Distribution Ten Zurich newsstands exclusively sell the latest edition of the New York Times and eight other foreign editions.
Newspapers - as stapled A3 copies. The innovative print-on-demand test will continue until the end of the year. It is likely to have concrete consequences.
The thinning out of its press offering by around 500 to 3,500 titles recently announced by Valora subsidiary K-Group will primarily affect foreign print products. This makes the parallel introduction of a new service, with which the Swiss-German monopolist could quietly usher in a new distribution era, all the more surprising and pleasing: since mid-September, two blue newspaper racks with nine daily newspapers in A3 format have been installed at the airport and the main railway station and one in each of six other Zurich branches of Kiosk AG.
The current, demand-oriented offering ranges from the Oslo-based Aftenposten to Sports Nippon and the Saudi Al-Jazirah to the
Washington Post, is printed fresh daily by a laser printer in Muttenz and is based on data and licenses (almost 200 in total) from Newspaper Direct.
NYT colorless, but cheaper
The Hamburg branch of the digital newspaper distributor founded in Vancouver in 1999 (claim: "We move bits not trees") currently maintains a network of 20 active printing stations throughout the German-speaking world. The majority of these are located in luxury hotels that want to offer international guests added value in the form of their daily newspaper. An on-demand service that does, however, take a little time: the printer needs a full 10 minutes to print a 70-page New York Times. The result is black and white throughout, printed on both sides and slightly smaller than the original. The cost: a hefty CHF 11.80. "If we were to import the Times conventionally, it would cost customers almost twice as much," says Peter Rutishauser, project manager at K-Group. In addition, the "National Edition" delivered via satellite as an encrypted PDF file from the USA is available punctually from eight o'clock every morning - regardless of capricious weather conditions or flight strikes. Rutishauser is satisfied with the progress of the cooperation experiment so far. Although the return rate is currently still at 65 percent, this new service is already covering its costs with 50 percent of the high-tech broadsheets sold.
The top press wholesaler believes that this figure will be reached by the end of the test phase in two months' time. Provided that word continues to spread among foreign and local newspaper freaks that you can order your favorite paper properly again - as you used to at the neighborhood kiosk - this is a very realistic hope. The Hamburg partners are also optimistic. "We expect this collaboration to be established and expanded," says Jörg Blümel. In other words: If the German Newspaper Direct boss has his way, his Swiss licensed products will no longer be printed at the Muttenz head office next year, but directly at individual central kiosks.
Almost like "real" newspapers: The laser prints of world newspapers on display at Kiosk AG.
Oliver Classen

Sports drinks Coca-Cola launched the thirst quencher Powerade in Switzerland in March and, thanks to clever sales strategies, has overtaken Isostar and Gatorade.
Even competitors have to grudgingly admit this: With Powerade, the US multinational from Atlanta has made a brilliant market entry. Coca-Cola immediately captured 39.7 percent of product group sales and catapulted itself to first place in the Swiss market for liquid sports drinks in just seven months. Gatorade, the market leader in 2002, is now in third place with a market share of just 20.6 percent, while Isostar is in second place behind Powerade with 25.1 percent. If Coca-Cola's statements are to be believed, even the US multinational did not expect this result. "We are surprised by the scale of the success," says Jürg Dinner, media spokesman for Coca-Cola Switzerland. However, the marketing strategists made sensible calculations when the drink was launched on the market in February. After all, only five million liters of the isotonic thirst quencher were sold in 2002. A mere pittance compared to the four billion liters that Swiss beverage manufacturers sell on the market. Admittedly, the summer heat probably gave the new product an additional boost.
Splashing out instead of spilling the beans
But from zero to number one in just eight months? Market researchers are hardly surprised by Coca-Cola's success. "The launch of Powerade was cleverly timed and executed in an exemplary manner," they agree. The fact that Coca-Cola knew exactly what it was doing is also proven by the statement from Nicolas Brabeck Letmathe, the manager responsible for Innovations & New Beverages at Coca-Cola: "We had a clear picture of what the product should look like, who it should appeal to and where we wanted to go with Powerade. We implemented all of this consistently," he explains the recipe for success, citing the impressive advertising campaign as proof: 2,400 billboards were covered with Powerade posters, numerous advertisements were placed in trade journals, several promotions were initiated with retail partners - such as Coop - and new sales channels were opened - such as Ochsner Sport.
Coca-Cola Switzerland sought out suitable sports stores and fitness centers for its latest product. These were approached by ten teams, each consisting of a customer advisor and a sports student. And they were successful. A large
Number of gyms and sports stores agreed. Since March 2003, small refrigerators have been placed in various fitness centers and sporting goods stores. "The campaign in the new sales channels has met with a positive response," says Dinner. Dinner does not want to reveal how high the proportion of sales from these target group-specific appliances is compared to Powerade's total sales. The costs of the advertising campaign, which was created in London and adapted for the local market by an internal Coca-Cola marketing team, are also being kept under wraps. The fact remains, even without the bare figures: Coca-Cola's brash entry into the sports drinks market has paid off.
However, the competition also benefited from the marketing power of the Americans. Arnold Furtwaengler, Head of Marketing and Sales at Isostar, even recorded double-digit growth rates for his drink "since Powerade entered the market in all areas". Nevertheless, he emphasizes: "Of course we take Power-ade seriously." He cannot be accused of having stood idly by and watched the offensive from Atlanta. "We completely relaunched Isostar in 2002, brought new bottles onto the market, redeveloped our formula for the drinks and entered into a TV sponsorship with the Sat1 football show 'Ran'," he says.
No unloved competition
The Bern-based food group Wander, which owns Isostar, sees Powerade's market presence as an opportunity rather than a real threat. "A new competitor always stimulates business," Furtwaengler is convinced. Especially if it expands the market, as has just happened with Powerade. According to reliable sources, this beverage sector grew by over 25 percent in the current year. In addition, Isostar has "positioned itself as a sports nutrition expert in the market", Furtwaengler emphasizes. And sales of the thirst quencher only account for 33% of total sales in the Isostar product range. "Because Powerade is more in the lifestyle soft drinks segment, there is still enough room for us," says Furtwaengler confidently.
However, the new competition from the Coca-Cola Group is likely to cause the US drinks manufacturer Gatorade more headaches. "The two are pretty much on the same wave and are also likely to be targeting the same audience: young, active people, but also sports enthusiasts who want to keep fit and maintain an active lifestyle," says one market researcher, analyzing the positioning strategies of the two producers. No one at Chicago-based Gatorade, which was founded in Florida in the 1960s, wanted to comment on the new competition.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is continuing to work on its success strategy. The drinks manufacturer does not yet want to reveal what this strategy will look like in the future. One thing is already clear: with the success of the launch
Coca-Cola will not be satisfied for a long time yet.
Powerade's TriumphThe Powerade brand has been on the market in the USA since 1992.
It came to Europe in October 2001 and was launched in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Ireland.
Powerade is now the leading sports drink in Europe.
Powerade has been available in Switzerland since March 2003 and can be purchased at
petrol stations, take-aways, kiosks, drinks vending machines and in all
major retail chains, with the exception of Migros and Denner. The drink is available in the 500ml PET bottle in three
Flavor variants: Mountain Blast (berry flavor), Orange and Citrus. According to Coca-Cola, Mountain Blast is the most popular of all three flavors. (af)
Target group-oriented distribution: Coca-Cola launched Powerade in fitness centers and sports stores.
Annelies Friedli

Fashion II You occasionally see them at a party for advertisers or in other noisy places of creative being and appearance: men's skirts are en vogue, and Matter & Partner has now launched a corresponding campaign for Amok to ensure that this is no longer just the case for insiders. This latest motif from the trendy label is to be widely used as an advertisement in trend magazines and as a poster or postcard to ensure that the current Amok collection gets people talking. In other words: "Blow another one..."

Oliver Classen on the Swiss party press revivalAs expected, Christoph Blocher did not answer the question of whether he was a silent partner in the Jean Frey publishing house (JF) during last Monday's collective interview in Zurich's Kaufleuten. This crucial question for the credibility of Weltwoche had been posed the day before by editor-in-chief Andreas Durisch - and thus placed his SonntagsZeitung in the anti-SVP phalanx of Tamedia, which Facts and Tages-Anzeiger had already positioned weeks ago.
In general, Switzerland's political polarization is strongly reflected in its opinion-forming organs. The NZZ, for example, which has been badly hit by the FDP's defeat, continues to bravely practice Blocher-hating. And the chief opportunist of the Ringier Group, Frank A. Meyer, has eaten kilos of chalk, but is now flirting with the future Federal Councillor just as uninhibitedly as he previously condemned him.
Trendsetters in terms of journalistic partisanship, however, are Oberweltwöchler Roger Köppel and his capo Filippo Leutenegger. It seems probable that their strictly right-wing liberal course has brought the SVP one or two votes. What is certain, however, is that the many implicit and one explicit election recommendation did not harm the "Duo Triomphal" economically. On the contrary: the turnaround in the reader market also brought the JF flagship an anti-cyclical turnaround in the advertising business.
So flying the flag is worthwhile again - even or especially in our
supposedly post-ideological times. Provided, however, that it wears the right, i.e. business-friendly, colors. Otherwise, you might end up like Tamedia in 1979, when the car importer and SVP National Councillor Walter Frey took out a
magazine article with years of advertising withdrawal. A left-wing advertisement boycott against Weltwoche, however, would remain utopian even if Blocher were to come out as a JF shareholder. And not even because of insufficient good reasons, but simply due to a lack of red-green-minded advertisers.
> Oliver Classen, Editor

Christmas If Santa Claus is snoring peacefully in bed with a reindeer, it could be that he has overslept his work assignment, in which case the only thing that can help is the "Wake-up call to all companies", which Catsky & Partner has sent out to selected communications departments in these pre-Christmas days. "Do you already have your Christmas or New Year card ready to go?" asks Claude Catsky. If not, he offers his services with the help of his father Nico. The caricaturist and the agency present various ideas on request, making the festive greetings card "a real piece of communication". Of course, the agency can also design more pious Christmas cards without Nico's wit.

On February 1, 2004, the ADC festival magazine will be published just in time for the Art Directors Club Switzerland judging. As every year, the layout is "stolen" from a media title (with its kind permission).The ADC festival magazine will be published on February 1, 2004, just in time for the Art Directors Club Switzerland judging. As every year, the layout is "stolen" from a media title (with its kind permission). This time it's the turn of the media magazine Tele. To avoid any confusion, the ADC version is called "Fete".
The first 500 copies will be distributed at the ADC Festival. A further 17,500 copies will be enclosed with Werbewoche and other trade journals.

The communications agency Complecta and the web service provider NetAgentur have published a guide to successful communication with new media, which examines the topic in 16 short chapters from both a social and a technical perspective. The guide can be downloaded as a PDF version from www.complecta.ch.

Fashion I You can currently see it on every street corner, on every tree: Owning a small dog is trendy, which gave the designers at H&M the idea to create a dogwear collection so that hip dog owners can dress their pets appropriately. The collection consists mainly of cotton items. For the female dog, there is a sweatshirt with large polka dots and a shiny plastic raincoat with a cotton lining. And for the male dogs, masters can find sweatshirts with a football print and a nylon jacket with a checked lining at H&M. The dogwear collection will only be available from the Swedish fashion discounter for one season. After that, the dogs will have to be properly undressed again.

Sonntagspresse Weltwissen aims to communicate "Cracks for Kids". The task of the children's Sunday paper, which is supported by Migros, MediaMarkt and Zurich Insurance, is also early branding.
Apart from the commuter newspaper phenomenon, the Lord's Day still seems to be the greatest source of inspiration for publishing strategists. After the colorful seventh editions of NZZ and FAZ, "Cracks for Kids" (CfK) will also be published on Sundays from January 11, 2004, and is also pursuing a double calculation: in journalistic terms, the aim is to set a current agenda for the whole family; and commercially, to create an early branding platform that helps to increase the influence of young people on Sunday purchasing decisions.With the eyes of a child...
In the first volume of the fourth (!) Swiss-German holiday newspaper, the political and economic reality of adults will be viewed through the eyes of children, while the second will focus on soft topics such as sport, games and entertainment (and the brands associated with them). Speaking of associations: in view of the already protected word mark "CfK", some parents who are only moderately proficient in English are more likely to think of the cocaine derivative of the same name than of journalistic experts who want to show and explain the times to 9 to 13-year-olds.
Ex-Tamedia manager René Gehrig's project, whose annual budget (2004: CHF 3.5 to 4 million) is "long-term" and sponsored in equal parts by the three partners mentioned above, pursues both economic and idealistic intentions. According to the concept, the baby among the Sunday titles - distributed early like SoBli, SoZ and NZZaS via Zuvo - should act as a forum for local to global personalities with a role model and incentive function. The experienced marketer and father of a nine-year-old son also wants to organize SMS competitions and "Cracky" events as soon as possible. Gehrig assures Werbewoche that he will "transfer the proceeds to charitable institutions such as the SOS Children Foundation".
As editor-in-chief, he was able to win over jack-of-all-trades Mario Aldrovandi, who is currently developing a child-friendly reader guide together with ex-Cash newspaper editor Hansi Voigt. "From the picture to its legend and the accompanying scrolling text to the website" is the motto of a multimedia philosophy in which interactive Internet content is to play a central role. The experience of the image man Aldrovandi, gained at Ringier, Radio 24 and most recently RTL/Pro Sieben, certainly benefits this concept of deepening and linking.
Gehrig, who himself holds 90 percent of CfK Media AG, which is domiciled in Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau, will also benefit from Dani
Späni, its sole shareholder. His health marketing agency Sanatrend guarantees the Sonntagszeitung für Junioren not only specialist expertise, but also a professional approach to this advertising market, which has so far focused on senior citizens.
No influence from the early brandersHowever, CfK has played it safe with the large, but already budget-relevant campaigns of its long-term patrons Migros, MediaMarkt and Zurich Insurance. Their image and product ads will alternately and exclusively feature a commercial "Swiss cross" on pages two and three. Apart from advisory board seats for the representatives of the main sponsors, this prominent placement is the only consideration to which he has contractually committed himself. Gehrig tries to dispel concerns about any influence exerted by the three early branders by pointing to their vested interest in editorial independence. "If Migros wanted a children's edition of its bridge builder, it would simply make one." And Aldrovandi adds metaphorically: "Our partners have only built the highway; only we will drive on it."
What the FAZ am Sonntag "warns" against, "CfK" puts into practice: a newspaper just for kids.
Oliver Classen

Children's programs Eleven stations broadcast "Murmi" week after week - and the number is growing. No other Swiss children's show flickers across Swiss TV screens so frequently. "Hello Murmi, I think you're just great," Simon wrote in the guestbook on the murmi.ch website. And Justin complains that he has never received a letter from Murmi. Without a doubt, Murmi, the shaggy, bright orange giant marmot with a St. Bernard look, has found many little fans in his first five years on TV. Understandable, since it has an almost immense TV presence: since its launch on Tele M1 and TeleTell, nine other stations, including all the major broadcasters (with the exception of TeleZüri, which does not broadcast children's programs) have already aired the 25-minute program (see box) four to 28 times a week, depending on the station, which adds up to around 150 broadcasts. Murmi Production GmbH in Oberentfelden states that 5,300,000 people a week watch the entire program. But this number is one year old and was only "estimated" based on a cut-off date at Tele M1 and TeleTell with a daily rating of 87000 viewers. But this is probably based on a confusion of terms. According to more recent figures from the two stations, "Murmi" had a maximum weekly rating of 90600 viewers there this year.
Numbers or not, the broadcasters are well aware of Murmi's popularity. "It's enormous what 'Murmi' triggers in children," says Peter Schwager, Managing Director of Tele Ostschweiz, who has already produced "Murmi".
live performances at trade fairs and corporate events. That's why it's clear to him: "'Murmi' belongs on the channel." Marc Friedli from TeleBärn also attests that the "Murmi" producers have "a lot of intuition" for the target audience. And Florenz Schaffner, managing director of Tele M1 and TeleTell, adds: "The character has become a cult." Murmi Production promotes the latter with products such as plush "Murmis," CDs, videos, "Murmi" ointment, "Murmi" cherry stone sacks, "Murmi" sweaters and more. These products are launched more and more often with the help of company partnerships.
For the TV viewers of tomorrow
Murmi Production cooperates with a partner for each of "Murmi's" adventures, which then also becomes the subject of a weekly show. The costs for this: 4900 francs including script, production and broadcast. Alternatively, one or two moderators are also possible (1000 to 2000 francs). The same applies to the news section. No money flows between Murmi Production and TV stations; both sides benefit from each other. Peter Schwager puts it this way, "With 'Murmi' we get to the TV viewers of tomorrow. And to their mothers."
Who owns the advertising time between the two formats is regulated differently: Sometimes the station acquires advertising, sometimes Murmi Production.
The company generates "a seven-figure annual turnover," says its sole owner and founder Thomas Widmer. He generates 50 percent of this with advertising, commissioned productions and presenting, 35 percent with events and the rest with merchandising. As a whole, the company is now self-supporting, but the first year and a half would not have been possible without Widmer's second company, the juggling troupe "Pajazzo," which has been around for 15 years. Depending on the show, Widmer still draws on his crew of artists today.
Murmi" is popular with companies, and demand for commissioned productions is greater than capacity, according to Widmer. That's why, starting in 2004, he will deliver two broadcasts a week and cut the number of broadcasts per show in half. Widmer also has his eye on the radio medium: the first "Murmi" radio plays on Radio Ri have already been realized, and now he wants to start talks with other stations.
Expansion abroad is not taboo either: the first stops are likely to be Turkey, Spain or Portugal. And finally, it looks like Widmer will be able to realize his dream - a "Murmi" land - by the end of 2005. An investor with land in Switzerland has already offered, says Widmer, who is generally interested in further partnerships.
The show with "Murmi "A "Murmi" show consists of two formats: "Murmi's Adventures" (20 minutes) and "Murmi News" (six minutes), interspersed with "family-friendly" commercials. In the first part, Murmi and his
human friend Geri new things, following the pattern of the "Sendung mit der Maus". The only difference is that Murmi's "experiences" are usually based on the wishes of his paying clients. Thus Murmi is introduced to the culinary offerings at the Europapark as well as to the production of sweets. The script was written by Thomas
Widmer, who tries to translate the wishes of the client into a
story that children will also enjoy. The "Murmi News" in the second part offers a contest, a studio guest and hints on new "Murmi" products as well as on "Murmi's" upcoming
Live performances, for example at McDonald's, Möbel Pfister or Amag. (mk)
"Murmi" producer Thomas Widmer with a shaggy companion: Thanks to product placement, the producer is in the black.
Soon foreign kids will be happy: "Murmi" at a children's festival.
Markus Knöpfli

The advertising agency MAD is taking over the overall communication of the Berlitz Switzerland language schools. The agency won the contract in a pitch, covering German and French-speaking Switzerland with strategic consulting and creative services. Ads, commercials and posters are expected to be used in next year's Berlitz campaign. In addition, below-the-line measures will be realized. The campaign will run from January 2004.

Private TV stations Tele M1 and TeleTell are cutting programs in order to expand their news. At the beginning of 2004, the regional stations TeleTell and Tele M1 are changing their programming. From Monday to Friday, the news programs "Aktuell" are to be expanded editorially during prime time and repeated every half hour - if the Uvek approves. Some programs in the second half-hour will be cancelled in any case. Specifically, the contracts with CashTV and Videogang have been terminated, as Florenz Schaffner, head of the two broadcasters, explained on request. The self-produced "Report" will also be dropped, unless a sponsor can be found for it. The "Stubete" produced by TeleBärn will also be canceled. The programs "Tierisch", "Lifestyle", "Kochen" and "Wohnen", on the other hand, will remain on both channels. TeleTell is also keeping "Regio-Talk", while a new concept and a sponsor are being sought for the talk show on Tele M1. one thing is clear: the "Aktuell" expansion is also proving to be a cost-cutting exercise. Cancelling the aforementioned programs will free up a "seven-figure sum", half of which - albeit still a seven-figure sum - will be invested in news, according to Schaffner: TeleTell's newsroom will be expanded from 6.5 to 9 positions (from Monday to Friday). At the same time, there will be redundancies in the technical area at the Aarau studio. Freelance staff will also be cut.
Two years ago, the two broadcasters already cut programs and invested some of the savings in news. Since then, the daily ratings of "Aktuell" have risen by 100 percent to 100,000 people. Based on a survey, the two stations see even more potential.
Florence Schaffner
Markus Knöpfli