Magazines Schweizer Illustrierte (SI) wants to end its media partnership with Sat. 1 Switzerland's "People" program and the collaboration will continue until the end of the contract in the summer, editor-in-chief Marc Walder told Werbewoche. This means that the magazine will appear for a few months from March onwards on both "People" and the new SF-DRS program "Glanz & Gloria". According to Walder, Sat. 1 will have to look for a new partner after the summer break. From the perspective of Marc Görtz, head of Sat. 1 Switzerland and producer of Ringier TV, however, this has not yet been decided. He can certainly imagine "People" continuing to work with SI. The question of the media partnership has not even been discussed yet, Görtz told Werbewoche. In any case, he assumes that the show will continue.

WW The Crossmedia Award is a completely new competition. How do you proceed when you have to set up evaluation criteria for the first time as a jury? Dominique von Matt: At the Crossmedia Award, we honor the art of networking. This can be qualified with four questions: Did the communication tools reinforce each other or were they merely coordinated? Did they break new ground? Does the creative implementation set new standards? Are there any measurement standards from other competitions that you can adapt? no, fortunately not. We also want to create a new award category and not simply add another one.
As jury president, you had a say in selecting the other members. What profiles did you use to select these people?
The jury is made up of personalities who all share the vision of
of intelligent networking, but have access to it from very different areas. The fact that all of the requested jury members spontaneously accepted shows the importance of the topic of cross-media.
In your opinion, how far has cross-media already developed in Switzerland, also in comparison to other countries? Instead, the media must reinforce each other. In contrast to integrated communication - which is traditionally practiced in Switzerland, but often does not go beyond visual uniformity - crossmedia is about mutual reinforcement of media and thus synergies. There is still a lot to do in this area. I think that the USA and the UK are clearly ahead of us here.
Why are you involved in this new competition? On the one hand, this award is important because it is an expression of the development of the communications industry. On the other hand, there are many awards that recognize soloists, i.e. individual disciplines. With us, it's the ensemble that comes into play.
Do you think the ADC will include the rating as an additional criterion in the Werbewoche agency ranking? It would complement the awards that are currently in the ranking very well.

Study Two-thirds of German consumers perceive brands as interchangeable. This also applies to Switzerland.
"Refreshingly cheap", "Guaranteed cheap", "Super cheap", "Branded cheap": Anyone who looks at the ads of Swiss retailers will definitely gain one insight: The price is hot. What the interested consumer will hardly remember, however, is the brand of the individual supplier. So how cheap is it at Migros? What is the difference between the savings strategies of Coop and Pick Pay? And what, apart from the price, distinguishes the individual retail companies? The subjective perception is now confirmed by a new study from Germany. The main finding of the representative "Brand Parity" survey by BBDO Consulting: two-thirds of all Germans perceive brands as completely interchangeable. Among retail chains, it is exactly 67 percent of consumers who perceive complete brand parity.
More than one million brands are now registered in Germany, and around 60,000 of them are actively advertised. In Switzerland alone, there are around 200,000 national brands in the register. Here and there, consumers come into contact with several hundred brands every day - so it's easy to lose track of them all.
This is clearly confirmed by further results of the study: while retailers are still in the middle of the pack, the perceived brand equality for consumer goods such as gasoline or paper towels is no less than 80 percent. And even in product groups with supposedly strong brands, such as cola drinks, interchangeability is still reported at 76 percent.
The sheer quantity of advertising spend plays no role in the clear positioning of a brand: for example, even the heavily advertised detergent brands can hardly be distinguished from one another. The biggest ray of hope comes from car manufacturers: of the consumers surveyed, "only" 29 percent identified brand parity here.
Switzerland functions in the same wayThe results of the study from Germany are certainly transferable to the Swiss market, says Sandro C. Principe, Managing Partner at BBDO Consulting Zurich. Many industries, such as banks and insurance companies, are globally active today. Accordingly, brand appearances and their perception are similar in different countries. According to the BBDO man, many companies do not manage to position their brand in a sustainable and differentiated way (see also interview below). Consequently, there is still a lot of untapped potential for value creation here. According to the consulting firm, two industries in particular need to think about how they can clearly distinguish their brand profile in the future: banks - whose services hardly differ from those of their competitors - and energy providers - in view of the liberalization process in the Swiss market.
Despite the rather sobering results of the study, Sandro Principe notes that the brand is gaining in importance - at least on the entrepreneurial side: "More and more companies want to know about their brand value." This is also against the background of the fact that brand value will have to be reported in the balance sheet in the future following a takeover or merger. A recent ranking of the most valuable Swiss brands by Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux on behalf of Bilanz showed that this is not a matter of small amounts: Nestlé's Nescafé came in first. The brand value: 14.8 billion Swiss francs.
RepresentativeOn behalf of BBDO Consulting, the consumer research company GfK surveyed around 2,000 people in Germany between October 1 and 15, 2004. The women and men surveyed are representative of the German resident population aged 14 and over.
BBDO Consulting is the international top management consultancy for market-oriented corporate management of the BBDO Group. The Zurich office of BBDO Consulting was founded in May 2003. Clients of the Swiss Dependence include Credit Suisse, Swisscom, Bluewin, Bank Leu, Roche and Voice Publishing. (ps)
Rabbit or duck? Even with brands Hans is what Heiri.
Patrick Steinemann

Daily press The end for FotoBlick: Ringier spokeswoman Myrta Bugini explained the move to Radio Zürisee, citing technical considerations in connection with the reintroduction of the separate sports supplement at the end of the year. The 16-page FotoBlick was launched last June.

Hardware Apple further expands its product portfolio and lowers prices On January 11, the publishing/creative community and the fan community, which has grown since iPod & Co, eagerly awaited Apple CEO Steve Jobs' keynote speech at Macworld San Francisco (MWSF). Lawsuits filed by Apple against the disseminators of what subsequently turned out to be "true rumors" caused a media stir in the run-up to the event. There was a reason for the nervousness: a whole bunch of new hardware and software products were presented at the MWSF. Hardware is becoming a lifestyleApple announced the new Mac mini, a low-cost computer that has been available to order since the end of January. The tiny square computer with a side length of 16.5 cm and a height of just 5 cm is the first Mac for the consumer market that is available without a monitor - and it is also the most compact and cheapest computer that Apple has ever offered. The Mac mini in the stylish aluminum housing is now intended to conquer this market more strongly, but is also aimed at Windows users, who for the first time can enjoy Apple's Mac OS X operating system for little money and with their existing peripherals (monitor, keyboard, etc.). This thrust is underlined by the iLife '05 software suite for creating and managing digital content (photos, films, DVDs and music).
However, while the price and performance data are right at first glance, there is a small gap in the equipment. The Minis are somewhat under-equipped. Only 256 MB RAM on both and a 40 GB or 80 GB hard disk on the larger model are rather poor and spoil the initial overall impression. Well equipped (1 GB RAM, 80 GB hard disk, Bluetooth and wire-less card), the smallest model quickly costs over 1300 francs - without monitor, keyboard and mouse, of course. The small size is also put into perspective because the power supply unit has been removed and has to disappear under the table.
So unsuitable for the graphics and advertising industry? Not necessarily. After all, a 1.25 or 1.42 GHz G4 computer for 699 or 829 francs including iLife is a real bargain and could turn out to be the ideal entry-level machine for some small(est) businesses. The Mini can be upgraded and expanded at a later date. The Mac mini is also ideal for editorial, text entry and workstations with similar requirements. Professionals and power users, on the other hand, will continue to turn to the PowerMacs. These computers, like many other Apple products, were significantly reduced in price shortly before the MWSF.
With the new iPod shuffle music player, which is based on flash memory and therefore does not require a hard disk, Apple has also satisfied the wishes of fans of the fashionable iPod music player. Compared to the models costing 139 (512 MB) or 199 francs (1 GB), the iPod shuffle is considerably cheaper and plays music tracks transferred via iTunes software in linear or random order - and therefore does without a display. Like its big brothers, the iPod shuffle can also be used as a data carrier. For this purpose, two selectable areas can be defined for music and data.
New, revised softwareWith iWork '05, Apple also presented a new software bundle that includes the completely renewed presentation software Keynote and the new word processing program Pages. The iLife software suite - also with the "'05" suffix - has undergone a major overhaul. The changes here range from the now possible transfer of uncompressed RAW image data to iPhoto and far-reaching improvements to the music recording and editing software GargageBand to the user-guided creation of movies within iMovie.
With the support of the high-definition format (HD) in iMovie and in the also renewed, semi-professional video editing package Final Cut Express, Apple is presenting a significant and trend-setting innovation. According to Steve Jobs in his keynote speech, this means that the professional HD video format is making its way to the Mac at home. However, it remains to be seen whether this will make 2005 the "year of HD video".
New PowerBooksApple also introduced faster and cheaper G4 PowerBooks at the beginning of February. The new computers are standard
The new models are equipped with 512 MB RAM, a faster graphics card, WLAN and Bluetooth 2.0 and feature two new patent-pending technologies: the "Scrolling TrackPad" is designed to make scrolling easier, while the "Sudden Motion Sensor" is intended to prevent a running hard disk from being damaged in the event of a fall. (jf)
Apple is targeting the consumer market with the new Mac mini.
Apple as a synonym for lifestyle.
Jürgen Franck

6.7 billion television advertising Television advertising has been permitted in Switzerland for 40 years. During this time, SRG's own marketing company Publisuisse has collected CHF 6.7 billion in advertising money. "What began on February 1, 1965 with a block of commercials in black and white is now a wide range of cross-media advertising and sponsorship opportunities," says Publisuisse. Between 1993 and 2003, both the volume and the market share of television advertising in Switzerland doubled. Experts assume that the success story of television advertising in Switzerland will continue in the future and that the CHF 600 million annual turnover mark will be exceeded as early as 2006.

Local TV The RTVG and the Swiss-German marketer Radiotele are shaking up the private TV scene in French-speaking Switzerland, which is even more individual than in German-speaking Switzerland. This has historical roots. "In French-speaking Switzerland, the channels are not dependent on publishers, but usually have broad-based ownership with several hundred individual shareholders," explains Pierre André Léchot, Director of Canal Alpha. However, this anchoring in the population has also led to the stations primarily cultivating their own little garden and still working together very little. Although there are various TV pools, a cooperation such as the Tele-NewsCombi (TNC) has not yet materialized. The program grids are too different, many broadcasting areas are too small and most of Telecontrol's case numbers are too low.
But after years of stagnation, there is now movement in the scene - on several levels. The reasons are of a political and economic nature. Firstly, there is the RTVA, which, according to the current state of consultation, only provides for around a dozen local stations throughout Switzerland that are entitled to receive fees. It is already clear that in the canton of Vaud, for example, where there are currently a total of five stations, only one station will participate in fee splitting. Cooperation talks have therefore been underway for some time between Lausanne-based TVRL, Ici TV (Vevey) and Canal Nord Vaudois (Yverdon), which, according to TVRL Director Jean-Pierre Pastori, could well lead to a merger.
However, no license application has yet been submitted for the project. "We are waiting until the RTVA has been definitively adopted by Parliament. Because we want to align the project as closely as possible to the new law."
Disappointed with Force PromotionSomething else has brought movement to the scene: According to reports, several broadcasters are dissatisfied with the performance of TV marketer Force Promotion in Lausanne, which works for various broadcasters and combos and has exclusive contracts with Léman Bleu and TVRL. "We are dissatisfied with the
The turnover that FP brought us last year was very disappointing," says TVRL boss Pastori, whose exclusive contract with FP runs for another three years.
Léman Bleu's contract expires at the end of the year. It is questionable whether the contract will be renewed. According to reports, Léman Bleu has even decided to change agencies. Director Antoni Mayer could not be reached, and Daniel Berset, the only FP board member, merely confirmed that contract negotiations had not yet been concluded.
The question arises as to which agency Léman Bleu could switch to. To Radiotele, for example? Managing Director Bruno Oetterli doesn't hesitate: "Of course we have applied. We know that Léman Bleu is not entirely satisfied. And because they know that their main turnover comes from us, they are naturally considering whether they could have this more directly."
Radiotele is also shaking up the French-speaking Swiss market in other respects: After several failed attempts, the marketer presented the concept for a Romandie News Combi (RNC) to the assembled private TVs last year. This time, however, a broader discussion was initiated, as several TV representatives confirm. "They also saw that it actually works in German-speaking Switzerland," says Oetterli.
Nevertheless, establishing an RNC will not be easy, as it requires broadcasting areas that provide sufficiently high case numbers for telecontrol. And uniform program grids.
But we are a long way from either. Some stations have one-hour program loops, others have two-hour loops. Oetterli is under no illusions. "The broadcasters are challenged. A lot is in motion. And we'll just wait and see." After all, a merged Vaud TV would bring things a big step closer to the goal.
Last but not least, there is the influence of foreign broadcasters. This has been kept artificially low by the fact that the cable networks in Geneva and Lausanne have refused to switch on the M6 advertising window for years. However, this resistance now seems to be crumbling bit by bit.
It is not possible to find out more details, only hints. For example, those of Raoul Gerber, who markets M6 for IP Multimedia, among other things. "Everything is the same with the cable networks. But we are continuing to work. And we are confident that we will find a way for M6," says Gerber. Then he laughs and adds: "Western Switzerland is on the move. A lot will change in the next six months." He is also very satisfied with M6, having increased turnover by 28 percent last year.
40 percent turnover thanks to Léman BleuForce Promotion (FP), which has one sales outlet in Geneva and one in Lausanne, generates 40 percent of its turnover through the marketing contract with Léman Bleu, according to Daniel Berset, while 30 percent comes from its ties with TVRL. As these are exclusive contracts, FP also earns money from orders that come via Radiotele, for example. Accordingly, the broadcasters themselves receive less. Incidentally, FP generates the remaining 30 percent of its revenue through the non-exclusive marketing of other stations and station wagons and through outdoor advertising. In Geneva, FP has a network of billboards in parking garages.
What would happen to FP if it were to lose its contract with Léman Bleu? Berset has a simple answer: "Then we would have to manage without Léman Bleu and concentrate on TVRL." (mk)
Small-scale conditions: 13 private TV stations are active in the triangle between Geneva, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Sierre.
Markus Knöpfli

Calida Bodywear has entrusted the Lucerne agency Bossard Kommunikation with the creation and realization of its 2004 annual report. "The professional presentation of our facts and figures is important for investor relations," says Daniela Ciotto, Senior Project Manager Marketing Services at Calida, with conviction.

Petrol stations JvM/Limmat wants to improve the image and awareness of the Avia association with a remake of the action series "Knight Rider" Breathe a sigh of relief! After years of anxious waiting, he is back on the hunt for criminals: "Knight Rider" is on Swiss television, albeit "only" as a cover version and "only" in the commercial breaks. And the new edition of the talkative, cult-curious K.I.T.T. sports convertible with Turbo Boost is no longer in the service of the seriously ill multimillionaire Wilton Knight, but of the healthy Avia, the association of independent Swiss importers of petroleum products.
Contrary to the nationwide downward trend, Avia member companies were able to expand their network of sites to a good 700. According to the Petroleum Association, this means that they have by far the densest network of filling stations in Switzerland and the second largest in France. Avia is also expanding in other European countries. The typically Swiss organization, founded in 1927, owes this positive development to its main characteristic: the independence of its members, who decide on their own activities within defined quality standards and a uniform image. According to its own information, it is one of the most important national suppliers in the slightly growing market with a sales volume of around two billion liters of fuel in Switzerland.
This makes the low level of awareness all the more surprising. Avia is not top of mind, but "only ranks in the last third", says Gisela Brunner, Head of Office and Marketing. The now exhausted campaign on the billboard network with the red spotted animals could do little to counter the international competition in advertising blocks - especially spill-in. On the contrary: at best, the roadside posters reached existing customers, but failed to attract any new ones.
In Avia's own study, location - preferably on the way to work -, appearance, access and departure routes were the main criteria for choosing a filling station. Even before the standard price. In order to communicate these quality-relevant aspects, Avia needed a new brand communication that would build awareness and image and convey competence without pathos.
For the independent TV commercial concept, pitch winner Jung von Matt/Limmat is using an unusual brand spokesperson who stands out from the classic testimonial: a Rinspeed Intelligent Concept Car (aka R.I.C.C.). Rinspeed from Zumikon provided the Rinspeed R One for this purpose.
"We chose actor Krishan Krone - alias Nigel - as our partner and counterpart, who gives the commercials an idiosyncratic touch," says CD Alexander Jaggy. The three episodes were filmed in the Lisbon area on real Avia locations and are deliberately based on the 80s series "Knight Rider" in terms of setting, dialog and editing. The film was directed by up-and-coming talent Frieder Wittich, who won the silver medal at the Young Director's Awards in Cannes with his work for McDonald's. POS posters at petrol stations accompany the TV adventures in the fight for a world with a full tank.
The long wait is over: "Knight Rider" is back - this time in the service of Avia.
A reunion with the heroes of the action series from the eighties: "Knight Rider" on the road for the Avia Association >> page 7
Luca Aloisi

Culture TBS Identity is responsible for the conception of the advertising campaign for the 26th Zürcher Theater Spektakel, and the management of the Spektakel has awarded the contract to TBS after various discussions with potential candidates. The plan is to work together for several years. Until now, the cultural festival on Zurich's Landiwiese has been managed by Matter & Partner for the past ten years. The Theater Spektakel will take place from August 18 to September 4, 2005. The campaign starts in July.

New Media The Zurich publishing house Jean Frey has founded a subsidiary for Internet television, Jean Frey IPTV AG, which will develop its first offerings in the coming months, according to a press release. These will be "commercially oriented offers for end consumers and in the B-to-B sector as well as marketing and advertising concepts". The project manager is Peter Weigelt, FDP National Councillor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mediapolis communications group.

Media policyAt a meeting with representatives of the German Conference of Directors of the State Media Authorities, the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) raised the issue of Swiss windows for German TV stations. The heads of the broadcasters agreed to inform Bakom in future before windows are approved. They assured that violations of Swiss advertising regulations would be punished and invited OFCOM to also forward program complaints from Swiss viewers.