On March 14, SevenOne Media, the marketing subsidiary of TV group ProSiebenSat 1, launched a campaign for TV advertising in Switzerland. According to a press release, the generic marketing campaign comprises a media volume of around one million Swiss francs and will run until the end of May on the Swiss advertising windows of Sat 1, Pro 7 and Kabel 1. The campaign was conceived by the Munich agency Freunde and will also be broadcast in Germany and Austria. The commercials show "the most unusual efforts of various animals to win the affection of their partner", writes Seven-One Media.

Associations Eight strategic planners jointly founded the Account Planning Group Switzerland in March.associations Eight strategic planners jointly founded the Account Planning Group Switzerland in March. The association aims to promote strategic planning and represent its interests. Training and further education in this area is also one of its objectives. According to the new association's website, it works closely with the industry association Schweizer Werbe- und Kommunikationsagenturen (BSW). The first president of the Account Planning Group is Cary Steinmann from Wirz Werbung.

Provider The internet provider Bluewin supports the young motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi and his team Elit Grand Prix Racing. 16-year-old Lüthi comes from Linden BE and rides in the 125cc class. Bluewin is providing editorial support for the Moto GP on its portal's sports channel. The provider is aiming to boost the image of its broadband offerings, Lüthi signals: "For Bluewin and for me, it's all about speed. Now we will accelerate together."

Affinity of advertisements with supporters in "Yuppieland" Gold (156) Daimler Chrysler company car (Springer & Jacoby, Hamburg)
Silver (149) Bernie's It's time for (DDB Zurich)
Bronze (148) BMW Meisterwerk (Sulzer Sutter)

After more than 30 years, the BFF Yearbook of the Association of Freelance Photo Designers now has a status "that is unparalleled in Europe", says editor Norbert Waning of the BFF, who is convinced that the 600-page work is considered an indispensable work manual and is also a photo art book that highlights new styles. The catalog raisonné is often referred to as the "Michelin Guide" of German commissioned photography. The document also includes various editorial contributions and important addresses for the industry. More information on the yearbook (ISBN 3-933989-15-9) can be found at www.BFF.de.

Internet Ten European providers of journalistic websites have founded the Online Publisher Association Europe (OPA), a new association that aims to represent the interests of online media, exchange experiences and conduct studies on Internet use and advertising. Switzerland is represented in the OPA by Le Temps. Other members are Der Spiegel (Germany), Le Monde (France), Financial Times (UK), El Pais (Spain), La Vanguardia (Spain), Gruppo editoriale l'espresso (Italy), Kathimerini (Greece), CNET Networks and International Herald Tribune.

Social awareness pop world star Shaggy is supporting a Swiss music project for the charity SOS Children's Villages, and the "Mr. Bombastic" singer has written and recorded a song exclusively for a Kids for Kids Music Project CD. The project was initiated by former Miss Switzerland finalist Fabienne Marchand, who is the official representative of the Kids for Kids Music Project and was able to persuade the singer in Miami to take part. Catsky & Partner realized a wide range of advertising and communication measures for the Goodwill project - starting with the design of the CD cover and extending to the advertising campaign and video clips for the internationally distributed CD.

Business magazine Bilanz has undergone a navel-gazing exercise and has a new look with the April issue. At the same time, a Publicis campaign is promoting the business magazine. The aim of the concerted campaign was to attract as many new subscribers as possible. Bilanz has learned from the American business magazines: when it is published in a new layout on March 26, the magazine will be two centimetres narrower. The new format (205 x 275 millimetres) is "easier to read in bed, on the train and on the plane", says Editor-in-Chief Medard Meier. The most striking feature, however, is the new visual language developed by London-based newspaper designer Martin Dixon (Bilan, Le Matin, BBC Magazine): A column lead starts with at least one full-page picture, a "staged illustration", as Meier emphasizes. Mere passport photos - "stamp pictures" - and deserts of lead should be a thing of the past. Nevertheless, an article can still extend over several pages - depending on the importance of the topic. The new magazine concept starts with the "First" section with news, followed by a feature on companies, markets, politics or management as well as the "Man of the Month" portrait. His portrait also dominates the cover. The "Dossier" section aims to cover topics such as wages, pensions or tips for taxes and self-employment and provide readers with more useful information. "In future, we must always have at least one of these central stories in the paper," says the editor-in-chief.
The balance sheet ratings (hotels, annual reports, the 300 richest Swiss...), which have already attracted a great deal of attention, appear under "Best of Bilanz". Tips on wealth accumulation can be found regularly
in the "Money" section, and "Life" is dedicated to lifestyle and leisure. The magazine concludes with an interview that spans four to five pages.
But what is the aim of the Bilanz relaunch? Last fall, Elke Zappe, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsmedien AG, still wanted to increase circulation to 60,000 copies. However, in view of the latest slump in subscriptions (see box), she has abandoned this plan. "As long as banks and insurance companies continue to lay off staff, this is unrealistic," she says. If 1,200 people lose their jobs at CS, for example, the balance sheet will lose "several hundred subscriptions" at the same time. Nevertheless, Zappe assumes that a low point has now been reached. "The relaunch has come at just the right time, hopefully we can now make significant gains again," she is convinced.
Zimmermann has directed itIn order to achieve this, the magazine was analyzed. Under the leadership of former Tamedia manager Kurt W. Zimmermann, roundtables were held with experts. Isopublic carried out an awareness study and the monthly reader survey conducted by Publitest was analyzed over the last three years. Former Bilanz subscribers and students (potential subscribers) were also surveyed. Even newsstand ladies were included in the relaunch evaluations.
The clear presentation, the "Man of the Month", the dossiers and the comprehensibility of the texts were rated positively. Conversely, Bilanz was criticized for being too conservative and male-oriented. The covers are anonymous or not very attractive and the articles are lengthy and too focused on Switzerland. The previous layout and, above all, the images were judged to be "pale, static and unattractive".
Surprisingly, it is not clear from the results of the analysis that readers may have lost confidence in the balance sheet following the Internet hype and stock market euphoria. For this reason, Bilanz did not go over the books as intensively as Meier had announced in the fall (WW 38/02). Nevertheless, he promises to be clearer in future about why a manager is presented as "Man of the Month". This section will also "no longer be a small Nobel Prize, but will be dedicated to the woman or man who is in the spotlight - whether positive or negative," he says.
The new Bilanz will be launched with a special edition of over 100,000 copies and an advertising campaign by Publicis. There are also plans for activities at universities, distribution campaigns in Zurich, Berne and Basel as well as an advance mailing to 100 opinion leaders, including a questionnaire on the new concept. In future, SBB bistros and restaurants will also regularly serve as an additional distribution channel for Bilanz.
Updated balance sheet: more space for the picture, no more deserts of lead.
10 percent circulation lossDifficult times for Elke Zappe and Medard Meier: In 2002, the Bilanz circulation of 55733 copies was already at its lowest level since 1993, and now - "adjusted in absolute terms" (Zappe) - it will fall by a good ten percent. One consolation: readership remains stable, with newsstand sales falling by only one percent despite a copy price increase to 12 francs. In the short financial year July to December 02, Wirtschaftsmedien AG was even above budget - thanks to the specials. Nevertheless, savings have to be made, because this year's balance sheet is unlikely to generate the same level of advertising income as before, especially from financial service providers and car importers. A new sponsor for Manager-Bilanz has also been missing for months. Editorial staff departures are therefore being compensated for by freelancers wherever possible, www.bilanz.ch is becoming a pure marketing tool and the online share guide is disappearing. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli

At the JuniorCom in Davos, around 150 young marketers met for presentations and workshops in beautiful but cool weather in the Landwasser Valley.150 young marketers met for presentations and workshops in beautiful but cool weather in the Landwasser Valley at the JuniorCom in Davos, the first conference for young communication and marketing professionals. The conference was held in the Davos Congress Center, where the big heads also meet at the World Economic Forum at the end of January - and so it could well have happened that one or two guests sat in a chair that had perhaps been occupied by a president or federal councillor. As the young marketing specialists are apparently more popular than members of government and business leaders, the congress center was for once devoid of any barbed wire barriers, and no anti-demonstrators had to be kept in check by the police or military.
The evening program again took place in Werni Seiler's Bolgenplaza restaurant at the foot of the Jakobshorn - always "the place to be" for snoopers and carvers at après-ski, when the alcopops are flowing down the gurglers and then, logically, the bear is loose. Things were a little more civilized that evening. The staff thanked us with super service.
During the JuniorCom Soirée, the Swiss Text Awards, a sculpture in the shape of a pen, were presented by the Swiss Text Academy. The following participants were crowned winners of the so-called young talent award for the promotion of a modern German business language: In the company portrait category, Katharina Brühwiler and Nicole Roemmel won the text feather with their company Event Performance in St.Gallen. The winner in the website category was Martin Grossenbacher from SP Switzerland. The work of Cornelia Matt and René Frommelt from the Liechtenstein agency Leone Ming for the Liechtenstein University of Applied Sciences took the pen in the mailings category. And finally, the prize in the Senior Copywriter category went to Anton Neuenschwander from Büro für Textkomposition, who also often pens for the Bern-based agency Lang Gysi Knoll. The jury did not award a prize in the customer magazine category, as the work submitted was very good, but not outstanding.
Of course, the evening also offered the congress participants the opportunity to practice their first maneuvering critique and exchange their opinions. The organizers must have been particularly pleased with the consistently positive basic tenor. The workshop "Applying professionally" and the presentation by management consultant and author Betty Zucker were particularly well received by the new generation. The rest of the conference program also received almost nothing but high marks. Only the fact that the time for afternoon fun, i.e. a visit to the sun terrace or the slopes on the Jakobshorn, was a little too short was criticized in some cases. "We will certainly make some fine adjustments for the next JuniorCom," said Franco Item, the event's spiritus rector. In other words: the form is right, the content can still be optimized. However, JuniorCom is certainly not a one-off event, but will still be on the agenda in five years' time.
There was joy elsewhere too: Cyril Meier, Director of the Swiss Public Relations Institute (SPRI), and conference host Hugo Bigi celebrated a reunion; the two are old Radio 24 buddies. "But from the pirate and pioneering days on Pizzo Groppera," said Bigi with a laugh.
After dessert and coffee, the attendees left relatively quickly for the village, where the youngsters had various opportunities to indulge in the party life until the early hours of the morning. The Davos nightlife scene has something for everyone, and so the JuniorCom participants could be found in the sophisticated "Pianobar", the trendy "Cabanna" disco or the "Cava Club", the Davos meeting place for the young and wild.
Satisfied with their event: Franco Item (l.), Germaine Hiltbrunner and Jürg Meyer from the JuniorCom organizing committee.
Text Award in the company portrait category: Nicole Roemmel (l.) and Katharina Brühwiler from Event Performance in St.Gallen.
Ralph Haubensak (left) with prizewinner Cornelia Matt and agency owner Leone Ming.
Conference speaker Isabel Kaiser, Head of Job Market at Tamedia, with Simon Flatt, Marketing Tages-Anzeiger.
Two old pirates: Presenter Hugo Bigi (l.) and speaker Cyril Meier with Nadine Hofmann from SPRI.
Had the organization under control: Daniela Schenk (l.) from Davos Congress and Ruth Blaser, Swiss Text Academy.
Enjoyed the cozy evening in the "Bolgenplaza": Alexandre Schneebeli and Katrin Feigel from the JuniorCom-OK.
Representing the discipline of corporate publishing: Viviane Egli from Frontpage and René Grossenbacher, Publicom.
Enjoyed Betty Zucker's presentation: Petra Lauk from Ernst & Young and Marlies Keck, Migrosbank.
Had a lot to laugh about in the evening: Table neighbors Helene Häfele, Quelle-Versand, and Nickelodeon presenter Flo Hodel.
Drawing attention to their training program: Nadja and Carlo Ferrari, Solothurn University of Applied Sciences.
The massive feather was awarded for particularly successful text work.
Beat Fritschin a mountain-ready and winter-resistant outfit. This was absolutely essential last weekend when JuniorCom, the congress for young marketing talents, was held in Davos for the first time. In keeping with the economic situation, a stiff and icy breeze blew in the faces of the participants in the Landwasser Valley (despite the beautiful weather). Where the communications, media and publishing industries meet for their events is where we can be found at the various events in the scene. Do you already have something to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or get in touch (info@werbe woche.ch). Event tips and occasional shortlist images are available online at www.werbewoche.ch

Affinity of advertisements with supporters in the "Christian camp "Gold (206) Schweizer Treuhandgesellschaft Tinguely-Brunnen (Metzgerlehner Worldwide Partners)
Silver (165) Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet (Publicis)
Bronze (160) Sunrise woman/men (Wirz)

Advertising Regional television and private radio stations now also support the Swiss Commission for Fair Advertising, which is an organization with equal representation to combat unfair advertising. The Association of Swiss Regional Television, Telesuisse, Star TV, the two private radio associations VSP and RRR, Cinecom AG, IP Multimedia (Schweiz) AG and Radiotele AG are new sanction partners.

In a competitive presentation, Fisch Meier Direkt has won the budget for generating donations for the Swiss Animal Protection Society (STS) The dialog agency from Adliswil, which belongs to the Publicis Group, prevailed against three competitors. The first direct mail campaign has already been implemented. Swiss Animal Protection is Fisch Meier's first client from the non-profit sector.