The new company Easyglider AG in Oberglatt has commissioned Weber Hodel Schmid (WHS) with the launch of its (electrically) motorized unicycle with steering bar,The new company Easyglider AG in Oberglatt has commissioned Weber Hodel Schmid (WHS) with the launch of its (electrically) motorized unicycle with steering bar, which inline skaters and skateboarders can ride through the streets. WHS is responsible for the development of promotions, events, advertising and PR.

In order to expand its market position, particularly abroad, the sports underwear manufacturer Odlo is relying on Jung von Matt/Limmat, the agency tailoring a suitable communication presence for Odlo to complement other measures such as new products, new packaging and a new shop-in-shop concept. Odlo has its roots in Scandinavia, but is based in Zug.

TV marketing Viva wants to establish itself even more strongly as a youth brand and trendsetter in its core target group. In view of the general economic conditions, Viva Media has "held its own", said Dieter Gorny, CEO of Viva Media AG, at a media orientation a week ago. In the first quarter of 2003, the Cologne-based operator of the music channel Viva felt the effects of the continuing advertising slump more keenly than its Swiss subsidiary: while quarterly sales in Germany fell by around 18 percent to 21 million euros, the consolidated result fell into the red with a minus of 1.2 million euros after a profit of 18 million in the previous year. Although the local subsidiary also posted a loss, it is in a better position compared to the budget, as it only just missed its target - "in the mid single-digit range", as Managing Director Asta Baumöller puts it. The market share is also developing comfortably: the 24-hour average among 15 to 29-year-olds was 2.2 percent in April. The station thus extended its lead over the competition. The logo in everyday teen lifeViva is in. Swiss consumers don't seem to mind if the Swizz suffix has disappeared from the name. In the Global Village, the otherwise very active target group doesn't care about such trifles - as long as the music mix is right. "In this situation, it is important for us to draw attention to the new logo. At the same time, we want to use the campaign to encourage those members of our target group who have not updated their impression of our station for some time to tune in," says Baumöller.
In hectic times, viewers simply migrate more quickly - and back again. In the meantime, the number of former Viva viewers must have grown so large that many might feel the urge to check out Viva again and discover something new. This is precisely the aim of the new image of Scholz & Friends (S&F) Switzerland, which won Viva as its second client after Coca-Cola in a pitch - to change the brand image from a childish approach to a broader, youthful and self-confident positioning.
To expand the market share and arouse curiosity about the content and strengths of the program, advertisers Günther Schneider and Christian Binder emphasize the common drive of teens and twens: "Kids and teens are passionate explorers. At no other age do they try so much, discard so much, create something new and contradictory. This is exactly what Viva has to offer like no other," says Schneider. And thus builds a bridge to the campaign idea, which is intended to convey the "journey of discovery in terms of music, news, trends, parties, sport and communities": In a playful way, his team incorporated Viva - or rather its logo - into normal everyday life in Switzerland. "Informal, casual, but always authentic. You just have to recognize it," says Schneider.
Even where fox and hare are at home, the night becomes a cult thanks to Viva: Scholz & Friends display.

Luca Aloisi

Affinity of the ads among supporters in the "Christian camp "Gold (169)Sunrise
In 5 years...
(Wirz)
Silver (166) Honda
Civic (Rossell)
Bronze (123)Migros
Dear Federal Councillor...
(Exxtra Communication)

Advertising bans The EPP member of parliament Lilian Studer wants to further restrict advertising for alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in Aargau by means of a motion.advertising for addictive substances is already prohibited on cantonal and many municipal properties. Studer is calling for the ban to be extended to public buildings and private properties that can be seen from public land.

Advertising Festival At its 50th edition, the international advertising festival in Cannes launches a new prize: the "Titanium Lion" will be awarded annually by the jury presidents for particularly innovative work, regardless of category.

Regional press The Solothurn-based printing and publishing group Vogt-Schild (VS) recorded a six percent drop in sales to 87 million francs and a consolidated loss of 2.9 million francs in the 2002 financial year. In the previous year, profits had already fallen from CHF 3.2 million to CHF 0.9 million. According to a report in the Solothurner Zeitung, which belongs to VS, the loss is partly due to investments in the printing centers in Derendingen and Subingen (Solprint).

Radio spot A small fall from a horse - a big UAP for the Sport Factory Outlet campaign Ruf Lanz has designed a cheeky radio spot series with Switzerland's most famous medium for the sporting goods store's bicycle helmet prize promotion in Schönenwerd: Uriella. In it, the "mouthpiece of God" proclaims visions ranging from "global cleansing" to the "kingdom of the fourth beast" in an unmistakably shrill voice. Such apocalyptic visions can have the consequences of a fall from a bicycle - which is why it is better to take advantage of the campaign. "The commercials were produced with the official blessing of Uriella, who likes to promote a good cause in 'such a creative way'," explains concept developer Danielle Lanz. Co-owner Markus Ruf adds: "We paid Uriella a fee to a charity of her choice for taking part." And: Uriella's advertising impact has heavenly dimensions. Store owner Peter Wider: "Since the start of the campaign, our helmet sales have increased tenfold."

Comment Trend research continues to boom, but significant changes in the economy usually come through the back door Reto Wüthrich has surprisingly announced his withdrawal from the trend business. In recent years, the enterprising futurologist from Bern has sent out around 200 trend letters. In his last Pepper mail, he announces in an unusually self-deprecating manner that there are simply no more trends: "We are in an era of the complete dissolution of fashion trends into countless small, barely comprehensible fashions." He had done his duty and now wanted to turn his attention to "tangible projects", such as the repositioning of the local station Radio Extra Bern. Finally, the capital city oracle urges his readers to let their gut feeling guide them in future: "Do something nice. And do something right." This capitulation is all the more remarkable given that the demand for future consulting appears to be unbroken: the well-attended 8th German Trend Day recently came to an end in Hamburg. And in order to meet the "growing corporate interest in futurology" at first hand, Matthias Horx has even started offering a telephone service. The direct consultation service, called "Future live", involves "real people" who are available to answer questions at any time.
The need for revelation and the desire to speculate about the world of tomorrow seems unbroken. The economic crisis
on the contrary. When managers and politicians don't know what to do, they ask experts for advice. In view of their constant misjudgements of economic and media developments, they should have had a serious credibility problem for a long time: If the world stubbornly refuses to accept the theory, then it could be because of the theory.
But self-criticism is not the strength of this industry, which constantly conjures up the future from the spirit of the present. Their predictions about stock market developments, crude oil prices, growth rates or political votes and elections may be mathematically well substantiated, but fundamentally they cannot be distinguished from reading coffee grounds or gazing into a crystal ball. Nor can the evolution of our world be predicted.
Even if the forecasters take into account all possible influencing factors, the development of the media - let alone our society - cannot be calculated. In all these modern oracles, blind men are asked by blind men about the way into the future. But far-reaching changes usually come through the back door, unpredictable and random. Otherwise, the implosion of the new economy would hardly have caught so many business leaders off guard.
Samuel Helbling, Editor-in-Chief

Free newspapers The Competition Commission (ComCo) is scrutinizing the planned participation of Neue Luzerner Zeitung AG (NLZ) in Anzeiger Luzern AG. The ComCo's preliminary examination revealed indications of the creation or strengthening of a dominant position in the regional and local advertising market in the Lucerne area. NLZ intends to acquire a 30 percent stake in Anzeiger Luzern AG, which publishes the free newspapers Anzeiger Luzern and Luzerner Woche, as part of a capital increase.

Private radio In the summer, Radio Munot receives Radiocontrol data for the first time - but the news time announcements are now inaccurate For a good two years, the Radiocontrol clock has been measuring the use of private and public radio stations - but until now there has been no data for Radio Munot. This is because the Schaffhausen local radio station has been taking over the news from Radio DRS 1 and its night program at the same time for years. However, because the Radiocontrol system cannot always identify the station that the listener is actually tuned into when identical content is broadcast at the same time, no clear data could be identified for Munot. This had consequences for the private station: Munot was removed from the pools, or at least was no longer a desired partner, not least due to a lack of listener numbers. However, it was not solved by the SRG research service, but by Munot itself: A so-called audio delay device installed at Munot delays the broadcast of the DRS program parts by six seconds. This time difference to Radio DRS is sufficient for Radiocontrol to correctly assign listeners. Munot Managing Director Walter Studer comments: "We want to appear in the national ratings again."
But this solution is not without its drawbacks: The time announcements made by the DRS newsreaders are now imprecise on Munot because they are broadcast with a six-second delay. This small inaccuracy is accepted in Schaffhausen, but Studer is not entirely satisfied. "The radio clock has various problems. However, the problem of program transfer is likely to become a sticking point internationally. In the long term, it is unacceptable that a station has to broadcast its program with a time delay because the measurement method is unsuitable," he criticizes.
Markus Knöpfli

The Adliswil-based dialog agency Fisch Meier Direkt has been commissioned by the Trendcommerce Group with the development of integrated market communication. Fisch Meier will initially implement mailings to acquire new customers.