Textiles The WEF in Davos - and the demonstrations - were also a topic for advertising, with the Swiss mountain sports outfitter Mammut demonstrating in an SFLB ad how its absolutely waterproof clothing also proves its worth in tough conditions. The almost poetic image of the snowboarder surrounded by chaos and water cannons dissolves the subline: Now snowboarders always stay nice and dry - even inDavos. The only question is: Who does the ad appeal to? Snowboarders, demonstrators, photographers or even the buyers of police uniforms?

Drinks Not enough for gold. Nevertheless, Traktor is already ploughing up the premium fruit juice market.
"Harvest good - all good": it's not just the claim of the young drinks brand that is appealing. The logo on the refrigerated shelves of tractor dealers also stands out positively: a stylized tractor with a trailer on which, depending on the smoothie variety, an oversized apple - for the fruit harvests -, a rubber duck, a scarecrow or a snowman for the seasonal mixes or the milk jug for the yoghurt drink ride along.
The fruity organic mix in the pet bottles is also reflected in every little detail of the witty communication, which is both ironically playful and seriously honest. And, so Swiss
as down-to-earth as the brand name, all four national languages are taken into account.
Due to its exclusive niche positioning and tight financial constraints, the small company with four employees has limited itself to "below the line" measures and a push-heavy strategy. In addition, since entering the market in August 2003, the founding duo Michael Wehrli and Philippe Schenkel have focused primarily on product development.
liter containers to family households -, market analyses, tastings as the most important communication measure and the development of the distribution network.
Nevertheless: in terms of originality, the Traktor communication presentation, for which the Magirus-Deutz consortium is responsible, leaves the field
of the other Trophy winners. Integrated, independent and entertaining, it can be found in all channels, from the refreshingly unconventional thoughts about early French, P. Diddy or Easter bells on the labels to the entertaining company history on the website, which begins with the Franconian king Pipin the Short. The company's approach to consumers has a high profile. It is varied and comes across as extremely close and personal. This customized communication strategy makes sense for the price segment and the pleasure-oriented target group because it develops a community character.
But why the weird name tractor? "Because it has such a fruity sound," say environmental scientists Wehrli and Schenkel with a grin. They have every reason to laugh. According to their business plan, their joint-stock company, which they founded with private investments and a bank loan, should break even this year.
Above all, the tastings and exchanges with dealers and consumers have helped to explain the price difference and build customer loyalty. Within a year and a half, they have built up a dealer network with 150 sales outlets and now offer a tractor subscription for offices.
During the same period, "tractor production" also stepped on the gas.
and has risen from the original 4500 bottles per month to almost 30,000.
Nothing but fruit insideSmoothies are no ordinary, thirst-quenching fruit juices. Due to the high proportion of fruit pulp, they are more like a thick, nutritious snack. Fruit purees and juices in the Traktor range change according to the season and are made from freshly harvested, organically grown ingredients. Thanks to gentle pasteurization, the drink retains an intense aroma and can be enjoyed at a cool temperature.
Can be stored for two weeks. Apart from honey or spices, additives are taboo in Traktor fruit harvests. (la)
The two tractor founders reap a fruitful harvest.
Luca Aloisi

Papier M-real increased the sales prices for its graphic papers in Switzerland by six to eight percent at the beginning of the year.Papier M-real increased the sales prices for its graphic papers in Switzerland by six to eight percent at the beginning of the year. This is the company's response to the continuous price erosion for graphic papers over the past few years and the current rise in the cost of paper.
Energy, logistics and various key materials. M-real is one of the leading European manufacturers of high-quality paper grades and cardboard.

Food/Culture The Zurich advertising agency Pucci Sulzer has started the new year with two new clients. The agency began working with Confiserie Bachmann in Basel at the end of 2004, taking over brand management for the family business, from revising the corporate identity to redesigning packaging. Pucci Sulzer's second new client is the St. Moritz Music Festival. The agency designs all communication materials for the major annual events

Agencies The PR network Burson-Marsteller (B-M) is strengthening its national presence with a partnership in Italian-speaking Switzerland.B-M, with offices in Zurich and Bern and via partner Rochat & Partners in Geneva, has entered into a cooperation with Syntesi Communications. The full-service agency has offices in Bellinzona, Lugano and Locarno. "Thanks to this cooperation, we can offer better access to Ticino," explains Roman Geiser, Chairman of the B-M Management Board. Together with B-M Milano, the aim is also to make better use of the opportunities offered by the Ticino-Lombardy economic region.

Keyword Life, as we all know, likes to make no distinctions - except on the ski racing slopes. There, the Austrians seem to have leased the right to victory for themselves, and Blick summed up the poor performance of our ski athletes perfectly and cheered on the front page: "Super! All 7 Swiss finishers". So let's not take any more credit for the skiing skills of past greats. Even former medal-winning skier Pirmin Zurbriggen can no longer sleep peacefully in the face of our national team's results. He told Schweizer Illustrierte that this has been bothering him for 15 years. Half an eternity, a whole scandal. But what are the reasons for this? Werbewoche has tracked down the bad luck in an advertisement by sponsor Ciba Vision: It shows three skiers (names known to the editors) who are once again trying to memorize the finish area. We attribute their unprecedented clumsiness at the finish line to the fact that they forgot to remove the tomatoes before inserting the one-day lenses.
(la)

Strategy Creo, the provider of prepress solutions and systems, is now focusing on direct sales.
Earlier this year, Israel Sandler, Corporate Vicepresident and Managing Director of Creo EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), provided information about the company's new strategy and specific changes in Switzerland. Creo has begun implementing a new sales strategy in Switzerland. The manufacturer of hardware, software, systems and consumables for digital print preparation is thus intensifying its activities. The existing direct sales force, headed by Stefan Steinle, Sales Manager Switzerland and Austria, is to be increased and additional specialist reseller partners are to be introduced soon. In Ivo Kaufmann, Creo has also been able to recruit an employee who has been well-known in the Swiss graphic arts industry for many years and has a great deal of experience in the sale of capital goods.
The long-standing cooperation with the Burgdorf and Krauchthal-based company Typon Imaging (Typon) will change significantly. Typon sells films and papers for the graphic arts industry worldwide, as well as medical X-ray films and, in Switzerland, digital system solutions for prepress - in this case, so far mainly products from the manufacturer Creo. Since January 2005, the company has taken a new path and moved closer to Creo competitor Agfa-Gevaert, Dübendorf. It remains to be seen whether this brought Creo onto the scene or was the impetus for the direct sales now initiated by Typon; in any case, Creo has increasingly been selling its products and solutions directly in Switzerland since January.
The industrialization of the printing industry is inevitable and requires modern workflows, said Israel Sandler. Creo has adapted to this and put together appropriate bundles. The company combines equipment, consumables, software, financing and service into packages to better serve its customers.
In addition to various software products (Prinergy = prepress workflow; Synapse family with the tools Synapse Link [bidirectional communication interface between MIS/ERP systems and the prepress workflow], Synapse Prepare [automatic generation of production-optimized PDF files], Synapse UpFront [production planning for print jobs], Synapse Director [database-supported production management for brisque workflow systems]), the core business includes computer-to-plate imagesetters. Creo also offers products such as Staccato (frequency-modulated fine screen) and PrintLink (interface for transferring data for automatic ink zone presetting at press control consoles). Since the drupa trade show, which took place last May in Düsseldorf, Creo has also been involved in the field of cylinder engraving. Even though such engraving systems will hardly find any customers in Switzerland, Sandler sees potential for China, for example, as very long runs are printed there, making them suitable for gravure printing.
But like the graphic arts industry, Creo has also been through turbulent times and has been struggling financially. However, the turnaround has been achieved, Sandler clarified. After losses in 2002, slight profits were reported again in the last two years.
Saturation in CtP imagesettersSandler soberly noted that plate imaging with CtP systems was already in decline in the USA. Probably in wise anticipation of this development, Creo entered the imaging media market in mid-September 2003 and has since been offering thermal printing plates under its own label. Creo has since attracted attention by acquiring or partnering with companies that manufacture printing plates. Currently, the company has plate production capacity of about 18 million square meters/year. By 2008, this capacity is expected to more than quadruple to 80 million. Creo is thus gradually building up another mainstay that will have a positive impact on sales and earnings in the future.
In the meantime, the Canadian company has introduced or has in its range five types of printing plates for different areas of application. In addition to thermal plates, they have since also been offering consumables for proofing systems.
Creo wants to benefit from the ongoing boom in "digital plates".
(= plates for CtP imaging) will benefit. The company expects annual growth of 4 percent. The strategy, it says, is to sell directly and thus eliminate the middleman. This could prove to be a difficult undertaking. Apparently, Creo is aware of this and is trying to sell consumables through both intermediaries and direct sales. The customer should be able to choose which model suits him better, Sandler justified this route.
In the past fiscal year, Creo generated sales of around $77 million with consumables. This turnover is expected to double in the future. But at present, not enough plates can be supplied. Now, capacities at the American plant in West
Virginia increased. Sandler's projected 50 percent increase in CtP plates appears realistic, given the relatively small volumes currently being produced.
Will Creo be taken over by Kodak?Shortly before the editorial deadline, it became known that Eastman Kodak (Kodak) is apparently interested in taking over the Canadian printing technology expert Creo. Both companies are said to be in corresponding negotiations. The information comes from the New York Times, which refers to circles close to the company. Kodak recently acquired a 50 percent stake in the joint venture KPG from Sun Chemical. (jf)
Israel Sandler, Corporate Vicepresident and Managing Director of Creo EMEA.
Creo is expanding its plate business and recently expanded its portfolio of digital imaging media.
Jürgen Franck

Advertising space Special forms of advertising are increasingly in demand and are offered by Face - as advertising space in toilet and shower facilities, on pizza boxes, beer mats or Robidogs. Ruf Lanz wants to remedy this with an advertisement. The "Chalice" motif shows that there is more virgin advertising space between heaven and earth than we think. And that almost no medium is sacred to Face.

Food In the growing convenience food market, an extra spot is intended to raise the profile of the Migros brand Anna's Best.The strongest growth drivers in the food sector remain foods that are healthy and can be prepared quickly, according to a new global study conducted by ACNielsen. While KPMG predicted a growth rate of seven percent in 2003, the trend towards outsourcing household work to the factory appears to have intensified. The expansion seems to be mainly affecting products "onto which emotionally important ideas of health and well-being can be projected", says social and economic historian Jakob Tanner from the University of Zurich. Jane Perrin, Managing Director Global Services and author of the ACNielsen report, sees a high level of acceptance above all "for health-promoting products that taste good and are virtually ready to eat". The experts agree that the convenience food market will continue to grow in the long term. But in Switzerland, it is increasingly up to the retailers, i.e. their fresh food labels, to decide who gets a slice of this cake and how much they get. Consultant Gian Marco Juon sees one reason for this in the brand umbrella, which covers a wide range of products, from freshly squeezed fruit juices to pasta, soups, ethnic food and desserts.
Colorful, stylish imagesIn order to further establish this wide range of products and the positioning "more time to live", the creatives at Migros agency Exxtra designed a commercial focusing on Asian cuisine. CD Dieter Hofmann and director Alberto Colombo drew on the look of the film "In the Mood for Love". In colorful and stylish images, the commercial associates the making of spring rolls with a Chinese short story: instead of looking for fresh vegetables, a mother tries to catch her little daughters; instead of putting everything in hot water, she puts them in the bathtub; and instead of seasoning everything, she sprinkles rose petals in the water as a bath additive.
At the end, the children are wrapped in towels, just as you would normally wrap the vegetable filling in pastry. It is only when the recipe says "heat briefly" that the mother is in the kitchen. The end result, according to the commercial, is the same: fresh spring rolls, just like homemade.
Time management in Chinese in the new Exxtra commercial: Asian specialties from Anna's Best should give you more time for more important things.
Luca Aloisi

Newspapers Defeat for the Neue Luzerner Zeitung: it was unable to win over the messenger of Urschweiz. I am delighted that after seven years, all our partners now want to work even more closely together," says Hanspeter Lebrument, head of the Südostschweiz Media Group in Chur. In fact, he has succeeded not only in extending the cooperation in the editorial and advertising areas until the end of 2015, but also in deepening it to some extent in the printing area. In 2003, five of the participating publishers decided to set up a joint printing center in Haag, Canton St. Gallen. However, Lebrument's media group now also has a stake in Triner AG in Schwyz. This company publishes the Boten der Urschweiz (15,015 copies), which is part of the Südostschweiz (SO) group, and wants to expand its own printing plant with the existing printing press of the Berner Bund (around 60,000 copies) in order to be able to print continuously in four colors from 2006.
However, as Triner AG is thus creating huge overcapacities for itself, which represent a risk, it agreed a share swap of 10 percent each with the Südostschweiz Media Group. The two companies are also mutually represented on each other's board of directors.
This deepening of the relationship with the Urschweiz Messenger is of particular importance to the SO: The Neue Luzerner Zeitung (Neue LZ) had also offered to cooperate with the Messenger - with the aim of merging it with the Neue Schwyzer Zeitung (4070 copies), a regional edition of the Neue LZ, and also producing it in its own Lucerne printing center.
Instead, Bote publisher Hugo Triner has now tied himself even more closely to the SO than before. The main reason he cites is the "federalist system, which enables our newspaper to maintain its regional character. With the Neue LZ, his newspaper would have merely become a header paper. In addition, the past seven SO years had been successful. Triner: "Today, the Bote is involved in the majority of national campaigns; before, it was only included in 25 to 30 percent."
However, he did not conceal the fact that he "does not view the concentration process in the Zurich area so positively. This was another reason why he had not wanted to join the NZZ subsidiary Neue LZ. "I'm happy to stay out of this concentration of power," says Triner.
Erwin Bachmann, delegate of LZ Medien, confirms that he would have been "very happy" to work with the messenger. "From a political, social and economic point of view, a Central Switzerland solution would have made sense," he says. "For us, however, the situation now remains as it was." To be sure, he says, Neue LZ will try even harder to increase the reach of its own Schwyz regional edition. "But there are no feelings of revenge." Bachmann went on to point out that Triner was taking a relatively high risk with the Bund's second-hand printing press, quite apart from the fact that Triner AG and LZ Medien would continue to be direct competitors in the future in this already tough business.
Despite the extension of the SO contract, it is possible that one of the 13 partners, the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (LVB), will drop out of the SO at the end of 2006. This is because the LVB - in contrast to the Liechtensteiner Vaterland - has never signed the SO contract so far, but was merely an associated SO member. "Because the LVB was printed with us, it had the opportunity to join the association," says Lebrument. For the past year, however, the LVB has been printed by Eugen A. Russ in Vorarlberg. Nevertheless, it maintained its cooperation with SO in the advertising sector - until the end of 2006. Lebrument left it open whether the cooperation would continue after that. In 2003, he had said that a cooperation with only one Liechtenstein daily newspaper was "probable". (mk)
Liaison with Verbund Südostschweiz instead of with Neuer LZ: Bote publisher Hugo Triner.
Markus Knöpfli

Pierre C. Meier on the editorial expansion of WerbewocheThe trade magazine Produktion & Print, which is published by the same publishing house as Werbewoche, will no longer be published as an independent title this year. Starting this week, the content of the former monthly magazine will be integrated into Werbewoche every 14 days as a third section, "Werbemittel & Produktion". Jürgen Franck, who as editor-in-chief has played a key role in shaping the quality title for the printing industry, print production and print purchasing in recent years, will be in charge of the new section. Its content will be expanded to include the production of advertising materials. Regular focal points also provide an in-depth insight into the individual areas of advertising media production. Thanks to a fortnightly publication frequency, we will be able to offer former readers of Production & Print, whom we warmly welcome at this point, even more up-to-date specialist information in future. Our core readership will also benefit from the expansion of the range, as "Advertising & Production" complements the existing "Marketing & Communication" and "Media & Media" sections. This means that Werbewoche now covers the entire value chain of commercial communication: From the creative idea to the use of media to the realization of advertising material.
In this issue, you will find more details on the realignment of leading printing press manufacturer Heidelberg in the new "Advertising Media & Production" section. And Creo is pursuing a new tactic that is likely to lead to a takeover by Eastman Kodak. The focus is then on the diverse possibilities for printing advertising materials. And in "Marketing & Communication" we report on the first Crossmedia Award.
Tamedia's unconventional commission proposals and the reactions to them are the main topic in "Media & Medien", as well as in the weekly interview with Otto Meier, General Director of PubliPresse.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief

Hotel industryThe Bernese communications agency Push 'n' Pull has won the pitch for the Bernese seminar and wellness hotel Ambassador Spa, which is currently being renovated by star architect Pia Schmid and will reopen in April. Push 'n' Pull is designing the new look and all advertising measures.