tell me what a wealth of opportunities your network has?"
So I try to bring in this different way of thinking, and I think I'm successful. The heads of the individual Y&R Brands subsidiaries now exchange know-how more frequently. In the past, we only got together occasionally for a single pitch when integrated communication was needed. But it also benefits existing customer relationships if we think about it: What role do direct marketing or the Internet play in their business objectives and how can we help?
So your vision of Y&R is to integrate the various disciplines? I don't intend to create one big conglomerate. We would lose focus. Too much uniformity is detrimental. I think we need that little bit more focus that those who excel in their discipline have. My aim is to create a marketing community in which the individual disciplines talk to each other and contribute their different strengths.
We are currently working on a new concept for this. You are probably familiar with the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV), our tool for strategic brand management. I have re-energized the BAV team and we have come up with some very interesting ideas that will help us in the market and differentiate us from the competition.
Could you go into a little more detail? I've probably already said more than I should at this point. But you will hear about it.
You are visiting Gockhausen for the first time today. What role does Advico Young & Rubicam play in the global network?
In my eyes, every single market is very important. When I look at the progress AY&R has made under the leadership of Edgar C. Britschgi, I am very satisfied. As you know, we went through a difficult time after our previous management team left the agency. Now we are in the middle of rebuilding. 2004 was a very good year in this respect. Also for Y&R as a whole, we had strong sales growth and good returns.
I think Sunrise is a great new client, and we have also won GE Money Bank and smaller accounts. Through our international network, we have also won work for Colgate, Danone and Barilla. What you need to understand: Growth comes from new business, but growth also comes from expanding existing relationships. If we strengthen the trust of our customers, orders will also increase. Just not as evenly as we would like.
The former management team left AY&R and founded their own agency because they were not happy with interference from international management. Have you changed your management style?
My philosophy is to listen. If I become active myself, then it's more by asking questions. For example, what we can do to generate even more growth. But I can't control AY&R, and I don't want to. That is the job of the local and regional management. We at Y&R Brands only set the framework. On the one hand, we set growth targets; on the other, we help with creative resources and new business.
AY&R has fallen from 3rd to 9th place in the creative ranking of Werbewoche ...
How do you measure creativity? Are awards the currency? Or is it measured by how ideas are used to generate growth? Awards are important because they bring recognition and help to promote creative ideas.
attract talent. On the other hand, we are not the most creative creative store. We adapt our work to the customer's goals.
The most important thing is to implement the strategy correctly. We want to be creative, but if we are creative without being true to the strategy
we will lose our customers.
What's next for AY&R this year? We will continue on our current course. I always say that the only way is forward. But you know what? I don't run this agency. Edgar runs it.
Since mid-2003, Ann Fudge has been CEO of Young & Rubicam Advertising and also of the umbrella company Young & Rubicam Brands, which also includes the marketing agency Wunderman, the PR agencies Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe and the branding specialists at Landor Associates.
Ann Fudge graduated from Harvard University with a Master of Business Administration in 1977. The 53-year-old then worked for the food companies General Mills and Kraft Foods in various marketing roles and made a name for herself by reviving faded brands such as Log Cabin Syrup and Minute Rice. Most recently, she was Director of Kraft's Beverages, Desserts and Cereals Division. In 2001, she left the Group for a sabbatical.
Ann Fudge has won a number of awards. In 1995, she was voted Advertiser of the Year by the Advertising Women of New York. In 1998, Fortune Magazine included her in its list of the 50 most powerful women. (sm)
Building a marketing community: Ann Fudge, CEO Young & Rubicam.
Interview: Stefano Monachesi

Magazine The news magazine Facts has entrusted Grey Direct Concept with its direct marketing mandate, and the Tamedia magazine opted for Grey after a competitive presentation among three agencies. The direct marketing agency from Baden has experience in the publishing sector: among others, it looks after the Aargauer Zeitung, Schweizer Illustrierte and the specialist magazine publisher Binkert Medien. Managing Director Jürg Koller was advertising manager at Ringier and Reader's Digest before founding the agency in 1985.

Paper tradingWith the acquisition of the business activities of Thalo Papier (Thalo), Antalis Switzerland is supplementing its range of specialty papers with a high-quality range of fine and artist papers for discerning users. The Thalo brand will be integrated into Antalis Switzerland's corporate identity. The Thalo paper warehouse will be gradually relocated from Adliswil to Lupfig. Existing Antalis customers will be able to benefit from Thalo's complete range of creative and specialty papers for the highest demands. There will be hardly any changes in order processing.

Posters Over 460 posters were submitted for the new APG Swiss Poster Award poster competition. The jury has shortlisted six works in each category, with Publicis receiving the most nominations with works for the Schauspielhaus Zurich, TCS, Terre des Hommes, Surprise and The Global Fund. Jung von Matt/Limmat (for SBB and Darvida) and Ruf Lanz (for VBZ and Suva) have two finalists each. Grey (Opticien Vu d'Ailleurs), Krieg Schlupp Springer & Jacoby (Verein Zürich für den Film), Sulzer Sutter (Buch und Wein Laden), Wirz (Haus Konstruktiv) and Wyler (Zürich Multimobil) have a chance of winning. The shortlist in the culture category also includes graphic designer Niklaus Troxler (for Jazz in Wil-lisau) and two works from the graphics class at the Lucerne School of Art and Design.

Auto Six agencies are pitching for the Jaguar brand's global advertising budget, with Euro RSCG, JWT, Berlin Cameron/Red Cell, Leagas Delaney, M&C Saatchi and Kirschenbaum Bond & Partners in the running, according to a report by Advertising Age. Account holder Young & Rubicam did not make it onto the shortlist. Jaguar wants to have selected the new advertising agency by the end of March. The budget of the Ford subsidiary is estimated at 150 million dollars.

Self-promotion How can a newly founded agency draw attention to itself in a creative way? CD Gianni Schneiter and Account Director Gregor Meyer in Aarau came up with an unusual idea: they rented a shop window in the station underpass in Aarau for their agency Braintrain. Simply "for the fun of communication". In the future, Braintrain wants to introduce its customers, present ideas or draw attention to culture in this well-frequented showcase. The first exhibition in the window was dedicated to the Landenhof, a center and Swiss school for the hearing impaired in Oberentfelden. The current exhibition is about the aesthetics of garbage bags. Braintrain had the official garbage bags sent to it from half of Switzerland. "To see that the Aarau bag is no more boring than the others." Inspired by the sobering results of this research, the agency designed a few new subjects and put them in the shop window. Which possible new sack do you like best in Aarau? This can be voted on at www.braintrain.ch. The campaign also runs under the heading of location marketing.

Exhibitions With 54,000 visitors, Swiss-Moto got off to a successful start at Messe Zürich last year, and now the new exhibition dedicated to the world of motorcycles is set to become even bigger, more beautiful and more diverse. Scooters, bikes, trikes and quads - including accessories, clothing and everything that makes motorcycling fun - will be on display in even more halls than last year. Swiss Performance, the popular tuning and customizing show, has also been integrated for the first time. The trade fair runs from February 17 to 20. The Source Associates agency in Zurich has designed advertisements and F12 posters as well as fillboards, mailings and brochures for the advertising.

Local television With the entry of Edipresse, a publisher is also becoming the backbone and engine of the TV scene in French-speaking Switzerland. "In French-speaking Switzerland, the time is ripe for a consolidation of the TV market. But this requires new players. We want to be one of them." With these words, Tibère Adler, CEO of Edipresse Switzerland, explains why his company is entering the French-speaking Swiss TV market at this particular time. According to Adler, the TV commitment also offers Edipresse new access to the same audience that the Group has previously served with its newspapers and magazines.Edipresse has long only had a toehold in this market - the Group has a stake of just under two percent in Geneva-based Léman Bleu. Now, however, Edipresse is putting two feet in at once. Firstly, the company is increasing its involvement with the broadcasters. Edipresse plans to increase its stake in Léman Bleu (350000 potential viewers) to 22 percent in June - via a capital increase. However, the media group is taking an even bigger stake in Vaud TV, the merger of the three Vaud local channels TV RL in Lausanne, Canal Nord Vaudois (CNV) in Yverdon and Ici TV in Vevey (a total of around 500,000 potential viewers).
According to a letter of intent signed by the four parties, Edipresse and TV RL will each hold 35 percent of the new Vaud TV SA, while CNV and Ici TV will each receive 15 percent.
Although investments in other stations in French-speaking Switzerland have not been ruled out, no talks have yet taken place. "In the next two years, we will initially concentrate on the two most important areas of French-speaking Switzerland. We have enough work there," says Christophe Rasch, who has been appointed head of the TV division at Edipresse.
Edipresse's second foothold is the marketing of TV advertising. To this end, the Group founds the subsidiary Ecran Pub SA, in which it will hold 90 percent and the management 10 percent. Bertrand Froidevaux, the current commercial director of Ici TV, is appointed CEO. Ecran Pub is under time pressure, as it will be taking over the TV marketing contracts with TV RL, CNV and Léman Bleu from the Lausanne TV agency Force Promotion (FP, see box), which is giving up TV marketing at the end of April, as of May 1. In addition, Ecran Pub will also market Ici TV, and the agency is already the exclusive marketer of the Vaud TV merger product.
Trial runIt remains to be seen whether other stations in French-speaking Switzerland will be signed up. "We will talk to various stations," says Rasch. However, Ecran Pub is already facing its first test: the contract that Léman Bleu had with FP expires at the end of the year (see WW 4/05). The Geneva-based broadcaster terminated the contract on time because it was dissatisfied with the conditions. Not only Edipresse, but also Radiotele therefore applied for the favor of the Geneva-based station.
As Edipresse is now increasing its stake in the broadcaster, it stands to reason that Ecran Pub will come on board as marketer. Presumably for the next three years. "That was one of our conditions," says Tibère Adler. Antoni Mayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Léman Bleu since last June, however, clarifies: "The Edipresse investment does not commit us to anything. Our commitment for three years is provisional and only applies if a new contract is negotiated. We do not want to continue the current management contract with FP under any circumstances." Negotiations will now continue until the end of March. If no satisfactory result is reached, he will try to negotiate a new contract.
try another agency, for example with Radiotele, says Antoni Mayer.
"Not a goldmine "Rasch does not want to say how much Edipresse will invest in its entire TV commitment. The only thing that is certain is that the share capital of Vaud TV's sponsor must amount to "several million". And at least five million francs would then also be needed annually to operate it. "It won't work with less," he says.
In terms of advertising acquisition, Ecran Pub will focus on local, regional and national advertising. Today, the three Vaud stations have a total turnover of around CHF 2.2 million (including sponsorship). "This can be doubled within two to three years," predicts Tibère Adler: "The advertising potential in French-speaking Switzerland has not yet been exhausted." He is thinking about program improvements, the replacement of programs and new forms of advertising.
"The business is not exactly a goldmine, but it can certainly be run profitably," says Adler. However, the CEO attaches little importance to the synergy potential between the company's own press and TV. "You shouldn't overestimate that," he says.
Model sought for French-speaking Switzerland TV combiRadiotele is not surprised by Edipresse's entry into the French-speaking Switzerland TV business. "We had to expect a publisher sooner or later," says Radiotele boss Bruno Oetterli. He is now hoping for a new boost for the TV scene. And he now wants to clarify how things should continue with the RomandieNewsCombi (RNC) (WW 4/05). The discussion about this was blocked due to the uncertain situation of FP.
Christophe Rasch, for his part, is rather skeptical about the RNC. "The tariff is too low. It's worth it for Radiotele, but not for the broadcasters," he says. He therefore wants to work with Radiotele to find another cooperation model that uses survey data from the market research institute MIS Trend instead of Telecontrol. "This is more representative for French-speaking Switzerland," says Rasch. (mk)
Tired for quite some time Force Promotion (FP) has not been at its best for quite some time. The fact that its commitment has waned can even be seen on its homepage: The 2004 tariffs are still published there, and the spectator data even dates back to 2002. The only board of directors
Daniel Berset could not be reached for comment. However, it is clear that he originally intended to sell FP as a whole - and not just the assets.
He had sent corresponding inquiries to both Edipresse and Radiotele. However, both declined. If FP now cancels its sails at the end of April, Ecran Pub will perhaps take on some employees. Berset, on the other hand, is getting out of the business. (mk)
Edipresse will acquire a 22 percent stake in Léman Bleu and a 35 percent stake in the three Vaud TV stations.
Markus Knöpfli

Advertising market A new combination of Blick and SonntagsBlick aims to compete with the Metropool in future: from March, anyone who books Blick and SoBli once from Thursday to Saturday or combines SoBli with a Blick placement from Monday to Wednesday will receive an 11 percent discount. "Powerduo" is the name of the package, which promises 1.71 million contacts, a reach of 32.3 percent and a gross CPM of 28 francs (basis: one tabloid page in four colors). According to Ringier, the offer meets a long-standing need. However, the power duo is presumably primarily a response to the Metropool (Tages-Anzeiger, Berner Zeitung, Basler Zeitung). The Blick/SoBli combo trumps the currently largest newspaper combination in German-speaking Switzerland in several respects: the Metropool achieves a reach of 29.1 percent and only 1.19 million contacts, but its CPM of CHF 50.47 is almost twice as high as the Powerduo (albeit in newspaper format). The launch date also points to a rival product to Metropool - just two months after its apparently successful launch. The latter has just announced that its January sales were 18.4 percent higher than those of its predecessor Swisspool a year ago. According to Blick advertising manager Mario Cecchin, Blick sales are only at the previous year's level and SoBli was even slightly down in January.
Nevertheless, Cecchin does not want to be seen as attacking the Metropool. Rather, he said, the new offer was intended to counteract the migration of advertising to electronic media.
(mk)

If the prophet doesn't come to the mountain, the mountain comes to the prophet, thought Edipub and organized a big party in Zurich-West, more precisely in Aeschbi's Labor-Bar, instead of somewhere beyond the outer limits of our communications capital. If you weren't there on time, you could barely find a place at the back, the club was so packed that expectations were high, and even if the "media talk round with personalities from advertising and business and so on" was announced a little too full-bodied, we were satisfied. The Edipresse editors-in-chief were primarily allowed on stage, guided through the discussion by talk master Kurt Aeschbacher, mainly in self-promotion. Monica Jäggi from the Konnex media agency was the only expert from the other side to have her say. Incidentally, she expects the editors-in-chief of French-speaking Switzerland to be more active in selling their publications in the German-speaking parts of the country.
By "representative of the economy", on the other hand, they probably meant Jacques Merlotti - he is the owner of the restaurant Le Soupçon at the Palais de Justice in Geneva and provided the catering that evening. This was again, albeit somewhat fish-heavy, nevertheless only the finest. After the talk and feeding, a lively and fast-paced fashion show by the label Tally Weijl was on the program. A Swiss brand, by the way, which, as one industry expert noted in passing, appears to come from Paris.
The party really got going after ten o'clock, when the Saucissons showed the Zürcher Geschnetzeltes what a party is and soon had the dance floor boiling. As a spontaneous survey of the guests ultimately revealed, almost all of them would like to have a Werberfest like this every other week.
Beat Fritsch celebrated with "nos chers amis romands" in West Zurich last week. And it was precisely at the Labor-Bar, where Edipub had a really hot party under the motto ZürichWestSchweiz. After talks and a fashion show, there was plenty of dancing - an unmistakable sign of the quality of an advertising party. And the average age was also unusually low.
There was plenty of bare skin at Edipub thanks to the fashion show.
The editorial directors of Femina, Renata Libal, and Bilan, Olivier Toublan, answered questions at the talk in the Labor Bar.
Peter Rothenbühler (left), editor-in-chief of Le Matin, with Monica Jäggi from Konnex and talk show host Kurt Aeschbacher.

Visit from Neumühlequai: Publimedia marketing manager Markus Ehrle at the bar with consulting assistant Sophie Emery.

Urs and Inge Ziegler from Ziegler Communications in Oberrieden were extremely satisfied with the food and drink.

Adrian Näf (l.) and Karina Giger from Edipub with Ronny Schmid from the Winterthur-based media agency Konnex.

Garence Primat with Frank Casanova from the caterer Le Soupçon, which is also an in-bar and one of Geneva's hippest eateries.

TBWA boss Markus Pekeler at the talk aperitif with Anne Jan, Femina, and advertiser Yvonne Boller (right).

Edipresse publishing director Théo Bouchat only wanted to be in the picture with Maria Mellea (l.) and Katja Stoffel from Mediaedge:CIA.

Martin Kaspar (left) from event organizer Tact-X with gastro consultants Franziska and Hans Peter König, König & Partner.

Isabelle Kropf, Publicitas International, with her brother Philippe from Swissinfo.

The later the evening, the younger the guests: Claudia Binz (l.), Reto Mattle and Susana Adam enjoying themselves next to the dance floor.

Power duo: Katja Lechner (l.) from CS Asset Management came with her colleague Nina Müller from Sun Microsystems.

Carla Fuhlrott (right) and Silvia Welti, Mediaschneider, joined Beat Krebs from OMD.

As if they couldn't drink a drop of water: Roman Auer (left) from Vizeum and communications consultant Adrian Erni.

Enchanté: Marc Moret chatting with Patricia Frei (left) and freelance graphic designer Alexandra Lefort.