Reading circle What Poland or the Czech Republic are to our northern neighbors, Germany is to the average Swiss: a price paradise within easy reach.Reading circle What Poland or the Czech Republic are to our northern neighbors, Germany is to the average Swiss: a price paradise within easy reach. Those who have already stored their Aldi bags at the hairdresser's or dentist's after a shopping trip will come across another unmistakable sign of the difference in income in the form of more or less worn-out magazines. At present, twelve million people between the Bodensee and the Baltic Sea pick up such reading circle copies wrapped in advertising cartons every week - and the trend is clearly rising in view of the depressed economic mood.
The fact that more and more Germans of the average consumer type can no longer afford or want a subscription is countered by one of the so-called "special brokers" in the trade press with the adjacent pimp pose(s). And thus cultivates the mafia image of this opaque newspaper industry. If the provider in question had sent his post-pubescent playboy to a hairdresser instead of a massage parlor for an overdue hair and beard trim, we would probably have been spared this campaign.
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Agencies Guye Benker is leaving Zurich Seefeld. The agency is moving to Advico Young & Rubicam in Gockhausen, where the international Young & Rubicam network has held a majority stake in Guye Benker since the beginning of 2003. The joint location should enable synergies with Advico to be better utilized. These include the fact that CD André Benker has been responsible for the creation of both agencies for over a year. The physical proximity should now enable more efficient processes. However, Guye Benker will remain an independent agency in Gockhausen.

Insurance companies With its new claims management system, Suva wants to start caring for accident victims earlier - and thus save on pensions. The probability of an accident turning into a disability claim has increased over the past 15 years. This trend has increased significantly with the onset of economic stagnation after the turn of the millennium. The most expensive five percent of cases now account for almost 75 percent of all costs in leisure accident insurance. In occupational accident insurance, it is even four out of five cases. It is not only the quantified costs that are serious. Daily benefits broke through the 1.1 billion Swiss franc barrier in 2003, which corresponds to an increase of 19 percent compared to 2000 - and this with the number of cases remaining roughly constant. However, the individual fates are far more serious, explains Robert De Laquis, Head of Marketing at Suva. "As market research confirms, even a moderately serious accident often leads to a period of depressing isolation. Especially in our culture, where people define themselves through their work, the risk of being marginalized and derailed is particularly high."
Patients often lose contact with their work colleagues and superiors even during a longer hospital stay, and even more so during the subsequent rehabilitation period, because they soon return to their usual daily routine, the HR department provides replacements and everything will fall into place again anyway. "Social factors such as the good working environment and the close-knit, intact network would have a very positive effect on the patient's faster recovery," says Claude Catsky, who has been responsible for Suva's accident insurance division in commercial communications for over seven years. With the deterioration in the economy, competitive pressure has increased, which has narrowed the scope for employers to play a more active role in the reintegration of accident victims. Even for slightly disabled people, sheltered jobs have long been in short supply. The situation has also worsened as a result of demographic structural changes. The average age of accident victims has increased and they need more time to recover.
Delays with fatal consequences
In view of this development, there is an urgent need for action. Two years ago, Suva responded with the promising New Case Management (NCM) concept under the concept leadership of Willy Morger. This aims to improve current claims management in one crucial area: The earlier potential pension cases are managed, the more can be achieved. Delays have fatal consequences because patients who are unable to work for a long time are often permanently excluded from the workplace. "On the other hand, the months-long clarifications themselves make people ill. Yet most accident victims long for their job," says Catsky, correcting the often distorted image of such patients.
This leads on to his creative realization for the print market.
The image shows a construction worker in an accident transferring his typical hand movements to building a sandwich in a hospital bed or a car mechanic lying under his bed and working on the hydraulics.
Catsky took a more sarcastic approach to the situation of an office worker who has had an accident for the emotional medium of TV. In the commercial, his office chair seems to be the only one who is bothered by the gap in his working environment. He therefore goes to visit the patient in hospital, overcoming several hurdles.
In reality, Suva's case managers, 65 specially trained case managers in 20 agencies, ensure that the chair does not remain lonely for too long. They provide their patients with comprehensive care, paying particular attention to the accompanying psychosocial circumstances. They work in a team with district doctors and other specialists. In order to communicate the early detection system successfully introduced as part of the IV revision and the holistic case management to the various target groups - including 100,000 companies with 1.9 million insured persons - Suva relies on various measures. In addition to the basic media of advertisements and TV commercials, customer brochures, online self-checks for companies, local reports and portraits, training modules for doctors and much more are planned.
Only the chair misses the injured employee - and decides to visit the sick. Scenes from the TV commercial by Claude Catzky.
Luca Aloisi

Drinking water Paul Sicher from the Swiss Gas and Water Association recommends: Drink tap water! Mineral water consumption in Switzerland has risen by around 21 percent in the last three years. Even though our tap water is of good quality and much cheaper. How do you explain this trend? Paul Sicher The increase in consumption is probably due to the very present and emotional advertising by manufacturers. The mineral water industry operates in a free market. Its participants have to hold their own against the competition. Drinking water suppliers, on the other hand, are "natural" monopolies and, to put it bluntly, have no communication culture. In our sector, advertising can even have a counterproductive effect, as the population often does not accept financial investments in communication for a common good.
Nevertheless, six years ago you introduced a logo and thus a national symbol for drinking water.
Yes, we are trying to build a brand. Of course, this is not quite comparable to building a brand in the free market economy. The annual communication budget amounts to around 100,000 francs. We do try to use the logo effectively. However, the funds are not sufficient to build up the image with a large-scale campaign. It is also difficult to position the drinking water brand, as it is a common good and we are therefore unable to define a specific target group.
If we succeed in giving all 3000 water suppliers in Switzerland a uniform image and linking their services to drinking water, we can benefit from this in the long term. This is not possible in the short term, as there is still a lack of willingness in our industry to provide the necessary resources for communication. Our focus is therefore more on factual information and media work. Nevertheless, the national logo helps to build up the image of the product. The logo stands for drinking water that is fresh, of impeccable quality and an ideal thirst quencher.
Are we aiming to increase drinking water consumption? The overall consumption of drinking water has been falling for 20 years. For image reasons, we would like to increase the proportion of water that is actually drunk. However, this is very difficult to measure quantitatively. The daily per capita consumption of drinking water is 162 liters. This includes bathing and washing up, for example. The proportion used for drinking is in the region of a few percent and is therefore only relevant to us in terms of image. A survey conducted in 2001 showed that two thirds of respondents drink water from the tap every day. This is a sign that people have confidence in Swiss drinking water.
What arguments should be used to encourage people to drink tap water? Water is available everywhere in Switzerland in the best quality and fresh from the tap at a reasonable price. But drinking water also offers ideological advantages. As water is a local, domestic product, it does not have to be transported for miles. Drinking water is a sustainable, natural product. Massive energy savings and the low price compared to mineral water are further arguments. According to independent studies, the quality of drinking water is at least on a par with bottled water, apart perhaps from the mineral content. In some cases, drinking water even has to comply with stricter hygiene regulations.
SVGW In 1873, plant managers of gas and water utilities founded the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association (SVGW) to provide technical support to utilities. Today, as a recognized umbrella organization, the association is a competence center with a comprehensive range of services - see also www.svgw.ch. The aim of its activities is to maintain a balance between safety, efficiency and sustainability for the gas and water industry. Members of the SVGW are supply companies, planners, engineering companies, manufacturers, tradespeople and authorities. (sk)
Interview: Simone Keller

Books The memoirs of former Swiss CEO André Dosé will be published by Zurich-based publishing house Orell Füssli at the end of September, co-authored by Dosé's communications consultant and Werbewoche columnist Sacha Wigdorovits. 270 pages of illustrations recount Dosé's exciting time and work as CEO of Crossair, Swissair and most recently Swiss, where he was forced to resign following speculation that he was partly responsible for the crash of a Crossair plane in Bassersdorf in mid-March.
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Advertising bans/ The revised Tobacco Ordinance is too vague. The protection of young people from the influence of advertising must be strengthened - this is what numerous health organizations (GO) are calling for in the consultation.advertising bans The revised Tobacco Ordinance is too vague. The protection of young people from the influence of advertising must be strengthened - this is what numerous health organizations (GO) are calling for in the consultation process. The Federal Council wants to ban tobacco advertising in places and at events that are "primarily" aimed at young people. The same applies to the print media. According to the consultation report, 13 GOs criticize this as too vague and want a ban everywhere "where young people have access", including the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), the Swiss Cancer League and the Swiss Society of General Medicine. 17 GO demand that the ban on advertising also include sponsorship activities; the FMH also wants to see the Internet and SMS included in the ordinance. The cantons of Geneva, Lucerne and Schaffhausen are using the consultation process to call for a ban on poster advertising for tobacco based on the Geneva model.
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Awards Ruf Lanz and Publicis, Zurich, each received a bronze "Klappe" award for commercials for Die Mobiliar and the Mühlehalde home for the blind. In total, the jury of the German advertising film competition "Die Klappe" awarded two gold, four silver and seven bronze medals. The shortlist includes Euro RSCG Switzerland, Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett and Exxtra.

Media The Bern-based agency Formelzwei is creating the corporate design for the Bern-Solothurn integrated fare network. The brief also included a name for the new umbrella brand for public transport, and Formelzwei's suggestion "Libretto" was a hit.

Advertising expenditure Contrary to what the local crisis might suggest, global advertising expenditure rose by 4.8 percent in 2003, with China overtaking Germany to take third place among the strongest advertising markets behind the USA and Japan. A further increase of 5.8 percent to 330 billion dollars is expected for 2004.

Football Football's world governing body, FIFA, is celebrating its 100th anniversary these days. Neighbors Dolder Grand Hotel were among the well-wishers, with a congratulatory advertisement in the NZZ thanking them for their cooperation with the association. As a sign of solidarity, the luxury hotel fired a "football" - Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett brand - from its golf course directly into the jubilarian's garden.

Newspapers The publishing house of the Solothurner Tagblatt is expanding its market cultivation earlier than planned and is taking advantage of the opportunity to expand into other municipalities, according to a press release. Publishing director Lorenz Brügger explains that the Tagblatt is well ahead of its business plan targets in terms of both readership and advertising. However, he did not want to give Werbewoche any sales figures or details of where the Berner Zeitung's front page intends to go.

will become the new CEO of Mediaedge CIA (MEC) Switzerland. He will take over the management of the media agency at the beginning of July from Bernd Leckebusch, who is leaving the company.Volker Straube Straube was previously Managing Director of the MEC branch in Frankfurt. Gerald Le Meur, who previously headed the consulting unit Le Lab, is also leaving MEC.
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Katrina M. Arnold has been appointed Managing Partner of the Zug-based PR agency Dr. Peter P. Knobel. She was previously Executive Director for Private Banking at Merrill Lynch in Zurich and Geneva.
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Peter Rettinghausen becomes Creative Director at McCann in June
Erickson in Zurich. The copywriter previously worked for Advico Young & Rubicam and Wirz Werbung.
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Serge Deville joins the Euro RSCG Switzerland team as a new copywriter/concept developer.
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Blue Spirit Communications has strengthened its consultancy with Gert Schröder. He previously worked as managing director and consultant at the Lucerne advertising agency Planet. Ulysses Müller has joined the creative team at Blue Spirit. He was most recently Creative Director at Cosmic.
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The General Assembly of the Art Directors Club Switzerland (ADC) has elected Hanspeter Schweizer to the Board of Directors. He replaces Daniel Matter. Schweizer is responsible for the Special Events department together with Patrick Spahr. Valentina Herrmann will take over the new area of training and further education. The ADC has also welcomed Jean-Remy von Matt as a new member.
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Advertising salesman Cumi Karagülle is leaving the magazine Annemarie Wildeisen's Kochen. He is moving to U1 TV Station in June. The contact person for cooking customers is Dieter Maier with immediate effect.