In the seventh completely revised edition of this standard reference work, the three editors are joined by 100 other experts from science and advertising practice in explaining the most important industry terms.> Lexikon der Werbung by Dieter Pflaum, Ferdinand Bäuerle and Karen Lauterbach is recommended - not only because of the helpful case studies and references, but also because of the convincing price-performance ratio. Verlag Moderne Industrie, Munich 2002. 610 pages, Fr. 69.-.

Self-promotion Creative agencies are experts when it comes to advertising. At least that's how the average Swiss person judges the creative people in the industry. But when it comes to self-promotion, many local advertising agencies fail or don't bother at all. Andreas Prokesch has nothing good to say about the industry's self-promotion: "The self-promotion you get from Swiss advertising agencies is miserable," complains the freelance copywriter and chairman of the Art Directors Club (ADC) Switzerland. As long as he can remember, he hasn't seen a single good example of self-promotion. "And certainly nothing that would have knocked me off my chair." Daniel Matter, co-owner of Matter & Partner, is not a bit milder when it comes to self-promotion in the Swiss advertising scene: "In an international comparison, we are a long way behind." Even France and Italy are better than Switzerland. "And that should give us pause for thought," says Matter.
Lid on the saucepan
A survey by Werbewoche shows just how bad self-promotion is. By e-mail, Werbewoche asked the twenty largest and most creative Swiss advertising agencies how important self-promotion is to them and what they pay attention to. Only eight of the agencies asked answered the questions, two of them inadequately. And one agency wrote back: "Sorry, we can't answer you. Because we don't want to let anyone look that far into our cooking pot."
Prokesch is not surprised by this result: "Why talk about self-promotion when for many agencies it is either not an issue or a tiresome one? It is perceived by many agencies as a purely punitive task. "Some team is often ordered to quickly design their own advertising. And at the end, the head department goes over it and adds its two cents," says Prokesch. "That has nothing to do with enjoyable advertising."
This is also confirmed by Pascal Staub: When asked "What was the worst briefing you have ever seen?", the Head of Strategic Planning at Publicis replied: "The most impossible briefings I have ever seen were the briefings for our agency presentation. I received 120 briefings, as many as we have employees. But all of them were useless."
The result of the advertising week is therefore hardly surprising.
Survey: Agencies such as Ruf Lanz and Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett (SFLB) keep their own advertising to an absolute minimum. "As a very young agency in the start-up phase, we prefer to concentrate on the development of specific campaigns and optimum client support," says SFLB. Their efforts in terms of self-promotion are quickly enumerated: Printing of business cards, clear labeling of the agency, presence on the Internet. "No further measures are planned in the near future," says Peter Felser, SFLB CEO.
Other advertising agencies rely on boring mailings, plain brochures, relationship management and joylessly compiled documentation. A few organize an annual panel discussion or an event like Publicis' traditional "Sechseläuten-Apéro". But only a fraction of the Swiss advertising scene dares to do anything surprising. All the more striking are examples such as the Euro RSCG carrier bag, which bears the words: "The Euro RSCG presentation was strong. If you don't agree, just put the bag on."
There is another wayThere is another way, as Matter & Partner and Antaris prove. They rely on image advertising and the agency brochure "Der kleine Klinkenputzer" (Matter & Partner) or mini-campaigns (Antaris) and are successful with them. "Our image advertising is well received," confirms Matter. Instead of being squeezed in somewhere in the daily work routine, it is carefully and lovingly crafted - at least that was Matter & Partner's intention. "We treated ourselves the way we treat our clients," explains Matter. In other words: "We worked with briefings, strategy meetings, a schedule, a team - consisting of a copywriter, art director, graphic designer, consultant and advertising assistant - and: with employees who were really motivated." Agency owners Andy Schlatter and Daniel Matter were responsible for executing the image campaign. "That didn't make the task any easier, but it didn't make it any more difficult either," says Matter.
With little money, but all the more imagination, Antaris is also advertising on its own behalf. The Thalwil-based agency lures stock market enthusiasts onto its trail with a clever mini-campaign in the financial market section of the NZZ and the bait words "WerbeFONDS" and "ValuePAPIERE". Only the subline "Invest in your advertising" and a telephone number give away the intention.
The success proves Antaris right: "The self-promotion works well. We've already had several calls," says agency boss Christian Frei happily. However, he sees the campaign not only as self-promotion, but also as advertising for the entire industry. "Unfortunately, the associations don't do much in the way of self-promotion. That's why we are forced to generate attention." The three-person agency doesn't actually have the means to do this. "We can afford this campaign because we believe it will pay off in the long term."
The Antaris mini-campaign has so far cost 5,000 francs in advertising costs and a lot of heart and soul. Until further notice, the small ads will appear in the NZZ and
in the SME magazine Zürcher Wirtschaft. Matter & Partner invests two to five percent of its operating expenses in self-promotion, PR, customer care and participation in national and international juries. Wirz Werbung spends as much as CHF 1,500,000 a year. The figure is likely to be even higher for large agencies such as Publicis and Euro RSCG. However, they do not want to give any figures.
Nevertheless, in an international comparison, Publicis, Euro RSCG and Wirz Werbung perform rather poorly when it comes to self-promotion. Even if the overriding principle at Euro RSCG is: "What is good for our clients is also the best for the agency with the star:
1. business idea, 2. marketing idea, 3. communications idea. 4. ad idea." And at Publicis and Wirz Werbung, the motto is: "Self-promotion is a matter for the boss." As a rule, self-promotion at Publicis is conceived and to a large extent written by Chief Creative Officer Jean Etienne Aebi, and then voted on by the management.
Ants on a yellow backgroundOutstanding or even sensational examples of advertising on one's own behalf can only be found abroad. McCann-Erickson Hakuhodo, Tokyo, once launched a poster with a sheep's head, logo and the slogan "Don't you want to buy a good fighter?". Young & Rubicam, Milan, showed lots of black ants on a yellow background, accompanied by the claim "resist the usual". And even small agencies are showing courage. The Berlin agency Etter & Partner, for example, advertises with a man wearing a lampshade on his head and the headline: "If you are looking for someone who can come up with some stylish, functional and durable interior design campaigns and has more than 25 watts in the bulb, just call the advertising agency Michael Etter & Partner. Phone 030/651069".
However, the self-promotion plight in Switzerland is nothing new. This is also shown by a study published in February 1996 by Luzi Rageth, owner of BASE-Marketing. As part of a series of marketing tests, he examined seven successful advertising agencies in terms of self-promotion. His conclusion: "In terms of volume and advertising quality, the self-promotion of advertising agencies is clearly inferior to the services that these agencies provide for their clients." The study also found: "Even taking into account the special business-to-business problems of these companies with fewer than one hundred employees, the saying that 'the shoemakers themselves wear the worst shoes' proved to be true for this sector."
Little has changed since then. "I don't understand why something hasn't been done in Switzerland for a long time when it comes to self-promotion," criticizes ADC boss Prokesch. After all, there is plenty of room for improvement - for example, having the competitor do the self-promotion.
As Staub said in a recent Werbewoche interview: "To do good advertising, you need outsiders - in other words, an agency to hold up a mirror and find out which diving platform has the most beautiful pool with water in it. You can't advertise for yourself."
A few have at least considered letting the competition do their own advertising: "Many years ago, I once skirmished with Ruedi Wyler about designing each other's own advertising. Who would have benefited more from that is still up in the air," admits Jean Etienne Aebi.
"Miserable" is ADC President Andreas Prokesch's verdict on the performance of advertising agencies when it comes to self-promotion.
The advertisers at Etter & Partner in Berlin have more than 25 watts in the "bulb": Self-promotion with a strong claim that attracts attention.
With this ad, Matter & Partner wants customers who also believe in advertising: self-promotion with an anti-cyclical effect.
The little doorman advertises for Matter & Partner and tells potential customers what they should look out for when dealing with an advertising agency: Self-promotion with a lot of humor and a fine pinch of irony.
Euro RSCG asks customers to turn the bag inside out if the advertising agency's presentation was not "baggy": Self-promotion with a high benefit effect.
The exception to the ruleAs a "little encouragement and a sign of hope", the newly founded advertising agency Catsky & Partner had a special edition of the Better Times newspaper printed at the beginning of the year. This rare example of successful self-promotion documents the creative potential of Claude Catsky using "a few positive, optimistic newspaper headlines from around the world, which have only one small flaw: they are fictitious."
Without expensive graphics, but with plenty of ideas and impact, the Better Times then features 20 pages of headlines such as "Bush renounces Iraq war in favor of a boxing match against Saddam Hussein" or "After FC Basel wins Champions League: Beckham wants to switch to FCB". The Catsky & Partner agency published the collection of this good news in an edition of "about 1000 copies"
can be printed. The Better Times also comes with a coupon. "Write your favorite headline for 2003..." is the invitation. Anyone who sends in the coupon can win an original portrait caricature of Papa Nico Catsky, a DVD by Woody Allen, a crate of champagne or a dinner at "Sonnenberg". As is usual with such coupons, you can of course also take part in the competition without wanting to get to know the agency. (pan)
Annelies Friedli

Relaunch The response to the new Advertising Week has been overwhelming. Congratulations on the new Advertising Week. I particularly like the newspaper-like feel of it.
Viviane Egli, Managing Director Frontpage, Zurich
...
My compliments on the redesign of Advertising Week. It is convincing and seems very successful to me.
Marius Hagger, Publishing Director
(Zurich) Express, Zurich
...
Chapeau! The first impression of the renovated Advertising Week is really great. You now have a really suave appearance.
Sarah Rieder, freelance journalist and former editor-in-chief of Werbewoche,
Zurich
...
I almost didn't recognize the advertising week. Compliments, nicely done!
Markus Ruf, co-owner Ruf Lanz, Zurich
...
Your new layout is confusing, illegible and certainly cost-intensive. I wonder what your "editorial de-signers" were thinking.
Cyrill Heimgartner, Managing Director Kasimir Meyer AG, Wohlen
...
The redesign of Werbewoche is a real quantum leap and represents an enormous upgrade.
Thomas Herrmann, Director
Ogilvy Public Relations, Zurich
Off the top of my head: The new Advertising Week looks great. A fresh and content-appropriate layout that invites you to read it. Congratulations to everyone involved!
Jürg Sager, Director General
Poster company, Lucerne
...
Congratulations on the new advertising week! Beautiful, clear, lively. The industry magazine has finally arrived visually in the 21st century.
Ivo Bachmann, Project Manager Ringier, Zurich
...
I find it incredible: the new look is simply world class. I would never have thought that you would come across with so much style and international flair. It's a shame that my interview hasn't already appeared in the new outfit...
Claude Catsky, owner of Catsky & Partner, Zurich
...
Looks really good! Congratulations on the relaunch, which I think is very successful.
Hanspeter Eggenberger, owner of Duktus AG, Zurich
...
It's enough to make you salivate! At a time when the entire industry is complaining, Werbewoche has a real media standout in the middle of the January slump.
Urs Gossweiler, owner of Gomedia AG, Brienz

Motorcycle trade A few weeks before the opening of the 22nd two-wheeler trade fair in Zurich-Oerlikon, Suzuki Motorcycles Switzerland launches an image campaign. The St.Gallen-based agency Ammarkt is using the darkest humor in a cinema spot for the campaign.With a drop in sales of almost six percent in 2002, the Swiss motorcycle sky has darkened further. In addition to the cold and wet months, the depressed consumer mood is also spoiling business. Importers and dealers alike attribute the meagre figures not only to the almost saturated market - Switzerland has almost twice the motorcycle density of its neighboring countries. The trade is also feeling the restraint of consumers who are waiting for April 1, 2003, when driving license categories harmonized with the EU come into force. However, Daniel Riesen from the trade magazine Töff doubts that this stimulus will be able to lift the market back to the high level of the late nineties: "We assume that the declines can be compensated for at best," he says, dampening expectations. MotorradHändler magazine is also cautious and criticizes the industry for not communicating the new regulation widely enough. Only the trade press was involved.
Lukas Rüdin, Head of Marketing and Sales at Suzuki Switzerland, puts the criticism into perspective: "The harmonization with the new EU standard is unfortunately just a sham." While the EU allows its 16-year-old citizens to ride horsepower-throttled 125cc motorcycles, the same age group is not allowed to do so in Switzerland. On the other hand, 50cc scooters will no longer have a speed limit in the Alpine country. Rüdin considers this provision to be inconsistent and also dangerous for safety reasons.
Dealers see the greater incentive to buy in the higher classes, where the Federal Council has implemented the harmonization. Instead of only after two years of driving experience, the change to the top classes is permitted right from the start: In future, drivers will receive the A1 driving license as a gift, but this will no longer be limited by engine capacity, but by horsepower. The industry is expecting the most growth from the third change, according to which anyone over 25 will be allowed to buy a heavy fire engine without having to have two years of driving experience. Motorcycle editor Riesen: "This is a dream come true for the 'displacement-hungry' Swiss."
However, whether the sales engine regains momentum depends on other factors. "For us, motorcycling is more than 95 percent a hobby. Of course, in the poor economic situation, people are cutting back on leisure activities. On the other hand, there is a general trend in society towards even more activities that distract from everyday life and provide enjoyment. People live for the moment. That's why I'm optimistic about the future," explains Rüdin, who is responsible for Suzuki.
Sarcastic motorcyclistThe new Suzuki campaign, developed and produced by the St. Gallen agency Ammarkt, could probably not be explained in any other way. In the centerpiece - a cinema spot shot in Vancouver - the fun of speed on a GSX-R 1000 is demonstrated with a good dose of sarcasm. In it, a motorcyclist who was looking forward to the ride is ordered to walk the Pinscher.
Grumpy but godly, he hooks the dog leash into a carabiner on his motorcycle suit and chugs off, only to mercilessly open the throttle as soon as he has disappeared from his wife's view. While the woman's face reflects pure horror, the copy provides the resolution: "From 0 to 200 in 7.2 seconds. Suzuki. That's how you make enemies." As crude as the appearance and the brand claim may be, they are also very convincing.
Motorcycling has long been socially acceptable in all social classes. The freedom on two wheels and the rebellious moment have been washed out of the mass hobby by the advertising world with lots of lifestyle and landscape images. In this environment, Suzuki wants to become a pure motorcycle brand and win over the progressive and hedonistic target group with a strong brand personality. "When I ride a motorcycle, it shouldn't be bourgeois, but something very special," says co-owner and consultant Michael Schmid. However, although Suzuki has good values in terms of sportiness, design, comfort and value for money, the brand lacks awareness and a clear and independent image profile.
With the bold positioning field, pitch winner Ammarkt wants to implement these strengths in a surprisingly cheeky way on all communication levels and create a talking point. At the same time, the teaser visual on each of the print motifs shows a situation that creates a pattern of expectations for the viewer. The text on the right-hand side of the image provides a short and dry answer.
With its acceleration, it promises the ultimate kick and plenty of enemies: Suzuki's GSX-R 1000.

AdSpotMotorcycle dealer Suzuki is running an emotional cinema spot designed by Ammarkt and wants to get the sputtering motorcycle business going again in time for spring.
Ammarkt in the fast laneThe St. Gallen marketing and advertising agency Ammarkt was founded in January 1999 by Heinz Frischknecht and Michael Schmid and now has ten permanent employees. The agency, which specializes in the service, retail, consumer goods and
The agency, which specializes in healthcare marketing, has its own full-service media unit and manages accounts for Interdiscount, Import Parfümerie, Swica, Hypo-Bank Bregenz/St. Gallen, Swiss Leading Hospitals, Suzuki Switzerland and Thurella, among others (la).
Luca Aloisi

Annabelle and Verlag Tourismus AG are launching the Annabelle Fashion Guide, which will be published in the spring and fall in a print run of 150,000 copies together with the women's magazine. Additional copies will be distributed in over 60 hotels, restaurants, boutiques and stores in and around Zurich. The guide is published in A6 format and shows the Swiss offer from fashion and beauty to accessories and events on 32 pages. The first issue is dedicated to Zurich, with more cities to follow. Annabelle publisher Tamedia is already cooperating with Verlag Tourismus AG on the Zurich Event Guide, which has been published under the Tamedia label Züritipp since January.

People Jürg Wildberger is back with new tasks Two weeks ago, Werbewoche reported on the founding of Wildberger's consulting firm Media W GmbH. Now the ex-TV-3 boss has announced another activity: As of February 1, he will become a 40-percent shareholder and managing director of Voice Publishing AG, one of the leading providers of voice, fax, SMS and MMS applications, according to its website. Andreas Auerbach will be responsible as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Vienna branch of the European online marketer Adlink has been sold to the management and Managing Director Christian Eder told the industry newspaper Horizont.at that long negotiations had been successfully concluded. In November, Adlink had still spoken of a "local cooperation partner" to whom the branch was to be sold. The marketer will retain the name and access to the former parent company's international network.

TV marketer Ingrid Deltenre, still head of Publisuisse, is attracting a lot of attention in her role as future TV director. But when it comes to her successor at the SRG marketer, industry representatives frown.Opinions on Ingrid Deltenre's suitability as the new head of television are unanimous and expectant in a way rarely heard in the industry. The designated SF DRS director has brought a breath of fresh air to the dusty Publisuisse. Now she is expected to have a similar effect on SF DRS. "Karin Steiner (Drei Media Team AG) is convinced that Deltenre's spirit will be good for Swiss television, which is still half a state-owned enterprise. The new boss at Leutschenbach is a talented leader and knows how to motivate people. "And she has stamina and gets stuck into the tasks until she comes up with solutions," adds Peter Döbeli (Konnex AG). He also gives her credit for having definitively eliminated "the monopoly and power struggle" - the remnants of the former AG for advertising television.
Vacuum at Publisuisse?but alongside the anticipation of a positive boost at SF DRS, concerned voices are also being heard about the succession plan at Publisuisse. "Deltenre leaves a vacuum - we will miss her open way of approaching issues and needs," says Karin Steiner. This openness towards market partners is one of the most important things expected from the new management.
Now the successor must be found quickly. Peter Schellenberg is still TV director until December 31, 2003. But Deltenre will move to SF DRS as early as this fall - and from then on will only be available to Publisuisse at half strength.
However, the succession planning process is still in its infancy. Publisuisse does not even have any forecasts as to whether an external or internal solution would be preferred. In the next few days or weeks, the board of directors will meet and determine the procedure for the election, he said. "It usually takes three or four months to find a candidate," Deltenre explains. Adding in the notice period of the chosen one or two, the handover could therefore take place in October or November at the earliest.
But one thing is already certain: Ingrid Deltenre will remain with Publisuisse. According to SRG practice, the three TV directors of SF DRS, TSR and TSI are all also members of the Publisuisse Board of Directors (BoD). Peter Schellenberg has even been its Chairman since summer 2001. The shareholder of Publisuisse, i.e. SRG SSR idée suisse, is responsible for the election of the BoD.
However, Deltenre is not particularly comfortable with the idea of taking over Schellenberg's presidential job. This would make her the direct superior of the new Publisuisse management. Which would make for a strange constellation, as Deltenre herself admits. "That would certainly not be optimal. Because the new person will want to do certain things differently than I do, and that has to be possible." In general, the question of what role she will one day play on the Publisuisse board is not urgent. Schellenberg's term as Chairman of the Board will not end until June 2004. In all probability, he will remain in office until then.
Will only be able to manage the fortunes of Publisuisse on a part-time basis from the fall: the newly elected TV director Ingrid Deltenre.

On the Publisuisse Board until 2004: Peter Schellenberg.
The Publisuisse crew is still waitingWhen the boss leaves, other employees usually ask themselves about their own future under the expected new conditions. What is the mood in the Publisuisse team in this regard?
Publisuisse team now that the days with the popular boss are numbered? "So far, I haven't noticed any uncertainty among the employees.
We have not felt the change," says Markus Hollenstein, Publisuisse's head of communications. "You wait to see what line the new person will be on, and what mood that person will bring. Only then will you consider any consequences." And Hollenstein himself, who has expanded Publisuisse communications and put it on a new footing: Will he stay or is he getting ready to make the jump? "If the chemistry is right, then the work will be fun with the new person as well." (dse)
Daniel Schifferle

Cyril Meier has been director of the Swiss Public Relations Institute SPRI since January 1.It is no coincidence that Cyril Meier is now at the forefront of SPRI: Education is an old love of the 49-year-old, who previously worked as a marketing manager at Arthur Andersen. Even as a high school student, he said, he had his eye on the teaching profession. "The fact that you have to invest energy in discipline put my enthusiasm into perspective," recalls the man from Aargau. He describes this as a general disease of the school system - with the exception of adult education. "As SPRI director, I can concentrate on optimally preparing know-how and offering it in a goal-oriented manner. In addition, I am active as a lecturer myself."
As a student of American studies, history and political science, Meier never dreamed that he would one day occupy the chair of an institution in a suit and tie. He was a rebel of the '68 generation who was interested in music and film. No wonder, he identified with Roger Schawinski's "pirate radio station" and gained his first experience as a journalist at Radio 24 in Como, later at Ringier, then at Tages-Anzeiger and Radio Zürisee. After five years, Meier turned his back on journalism. He was bothered by the one-sidedness of communication. Nevertheless, he remained a media junkie and music lover. "Thanks to my sons, I'm also up to date on charts, "Star Wars" or computer games," he adds. Otherwise, the blues fan enjoys slow food and wine, the side effects of which he counteracts at the fitness center. For the industry, on the other hand, Meier got in shape at Farner PR, where he joined as a consultant and was most recently a member of the management board. During his eight years as Head of Corporate Communications at the Sulzer Group, Meier realized that communication is only one of many factors that influence image building. "Because there are limits to PR work, it requires a comprehensive corporate approach," he has since been convinced. The decisive factor is which instrument is placed most effectively and when. Meier wants to impart technical skills at SPRI, but also sharpen the view of the big picture. "Our house should be a forum where the industry likes to dock and refuel again and again." Carole Koch
He doesn't have a patent remedy for optimal PR solutions, but he has plenty of experience of suffering: Cyril Meier, SPRI Director.

Advertising images In the mirror of Swiss advertising history, the change in social values is revealed for once
from its charming side.
In the past, when the world was still in order, a crooked Villiger made a man a man's man and the right preserve made a woman the perfect house mother. In the meantime, the world has become more complex, people have become more individual, demarcations more subtle and life concepts more diverse. And complicate the framework conditions for advertising. This presents us with "images of a better life". In addition to insights, this historiography of Swiss advertising also evokes emotions with its potpourri of once beloved, sometimes long-forgotten products and campaigns. It goes without saying that these are mostly nostalgic in nature, given the many brands and motifs that shaped our childhood and youth.
A conscious approach to visual environments that convey values is easier to generate through (advertising) images than through text, writes Christian Pfister, one of the three editors, in his foreword. The lavishly illustrated volume with the subtitle "How advertising makes history" aims to raise awareness and provide standards for orientation in the world of images in consumer society. It is true that - by definition - idealizing advertising images deliberately exclude disturbing aspects of everyday reality. However, this is precisely why they are probably the most reliable indicators of how the collective utopia of a "better life" changes over the years.
The choice of topics and the quality of the articles, some of which are based on licensed work, are convincing. However, the selection of advertisements and posters presented is not particularly original. Nevertheless, the 13 essays - from the advertising promise of Ovaltine and the mass motorization of Switzerland to the cigarette as an erotic accessory - provide a faithful and occasionally touching picture of the social and cultural changes that Switzerland underwent in the 20th century.
Flexible message of salvationDoes advertising merely pick up on a society's new values, or is it rather the case that the society can only be prompted to change through advertising? The Ovaltine example shows that advertisers are more willing to take up, visualize and thus reinforce those trends that suit their own world view. At the beginning of the last century, for example, the economic situation of large sections of the population provided a wonderful starting point for solution-oriented advertising messages. "What would happen if I collapsed?" was Wander's way of expressing the secret fear of many family fathers - and transformed Ovaltine, previously advertised as a simple breakfast drink, into a life-saving power drink overnight. As a result, the drink evolved from a touring snack and tonic to spiritual nourishment, and then simply to a guardian of health. The protein drink (or rather its marketer) demonstrates an impressive ability to adapt to the needs and desires of potential buyers - and thus a great power of survival. "Switzerland without Ovi? That's almost as unthinkable as a Switzerland without mountains and cows," summarizes the author of this chapter. Admittedly without realizing that this comparison would only be of historical interest soon after the editorial deadline.
"In addition to insights, this historiography of Swiss advertising also evokes emotions."

>Images of a better life. How advertising tells history by Daniel di Falco, Peter Bär and Christian Pfister. Haupt Verlag, Bern 2002. 240 pages, CHF 62.
Katrin Piazza

More and more Swiss publishers are hoping that in the future their readers will no longer fetch their favorite newspaper from the mailbox every day, but from the Internet. The NZZ and the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) have been demonstrating for some time what the book industry has long since discovered for itself, namely printing books to order: Anyone who wants to read one of these dailies while abroad can have it printed out for a fee in around 400 hotels. "Print on demand" (POD) is the name of the service, in which newspaper data is transmitted via the Internet to hotels, where it is printed on an A3 printer. One difference remains: Those who request the NZZ receive the complete 48-page foreign edition, including advertising pages. With the BaZ, you currently only receive editorial pages. As a consequence, the NZZ can have its copies certified by the AG für Werbemedienforschung (Wemf), while the BaZ cannot (see box). But NZZ publishing director Tobias Trevisan says, "These are not immense numbers." Nor is the NZZ concerned with bolting on circulation. Rather, they simply want to "ensure the availability of the current NZZ edition worldwide.
This is precisely the claim that other Swiss publishers hardly see fulfilled with POD. What they have in mind is global availability: Their paper should be available at all times, both at work and at home, on the sandy beach and in the mountain hut, in the desert and on a sailing trip. And subito.
For this reason, numerous newspapers around the world have started to supply their content, including advertisements, to providers who act like an Internet kiosk. One of them is called Newsstand (www.newsstand .de). Since November 2002, it has been the only such provider currently approved for certification by the German Wemf counterpart IVW. At Newsstand, you can download a newspaper of your choice - so far, there is no Swiss paper among them - in the form of a PDF file to your PC - provided you have a subscription with a password from the publisher. Newsstand works on a commission basis.
The disadvantage of this procedure: The data volumes are huge (7 to 15 megabytes); a download requires a lot of storage space and time. The latter is shortened thanks to ADSL, but such connections are still thin on the ground.
Although the disadvantages still outweigh the benefits, Swiss publishers are also pursuing similar projects. First and foremost Ringier, AZ Medien and the NZZ. However, while Trevisan will not say anything about the status of the project at NZZ, the Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) and Ringier are more talkative. Ringier primarily wants to increase the availability of Cash and Blick/SonntagsBlick and is considering distributing these titles via Newsstand. "Newsstand told us that about two percent additional copies could be sold this way. But we would also be satisfied with just one percent, because we don't incur any additional costs," says André März, Head of Technology and IT. The prerequisite, however, is that these copies are also certified. However, Wemf will not decide on this until April.
The situation is different at AZ: Here, they are talking about the e-paper project. "We want to get it up and running by the middle of the year, but definitely before the end of 2003," says Peter Buri, a member of the company management. The idea is to have a kind of PDF newspaper on the company's own homepage. An e-paper edition can be broken down into its constituent parts. "We don't expect any big jumps in circulation," says Buri. More important is the possibility of making the ten AZ regional editions or an archive accessible to readers.
What is still a project at AZ is partly already being implemented at Cooperazione, the Italian version of the Coop newspaper (coop.tio.ch). The free paper does not have to answer a question that daily newspapers always face: How much should an online subscription cost? As an aside, the German Rheinzeitung (www.rhein-zeitung.de) also offers something similar, for a fee, but also with a trial version on its website.
Wemf will decide in April on the certification of e-papersNewspapers that are obtained via "print on demand" can be credited to the print circulation according to Wemf if they meet two conditions: They must be identical to the printed edition (including advertising pages). And a separate subscription must be paid for them. The same will probably apply to the sale of newspaper content from the Internet, said Christel Plöger, who is responsible for circulation certifications at Wemf. But the Commission for Circulation and Dissemination will not decide on this until April, she added. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli

Brunner Verlag in Kriens has launched a specialist magazine for care, home economics and technology under the name Input.Input is aimed at decision-makers in care homes, Spitex organizations, hospitals, municipal administrations and health authorities. It is published twelve times a year with a circulation of 1,3600 copies. It is edited by the Lucerne press office Presswerk.