Starting in late February, the Museum of Communication in Bern will present a new exhibition on the theme «Advertising for the Gods.»It explores saviors from 4,000 years of human history, such as Ptah of Memphis, Sin of Harran, and Artemis of Ephesus, as well as idols ranging from the Virgin Mary of Einsiedeln to Elvis of Memphis. Wyler Advertising had a divine inspiration for a somewhat less pious poster for this exhibition. It depicts a typical devotional image of Mary, though seen from behind and thus somewhat distorted. With this, Wyler aims to symbolize a glimpse behind the scenes of a cult object. Hesskiss is the Swiss Newcomer Agency of the Year for 2002.
The 14-member international jury of the Yearbook of Advertising (Econ Verlag) has decided: Saint Elmo’s, Agentur für Kreative Energie GmbH, based in Munich, is the «Newcomer Agency of the Year 2002.» Its Zurich-based competitor, Hesskiss, receives the special award «Newcomer Agency of Switzerland 2002.» «Both agencies impressed with excellent campaigns, an above-average public profile, and strong financial performance,» said jury member and WerbeWoche editor-in-chief Samuel Helbling, explaining the selection. The aim of the competition is to provide young agencies with a public platform and to introduce high-performing newcomers to companies seeking advertising partners. The awards ceremony will take place in May as part of the official presentation of the Advertising Yearbook.
Here's to the Capricorn.
«For what seems like an eternity,» advertising executive Reinhold Weber and astrologer Erich Liebi have been talking «about a casual get-together of all Capricorns.» This year, such a gathering is finally set to take place for the first time, on the second-to-last day of the zodiac sign. «We want to bid farewell to these dreary December and January days with a laugh,» says Weber, inviting everyone to a toast «to a turn for the better—that things will start looking up again, the days will begin to grow longer, and life will gradually return.» And last but not least, the toast is, of course, meant for all Capricorns. «Because—something we ourselves sometimes overlook and that everyone else usually fails to notice—it is this »dark’ sign that brings us back light, growth, warmth, and prosperity,” say Weber and Liebi, both Capricorns, with conviction. So if you’re up for it, come down from your snow-covered mountaintop and join other Capricorns on January 19 at 6 p.m. in
the Kronenhalle Bar in Zurich. Bar Manager Peter Roth created a special drink just for this gathering
is creating a drink for the «Horned Ones.» «The Capricorn» will have its world premiere that day and is then set to
find a spot on the bar menu.
«Boobs, boobs, boobs»? At the Munich-based magazine giant Burda, the champagne was flowing twice over these past few days. First, they celebrated the launch of the first German edition of *Playboy* following the acquisition of the license from Bauer Verlag, and then a decade of «Facts, facts, facts» for the «info-elite.» While Focus founder Helmut Markwort politely thanks his steadily growing readership for their trust in the anniversary issue (current reach: 6.18 million readers), the newly launched Playboy still has to win them over. In his first editorial, Stefan Schmortte immediately provides the recipe for doing so: «»Everything that men enjoy’ should simply be even more fun in the future.” The question remains: how can the fun factor be ramped up in the monthly bunny hunt? The pilot issue, featuring cover girl Cosma Shiva Hagen, suggests that—aside from the new, appealing layout—this might primarily mean more cleavage for previously undiscovered celebrity daughters. Whoever graces the centerfold is crucial for newsstand sales of the most famous men’s magazine. With Hagen Jr., the first issue under Burda’s direction has a good chance of exceeding the guaranteed circulation of 200,000 copies right off the bat.
A visual prank.
Contrary to all claims, 20 Minuten and ZürichExpress do seem to be growing closer together. Anyone who picked up these (supposed?) archrivals together last Friday might have gotten that impression. Both front pages were dominated by a photograph of the steaming ice field in the Port of Hamburg. «Pure coincidence!» is the unanimous response from the two embarrassed editorial offices. So, only a mischievous soul would read more into this amusing coincidence than what’s depicted on the cover. Ah, what would the media world be without the occasional—more or less obvious—pranks…
McDonald’s Switzerland is switching to DDB.
After a several-month evaluation process, the fast-food chain McDonald’s Switzerland has chosen DDB as its new advertising agency. CEO Waldemar Nuvall explained in a press release that the agency already works with McDonald’s in 22 European countries. The decision was not an easy one, as McDonald’s had worked very well with its current agency, TBWA Switzerland, over the past five years. However, the company sees greater potential for synergy with DDB across Europe. McDonald’s works with the agency groups DDB, TBWA, and Leo Burnett worldwide.
E-Card Generator.
Swisspool, Switzerland’s largest advertising network with 1,875,000 consumers, has revamped its website. All relevant data and information about the product can now be found at www.swisspool.ch. In addition, the website offers a world-first feature: a custom e-card generator. This allows users to add their own text to graphics featuring matching motifs, such as a smiley face or a telephone. The gadget and the new website are being promoted through print ads, online, and via direct mail featuring a set of snail-mail postcards printed on cardboard. The ideas were developed by Freiburghaus and Partner in Bern.
Lifestyle six times on Sundays.
The lifestyle magazine *Look*, which was first included as a supplement with the *SonntagsZeitung* in November, is scheduled to be published six times in 2003. Four issues are planned in quick succession from early March through early June, with additional issues to follow in September and November. The magazine will cover topics such as fashion, cars, and home design. Adjustments will be made to the format and layout following the pilot issue. For example, the supplement will be enlarged from just under to slightly over A4 size. The editorial content will increase from 56 to 68 pages. Changes are also in store for the paper stock and design. According to sales manager Daniel Pauletto, the front page in particular will undergo a major overhaul. On the front page of the first issue, the SonntagsZeitung logo was almost unrecognizable. Studio Achermann will continue to be responsible for the layout. Pauletto expressed confidence that *Look* will find its place in the market despite the advertising slump: «It’s going to be tough for everyone this year, but we’re fighting, and I believe in our potential.»
Tamedia Job Board.
With its products Stellen-Anzeiger, Alpha, Jobwinner.ch, and JobWinner-Kombi, Tamedia offers an «unrivaled portfolio of well-established recruitment media under one roof» (self-promotion). In order to meet the needs of staffing agencies and advertisers more effectively and to better leverage synergies, the business—
The B2B segments of the four publishing products have been bundled under the name «Tamedia Job Market.» The new unit sees itself as a «center of excellence for all aspects of recruitment.» The Transformer advertising agency in Zurich was commissioned to develop the new corporate identity and an integrated communications strategy. The agency is now promoting Tamedia Stellenmarkt through an image brochure, tailored sales materials, and three full-page advertisements in the publisher’s own media as well as in the business press.

News: Mass dismissal at Metropol was abusive
The Zurich Labor Court has reprimanded the mass dismissal during the closure of the commuter newspaper Metropol and ordered the publishers to pay the dismissed employees an additional month's salary. Metro has appealed against this decision. The court ruled that the employee consultation required by the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) had taken place too late, had been scheduled too briefly and was also futile, which is why the dismissals were abusive. According to the CO and the Participation Act, a mere consultation with the dismissed employees was not sufficient. The arguments of the employees had to be included in the decision-making process. The court also considered the length of the consultation period - one week - to be too short for a workforce of 50 employees.
Fujis "Swiss Date "The photography company Fujifilm (Switzerland) AG is the new co-sponsor of the dating show "Swiss Date", which can be seen on Tele Züri and Tele Bärn. The couples brought together in the show will each receive a Fujifilm Instax Mini 20, a compact instant camera for credit card-sized photos. The sponsorship agreement runs for one year, as Fujifilm announced.

The consulting firm Customer World AG has entrusted the advertising agency Metzgerlehner Worldwide Partners with its communications mandate.account news: Metzgerlehner for Customer World
The young company offers partner relationship management that also involves a company's business partners. The communication concept developed by Metzgerlehner presents Customer World's corporate culture as an alternative to the glossy world of many large, discredited consulting firms. The basic concept for the company brochure is successively transferred to all classic and non-classic advertising media as well as the online presence.
Climax gives Jezler a new image The silver manufacturer Jezler in Schaffhausen has commissioned the Adliswil-based advertising agency Climax to develop a new market image. Jezler has streamlined its handcrafted product range and divided it into the following segments: Tableware, Serving Cutlery, L'art de la table, Boutique, Mugs, Wine and Baby. In the first phase, Climax was responsible for the design of the CI and the brochure material. Further measures as well as direct mails and advertisements are to follow.

With the special-interest channel Star Games, Paul Grau wants to conquer the entire German-speaking regionBy Daniel Schifferle The special-interest channel Star Games, which focuses on interactivity, should not only help Zurich TV maker Paul Grau to gain an international presence. Grau is also convinced that he can achieve more commercial success with the games channel than with Star TV.
While others are downsizing and writing back, Grau is gripped by pioneering fever. With his Star Games project, which is scheduled to launch in late summer, he wants to break new ground in interactive television. The basic idea: viewers should be able to participate in collective video games on the screen from any location via telephone or Internet.
But the actual goal of the new channel goes far beyond the topic of videogames. The new channel is intended to fundamentally explore the possibilities of interactive services on TV. "With the same technology, interactivity can later be applied to information, entertainment and commerce content," says Grau. However, because new technologies are always first to catch on with young people, video games are the most suitable subject for developing and testing interactive TV, he says.
Grau wants to ramp up the content of Star Games "step by step," taking advantage of intensive synergies with Star TV. For example, the actual parent of the new station, the program "Multimedia" on Star TV, will also form the basic offering of Star Games - together with the program "Lifestyle," which will also be implemented one-to-one on Star Games. This already fills two program evenings. In terms of personnel, Grau is also relying on in-house production: the current four-person crew from "Multimedia" is also staffing Star Games. "Over time, we will expand this team to eight to a maximum of twelve people," he holds out the prospect. Despite the thematic focus on videogames, which is associated with very young people, Star Games wants to appeal to the age group between 15 and 34. "The videogame clientele has long since ceased to be recruited only from the kids," admits Grau.
Many years of experience with
Videogames and interactivity
The vision of an interactive TV channel is nothing new for the Star TV boss. Since launching his station around eight years ago, Grau has seen himself as a pioneer of both interactivity and
also the videogamer scene. "From the very beginning, we relied on the fully digitized studio workflow that is a prerequisite for interactive television. And we've had a multimedia track in the program since 1995 - at the same time as the launch of the Sony Playstation," explains Grau.
However, a dream cherished since the beginning - to cover the entire German-speaking area - did not come true with Star TV. "We thought we would have conquered all of Europe within three years. But nothing came of it," Grau recalls. "Star TV proved impossible to export because its content is too nationally oriented," he says today. With videogames, which are not tied to specific countries, he is convinced that he has now found a recipe that is really capable of crossing national borders.
The expansion of the reception area to the European region is also absolutely necessary. Star Games could not be financed in any other way. The reason: Today, only a vanishingly small proportion of TV households have digital reception capabilities. There are currently only 150,000 to 200,000 in Switzerland. "If we were to rely only on these, it would be comparable to the nonsensical attempt to drive across the entire desert on a single liter of gasoline," says Grau.
That's why Star Games has to target all viewers across Europe who can already receive a digital signal via satellite. At the moment, this is around two million households - just enough for the launch of the game channel. Only in a second step, if the new offering is successful, will efforts be made to launch it on the digital platforms of the cable networks in the entire German-speaking region.
Low program budget thanks to
Synergies with Star TV
The new channel is only possible thanks to low costs and full exploitation of synergy effects with Star TV. Grau won't say how much Star Games will cost, however. Just this much: "The annual budget is significantly lower than that of Star TV, which now stands at just over six million Swiss francs. The costs are to be covered from three sources: Telephone fees, which players pay when they enter their instructions via a chargeable number; secondly, via classic advertising spots; and thirdly, via sponsorship. As far as the potential revenues of Star Games are concerned, Grau is optimistic. In the medium and long term, these are much greater than those of Star TV.
Still somewhat up in the air is Star Games' exact timetable. "August 31, 2003 would be a nice date to go on the air. Because then it will be eight years to the day since Star TV was launched." However, Grau admits that this is a wishful date. The activities are only now being developed and built up. Distribution via satellite will begin before the summer vacations. But whether the necessary test runs will have been completed by then is still open at the moment.
Trial license also for SRGThe Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) has granted Star Games the license without objection as part of limited trials with new technologies. Star Games is thus granted the right to offer an interactive television program with games and interactive services via cable and/or satellite. The license comes into force on March 1, 2003, and is valid until the end of February 2006. According to Bakom, the purpose of the license is to gain experience in combining an interactive platform with various distribution platforms.
Star Games undertakes to report to Bakom after the expiry of the concession with regard to market acceptance, technical feasibility, distribution and reactions and complaints from the public.
The approval for Star Games is only the second license that Bakom has granted so far for trials with new technologies. The other was granted to SRG, which is testing terrestrial digital television DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) during the upcoming World Ski Championships in St. Moritz. DVB-T offers an additional supply of television programs independent of satellite and cable providers. The background: In the next few years, analog reception via indoor or indoor antenna will be replaced by digital reception in Europe. (dse)

Weber Hodel Schmid has a new recipe for the magazine KochenWithout food shots and without artificial moments of indulgence, the magazine Kochen is now to be really boiled down as a brand following the integration of Chuchi. And not just among the 400,000 readers of Annemarie Wildeisen's cooking magazine published by AZ Fachverlag AG. Weber Hodel Schmid has slightly rejuvenated the title with a creative vitamin makeover. With the strong brand statement "Enjoy every day" and a well-received campaign, the Zurich-based advertising agency aims to whet the appetite for cooking every day on posters and in advertisements. page 6

The implementation of cross-media strategies requires stringent brand managementBy Carlos Friedrich* Communication strategies require an intelligent combination of different media in order to be successful. The launch of the potency pill Uprima, for example, was successful thanks to a clever cross-media strategy.
The term cross-media is used excessively in the marketing world. However, there is disagreement about its exact definition. To put it bluntly: There are as many uses as there are definitions. German expert Richard Crux defines cross-media as "the use of different and coordinated communication channels to promote a product or service". The aim of cross-media strategies is to optimize the impact of communication in order to exploit synergy potential. True to the motto of design psychologist Wolfgang Metzger: The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Cross-media strategies should not be confused with integrated communication. For Manfred Bruhn, Professor of Business Administration at the Center for Economics at the University of Basel, "integrated communication pursues a holistic goal that should have an effect both internally and externally". Cross-media strategies, on the other hand, are usually only developed for external target groups and do not pursue a holistic goal.
Why are there only a few successful examples of cross-media in practice? Firstly, not only our environment but also the marketing world is becoming more complex. On the one hand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to define target groups because these are gradually disappearing in an individualized society. In addition, more and more consumers are seeing through the mechanisms of advertising and are no longer receptive to all messages. At the same time, more and more media are vying for our attention.
Secondly, cross-media strategies can neither be scientifically categorized nor systematically recorded. According to Colin McDonald, market and opinion research expert, advertising in all its forms is too heterogeneous for this. "Nevertheless, we have a large amount of knowledge and practical skills," says McDonald. This means that every cross-media strategy must be planned and implemented individually.
The third hurdle concerns both the conflict of interest between the various communication disciplines, which in many companies have a life of their own, and between the agencies involved. For example, a company's PR unit may pursue different interests than the advertising or sponsorship department. On the agency side, there is often a danger that each of the specialists involved (advertising agencies, web agencies, PR agencies, media agencies, DM agencies, event agencies, etc.) will want to secure the biggest slice of the communications pie.
Uprima is an example of how channels can be linked
A successful example of a successful cross-media strategy in Switzerland is the launch of Uprima, a prescription-only sexual enhancer. The communicative challenge here was that in Switzerland, first mover Viagra was already very well positioned as a potency pill. This gave Viagra an almost unassailable lead.
Jung von Matt/Limmat developed a two-stage cross-media strategy for Uprima: In the first phase, advertisements were placed in popular titles and a guerrilla measure (cards for free) was used in nightclubs to make the new sexual enhancer a topic of conversation. Traditional advertising media took over the function of publicizing the product. In addition, advertisements were used to draw attention to the Uprima website. As this is a high-involvement product and the news value of Uprima was high, the decision was made to use this discreet bait mechanism.
In the second phase, a suitable communication channel had to be found to provide detailed information and quench the thirst for knowledge that had been awakened. "We opted for the Internet because it is an excellent way of bringing the brand to life and providing information about the brand and the product," says Oliver Fennel from Jung von Matt/Frontend, explaining the strategy. The homepage www .wir-helfen-koennen.ch did not fail to have an impact: over 10,000 Swiss people visited the Uprima homepage. Demand for the drug was boosted. "In the first month, sales far exceeded the planned target. This made the Uprima launch in Switzerland the most successful in Europe," says Stefan Oechslin, Head of Marketing at Abbott.
Create different experience areas for the brand
The example of Uprima shows how various communication channels can be linked together so that the advertised brand can be experienced by the consumer in different media. The responsible consumer can decide for themselves at any time whether they want to continue communicating with the brand or not. It is therefore recommended that the media also function independently of each other.
Thanks to cross-media strategies - especially through the combination of offline and online media - brand fascination can be significantly increased (because the interested consumer is given the opportunity to experience the brand more intensively in other media). Cross-media strategies can therefore have a consistently positive impact on brand management. The prerequisite remains that the hurdles mentioned above are overcome and communication channels are cleverly linked.
*Carlos Friedrich, Planning Director and member of the Jung von Matt/Limmat management team until the end of 2002, has been a partner and Managing Director of Glamour Engineering since the beginning of the year.
Practical tips for cross-media strategies1. Identify the media habits of the target person and determine the appropriate communication channels.
2. development of a communication linkage plan. It ensures that the channels support and complement each other. The plan should include a time schedule and the financial weighting of the media.
3. throw out a link bait to persuade media-savvy consumers to switch communication channels. Make sure that the link to the next medium creates added value for the consumer so that they do not break off communication with the brand.
4 Idea is king! Define a basic idea that is brought to life in all channels. In saturated markets with interchangeable products, only creative excellence creates the necessary differentiation that makes brands desirable and attractive.
5. the idea must be implemented in a media-appropriate way, because only media-appropriate messages can develop their full effect.
6 The brand must be managed stringently. Use a defined set of values and a visual brand bracket to ensure that every communication always pays into the brand.
7. have the courage to break new ground. The openness to leave well-trodden paths and break unwritten industry laws is a prerequisite for developing new, intelligent cross-media strategies.

The Mittelland Zeitung must not be weakened by a possible cooperation with the Bund," explained Peter Wanner, publisher of the AZ Medien Group, to WerbeWoche, who is skeptical about a cooperation with the number two on the Bern newspaper market, as suggested by the Tages-Anzeiger on January 9. There are no concrete plans for cooperation so far, but new talks with the Bund owner NZZ will take place soon. "We would be interested in supplying the Bund's jacket section. However, there are problems with cooperation in the advertising market," explained Wanner. The Mittelland Zeitung is a compact newspaper model that cannot be expanded at will. It would have to be examined very carefully whether such an entity would not become too large or too expensive. Wanner believes that a docking model, in which the federal government could be added to the MZ on an optional basis, might be worth considering.
The fact that the AZ Medien Group could counter the expansion of the Bern-based Espace Media Group (EM) into the Solothurn area through a partnership with the Bund does not play a role in Wanner's considerations. "In our view, the attack by the Solothurner Tagblatt is not a success, but only costs EM money." Therefore, the AZ Medien Group does not necessarily have to become active in the Bern area. The publisher completely rejects the idea of taking a financial stake in the federal government in order to prevent a monopoly of the European Championships in Bern: "For what? It's not our job to save the Confederation. The Confederation belongs to the NZZ and Publicitas - they have to solve the problem." (sm)

Lang Gysi Knoll launches the new SBB real estate brandBy Luca Aloisi Train by train, SBB Immobilien is converting seven major railway stations into shopping and service centers. The railroad's expanded shopping experience bears the RailCity brand, and the agency launching the SBB brand is called Lang Gysi Knoll.
Parking spaces are not an issue in Switzerland's second-largest shopping center (by sales) - it has none. On the other hand, the shopping center under Zurich's main train station has other advantages: long opening hours, Sunday sales, a central location and a good mix of sectors in the service and shopping areas. The urban travel, meeting and shopping center with its high frequencies is now to be stringently marketed.
To this end, SBB has combined its major stations in Geneva, Lausanne, Berne, Basel, Lucerne, Winterthur and Zurich HB into a separate portfolio managed by the independent RailCity division of SBB Real Estate. The aim is to successively develop and convert these into modern centers with a similar tenant structure and a cultivated ambience.
"There is no doubt that the new RailCity brand needs a natio-
nal and widespread communication that not only attracts attention, but really brings in the money," says Annette Kupferschmied, a consultant at Lang Gysi Knoll (LGK).
The Bern-based advertising agency won the mandate in a pitch about a year ago. LGK convinced with a simple, captivating solution: "We tried to dramatize the core message in a two-phase strategy," explains AD Jean-Marc Meyer. Which is: In RailCity, you can always find everything, with a few exceptions.
Everything except the Zytglogge Tower, the Bear Pit....
At the launch in Bern, posters and streetcar hangers publicize the brand by creating an intriguing link to local attractions that are not part of the RailCity product range. With the local color of the copy subjects, the viewer is involved and informed about the breadth of the product range with the "reverse evidence".
In addition to the baggage carts, escalators, ticket vending machines, and
E-boards, the creative team was able to use a great medium for the below-the-line measures: The entire train station became an eye-catching advertising medium with its 520 square meter building façade. Inscription here: "You can't buy this station." The solution: "Everything else is available in RailCity.
When and whether the pioneer - Zurich's ShopVille - will be renamed RailCity Zurich at all is still up in the air. The question is premature, says the ShopVille tenants' association. For the time being, the two landlords - the real estate administration of the city of Zurich and SBB Immobilien - will have to meet for further talks.

In addition: After just under half a year as managing director of the Zurich-based local station Hitradio Z, Daniel Deicher is stepping down. Overall management will now be handled by Jürg Bachmann, who has served as a representative of the Board of Directors of Radio Z AG since the summer. Mark Baer, who most recently worked for the content provider Swisscontent, has been appointed as the new editor-in-chief. The position had been vacant since Beni Leoni’s resignation in the fall. Dani Büchi, previously the deputy program director, is now responsible for marketing and programming. He replaces Mike Gut, who announced his resignation in early December.
Since the beginning of the year, Beat Glogger has been the new editor-in-chief of the trade journal *Kommunalmagazin* as well as its associated website and publications.
Hugo Schmidt is strengthening his communications agency, Idtcom in Lucerne, with the addition of Karl Kobelt. Kobelt previously worked as an editor for the Aargauer Zeitung and the NZZ. He was also a member of the Swiss Intelligence Service. Most recently, he served as a partner at the PR agency Piar in Zurich.
Management change at the Berlin branch of Klaus J. Stöhlker AG: At the beginning of the year, Raoul Stöhlker took over the management of the branch from his brother Fidel. Fidel headed Stöhlker & Partner GmbH for three years and is returning to Switzerland as a senior consultant.
At the beginning of the year, Martin Bauer assumed the role of Account Director and Head of Consulting at the Zurich office of MRM Partners Worldwide, the global relationship marketing network of the McCann-Erickson Worldgroup.
Since January 1, Marcel Altherr has been in charge of operations at Pixelpark Switzerland. As COO, he and CEO Jürg Dangel make up the executive team of the web services provider. Pixelpark aims to strengthen its expertise in software development and secure project management through this move.
After Diana Strebel took over as CEO of Wunderman in mid-2002, the marketing agency has introduced a new management structure: André Parsic has been appointed to the agency’s management team as the new Client Service Director. He previously served as Director of Promotions. Oliver Schneider joined Wunderman’s management team as Creative Director on January 3. Previously, Schneider was Creative Director at TBWA Switzerland.
Hanni Bucheli is taking over as head of sales at Ringier Publishing Services from Clint Reichenbach. Bucheli will also continue to perform her current duties in the area of quality and knowledge management.
In early January, copywriter and concept developer Thomas Schöb joined Ruf Lanz on a part-time basis. Also at the start of the year, graphic designer Corinne Sigrist (formerly with Scotti in Zurich) joined the agency.
Matthias Straub is the new editor-in-chief of the youth and lifestyle magazine Musenalp Express.

"Surprise me" looks for the latest trends in magazine designMagazine design is one of the most beautiful and at the same time most complex challenges in graphic design. You can learn from it for other design tasks. Especially in trendy magazines for target groups with a specific focus, such as the music scene, curious experts are constantly discovering the latest trends. As with fashion from the catwalks, design approaches inspired by trendy magazines sooner or later find their way into popular magazines, albeit usually in a toned-down form.the non-fiction book "Surprise me" aims to return to the basic ideas behind this development. The Munich design expert Horst Moser has researched this in his international magazine archive. While rummaging through his own extensive collection (see box), he came across over 1500 outstanding achievements in the field of graphic design. These are now examined in the 288-page illustrated book published by Hermann Schmidt.
While most books on magazine design are limited to stringing together successful examples, Horst Moser comments on all the tasks of a magazine designer in his work.
work. The "magazine maniac", as the publisher presents him, sheds light on the variety of individual design tasks from the cover to the inside pages. Moser divides these into page types such as
Product pages, columns or separation pages as well as by topics such as fashion, eroticism, sport, computer, art or reportage.
The editors Karin and Bertram Schmidt-Friderichs hope that the qualities of the templates will trigger the viewer's own creative processes "at the highest level". Moser deliberately presents not only extravagant examples for each design question, but also tried and tested examples for the mass market.
The new non-fiction book is therefore well suited to providing food for thought for creative work with a view to the most diverse target groups. Because "Surprise me" has a wealth of examples and variations. Andreas Panzeri
Horst Moser: "Surprise me", Editorial Design, 288 pages with over 1500 magazine examples in color, Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz, Fr. 145.-, ISBN 3-87439-612-6.
A museum of the "state of the art "It is still just a project, but around one million collected magazines are already waiting for a permanent home in Horst Moser's magazine museum in Munich.
"In retrospect, magazines are indispensable as a source of cultural history because they vividly capture the spirit of the times," Moser is convinced. Magazines literally changed the world, for example Einstein's theory of relativity, the basis of our world view, was published in its original version in a magazine. And let's not forget artists and authors who have worked for magazines, from Picasso and Warhol to Tucholsky and Hemingway.
Compared to the book
The design of a magazine has become more flexible and experimental. Photography, illustration and typography work together more closely than almost anywhere else. The aim not only of the book "Surprise me", but also of the magazine museum in Munich is to document the international "state of the art" in magazine design. The museum's archive is still being set up. Reasonable offers to purchase magazines and magazines are welcome. More information and suggestions can be exchanged at www.independent-mediendesign.de. (pan)

Daniel Meier and Jan Maurer found a new advertising agencyDaniel Meier, a member of the Management Board and CD at JvM/Limmat until November, has founded the advertising agency Unikat, based in Küsnacht, together with Jan Maurer, former Managing Director at By Heart. Together they have 35 years of advertising experience, 12 of which as members of the management board. "We see the uncertainty in the industry more as an opportunity," says Maurer, explaining the new start. They also receive moral support from their wives. "Right now, a flexible small agency with the full service of a large agency can be more committed to the customer," says Meier. Unikat started with three employees, and the ideal size should one day be reached with 15. But they are not going there alone: The PR agency cR Kommunikation has a minority stake. Both companies want to offer integrated communication together. CS Private Banking, a new launch in the medical services sector, two clients from the hotel industry and a fruit wholesaler are among the first clients. Luca Aloisi

Moneycab and Swisscontent are going their separate waysBy Markus Knöpfli Moneycab and Swisscontent are babies of the Internet hype - but with a bit of luck, they can save themselves as independent companies under new owners into the future of a well-behaved nursery. They have already slimmed down. Moneycab is even said to be so lean that it is already in the black!
Moneycab's sponsor Finanzfachmarkt AG is a late but not untypical child of the
Internet hypes. It was launched in 2000 with a share capital of 9.9 million Swiss francs. The portal opened its doors to cyberspace in spring 2001 - with 40 editorial positions. In January 2002, the former managing director Markus Gisler set the break-even date for the end of 2004; he estimated the 2002 operating budget at 10 million francs and the proportion of advertising revenue at 30 to 40 percent.
Moneycab is a long way from reaching such heights today - but it is obviously closer to an important goal than it was in Gisler's day. "We've been in the black from day one," claims Helmuth Fuchs, one of the new Moneycab owners. He and Georg Hess each hold 50 percent of Finanzfachmarkt AG. However, Fuchs does not disclose more detailed figures, even estimating the annual turnover for 2003 to be only "about the same as in 2002".
Swisscontent has numerous offers in the pipeline
At the same time, Fuchs refers to the now "massively reduced cost structure". Moneycab no longer has its own staff, so to speak. The editorial team was outsourced to content provider Swisscontent Corp. under Goldbach Media and reduced there. And the new crew with Hess, Fuchs, producer Andreas Gehrig, marketing manager Bernt Maullaz and the new three-person editorial team under business journalist David Strohm is not employed either. They all work on a mandate basis and can take a stake in the company in return.
Other costs were also reduced under Goldbach by merging the technology with Swisscontent, postponing various projects or keeping them on the back burner (pay channel or Moneycab radio, for example). Not much is to change in this respect. However, the basic concept will be retained. "Journalistic information, financial tools and market data - that's what we believe in, but focused on companies that are listed on the Swiss stock exchange. That's why our offering is smaller than it was a year and a half ago," says Fuchs. Nevertheless, the new editorial team is to produce its own content again from February 1 and refine the Swisscontent information.
On the revenue side, Moneycab intends to rely less on advertising and the barely communicated pay channel in future, instead expanding its marketing activities. Above all, Fuchs hopes to attract customers in the B2B sector who need either content or one of the Moneycab tools (share guide, teledata, rating tool) in an adapted form for their own website or for work. He wants to offer them customized packages. New tools are also to be developed. Content, tools and advertising will each account for around one third of the future revenue structure.
Incidentally, Moneycab will soon leave its former Goldbach sister company Swisscontent at Zypressenstrasse 60 and relocate to Hornbachstrasse 50 in Zurich's Seefeld district. Fredy Hämmerli, who was still CEO of both companies under the Goldbach umbrella, has bought 100 percent of Swisscontent and will continue to run the business, focusing on business information.
A marketer for the platform is still being sought
Hämmerli confirms reports that the content provider has an order volume of around four million francs for 2003 as "correct in terms of size". He puts the workforce at just under 30 people. In addition to Moneycab, Swisscontent supplies customers such as Postfinance, Tiscali and Orange. Further offers are in the pipeline. Even though Swisscontent's earnings situation deteriorated following the closure of the Redsafe.com financial portal last July, "we are still in an area where we can survive in the long term," says Hämmerli. Despite legal, personnel and now also local unbundling, the two companies are continuing their
path are hardly separated. Swisscontent will supply content to Moneycab, and Moneycab will manage the technical area and content distribution for Swisscontent. And the joint venture could take on even more far-reaching forms. According to Fuchs, the new owners are discussing whether they should intertwine financially and in terms of personnel. The constituent board meeting for Swisscontent will take place at the end of the month, while this could take a little longer for Moneycab. After all, there is also more money involved here. While
While Swisscontent's share capital will remain at CHF 800,000 according to Hämmerli, Fuchs wants to reduce Moneycab's share capital "to a reasonable amount".
It is still unclear at both companies whether and who of the previous board members, who have all resigned, will be brought back on board. Fuchs and Hämmerli are keeping quiet about this. On the other hand
Fuchs clearly distances himself from Goldbach Media. Strong personal ties with the company are not a priority, he said. Rather, a break seems to be on the horizon: Fuchs described the statement in the Goldbach communiqué of December 20, according to which the marketing of Moneycab "will continue to be handled by the Goldbach Media company Active Agent (AA)", as a "mistake". "We are also talking to others," he said.