7 commissioned films and 23 commercials have been shortlisted for the EdiBy Andreas Panzeri On November 7, the Edi, the commissioned and commercial film prize of the Swiss Film and Video Producers (SFVP) association, will be awarded for the second time at the Tramdepot Oerlikon. Over 140 films were submitted for judging. 7 commissioned films and 23 commercials have been selected for the shortlist.
The SFVP competition (soon to be called Swissfilm Association) under the patronage of the Federal Department of Home Affairs "has found broad acceptance," says Peter Beck of the Edi working group. With 140 works this year, about a quarter more films are already competing for the coveted trophy than at the first edition of Edi. Two juries have been looking for "above-average achievements" in Swiss commissioned film.
For the first time, a newly devised jury procedure was used. With the help of Apple (Switzerland), which developed a percentage calculation tool, and the direct marketing agency Adim in Hünenberg ZG, a judging mode was devised that allows all participants to receive the jury's general evaluation after the competition. According to the jury members, this will also have a positive effect on future productions. In the field of commercials, these included Peter Bräker, Michael Fueter, Markus Gut, Ueli Steiger and Monika Walser.
Shortlist-TV-SpotsSeries Allianz Suisse "Flying Fish": Client (A): Allianz Suisse, advertising agency (W): Wirz Werbung, production company (P): Condor Communications, director (R): Michael Fueter. Allianz Suisse "Pogostick" series: (credits as above). Biosuisse "Snow White": A: Biosuisse, W: Lowe, P: Chocolate Films, R: Rainer Binz. Together Against Violence: A: Foundation Against Racism and Anti-Semitism, W: Wirz Werbung, P: Blood, Sweat & Tears, R: Sebastian Strasser. La Lanterne Magique: A: La Lanterne Magique, P: La Lanterne Magique, R: Frédéric & Samuel Guillaume. Series LTV Media AG "Die Gelben Seiten" - Clinton/Yeltsin: A: LTV Media, P: Condor Communications, W: Publicis, R: Patrick Senn. Series LTV Media AG "The Yellow Pages" - Ogi: (Credits as above). Series Migros "M at Expo 02" - Esser: A: Migros, W: Publicis, P: PPM - PI Switzerland, R: Lars Büchel. Series Migros "M at Expo 02" - Uschle: (credits as above). Médecins Sans Frontières "Eye": A: Médecins Sans Frontières, W: Advico Young + Rubicam, P: Chocolate Films, R: Marcel Langenegger. Partnership - Men's Film: A: Pink Cross Schwulenorganisation Schweiz, W: Euro RSCG Switzerland, P: Blood, Sweat & Tears, R: Patrick Senn. Series Sat 1 Switzerland "Fussballfieber" - Outeinwurf: A: Sat.1 (Switzerland), W: DDB Zurich, P: Addictive Productions, R: Markus Welter. Series Sat 1 Switzerland "Fussballfieber" - Simulant: (Credits as above). Schauspielhaus Zürich "Schauspiel Aus": A: Schauspielhaus Zürich, W: Publicis, P: Wirz & Fraefel, R: Stefan Fraefel. Sunrise "The Number": A: TDC Switzerland, Sunrise, W: Wirz Werbung, P: Blood, Sweat & Tears, R: Christian Aeby. Series Swisscom "Expo.02/Break the Silence" - Prison: A: Swisscom, Biel, P: Absolutturnus Film, R: Paul Riniker. Series Swisscom "Expo.02/Break the Silence" - Declaration of Love, Series Swisscom "Expo.02/ Break the Silence" - Painter: (Credits as above). Swisscom Fixnet "Simply": A: Swisscom Fixnet, W: Advico Young & Rubicam, P: Pumpkin Film, R: Sebastien Grousset. Toni Jogurt series "Toni in a Glass Version 1+2": A: Swiss Dairy Food, W: Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett, P: Pumpkin Film, R: Julia Jason. Toyota "Mirror Facade": A: Toyota (Switzerland), W: Wirz Werbung, P: Pumpkin Film, R: Sebastian Grousset. VBZ "Dichter Fahrplan": A: Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich, W: Ruf Lanz Werbeagentur, P: Das Werk, R: Danielle Lanz, Markus Ruf. Detergent Total "Anti Grau": A: Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, W: Exxtra Kommunikation/AY & R, P: Ultra Images, R: Giorgio Zehnder.
Shortlist commissioned film "Brainworker" ADA the intelligent space: A: ETH Zurich, Matthias Erzinger, P: Central Pictures, R: Jacqueline Zünd. The film serves as accompanying material for schools on the subject of "ADA the intelligent space" at Expo.02 and arouses curiosity to see more.
Cash-TV: A: Ringier/Cash-TV, P: Frame Eleven, R: Adrian Wisard. With a new on-air appearance, the program Cash-TV gets a fresh design concept with the aim of increasing attention and reaching more viewers.
Gasverbund Mittelland AG: A: Gasverbund Mittelland, P: Martin Cleis Kunst & Grafik, W: Martin Cleis, R: Martin Cleis. The film on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Gasverbund Mittelland shows in a sympathetic and informative way
Visitors, partners and customers, which are the tasks, competences and visions of Gasverbund Mittelland.
IWC Pilot's Watch 5011: A: IWC International Watch, P: Frame Eleven, W: Futurecom Interactive, R: Futurecom Interactive/Frame Eleven. The product film demonstrates the technical ingenuity of the watches through 3-D animation and is intended for launch at points of sale for trade show visitors and customers.
Les papillons de nuit: A: La Lanterne Magique, P: Swamp Animation Studio, R: Jonas Räber. An animated film that brings to life the characters of the famous illustrator Noyau and tells a story about cinema, weaving elements of dream and projection and of light and illusion.
Suva/Stress: A: Suva, P: Turnus Film, R: Ruedi Burkhalter. The video is intended to raise awareness of the problem of stress among all employees in stress-ridden companies in all sectors, from grassroots to management level, and to work with the workforce to develop concrete ways of improving the situation.
Wuschel - Wuschel Intro + Extro: A: SF DRS, P: Swiss Effects, R: SF DRS. For the children's program "Gutenachtgeschichte" on SF 1, an intro and extro trailer was created as a recognition sign for children.

MARKUS TRÄNKLE is CD Text at Advico Young & Rubicam since the beginning of SeptemberHead of the week Markus Tränkle is CD Text at Advico Young & Rubicam since the beginning of September "The new AY&R has more drive than the old one."
Markus Tränkle doesn't like to sit in made-up nests - too boring, too banal. All the more exciting for him is the challenge of taking on the legacy of an outstanding creative guild as CD Text of Advico Young & Rubicam (AY&R). No easy feat: "The goal of building on the agency's achievements and improving on them is ambitious," admits Tränkle, but he says: "The new AY&R has more drive than the old one - in terms of personnel and organization, it's still in top shape, but now there's a breath of fresh air." The new groove is already clearly noticeable in Gockhausen, he says. Tränkle himself acts as a "doer CD," wanting to contribute and support ideas instead of just delegating.
The 41-year-old sees the collaboration with CD Art Daniel Comte as a huge advantage. The two were already a team earlier at Matter Leo Burnett. "We know our qualities and complement each other ideally," says Tränkle.
Nobody would have thought that the German would end up in advertising, least of all himself. He was a typical dropout, with no formal education. "Instead, I dreamed of a career as a drummer in the punk band Mother's Ruin," he says in retrospect. But Tränkle had to get by with bread jobs. When, at 27, he happened to hear about a traineeship as a copywriter at ASGS/BBDO, he realized, "This is it." And that's how it stayed.
After joining the company late in life, Tränkle has consistently followed this path and made a name for himself as a copywriter/concept developer at agencies such as Wirz, GGK Basel, WHS, Smart Factory and, most recently, Publicis. "So far, I've never gotten bored, and I've met a lot of interesting people and companies," he says, explaining his fascination with the job. Tränkle has been able to profit from all the agencies, "in both good and bad ways. But he learned an enormous amount at ASGS/BBDO from the then CD and current author Martin Suter: "Because he has wit not only on paper.
Markus Tränkle also enjoys writing in his private life. He could even imagine publishing a book himself one day. "But only if I can convey relevant content in an exciting way, as I do in advertising," he says. His first priority in his free time is his four children, from whom he now lives separately.
The rebellious times are a thing of the past. What has remained is his love of rock music and drumming: "I can totally switch off when I'm drumming." The fact that his current blues-rock band Toolboxx could have commercial success is not an issue for him, however. "Today, all that counts for me is the fun." Carole Koch

Only fee-splitting promises a recovery of the local TV landscapeBy Daniel Schifferle Thanks to the recently sealed cooperation with Publisuisse, TeleNewsCombi is optimistic about the future. However, a truly healthy local TV landscape is not expected until fee-splitting is introduced.
The advertising alliance of eight Swiss local TV stations has had some turbulent times. Just last week, TeleNewsCombi (TNC) signed a cooperation agreement with Publisuisse and decided on an advertising combination with SF1 (WW 35/02).
Central tasks that were previously carried out by TNC's sole marketer Radiotele have now been transferred to Publisuisse. "The framework conditions have never been as good for us as they are today," said TNC Managing Director Marcel Geissbühler during a presentation that the private TV network launched on a day-long cruise on Lake Zurich (see box). The cooperation agreement with Publisuisse and the advertising combination with SF 1 are a milestone in the history of TNC.
The latter has high hopes for the new collaboration - and must have high hopes. At present, financially healthy local TV stations are nothing more than a pipe dream. Many stations recoup almost half of their budgets through advertising and sponsorship. Filippo Lombardi, Managing Director of the private TV association Telesuisse, member of the Council of States and owner of Tele Ticino, demonstrated the difficult situation himself. Together, the 18 members of Telesuisse have annual costs totaling CHF 70 million. However, this cost base would only be offset by advertising and sponsorship income of CHF 40 million. If you add to this the CHF 5 million from the "small fee splitting" that is already distributed to the local broadcasters, the bottom line is still a hefty loss of CHF 25 million. "That is
not a healthy situation," said Lombardi. The Ticino Councillor of States knows exactly what he is talking about, as his own broadcaster TeleTicino had just hit the headlines in connection with cost-cutting exercises - with employees cutting their salaries.
Healthy local TV landscape only from 2005
Lombardi does not expect to see a healthy local TV landscape until the announced millions from fee-splitting flow in. If the debate on the revision of the RTVA proceeds without further delays, this will be the case in 2005. Each licensed regional TV station could then expect a basic contribution of CHF 2 to 3 million.
Lombardi painted a rosy future for the recipients of the millions in fees. "With a basic contribution of CHF 2 to 3 million per station, all TV stations will be able to offer regional information very professionally and in high quality." This increase in fees will also make it easier to develop new programs and ideas in collaboration with advertising and sponsorship partners.
The Telesuisse managing director is not without worries with regard to his association, in which 18 private broadcasters are organized. They will hardly all be able to benefit from the prospective splitting millions. The Federal Council only intends to consider 10 to 12 broadcasters.
TeleNewsCombi on a cruise

TeleNewsCombi guests were able to spend a whole day cruising on one of the large passenger ships on Lake Zurich. An all-round successful event that was also praised for its exciting content. However, the great effort would have deserved a little more audience. The event was originally planned for around 120 people. However, according to the organizers, only around 80 came in the end. If you deduct the 30 people who attended from the ranks of the TNC, that leaves just 50 guests. "It was probably a bit cheeky to want to take people away from work for a whole day," Geissbühler said self-critically. (dse)

The planned dusting off of Tamedia's problem child is met with media scepticismBy Oliver Classen Increasing attractiveness and relevance in order to gain new readers and advertisers: This is the reformatory credo of the new editor-in-chief of Du, Christian Seiler. Media culture expert Christoph Meier considers such a zeitgeist cure to be "exciting, but rather risky".
The successor to Marco Meier, who stepped down from his post in mid-July after twelve years at the helm - insiders say: pushed - made his debut as author of the "cultural encyclopaedia" (current self-definition) back in 1990 in the magazine on the subject of sleep. The title of his first book: "Protokoll eines Schlaflosen" ("Log of an insomniac"). However, his new "dream job" is not causing him any sleepless nights, says Christian Seiler when asked. The still-magazine editor, who officially took up his post at the beginning of December, already knows too well how he wants to bring the somewhat grayed eminence among Europe's cultural magazines "back into the public conversation and onto the media agenda".
The recipe of Seiler, who is just 41 years old, is rhetorically reminiscent of the recent relaunches of Magazin and Weltwoche. No wonder, as it is just as Anglo-Saxon inspired. However, in addition to "updating content and breaking up outdated viewing and reading habits", there is also an expansion of the concept of culture that goes hand in hand with the generational change. Specifically, pop culture areas such as design, fashion, media and even advertising are to be increasingly included in the Du in future.
At the same time, the jacket section, consisting of columns and commentaries, will be made more "prominent and opinionated". The only thing that seems sacrosanct at the moment is the basic monothematic structure.
Skimming readers from the special interest competition?
But here too, the former head of the Viennese news magazine Profil wants to break new ground and focus strongly on overriding topical issues. In view of the smouldering Iraq crisis, for example, Seiler "would probably have made an oil magazine long ago". Who knows, maybe it will happen.
Christoph Meier, cultural expert and head of media at FCBLK, would certainly be pleased, as he considers such a "focus on current reader interest to be "extremely interesting and welcome".
On the other hand, he considers the popping up of the Tamedia editorial title disguised as an opening to be reckless or even dangerous. "If the core audience is alienated, special interest titles such as Literaturen, Art or Theater will have to attract new readers," says Meier, "and that is unlikely to succeed."
So far, the lead agency Wirz has no opinion on the rejuvenation of the now 61-year-old Du-Dame. All they have heard from their glass house is that Tamedia's contract has been terminated at the end of the year, but that the chimpanzee campaign ("Reduce the difference!") will continue, possibly even until next spring. By then at the latest, Seiler will also be trying to make a decisive difference in terms of self-promotion.

Swiss Lions? Swiss Lion! By Beat Fritsch
Almost a thousand advertisers who did not travel to Cannes this year did not want to miss the Cannes reel. It could be seen in the Musicalhall on the Maag site, which has been converted into a cinema and is currently hosting the "Deep" spectacle. Immersion in the world of advertising was the motto. The good seats were coveted. The first guests were already standing on the carpet half an hour before the doors opened, and an hour later the hall was filled to capacity.
Before the fun could begin, honors and speeches were on the agenda. First of all, RMB CEO Matthias Luchsinger announced a change of name. From 2003, RMB Switzerland will once again be called Cinecom, and the new logo will be unveiled shortly. Afterwards, the winners of the diplomas - known as Paper Lions in the trade - and the only Lion were invited to the stage to be honored by the Swiss jury members and the category sponsors respectively.
Roger Baur, Marketing and Sales Manager at Cyber Lions sponsor Adlink, was unlucky. He had a lengthy speech written for him at great expense. But because there were no awards in the Cyber category, Baur's speaking time was mercilessly cut short, leaving just enough time for five sentences.
Christoph Morach from DM sponsor Mailprofiler and Lions Direct jury member Gilbert Fisch had it better. While Morach used the time to put forward arguments for Cannes sponsorship, DM juror Fisch took it upon himself to piss off the trade press. He came up with a side blow against WerbeWoche that could be considered foul play.
That's how it came about: Before Cannes, our trade journal took the liberty of asking industry experts whether the inclusion of Lions Direct in the festival made sense. "He may not even comment on such stupid questions any more," lamented the CEO of direct advertising agency Fisch Meier. However - as we all know, there are no stupid questions. The answers ranged from "a big step forward" (Luchsinger) to "pure profiteering" (Aebi and Fueter).
The subject of profiteering. It is not forbidden, for example, to make the following calculation: The new Lions Direct category, with 1063 submissions of 400 euros each, has quickly generated an additional 425,000 euros in revenue for the festival. Less food and accommodation for another jury. Well, if that's not business ...
Remy Fabrikant provoked many laughs when he gave the audience an insight into the judging process. His performance by the Chinese juror in particular ("No, no - this no good - absolutely no good work!") caused much amusement.
Moving images were also the focus of last week's Tele-Award ceremony, which was also a redesign and relaunch party. The TV magazine was given a major makeover. The party took place in a very sophisticated atmosphere at the X-Tra, and in addition to advertisers and media people, there were also plenty of Cervelat celebrities in attendance. Frank Bodin, for example, sat at a very illustrious table with Emil Steinberger, Michael Ringier, Jürg Marquard and Urs Rohner.
The Tele prize went to sitcom author Charles Lewinsky (original quote: "I'm really impressed with myself."). In an allusion to Kurt Felix, who was present, the comedians presenting "Flüügzüüg" not only presented him with the Tele statue, but also the Telebock that television director Schellenberg had shot when Lewinsky was deposed.
Beat Fritsch

was lost in moving pictures last week. At the Maag-Areal, RMB hosted the vision of the Cannes reel 2002, the Tele-Prize is awarded annually to a television producer who is responsible for the filler between the commercial breaks.
We find out who meets in the communications scene at parties and drinks receptions at a wide variety of industry events. Do you already have something exciting to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or hit the keyboard (info@werbewo che.ch). For event tips and more pictures: ww.werbewoche.ch

The contract and commercial filmmakers united in the Swiss Film and Video Producers (SFVP) trade association want to operate under the Swissfilm Association logo in future. "The old name didn't have enough sex appeal," says Peter Beck from the association's Edi working group. SFVP President Andres Brütsch adds: "The term "Swissfilm" is intended to emphasize that today's contract filmmakers define themselves much more as cinematic storytellers than as video technicians. (pan)

With Zap-in 03, IP Multimedia launched its alternative to Screen-upBy Daniel Schifferle Following the demise of Screen-up, IP Multimedia went it alone for the first time in presenting new TV offerings. There was no shortage of stars at Zap-in 03: all the channel bosses had traveled in person from Germany and France to present their program innovations.
Over 1500 visitors flocked to the fourth and final edition of Screen-up in September 2001. The new IP Multimedia (Switzerland) telefair was nowhere near able to keep up with this number of visitors. However, the organizers are satisfied with the 250 to 300 visitors counted at Zap-in 03. "The smaller setting allowed us to respond better to our customers," said IP Multimedia CEO Michi Frank.
With Zap-in 03, the marketer of the advertising windows of RTL, RTL2, Pro7, Kabel1 and Vox went it alone again for the first time in five years in the presentation of new programs. Publisuisse, the local channels and Sat1, which is marketed by RMB, had to stay outside this year.
However, the success of the screen-up, which was driven forward with great enthusiasm at the end of the 1990s, quickly became its biggest problem. With the integration of Publisuisse and the local TV stations, the number of presenting stations and marketers had exploded to 29.
Too many to give each offer enough time and attention, the organizers stated in unison. The costs, which were deemed too high, only proved to tip the scales when last spring saw the surprising end to the
Screen-up came.
Despite the low tide, Schmalhans is not in the program kitchen
Concentrating resources on what is necessary is the motto today. In order to minimize "scatter loss", the list of invitees to Zap-in 03 was deliberately limited to the circle of industry representatives involved in media in the narrower sense. However, there was no skimping on the celebrities invited: all the station managers of the advertising windows marketed by IPM had come in person to present the program highlights of the coming year to those present. Before the official launch of Zap-in 03, they were on hand to answer journalists' questions.
The crisis has been a particularly big talking point, especially as German TV broadcasters have been hit incomparably harder than the Swiss. Surprisingly, however, the Swiss advertising windows share the general
Not a downward trend. "We haven't had any decline in sales of our advertising windows," says Michi Frank. The end of Tele 24 and TV 3 has helped to keep demand for advertising space high. Frank is also optimistic about the future of advertising windows. "There is undoubtedly additional potential for television advertising in Switzerland."
These prospects seem downright luxurious compared to the advertising slump that German TV stations are struggling with. None of the station bosses present dared to predict when the crisis might be over. RTL boss Gerhard Zeiler merely allowed himself to say: "It will hardly go much further down." Despite the slump in advertising sales, however, the company will not start cutting back on programming now. "Although we are looking closely at the environments, we are wary of cutting back on relevant broadcasting slots. Because then viewer numbers would fall and we would only be cutting ourselves in two," added Kabel 1 boss Andreas Bartl.
The TV rates for next year, which IPM does not want to announce until mid-October, are still open. Frank also does not yet want to answer the question of whether this smaller-scale form of the Telemesse is already the definitive recipe for the future. The only thing that is certain is that the TV presentation will once again be organized on its own next year. Not least because of the costs. "We spent significantly less money on Zap-in 03 than we did last year for Screen-up," he says.

20 Min Holding CEO Sverre Munck denies sales negotiations with TamediaBy Stefano Monachesi 20 Minuten is only on the home straight to break-even in Switzerland, says Sverre Munck. The CEO of 20 Min Holding AG defends himself against rumors that the commuter newspaper is up for sale.
Mr. Munck, at the Interactive Publishing Conference in Zurich in 1999, you emphasized in a presentation: "Secure profits after two or three years are a matter for wimps who are afraid of aggressive business plans." Does that also apply to free newspapers?
Sverre Munck: Every 20-minute project has a three-year horizon until break-even. You have to be prepared to spend money. The cost side can be predicted fairly well. What is uncertain is how quickly you can increase revenue. The uncertainties are less than they were for websites in the Internet era, but you always have to be able to invest something.
Will 20 minutes fulfill the three-year plan?
Munck: Just three or four months ago, I was convinced that we would see many profitable months this fall. In the current market environment, of course, I see things differently, but we will still get very close to our goal. We grew very quickly last year. Our net revenue increased by around 20 percent. There are always economic cycles. At some point, the wind will change again and we will be there.
According to Wemf figures, free newspapers have achieved 8.6 percent less advertising volume in the current year. Does this also apply to 20 Minuten?
Munck: That was the case at the beginning of the year, mainly due to the decline in job advertisements. But the situation has developed very well in recent months. We were able to compensate for the decline in the job market with brand advertising and are now above the previous year's level.
20 Minuten increased its readership this year from 314,000 to 526,000 people. Has this increase also increased the value of the company?
Munck: Of course. We were very pleased with the new Wemf figures. It would have been especially nice if we had only just
had slightly more readers than the Tages-Anzeiger. But one percent difference is within the statistical margin of error. We are the number three daily newspaper in German-speaking Switzerland and are on the way up. That also helps our advertisers a lot.
These figures only just reflect the past.
Munck: That's how the newspaper business works: It takes a lot to prove to advertisers that you have enough and interesting readers. We know from the distributed circulation that we already have more readers today - but we can only prove that with Mach 2003.
So the difference between your position in the reader market and the advertising market is quite normal?
Munck: We are a new media phenomenon. But the advertising industry is pretty conservative. It took some time for them to become familiar with our concept. As a free newspaper, you always have to convince the industry that "free" is a distribution concept, not a quality feature.
Ringier published a calculation last year according to which 20 Minuten posted a loss of CHF 20 million. Is this figure correct?
Munck: One of the advantages of being a private company is that you don't have to comment on such statements. This year the losses are much smaller, and next year they will be very, very small - if there are any at all.
With Apax and the Müller-Möhl community of heirs, 20 Minuten also has purely financial investors alongside Schibsted who want to see profits from their investment at some point. Will they continue to wait patiently?
Munck: Our investors are very smart investors. They know that we are in a difficult market situation, so they remain patient.
There are rumors in the industry that one or two partners could pull out at the end of the year.
Munck: That is completely untrue. Our company has very solid investors. There have been several financing rounds that have been approved and we have enough money to reach break-even according to our plan. There is no need for new investors and no reason for an investor to withdraw.
There is talk in the industry that a Swiss partner could get on board. Tamedia is considered a candidate.
Munck: We are not looking for a partner at all, and we will not sell 20 Minuten to anyone. We run an international brand with 20 Minuten. We have investors at the top level and, as far as I know, there are no plans to discuss the individual subsidiaries.
So press reports that Tamedia's CEO Martin Kall met with Schibsted print director Birger Magnus for negotiations are false?
Munck: Yes, they are wrong. I also read the reports and called Birger Magnus straight away. He assured me that he had never seen Mr. Kall and had never spoken to him. There are no talks or negotiations with Tamedia about 20 Minuten - it will stay that way.
How is spending developing in Spain and France?
Munck: In Spain, we have almost one million readers, with a circulation of 300,000 copies in Madrid and 200,000 in Barcelona. In the first half of 2002, we achieved a 68 percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year. I am pretty sure that we will break even before the end of the three years. In France, we reached our target of 450000 copies distributed in June and our readership is 967000. As we only started this year, there are no comparisons with the previous year, but we are very satisfied.
What does further expansion look like?
Munck: We are currently concentrating on the three existing areas of Switzerland, Spain and France. There are certain cities in Switzerland, Spain and France that we have our eye on.

Following a relaunch, Tele is focusing even more on the core target group of young peopleBy Andreas Panzeri When the secret of the winner of the Tele Prize is revealed on the front page today (Thursday), readers of Tele will also be amazed by a second surprise. The program guide - or new: the media magazine from Ringier - has not just been given a facelift, but a radical relaunch.
Following a comprehensive redesign of the layout, the creation of a new logo and a partial realignment of the editorial content, the Swiss media magazine Tele has a fresh new look. The Zurich agency Catapult is responsible for the advertising. This will also start on October 3 with the Tele Prize Day with advertisements, posters and a TV, cinema and radio spot.
The new Tele is set up like a buffet
Tele has been working with Catapult for two years. In spring, the daughter of
Euro RSCG has already launched an image campaign. For the relaunch campaign, readers are now to be "brought to the kiosk, combined with image and positioning", as publishing director Jacqueline Friederichs explains.
"The new Tele should be even more of a media magazine than just a program guide," demanded Editor-in-Chief Klaus Kriesel (see also interview below). According to the new concept, the stories should have three pillars: Information value, entertainment value and regional relevance. This means that an article in Tele must have more to do with the living conditions of people in German-speaking Switzerland than in conventional TV guides.
For this relaunch, Ringier commissioned research into how Swiss-German consumers use audiovisual media. This analysis led to the realization that today, content in print media is also used in the same way as the Internet. "People surf and navigate through content and choose what they want from what is on offer," explains Editor-in-Chief Kriesel. This was also the idea that the agency Media Group Berlin used to design the new Tele.
With the new Tele, the introduction to a story is even more so via the image than before. "You can compare it to a buffet that you approach with your plate and then choose something. You can't eat everything, just like you don't want to read everything in a magazine, at least not all at once," says Kriesel, visualizing his idea of "surfing the Internet" in a print product.
Moving images also move the eyes of Tele readers
In addition to the program section, the modern Tele now contains five new sections: People, Television, Movie, Multimedia and Magazine. "This concept is also very interesting for advertising customers," promises Jacqueline Friederichs. The new dramaturgy of the magazine will also result in new and more flexible placements. In addition to the editorial, there is now a third of a page available for advertising. The new styling also offers many more opportunities for overflowing and more generous advertisements, as more emphasis is placed on content with stories that can run over six pages, such as the film of the week.
Overall, cinema films will be an important part of the new media magazine with 12 of the average 132 pages. New DVD releases are also weighted with one double page more than in the "old" Tele. In addition, the top sporting event of the week will now feature regularly in the editorial section with background reports.
"Knowing what's hot" was therefore also the basic idea for the Catapult advertising agency's "Awards" print campaign. Tele not only reports on news and background information in the areas of television, movies, sounds and multimedia, but "is even appreciated by award winners", as the advertising manager responsible for the campaign explains.
says Frank Bodin, who is responsible for the text. The TV, cinema and radio commercials demonstrate in a tongue-in-cheek yet drastic way just how popular the magazine is with its target group. As soon as the reader leaves, a fierce battle for the new Tele ensues.
Comprehensive market research has shown that the new Tele is "very well received" by existing readers.

It remains unclear who is behind the free evening paper Ticino oggiThe free evening paper Ticino oggi has been on the market for a month now. Although the launch on September 2 was anything but optimal, the paper has since steadily improved in terms of print quality, content and distribution. However, demand is assessed differently. "For the most part, the public leaves Ticino oggi in the boxes and restaurants," says Renato Cassis, co-owner of the publishing house Mediatik and co-publisher of the nightlife magazine Re.set, which is appearing for the first time this week. "About half of every issue is read. And every now and then a comment by editor-in-chief Flavio Maspoli even becomes a topic of conversation," says publisher Matteo Cheda. Advertisers are keeping a low profile: there are a maximum of three advertising pages per issue - despite the introductory rate in September.
"Ticino oggi has no primeurs so far. And for a daily newspaper, the domestic page is very incomplete," criticizes Cheda. Some of the editorial staff also come from Italy and are hardly familiar with Swiss politics. This can also be seen in the use of certain vocabulary that is not common in Ticino journalism.
The shrill tones are now followed by the quiet ones
It is still unclear who invested the start-up capital of three million francs. Based on statements made by Maspoli, both Cheda and Cassis continue to assume that the company Thermoselect, which builds incineration plants, is one of the direct or indirect backers. It was therefore generally expected that the Ticino government would be the target of a lawsuit because Thermoselect is involved in a legal dispute with it.
The company had already once massively supported a Maspoli newspaper - L'Altra Notizia, which was discontinued in 1996 - and used it as a propaganda channel against Ticino's waste policy. But in contrast to the shrill L'Altra Notizia, Ticino oggi is downright calm and well-behaved. There is still little sign of propaganda. At least Maspoli has adopted Thermoselect's position on waste policy in Ticino in one of his first comments. However, Thermoselect stubbornly denies any involvement.
However, Cassis remains skeptical. "Thermoselect has simply chosen a different strategy: They are now coming along quietly in order to strike a louder note at the appropriate moment - for example, towards the cantonal elections next spring," he believes. Cheda, on the other hand, assumes that Thermoselect will no longer engage in such heavy-handed propaganda as in the past, "but will rather give a platform to those politicians and candidates who are in line with their own views". Markus Knöpfli

Film off! Publicis ignites the third advertising stage for the Zurich Transport AssociationBy Luca Aloisi Every day, 1.3 million people travel on the transport network of the Zurich Transport Association (ZVV). Almost as many people voted its "Richtig verkehrt" campaign the campaign of the year 2001. The in-house agency Publicis has now topped the winning campaign with two Hollywood-worthy cinema spots.
"The most difficult part of producing the film was making the streetcar seaworthy," grins Publicis CD Dani Krieg with visible pride. We are talking about the upcoming cinema spot version of the "One ticket for everything" strategy. In around two years, the image campaign launched after the introduction of the new CI has, with its astonishing implementations, made the ZVV fare network and the network of ZVV services well known and turned the trivial slogan "I'm also a..." into a catchphrase. CCO Jean Etienne Aebi won almost everything there is to win in the industry with the buses running on rails and the streetcars on lakes.
It was not only the awards from the professional and lay public that prompted those responsible to continue on the chosen communication path. "With a market share of 60 percent of commuters to Zurich, we have a top position in Europe," says ZVV advertising manager Hans Wälty. Truly a good testimony to the marketing budget of around two million.
ZVV also arrives at the office next year
He does not accept the fact that ZVV users are dependent on the regional public transport company's services anyway and that the ZVV could therefore do without its image. Competition in the canton of Zurich - where car availability is 70 percent - remains tough.
However, the fact that the ZVV is not only presenting itself as an alternative to gridlock, but also wants to expand its strong position by extending its night-time services, shows that its business plans are geared towards growth. The integral night network service will also soon reach the young target audience in cinemas. For the time being, however, the visual magic of the two new ZVV cinema ads meets the high expectations for the follow-up campaign to "One ticket for everything".
A streetcar makes its way across the lake in the morning mist alongside a fishing boat and ducks, while, conversely, a ship collects passengers on the country road in an idyllic landscape. Accompanied by classical music, the technically sophisticated films invite you to indulge yourself.
With advertising messages such as "I am also an office" or "I am also an office", ZVV will be profiling the additional benefits as well as its core competence in the familiar style from mid-October. "In this way, we are lifting the veil a little on what might happen in 2003," says Krieg. And Wälty adds sibyllinically: "We haven't shot our powder yet."

The companies of the Wirz Group now reside in a glass office buildingThe Wirz Group's lack of space has found a glass end: On September 24, Wirz Partner Holding opened its new headquarters at Üetlibergstrasse 132 in Zurich - a "House of Communication". The companies Frontpage, Wirz Identity, Wirz Interactive, Wirz Link, Wirz Management, Wirz Public Relations and Wirz Werbung have been moving into the 4523 square meter domicile since April 2002 as part of a phased plan.
Bringing the business group together under one roof fulfills a long-held wish for Jost Wirz. "This is a milestone for us because we have dreamed of it for so long. For 20 years, we had to relocate companies to the surrounding area." The Chairman of the Board of Wirz Partner Holding (see also page 32) explained that the physical proximity now facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration for cross-company orders.
The modern new steel and glass building planned by Zurich architects Steiger Partner was erected in just one year on the foundations of the former Tages-Anzeiger gravure printing works. The glass palace is located directly next to Zurich's oldest high-rise building, the Imagohaus, where the parent company of the group, Wirz Werbung AG, has been domiciled for the past 40 years.
Geri Aebi recently became CEO of the agency, which currently has 80 employees. The 44-year-old, who previously held the same position at GGK Vienna, will become co-owner of Wirz Werbung and take over the shares of the previous CEO Hans Ulrich Schweizer, who will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors. At the same time, a Group Management Board will replace the previous Group Management. The board, chaired by Jost Wirz, is made up of the managing directors of the Wirz Group.
The Wirz Group as a whole generated estimated fee income of 75 million Swiss francs in 2001. Ernst Weber