It's wonderful when you can blame the flop of a title on an external cause - in this case the turbulence surrounding Swiss. The truth is, however, that their magazines are simply sloppily produced, for example the April issue:- On page 8, "Travel musts" are presented, including a toiletry bag with nail scissors - where every occasional flyer has long known that even plastic forks are forbidden in hand luggage.- On page 10, "Hamburg - harbor beauty" and in the author line "Photographer: Marvin Zilm" and "Writer: Susanne von Meiss" are announced. But expectations are disappointed: apart from a few captions, there is nothing to read in this photo essay.
- Although the text about the goatherd Toni Odermatt says that he lived at the foot of the Stanserhorn, the legend says "Toni Odermatt with his goats in front of the Säntis". And so on, and so on.
And in the middle of it all is the headline "Fly for less? Lowest fares for 42 destinations in Europe". This discount attitude is probably another reason why the Swiss Magazine currently has fewer advertisements than before. It is doubtful whether Swiss is really still attracting an affluent audience to its aircraft with its dumping price policy.
Christian Müller, CEO of the Vogt-Schild/Habegger publishing group, on the article "Swiss Magazine feels the headwind" in WW 15/04.

Found Raising The Swiss Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBS) has entrusted Catsky & Partner with its communications budget, and the Zurich-based advertising agency came out on top in a competitive presentation. With audio productions and its own Braille publishing house, SBS makes print products usable for the visually impaired. In addition to classic advertising such as advertisements and TV commercials, an information brochure and mailings are also planned.

is the new President of the Alliance of Swiss Advertising Agencies (ASW). The owner of the advertising agency of the same name in Eglisau succeeds Carmelo Buffoli, who was elected Past President.Andy Ruf The new Vice President is Markus Diener from Diener Consulting in Arbon. ...
Martin Bettler and Simon Staub join the Zurich agency Matter & Partner as Senior ADs in July and August respectively. Caspar Heuss was hired as a copywriter in mid-May. Staub comes from Lowe Zurich, Bettler from Seiler DDB and Heuss previously worked at Wirz Werbung.
...
Rainer Kupper (photo) has been Head of Marketing and Sales at the Keystone picture agency since May 1. He remains Managing Director of the Keystone subsidiary Photopress AG, where he has worked for four years.
...
After just 18 months in office, Reto Richard has left Brunner Verlag
in Kriens. He was advertising manager for the women's sports magazine Dynamica, the driving school teaching aid Let's drive and the
Restaurant guide Guide-bleu.ch
responsible.
...
Denise Alig takes over as editor-in-chief of the Davos newspaper at the beginning of August. She will succeed Vladimir Pillmann. Alig worked as an editor at the Bündner Zeitung and Südostschweiz for 15 years.
...
Pascal Ihle joins HandelsZeitung at the beginning of September. He will strengthen the "Money" team of the business newspaper. Ihle currently writes for the local section of the NZZ.
...
The transport director of Lucerne, Mario Lütolf, has announced his resignation. In the fall of 2000, Lütolf took over from Kurt H. Illi, who had been in office for 22 years.

Automobiles It was love at first sight: The King Kong remake by Sulzer Sutter won the prize draw for a free advertisement in the TV magazine TR7, and it wasn't the innocent blonde that the giant gorilla fell in love with, but a fiery red Mini Cooper. Perhaps the subject would also be a huge hit in Hollywood. At Sulzer Sutter, Francis Sulzer and Felix Damman got behind the wheel for the idea and had AD Stephan Huwiler, graphic designer Myriam Cuenot, make-up artist Anne-Rose Schwab and photographer Gerry Nitsch on board.

Convenience Dear Anna, you really did your best: you washed your hair, applied your make-up and put on the pink sweater that hugs your shoulders in a sexy way. "Great," you thought as the "ready to eat in a flash" Migros product sizzled in the pan, "thanks to the 20 minutes I'll save on cooking, I can meet up with Michael earlier". But nothing came of the romantic rendezvous. Instead, the Migros photographer sent you to Hockenheim. With good reason: what, if not the racing car associated with freedom, could convey the slogan "More time to live" more credibly? Even if it's not Schumi's Ferrari on the racetrack, but your brother's remote-controlled car doing the laps. "Smile, Anna," said the assistant director, "thanks to the ready-made menu, you can devote yourself to the important things in life." Dear Anna, no copy in the world communicates the message faster than your facial expression. In any case, we will invest a lot of time in cooking in future so that we don't get bored to death like you. (sk)

Finally, finally another Publimedia party, thought some of those who received the invitation.these parties are legendary, and the last party four years ago is still a lasting memory for many. Especially the small group that hung out late at night in the Adagio nightclub. This year, however, there was a more serious attitude in this corner, as the late-night partygoers from back then are now all to be found in the top echelons of Publimedia (or even higher). of course, there were also a few rebels this year who had to be beaten out of El Cubanito late at night, so to speak. But no one from Publimedia (apart from one former member) was there. The group consisted of former and future star recruiters, who chatted at the bar until the end of time about God and the world and praised the quality of the Publimedia festival to the skies.
Only the kitchen, which was a little too generous with the garlic, didn't come off quite so well. Salads, crostini and other delicacies were so liberally sprinkled with the (otherwise very welcome) spice that afterwards you hardly dared to look anyone in the eye or get too close in any other way.
In addition to garlic lovers, cigar fans also got their money's worth. There was a veritable smoking salon in a well-hidden little cabin. There, even Leo's Gerteis (who normally only smokes Cubans) was persuaded to try a Dominican Zino Platinum. Incidentally, this is a line that repeatedly gives rise to discussion among aficionados - after all, it is a product that was originally developed for the USA purely according to marketing criteria. Many Cuban purists call it cigars without history and spirit. Marketing product or not, the shortlist author still liked the taste of these fat cigars.
Beat Fritschtraf also met Peter Döbeli (left) from Konnex at the big Publimedia festival. The two of them and many other guests had a great time at El Cubanito. At the former Zurich stock exchange
The former stock exchange rings are two of the most beautiful club bars in the city on the Limmat, where the communications, media and publishing industries meet for their parties. Do you already have something to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or hit the keys ([email protected]). Event tips and further shortlist images are available online at www.werbewoche.ch.
Reception committee: Daniel Strobel (right) and Moreno Cavaliere (left) welcomed the guests, including Heinz Bischof, Universal-McCann.
Snapshot at the aperitif: Urs Kaufmann (left) from Publimedia with Yvonne Müller and Mathias Lopian from KI Media.
Thomas Estermann (l.) with Annabelle advertising manager Monika Schneider and Jean-Christophe Francet, Publimedia.
That evening, Thomas Rüttimann from Zip Media took his customer Caroline Röösli, advertising manager at PKZ, out to El Cubanito.
The two advertising consultants Rafael Müller (left) and Heinz Egli enjoyed a long overdue reunion at Cubanito.
Madeleine Hermle from TBWA with Sandro Rüegger, now still Managing Director at TR7 and working at Tamedia from September.
The newspaper corner: Maili Wolf, Tagi Publishing Director, with Marcel Kohler (l.) and Tobias Trevisan, NZZ, and Otto Meier (r.), P-Groupe.
Sandro Prezzi (l.), Optimedia, Astrid Gartenmann, Publimedia, and Harald Amschler, Wemf, also had a lot of fun at Cubanito.
Urs Gossweiler (left) came all the way from Brienz to meet Felicitas Gmünder, Daniel Kaczynski and Beat Lauber (right).
Consultant Urs Zeier (l.), Jacqueline Zygmont, TV-daily, and cooking ad manager Dieter Maier at the talk.
Customer contacts: Fridolin Holdener (l.), Tages-Anzeiger, and Sandra Geiger, SonntagsZeitung, with Denner advertising manager Stefan Mägli.
Charmers: Kurt W. Zimmermann (l.) and Toni Vetterli, Swiss Press Association, with ZKB Advertising Manager Bernadette Grossenbacher.
Consultant Urs Zeier (l.), Jacqueline Zygmont, TV-daily, and cooking ad manager Dieter Maier at the talk.
Customer contacts: Fridolin Holdener (l.), Tages-Anzeiger, and Sandra Geiger, SonntagsZeitung, with Denner advertising manager Stefan Mägli.
Charmers: Kurt W. Zimmermann (l.) and Toni Vetterli, Swiss Press Association, with ZKB Advertising Manager Bernadette Grossenbacher.
Turning into party animals due to the glut of events: Frank Bodin (l.), Euro RSCG, and Sandro Proietto, Mediabox.
Big golf fans: Michi Gassler (l.) and Dany Kielholz (r.) from Exxtra with Migros advertising manager Beat Mühlemann.
Bar talks: Othmar Fischlin (left), Head of Publimedia Media Research, with Paolo Placa, Head of Advertising at Reader's Digest.

Weekly Newspapers WOZ achieved all the goals of its business plan in 2003. The relaunch last fall brought the desired financial relief. The left-wing opinion paper reports an increase of 1000 subscriptions within a year. Despite a lull in advertising, advertising revenues increased by 4 percent.

Print media The commuter newspaper Metro has also been available in New York since Wednesday. It is distributed by hand and via boxes in Manhattan and along important commuter routes. 300,000 copies make Metro the fifth-largest daily newspaper in the city. It can also be booked in combination with its sister titles in Boston and Philadelphia. To secure the goodwill of the advertising industry, Metro has come up with a special move: Stefano Hatfield, who previously ran the US industry titles Ad Age Global and Creativity, has been appointed editor-in-chief of the New York edition.

TV principal owner Haim Saban has secured strong support for his TV station group ProSieben Sat 1, with Greg Dyke and Tony Ball, among others, joining the Board of Directors, which will be enlarged from 9 to 15 members. Until recently, the two Britons were opponents: Dyke as Director General of the BBC and Tony Ball as Director General of ProSieben Sat 1.
Tony Ball as head of the private pay-TV giant BSkyB.

Media planning The map of Switzerland's economic areas has been redesigned. In some cases, it completely plows up the landscape: The new map of economic regions (WG) is now available. It was designed by the media research company Publicom on behalf of the Federal Office of Communications and Wemf. A comparison of the two maps shows: Large centers are expanding, the others are becoming smaller (see also WW 14/04). And the number of WGs is falling from 25 to 21 (including Liechtenstein). This is not surprising, as the previous WG map was created 40 years ago - and thus before the construction of the highway and great mobility. But be careful when making comparisons: it is not possible to draw any real conclusions about trends, as the old and new maps are not based on the same considerations. What's more, the basis of the WG map valid today cannot even be fully ascertained.
The Publicom draft shows Switzerland as follows: The economic influence of the centers of Zurich, Bern and Lausanne, and to a lesser extent Lucerne, Chur and Biel, can be felt in a much larger radius than the previous map indicates. For example, the pull effect of Zurich is so strong that the previous WGs 41, 43, 44 and 27 no longer meet the Publicom criteria for a WG (see explanations of the map on this page) and have therefore merged into one. In other words, the new WG Zurich stretches from Lake Constance to Baden and from the Rhine to Glarnerland. In terms of the number of inhabitants, the entity quite accurately represents a "two million Zurich".
Central Switzerland, where WGs 21, 24 and 25 previously existed, now also forms a single unit. There is also a merger in south-eastern Switzerland (WGs 28 and 29). This is not the case in French-speaking Switzerland, where there are only major territorial expansions and corresponding mergers.
-shrinkage. For example, WG 12 (Lausanne) separates WG 15 (Fribourg) from Lake Neuchâtel and WG 16 (Lower Valais) from Lake Geneva. WG 33 (Biel) now extends deeper into the Jura, and WG 34 (Bern) conquers Langenthal at the expense of WG 32. The only split occurs in the canton of Ticino, which is now divided into two WGs - Sopra- and Sotto-Ceneri.
However, the WGs are only one of three levels of the Publicom concept. Switzerland is based on a modular system: As before, the political districts form a stable foundation, as there have only been minor changes here in recent years, for example due to municipal mergers. They are also the smallest unit for which both public statistics and newspaper circulation data exist. However, Publicom is now proposing an additional level between the 184 districts and the 21 WGs: the communication areas (KR). Publicom CEO René Grossenbacher explains this as follows: "For advertising customers who work regionally, the previous WGs were too large and the districts too small. The new WG map accentuates this difference. It therefore makes sense to include an intermediate level."
Publicom developed the KR concept back in 1994. Until now, however, readership figures have not been broken down to this level on an annual basis. Under the new model, however, this would become an integral part of Mach Basic and other (Wemf) studies.
While the 1994 LR map was based on 1990 census data and showed 71 LR, the new map is an update with data from 2000. As the 2000 census showed a sharp increase in mobility and linguistic homogeneity compared to the 1990 census, the Publicom criteria required a reduction in the number of LRs to 65. Incidentally, Publicom also examined whether individual KRs or WGs should be moved across the national border in view of the flow of cross-border commuters and shopping tourists. According to Grossenbacher, however, this was not an option.
However, the consequences of all this can only be definitively determined once the space concept has been introduced and backed up with readership or radiocontrol figures.
Either way, Publicom and Wemf assume that the new model will reflect the needs of printed and electronic media more accurately and realistically than the previous model. In addition, it can be updated every ten years with new census data. This should make it more useful for large and small-scale strategy and media planning.
René Grossenbacher and Wemf Director René Schmutz emphasize: "The WG map is not a newspaper distribution map, only the LRs partially reflect the distribution." WGs have nothing to do with the distribution of media. Rather, it is the other way around: "Media follow economic flows and penetrate new markets."
And so it goes onThe advertising market group of the Publishers Association has unanimously endorsed the new concept. It will now go out for consultation until June 30.
Wemf Director René Schmutz makes it clear that he will not be discussing individual boundaries. "Either you accept the model or you reject it." Those who reject it would have to prove that the Publicom approach is flawed. According to Schmutz, the
Publicom criteria, however, are clearly and comprehensibly weighted.
At the end of May, Wemf is still awaiting an expert opinion from the Technical University of Aachen. In the summer
The Mach Basic 2004 will still be published in accordance with the old WGs; an update in accordance with the new WGs will be possible in January 2005. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli

Roadshow Migros is using unusual communication channels for its low-cost line.
"M-Budget isch geil" ("M-Budget is cool"): Migros introduced this range eight years ago to ease the burden on small household budgets and it has already achieved cult status. The line with its unmistakable design is particularly popular among 15 to 20-year-olds. Following the expansion of the range at the beginning of this year, Migros' own budget brand now comprises 195 items. On May 22, the Mig-ros Cooperative Lucerne (GML) is launching the 196th product on a trial basis: The M-Budget Party. The idea came to initiator Martin Koch from GML when he was out. According to Koch, expensive entrance fees and drinks spoil the fun of the party. In addition, the momentum of the M-Budget cult could be better utilized.
No party without alcohol
The party concept fell on receptive ears at the Migros Cooperative Federation in Zurich. If the party in Lucerne is a success, it will go on tour in Switzerland. However, this requires at least a thousand tickets to be sold. Martin Koch is optimistic about this: "The indications make me feel positive." After all, the GML attracts potential guests with a discount admission price - in keeping with the M-Budget philosophy - as well as competitions and free drinks. Without alcohol, of course. However, as "a proper party also includes beer and other drinks", as can be read on the party website, the high-proof drinks are served by the club itself.
If the MGB gives the green light for the roadshow, it is expected to arrive in 18 Swiss cities from September. The party is to be held at the most important locations in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland and in Ticino by the end of 2005.
Simone Keller

Publishers Giger & Partner put up posters for Edipub in German-speaking Switzerland - at the point of decision.
The economic situation and therefore the order situation in the advertising sector remains problematic. "Anyone who doesn't make their presence felt now will be completely forgotten," says Edipub. And the French publishers know this: This is all the more true if you want to acquire ads from German-speaking Switzerland, which is why Edipub has commissioned the Zurich agency Giger & Partner to bring the Western Swiss media scene to mind in Zurich. "When we look at the market situation in the media of French-speaking Switzerland, it is clear that Edipresse, and therefore Edipub, has an excellent offering," says the publisher.
With a circulation of 20,700 copies, Femina is the "first choice for reaching women in French-speaking Switzerland". Bilan, with a circulation of 19894, has excellent figures when it comes to reaching the leaders in French-speaking Switzerland. Télétop is the most widely read magazine in French-speaking Switzerland with the most extensive television program and brings the latest news from cinema, music and TV. With 202420 copies, Télétop reaches 568000 readers. TVGuide, the leading TV magazine in the economic regions of Geneva and Vaud, is "much loved by the younger generation" and reaches 367,000 readers.
Despite these strong values for publications from the Edipub range, "Ringier publications such as Illustré, L'Hebdo and TV8 are often chosen". Edipub believes that Ringier is not only much more present on the Swiss-German market, but also in the minds of media managers around Zurich. Another competitive problem is that Ringier can offer combined discounts thanks to its dual presence. Edipub, on the other hand, lacks this practical link between German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland. Added to this is Edipub's relatively recent presence as the representative of Edipresse media in Zurich. But: "We can assume that 80 percent of our target audience of media agencies, advertising agencies and companies are located in German-speaking Switzerland," Edipub calculates.
The core target group for the new campaign is therefore not only customers in the home region, but also advertising clients, media planners and media agencies in German-speaking Switzerland.
In order to launch a campaign that was as effective and efficient as possible, Giger & Partner largely dispensed with traditional measures and opted for "guerrilla tactics". The strategy is to hang posters directly in front of the customer's eyes. B12 sites were therefore painstakingly located as close as possible to the offices of important customers such as media and advertising agencies and direct customers. The approach of these posters "directly at the point of sale" is also individual, "each poster is unique". In this way, the agency hopes to use the available resources "in a very targeted and therefore very effective way in the face of a strong and powerful opponent".
In order to demonstrate to the target audience the affinities around the language border, the posters are humorously written in two languages. The aim is to demonstrate the tension between language and specialist knowledge in the media sector in a light-hearted way. "You should be able to smile a little," hopes the agency.
The poster campaign is supported by advertisements. The Edipub mascot Emile is also still present in this campaign. The idea is that anyone who relies on this truffle pig "will reach their destination without detours and free of charge".
Eye-catching: The Edipub media posters hang close to the offices of potential customers.
Andreas Panzeri