Seven weeks after the launch the "Niuws" app, published by Newscron based in Lugano and Zurich, has grown considerably and now has around 4,000 registered users. The principle of Niuws is hand-curation: selected experts link articles from their specialist field on a daily basis. The number of curators who have their own personal "box" has doubled to 30 since the launch on January 19. Various new topics have been added: industry-specific ("Mobile Industry", "Automotive"), thematic ("Sustainable Business", "Network Policy") and regional ("Growth Market Asia", "Business in Berlin"). The first lifestyle topics such as "Business Travel" and "Sport and Nutrition" were also included in the program.

The "Random Selection" format by Viktor Giacobbo represents a new category. The cabaret artist, director and co-host of the popular Swiss late-night show "Giacobbo Müller" is not tied to a specific topic, but presents his "sediments from the dragnet of my media consumption" every day.

His first curated links show a wide range of topics: he published articles as diverse as a report from the English "Guardian" that the black Holocaust comedy "The Zone of Interest" is being translated by the Zurich publisher Kein und Aber, an article from the Süddeutsche Zeitung about the anniversary of the crime series "CSI" and a report from the US satire portal "The Onion" about the retirement savings of Nazi gold hunters. The web preview of "Random Selection" is available at Niu.ws; the box can be subscribed to directly when opened in a mobile browser.

Peter Hogenkamp, CEO: "Personal curation of news meets a need, as the many positive responses show. Viktor Giacobbo as the new curator is a highlight and a milestone for Niuws. Looking over his shoulder offers his many fans a new perspective on this unique artist in Switzerland."

Numerous conceptual and technical improvements have been made to both app versions for iOS and Android since the launch; for example, the loading time of the personal timeline when opening the app has been accelerated by a factor of 20 by saving ("caching") the subscribed boxes of each user. Further functions such as registration via the web and a content digest via e-mail newsletter are in the works. Niuws can be downloaded free of charge via the website Niu.ws can be downloaded from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.

The main theme of the first new issues of Centurion and Platinum is modern art in China. Primafila - now responsible for conception, editing and design - has portrayed three artists and the gallery owner Lorenz Helbling in Shanghai from its Beijing office, in two versions for the two magazines. The magazines, which are published three times a year, also offer and explain exclusive events in the areas of savoir-vivre and knowledge for both target groups. Online tips, researched by Primafila correspondents worldwide throughout the year for the internationally oriented target groups in Switzerland, are also used cross-media for print.

Under the slogan "We make pressure", Ringier Print founds a fictitious party to promote Swiss-quality print products and their nationwide distribution. A number of employees step up as election workers who, as is customary in elections, even accept party donations - in return for "the usual quid pro quos," of course.

The elections to the National Council and the Council of States do not take place until the fall. However, the idea suppliers behind the election newspaper, Evoq communications from Zurich, want to start early in the election fall. With the campaign, they want to sensitize political parties and candidates to an election newspaper as a medium and show what Ringier Print can do in the election campaign.

Of particular interest to election candidates and the agencies that support them is the canton overview map, which can be used to calculate exactly what an election newspaper would cost for one's own canton. Ringier Print even guarantees interested parties a seat in Bern - not in the Federal Palace, however, but in Café Federal just across the street.

Responsible at Ringier Print: Thomas Akermann (Head of Marketig and Sales, Member of the Executive Board). Responsible at Evoq: Mandate management: Adrian Schaffner (mandate management, text and concept: Susanne Pfäffli (text and concept), design: Claudia Trinkler (RPA) (design).
 

On November 1, 2014, former employees of the NZZ media group launched the Swiss online lifestyle magazine stilpalast.ch, which is aimed at a lifestyle-savvy, brand-conscious and trend-oriented audience. With over 54,000 unique clients in the third month and a minimal advertising budget, the start-up got off to a successful start.

On March 1, 2015, Richard Farda from NZZ Media Solutions joined the operational team. The founding member of Style palace becomes Head of Sales and Business Development. Before joining NZZ, the 46-year-old worked as Head of Sales Media Agencies at Axel Springer Switzerland and as Key Account Manager Online at Tamedia.

In addition to traditional display advertising, the young, urban online magazine also offers its advertising customers content marketing articles whose content has a high utility value for the user and therefore receives a correspondingly high level of attention.
 

The digital poster shows the face of an abused woman. At the same time, a camera above the billboard registers the gazes of pedestrians. The more people look at the poster, the faster the injuries disappear. If enough pedestrians look at the poster together, the injuries disappear completely.

Women's Aid and Ocean Amplify the Violent Face of Abuse from Ocean Outdoor on Vimeo.

The poster was developed according to Wuv.de The agency WCRS for the British women's organization Women's Aid UK. With the claim "Look at me", the poster spreads the message: "We can prevent it". (uma)

The campaign, developed by the Zurich communications agency Vizner Borel, includes two elaborate commercials, posters, ads, POS advertising materials, and the "Kleiner Weinliebhaber," the annual Denner wine guide. All advertising materials focus on Denner customers and wine lovers, who give their personal assessment and comment on Denner wine. Four new poster subjects and the two TV spots can now be seen throughout Switzerland.

Responsible at Denner: Petra Gayko (Head of Marketing Communications), Sabine Gassmann (Project Management Marketing Communications). Responsible at Vizner Borel: Lajos Vizner, Guillaume Borel (overall responsibility), Hanna Zimmermann (CD), Jürg Waeber (concept/idea/text), Gian Maurizio (AD), Markus Binggeli (strategy), Irene Stutz (consulting), Tom Haller (photography), Nina Rolle (JBW Media). Responsible at Stories Filmproduktion: Yves Bollag (producer), Michael Fueter (director), Christos Dervenis (production), Ueli Steiger (camera), Spacetrain AG (music), Peter Bräker (sound design), Jingle Jungle (sound studio).

Brigitte Naschberber-Kastenhuber will take over the management of the consulting team for the clients Avec and Spettacolo (Valora) and will also be involved in advising the long-standing international client Burger King. Her future responsibilities will also include strategic business development.

Brigitte Naschberger has lived in Switzerland for 10 years, was born in Austria and can look back on over 20 years of international agency experience. In Switzerland, she worked for agencies including TBWA Switzerland and Havas. Her client list included M-Electronics, SBB, SwissPost, Masterfood (with the Whiskas and Perfect Fit brands), Credit Suisse, Charles Vögele, Victorinox watches and Hublot. Before that, she lived in Munich for 10 years, where she worked for agencies including Service Plan and FJR. She has advised clients such as Schneider Weissbier, Ravensburger Bücher, Südzucker AG, Veuve Cliquout Champagne (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A.), Reckitt Benckiser (Airwick, Sagrotan, Ve-et), Viag Interkom (now O2) Bernbacher Nudeln and Bonne Maman.

According to a press release issued on Friday, the redundancy plan includes support for the professional reorientation of affected employees. This includes a job center in Schlieren and contributions for training and further education. The social plan also provides for early retirement, severance pay and a fund for individual cases of hardship.

Representatives of the Schlieren Works Commission, the NZZ Personnel Commission, the Syndicom trade union and the NZZ Media Group were involved in the social plan negotiations. The plan signed on Thursday was achieved thanks to the "swift and consensual approach of all parties involved", according to a joint statement by the social partners.

Last November, NZZ announced the closure of the printing plant in mid-2015. After the Board of Directors and company management had examined alternative scenarios put forward by employee representatives, they announced the definitive decision to close the plant at the beginning of February.

According to NZZ, replacement investments in the double-digit million range would have been necessary for the printing center in Schlieren with 184 jobs. The company justified its decision by saying that this was not economically justifiable due to declining print runs and the erosion of margins on third-party orders.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung and NZZ am Sonntag will be printed at the Zurich printing center of competitor Tamedia from the middle of the year. The NZZ Media Group's two printing plants in Winkeln SG and Adligenswil LU will continue to operate. (SDA)

Teaser image: Keystone
 

Goldbach justifies the withdrawal with unsatisfactory business results. Sales had almost halved and amounted to only around CHF 5 million in 2014, according to the statement.

Goldbach also announced that Mirjana Blume and Erica Dubach Spiegler will be proposed as new members of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on April 14. They will replace Ronald Sauser and Peter Blum, who, as already announced, are stepping down from the Board of Directors. (SDA)

Irene Fischbach has many years of management experience in various corporate communications functions. She has worked for Swiss Life since 2004, where she was responsible for all marketing and communications activities of the international division from 2009. In this function, the 43-year-old communications specialist was also a member of the Extended Executive Board. Prior to that, Irene Fischbach worked as strategic assistant to the Head of Corporate Communication at Holcim Ltd. and as a communications consultant in various areas at Zurich Financial Services. She studied law at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich, where she obtained her licentiate (lic.iur.). While working, she completed an Executive Master of Science in Communications Management at the University of Lugano.

In her new role as Head of Corporate Communications at Swissgrid, Irene Fischbach reports directly to CEO Pierre-Alain Graf and is responsible for the national grid operator's overall communications.
 

The four subjects so far are intended to make clear: "What applies in everyday life also applies when shopping - closer is better".

Responsible at the Neuwiesen Tenants' Association: Bruno Benz (Center Manager). Responsible at Matter Gretener Lesch: Daniel Matter (Creative Direction), Dominik Imseng (Text), Laura Haas (Graphics), Victor Rosser (Consulting). Photography: Jonas Kuhn.
 

By February 2015, the Swisscom channel's videos had already been clicked over 10 million times.

The infographic from Statista.com shows the number of views in millions until February 2015: