Matter & Partner strikingly implements Bank Leu's new imageLet's make money was the motto at the end of the nineties. The bull market drew crowds to the stock exchanges. Financial institutions that thought highly of themselves were coy about the magic word "private banking". Private banks had to position themselves more strongly. Bank Leu, a member of the CS Group, commissioned the agencies Coande and Matter & Partner to develop a new CD and an image campaign. The new image is intended to focus more clearly on the private banking target groups than in the universal bank days. With beautiful images and an elegant color concept, the Zurich bank stands out from its competitors. page 5

Mach Basic 2002: The weekly press suffers - the Sunday papers fly high and farBy Daniel Schifferle The commuter newspaper flu has struck again. After the Tages-Anzeiger, the huge advance of 20 Minuten has now also hit the Berner Zeitung. In addition to the rapidly growing trend towards free reading, the economic downturn is also leaving its mark on the Swiss press. Business newspapers in particular have suffered from the gloomy economic climate.
The balance between winners and losers in this year's Mach Basic does not exactly look favorable. With a total of over twenty newspapers and magazines, the list of losers is more than twice as long as the list of titles that were able to expand their readership.
The lists with the red figures are particularly striking: All newspaper titles with significant losses can be found in German-speaking Switzerland. The Tages-Anzeiger, Berner Zeitung, WoZ, Cash, HandelsZeitung and Online-PC-Zeitung all suffered massive losses in readership.
Readers currently have little appetite for business stocks
In general, however, the daily newspapers are performing well across the board. Across all three parts of the country, only three titles suffered significant losses: Tages-Anzeiger (TA), Berner Zeitung (BZ) and Neue Luzerner Zeitung. The reason for the dips of TA and BZ is clearly to be found in the huge advance of 20 Minuten, which achieved the biggest growth spurt in its history (see page 25). In WG 34, the home territory of BZ, which was hit by the commuter newspaper flu for the first time, 20 Minuten more than tripled its readership to 89,000 readers in one fell swoop. The direct consequence of this must be seen in the steep loss of the BZ, which fell by 28,000 readers (-8.5%).
The recent loss of the Tages-Anzeiger, which with 35,000 lost readers (-6.2%) was even more striking than last year, is also attributable to 20 Minuten. However, Tamedia spokesman Peter Hartmeier believes that the bottom has now been reached. Nevertheless, a big question mark remains over the further economic development. "If people start to save even more, this could put further pressure on readership figures - not only for the Tages-Anzeiger, but also for all other newsstand and subscription titles," says Peter Hartmeier.
Above all, economic stocks are currently struggling. The depressing economic development seems to have thoroughly spoiled the public's appetite for business titles. Cash in particular felt the effects of this, with its readership shrinking by 35,000 (-9.6%). The crisis at the business paper, which has been off course since the departure of Markus Gisler, is now having a full impact on the readership market. "The business press in general has a problem at the moment," says Ringier spokesman Fridolin Luchsinger, however. In the case of Cash, he is convinced that the downward trend has already been halted by the restructuring that has since taken place under Cash founder Thomas Trüb.
HandelsZeitung also felt the drastic effects of the end of the stock market boom years, which had been accompanied by steep growth in the readership of business titles. A total of 17,000 readers put the HandelsZeitung out of their hands, which is a hefty drop of 10.5%. In addition to the economic downturn, the crisis in the IT sector also seems to have left its mark. The online PC newspaper was read by 20,000 fewer people (-11.4%) than in the previous year.
However, the massive decline of the WoZ Wochenzeitung cannot simply be explained by economic developments. With a loss of 11,000 readers (-10.8%), it was particularly painful for the title, which traditionally struggles with small budgets.
Daily newspapers are and remain safe assets
After September 11, the daily newspapers appear as
particularly safe values. All the larger titles - NZZ, Südostschweiz, St.Galler Tagblatt, Basler Zeitung, Bund, Zürichsee-Zeitung - were extremely stable in terms of audience attention. Western Switzerland was even good for an upward surprise: Le Matin was able to gain a respectable 33,000 readers (+12.4%).
However, this astonishing development is not yet due to the new editor-in-chief Peter Rothenbühler and his new concept. Rothenbühler only took over the reins in March 2002, just a month before the end of the survey period for the current Mach Basic.
How readers in French-speaking Switzerland react to the new concept will therefore only become clear in the next edition of the study.
The current Mach Basic only documents a consistently positive trend for Sunday markets. Particularly pleasing: the desire to read on Sundays continued to increase equally in all three parts of the country. In absolute terms, Western Switzerland saw the biggest gains. Le Matin Dimanche increased by 31,000 readers (+5.2%). The Ringier paper Dimanche.ch also benefited from the further increase in readership on Sundays, albeit significantly less with only 13,000 additional readers (+11.8%). The return to growth is all the more pleasing given that Ringier Romandie's newspaper baby got into a threatening predicament last year - far too early.
Ringier also has other reasons to be happy. Its Ticino Sunday child - Il Caffè della Domenica - is thriving. The free newspaper, in which the Zurich-based company holds a 45% stake, also recorded 12,000 more readers (+14.1%) than in the same period last year. Maspoli's Mattina della Domenica clearly lost out, with its readership shrinking slightly despite the booming Sunday market in Ticino.
The development of the Swiss-German Sunday market also gives cause for optimism. The SonntagsZeitung was able to increase its readership by 29,000 (+3.8%). However, it would be premature to break out into jubilation today. This is because the launch of NZZ am Sonntag, which will take readers away from the Tamedia paper for better or worse, only took place two weeks before the field work for the current Mach Basic was completed. This means that the influence of the new Sonntagsblatt will only become apparent in the next edition of the readership study. The NZZ am Sonntag has announced its first readership figures for December.
However, the full statistical truth will only come to light next year, and not just for SonntagsZeitung. SonntagsBlick may also have to expect surprises then, as the Borer affair only came to light after the end of the survey period for the current Mach Basic. It is to be feared that the unsavory story has also left negative traces in the SoBli readership.
MethodsPopulation: Resident population of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein aged 14 and over. Total CH and FL: 5628000 persons. German language group: 4053000 (72.0%); French language group: 1319000 persons (23.4%); Italian language group: 256000 persons (4.6%).
Sample size: Interviews CH and FL: 23487 (unweighted), 23487 (weighted). Of which: Interviews German-speaking Switzerland: 16853 (unweighted), 16914 weighted). Interviews French-speaking Switzerland: 5506 (unweighted), 5503 (weighted). Interviews in Italian-speaking Switzerland: 1128 (unweighted), 1070 (weighted).
Survey technique: Computer-assisted telephone interviews using a tested, fully structured questionnaire from four central telephone laboratories in German- and French-speaking Switzerland.
Fieldwork: Demoscope AG, Adligenswil; Link AG, Lucerne and Lausanne; M.I.S. Trend SA, Lausanne.
Evaluations: ISBA GmbH, Hamburg; Link AG, Lucerne.
Survey period: April 9, 2001 - March 28, 2002 (survey breaks April 13, 2001 - April 16, 2001 and December 21, 2001 - January 3, 2002)
Mittelland Zeitung in third placeThe Mittelland Zeitung, which was launched at the beginning of January 2002, came third among the Swiss-German daily newspapers in its first participation in Mach Basic. However, with a net reach of 8.9% or 36,000 readers, it is well ahead of the two leading daily newspapers Blick (net reach 18.1%, 734,000 readers) and Tages-Anzeiger (net reach 13.1%, 531,000 readers). Mittelland Zeitung is made up of the former titles Aargauer Zeitung, Solothurner Zeitung, Oltner Tagblatt and Zofinger Tagblatt.

In addition, marketing specialists Urs Stamm and Pascal Kreder have founded the agency Reflection Marketing. The Bassersdorf-based company aims to help its clients tailor their offerings to customer needs. Stamm and Kreder most recently served as sales and marketing directors, respectively, at the credit card company Europay. Prior to that, they worked for companies such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, and CS.
After about seven years as Creative Director (CD), Marc Gutzwiller is leaving the Aarau-based advertising agency Renzen & Partner at the end of September. The decision is reportedly due to differing views on the agency’s creative direction. Gutzwiller will continue to work with Renzen & Partner on a freelance basis. The new CD will be Gianni Schneiter, who has been working for the agency as a freelance concept developer and copywriter for the past six years.
Bookseller and journalist Urs Heinz Aerni is leaving the marketing department and web editorial team of the Buchhaus Group. He plans to work as a freelancer under the name Urs Heinz Aerni Buchservices. His services will include public relations for book projects, organizing readings and events, and marketing for publishers.
Oscar N. Vidal stepped down as managing director of the outdoor advertising company Megaposter.ch AG in September. He has handed over his responsibilities to Philipp Gloor, who will assume the role in addition to his current position as managing director of the sister company Movingposter.ch.
Marie-Françoise Ruesch has joined the dialogue marketing agency OgilvyOne as head of the consulting group. Ruesch comes from the Zollikon-based agency Alex Schmid BSW, where she served as a senior consultant on the executive board.
Markus Tränkle is the new Creative Director of Copy at Advico Young & Rubicam (AY&R). He comes from Publicis, where, as a copywriter, he was responsible for campaigns for APG, Die Mobiliar, and Migros («M is at the Expo»), among others. Prior to that, he worked for Wirz, GGK, Basel, and ASGS/BBDO, among others.
With Pink Communications, Dorothea Haenni is launching a new consulting agency for marketing, public relations, and advertising in Bern. It is intended to operate—initially as a one-woman—
Company – focuses on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the consumer goods and luxury goods sectors. Haenni has worked for GlaxoWellcome, the Swatch Group, and Schering (Switzerland) AG, among others.

The Urs Print Media Trophy set new records in BernBy Anita Vaucher Over 170 entries were submitted for the coveted Urs Trophy this year. For the first time, foreign agencies were also able to take part in the "Best national Bernese advertisement" category. The Graphic Promotion Prize was awarded for the first time this year.
The Urs Print Media Trophy awards ceremony took place as usual this year, despite disastrous half-year results for practically all newspaper publishers. The event, organized by Publicitas Bern, has now become a permanent institution in the region and mobilizes tout advertising Bern every year.
The large number of entries also shows the unbroken interest in this competition, but also testifies to the excellent work of the jury. They assess the works with professional competence. Fredy Collioud, as president, justifies the decisions in a straightforward manner, without any ifs or buts.
At least those guests who have been loyal to the award ceremony for years know that his heart beats especially for the small advertisement. Contrary to popular belief, this category allows a great deal of leeway,
the jury president is convinced. Text only is not mandatory, as this year's winner shows.
Advantages of long-term customer relationships
The real estate company Pirit AG, Köniz, has dispensed with square meterage information for the sale of its single-family homes and instead communicated the offer with children's drawings under the claim "Adventure at home". The "finch throw" in the living room suggests that it must be a large room. The Sonnenwerbung agency in Bern helped with this design.
Collioud announced that the criteria for the "Best Bernese Local Advertisement" category would have to be redefined next year. Only two entries could be nominated because the other entries did not meet the quality standard. The Lang Gysi Knoll agency received a bear for the Bernmobil campaign. This shows all the things you can do on public transport: Listen to concerts, chat, transfer know-how and much more.
It is not known whether Fredy Collioud withdrew when the advertisement by Publicis, Zurich, for Schweizerische Mobiliar-Versicherung, Bern, was named the winner as the "best national Bernese advertisement". However, he did not miss the opportunity to once again point out the advantages of long-term cooperation between client and agency. After years of working with Publicis, Mobiliar had the courage to draw attention to its services with simple line drawings of everyday claims.
This year, for the first time, a prize was awarded for young talent at the Bern-Biel School of Design. The third-year students created ideas on the topic "More newspaper reading - more background". The prize, sponsored by the daily newspaper Der Bund, will be awarded again next year.

A report on the mood at Tamedia that is not entirely independent of the economyBy Oliver Classen Anyone who makes transparency a corporate doctrine and gives it an architectural face could not help but be enthusiastic about our request. "A day in the life of Tamedia" by means of random interviews: Company spokesman Peter Hartmeier spontaneously took over the coordination of the appointments, we took over the formulation of the working thesis: The general economic situation corresponds with the internal mood - and vice versa.
Visitors are welcomed by a monument that is as tall as a man, but only as wide as a hand. This does not refer to the architectural testimony to the euphoria of growth, the glass palace glistening in the late summer sun, but to the gigantic screen that grins at us, almost a little maliciously, in the entrance lobby on Werdstrasse.
Compared to this flat screen decorated with the Tamedia logo, on which SF 1 is usually shown instead of Tele Züri, the editions of Facts, Annabelle, SonntagsZeitung and of course Tages-Anzeiger displayed on small smoking tables all around seem almost discreet. "If the monster hadn't been so expensive, we would have banished it to the junk room long ago": Peter Hartmeier is clearly not a fan of this symbolic remnant of the multimedia fantasies that were trimmed back to normal after the TV 3 adventure. And on the way up to his office, he doesn't forget to add: "We've learned a lot since then".
Listening too much to marketers and external consultants
He has just cooked up a distillation of recent Tamedia experiences and the resulting consequences at the exclusive "European Forum" in Alpbach, Austria. There, where the media elite (this year including Roger de Weck) meet every year, the Chief Communicator spoke about "Saving and maximizing profits after the Golden Age". The quintessence in the original quote: "We have thought too much about packaging and marketing, allowed ourselves to be blinded too much by decorative accessories and bluff, listened too long to consultants from outside the industry."
Remarkable insights that have been followed by action since late fall last year under the title "Focus" - which probably means based on facts, facts, facts. In contrast to some competitors, Hartmeier says that the company has by no means gone into a cost-cutting frenzy. Nevertheless, redundancies for operational reasons can no longer be ruled out in principle. "In future, we will employ fewer staff, but more non-conformists at all hierarchical levels," said the manager in Alpbach. When asked about this in Zurich, he immediately added that the editorial teams need not fear for their job percentages as a result.
The "Tagi" easily cleared the five percent hurdle
Who then? Internally, it is an open secret that the Tages-Anzeiger, as the most personnel-intensive and at the same time most declining Tamedia title - according to the latest Mach, the 30 percent drop in sales in the first half of 2002 is now accompanied by a loss of 35,000 readers - is currently under the greatest cost pressure.
If you believe the commercial captains of the faltering flagship, Hans Jürg Klöti (Advertising Market Director) and Fridolin Holdener (Sales Director), the situation is serious, but far from dramatic. "We have overcome the five per cent hurdle set by Focus last year through standardization measures, process optimization and the odd early retirement," Holdener proudly states.
A second wave of rationalization, during which operating costs were reduced by a further 10 percent, was recently rolled out. This time, however, it was no longer possible without redundancies. "The back office area was particularly affected," says Klöti. However, the doyen of the Swiss-German advertising business does not want to know anything about growing uncertainty, let alone a change of climate in his department, which is called a "protected workshop" by malicious tongues. The new organizational structure has simply made synergies possible and streamlining necessary. "This process has now been completed and employee morale has not been permanently dampened," says Klöti with conviction.
The Tagi reporting days are much less optimistic with regard to medium-term improvements in earnings. In a telephone survey conducted last week with some key clients, there were hopes of the first brighter signs on the advertising horizon, but they were "sent home with their pants sawed off". Despite this, Klöti and Holdener believe that the economic downturn has bottomed out. One indicator of this is the pleasing fact that last week, the Tages-Anzeiger was once again up on the previous year for three days in a row for commercial campaigns "for the first time in a very long time".
"Constructive pressure conditions"
Forecasts and projections aside, full commitment on the sales front without corresponding turnover harbors a high potential for frustration. Reto Feurer and his colleagues can tell you a thing or two about this. "The relationship between my workload and income has been completely reversed over the past two years," says the Sales Manager for the "Zurich South" region, which includes Central Switzerland and, politically incorrectly, even Ticino. Where they used to open doors, the customer advisors involved in the success often barely make it to the doorstep these days.
When the phone does ring, it is more often than ever requests for special conditions. "This shows that someone on the other side is also under the hammer," Feurer analyzes. And he sympathizes with advertisers who consider it ethically unacceptable to run big image campaigns during their own restructuring measures.
"Everyone would probably have problems if their employer cut jobs but at the same time had money left over for advertising." Nevertheless, he would more than welcome anti-cyclical investment behavior from his own employer. This would give him and his peers a compelling sales argument, along the lines of "What we can do, other companies have been doing for a long time". However, Feurer is not complaining and sums up his situation with the memorable words: "We are under constructive pressure."
Schawinski already left behind lean structures
Richi Gasser at Limmatstrasse is also feeling the effects of this, albeit in a much less pronounced form. "As an ex-Schawinski station, we didn't bring any excess capacity with us to Tamedia last year," remarks the Head of Marketing at Radio 24 with a wink. In the current budget negotiations for 2003, the man who now reports directly to Andreas Meili (Head of Electronic Media) following the departure of Christian Stärkle wants to achieve a zero round if possible. "Actually, we should even increase our staff in view of our anniversary next year," says Gasser at the weekly team meeting, at which - in a surprisingly tidy atmosphere - eight employees are present.
Among other things, the new pool policy, current customer contacts and cross-media campaigns with other Tamedia products are discussed. "Although these have achieved little so far, they are still desired," Gasser informs the group.
Radio 24 unanimously identifies the greatest potential for synergy with the new parent company as the spatial integration discussed for next year. "In order to be even closer to the pulse of the city, we would like to move geographically closer to the center," says program director Peter Brun, explaining the interests of the 13-member editorial team in this regard.
In terms of sales and studio technology, however, a move to Tele Züri in the Steinfels area would be much closer, especially as the Glashaus is already threatening to burst. "We have always worked closely with our TV colleagues: When Tele Züri, for example, has a reporter on site, he usually reports for us at the same time," says Brun, describing the modus cooperandi of the two Belcom broadcasters. From his point of view, these staffing scenarios have "no influence whatsoever" on the respective staffing levels, which is why no one under their roof has to fear for their job.
Back at the Werdstrasse headquarters, we are assured that editorial job cuts are not an issue at the Tages-Anzeiger either. Over lunch, editor-in-chief Philipp Löpfe expresses surprise at the fears that WerbeWoche has heard. "The Tagi is still highly profitable and has long contributed to the Focus program with the earlier printing of the fifth and sixth bundles."
This two-hour postponement to optimize the capacity utilization of the printing presses resulted in savings of half a million francs and was a major editorial sacrifice. Löpfe, who had chaired the ritual department head retreat the day before ("that wasn't a savings round, but a modification round"), also believes that the potential for synergies in terms of content has been "pretty much exhausted". They are happy to share the car editor with Facts and SonntagsZeitung, but the sisterly incest will not go any further in the future. Specifically: "If Durisch demands next Sunday that Marthaler should take his floppy hat, the Monday Tagi will still say Marthaler must stay."

TVtäglich teaches the program press to fearBy Daniel Schifferle The TV press is clearly feeling the pinch of tighter wallets. But car magazines also seem to be feeling the effects of the public's new desire to save money.
Many readers currently seem to be satisfied with the narrow fare when it comes to reading TV programs. This is the only way to explain the unexpected take-off of the TV program supplement TVtäglich. However, the 216,000 additional readers (+23%) should not be taken as full value, as a significant part of the striking increase must be accounted for as the effect of a modified survey (see box).
Even after deducting a generous malus, the free magazine still has a considerable gain in readership. This can also be seen in the paid-for titles among the program guides. Without exception, all TV titles were in decline in German-speaking Switzerland. The worst affected was Tele, which lost 37,000 readers (-5.2%).
followed by TV-Spielfilm
with 33,000 fewer readers (-10.1%) and TR7, which has 21,000 fewer readers (-5.2%) than in the previous year. The extent to which Rüdiger Hahn's TV 4 was partly responsible for the crumbling readership remains to be seen. The four-week program title, which is soon to be followed by a two-week title, does not participate in readership studies or circulation surveys.
Car magazines are experiencing difficult times
In addition to the TV press buying titles, another entire group of titles has fallen into difficulties: The automotive press in German-speaking Switzerland was in reverse gear across the board. The losses were equally high for all of them: Auto Motor und Sport lost 26,000 readers (-11.4%), Auto Illustrierte lost 25,000 readers (-11.7%) and Automobil Revue slipped by 21,000 readers (-8.7%). It seems that readers are spending less money on hedonistic pursuits at the moment and are therefore foregoing the corresponding reading. This could also explain the drop of 17,000 readers (-11.0%) in the furnishing magazine Ideales Heim.
Du also has a serious problem, having once again lost a significant proportion of its readership with a loss of 13,000 readers (-9.4%). The as yet undecided successor to Editor-in-Chief Marco Meier will have to implement many good ideas if the magazine is to get back on track one day, as the unsatisfactory figures make clear.
K-Tipp "overthrown" - Observer back on top
The fall of K-Tipp appears to be home-made. After years as the leader in terms of reach among Swiss-German magazines, it has now had to cede the top spot back to the Beobachter. The reason for this is a loss of no less than 93,000 readers (-8.4%) - no other magazine or newspaper has lost anywhere near as many readers in this year's Mach Basic. This is a clear case of cannibalization, as the competition gnawing away at K-Tipp, its sister magazine Saldo, also comes from KI Konsumenteninfo AG. However, it remains to be seen how many additional readers Saldo attracted, as the ad-free magazine does not take part in the readership study. One consolation remains for K-Tipp either way: Bon à Savoir, its counterpart in French-speaking Switzerland, gained a total of 29,000 readers (+10.6%).
For Ringier, the French-speaking Swiss market brought nothing but good news. In addition to the Sunday title Dimanche.ch, the women's magazine Edelweiss also sailed comfortably upwind with 11,000 additional female readers (+18.6%). Beyond that, however, there are only two other magazines that can also boast significant gains. They also belong to Ringier: GesundheitSprechstunde and Glückspost. The title for the TV program of the same name attracted 39,000 new readers (+7.9%). However, the result for Glückspost, which had lost readership significantly in previous years and was in urgent need of a turnaround, was particularly satisfying. With 22,000 new readers (+5.1%), this has been achieved, at least for the time being.
The negative result of the Swiss Family, which according to Mach Basic lost 22,000 readers (-3.7%) in 2002, turns out to be a minor blemish. However, this drop has now been more than compensated for by the subscribers who were taken over by the discontinued Meyers. The Swiss family has inherited a total of 35,000 subscriptions, says publishing director Roland Wahrenberger. He estimates that this figure corresponds to around 100,000 additional readers.
The question of how the newest magazine in German-speaking Switzerland, Weltwoche, has developed to date remains unanswered. It is true that the newspaper's current Mach Basic figures are roughly on a par with the previous year. But these are of no interest to anyone today. It is now eagerly awaited whether the magazine format will actually generate additional readers, as is assumed. The new Weltwoche has announced its first readership figures for November.
TVtäglich growth is too optimisticThe survey for the TVtäglich title was expanded for the current Mach Basic. Here's how: As a reminder aid, this time additional carrier titles were mentioned in the survey to which TVtäglich is attached; there are now ten of them. This extended reminder aid also led to additional mentions - a familiar mechanism that nobody disputes in the case of TVtäglich. However, it is not possible to quantify the extent of the distortion of the results caused by the change in the survey (dse).

I've been on the client side for a good five years and can't understand such an approach, but I think that as a communications professional you know which agencies (three at most) are shortlisted. If really necessary, a preliminary discussion is sufficient. On the other hand, the pressure on all renowned agencies must be really, really high for them to take part in a pitch for 1000 francs. Where are the much-mentioned BSW ethics? Andy Wild, Head of Marketing Communication Axpo
"Contempt for creativity "Advertising for theaters, museums or zoos is among the best and most creative in the industry worldwide. This is because there is a high standard of quality that should be expressed in advertising that enhances rather than devalues the cityscape, that pleases the eye and the intellect of the viewer rather than offending them. And that is why the public, the creatives and the competitors should be talking about the most creative, entertaining and cheeky campaign of the year after the competition presentation for the zoo campaign. And not about how the competitor presentation was handled.
In view of the result, however, one can only speak of contempt for any creativity, contempt for those who have put their heart and soul into the presentation of the competition and, finally, contempt for the citizens of the city who have to put up with this mockery from the billboards.
Martin Spillmann, CD and co-owner of Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett AG
"Excited about the website "18 web agencies (not advertising agencies) were contacted for the zoo website. More than ten then attended the competition presentation, which was not compensated. We are looking forward to the website... Julian Karrer, Future Connection
"Best real satire "This play about the pitch for the zoo budget is the best real satire. To be honest, the zoo is of course a prestige budget that can be used for humorous, witty advertising. But as an invited agency, you are always allowed to ask how many other agencies are already taking part in the pitch. And it's up to each agency to say no. Nevertheless, I hope that things will soon be at least as civilized in our industry as they are in the freshwater aquarium of the marbled hatchet-bellied fish.
Mark Stahel, CD Lowe AG
"Complete nonsense in proportion"
Zoohje: Well done, lion! Once again, I absolutely agree with Andreas Prokesch. But there is one small point to add: Agencies usually know how many competitors they are pitching to and on what terms. The Zoo pitch was complete nonsense. As long as agencies do not demonstrate their solidarity, it should come as no surprise that clients will repeatedly try to impose dumping prices on competitor presentations. And that will eventually affect those agencies that don't give a damn about fairness today. Frank Bodin, CEO EuroRSCG, Switzerland
"The solution for fair presentations can also lie with the agencies themselves. It's not a one-size-fits-all recipe, but it could be that you pragmatically work out three or four points that you want to follow when you receive an inquiry. It's obvious that this can sometimes be quite tough, especially when the long-awaited "dream client" comes knocking but wants to consume creativity and ideas for free or for a few francs. You have to go through with it in favor of the industry and say no. It could be the key to counteracting the sometimes almost disgusting conditions at competitor presentations. And perhaps the "desired customer" will then be a little less "desired customer". Silvio Galbucci, Galbucci Advertising Agency AG
"A maximum of three candidates "Clients would do well to first carry out a thorough evaluation to find out who suits them. And then, if necessary, let a maximum of three candidates into the arena. Agencies that take part in pitches for free are always punishing themselves. If they win, with a client who doesn't appreciate the value of creative work. If they lose, with an unpaid expense of around 60,000 francs.
Daniel Matter, Matter & Partner

After realizing the corporate identity of the new fashion label o.ha, the Basel-based full-service agency Versus has now been entrusted with the overall budget.
O.ha is a trendy fashion line in the mid-price segment. It will be launched on the Swiss market in the fall. The first communication measures will also be seen at this time. Thanks to its many years of experience in the fashion sector, Versus was awarded the mandate without a pitch, writes Creative Director Filippo Muscara.
Universal McCann wins Exxon Mobil Exxon Mobil has entrusted Universal McCann with a global media account. The agency will handle buying and planning for the oil company's lubricant brands, as reported by Advertising Age. Universal McCann won the pitch for the 40 million dollar budget against the previous account manager Zenith Media, among others. Its sister agency McCann-Erickson already oversees the global creative budget for Exxon Mobil's Lubricants and Specialties division.
Wunderman launches Tsunamis for Esec Wunderman is now in charge of the Wire Bonders account for the Swiss high-tech group Esec. The Zurich-based communications agency came out on top in a pitch against several competitors. Wire Bonders are devices for wiring microchips. Esec plans to launch the latest generation of devices called Tsunami from the end of the year, primarily in Asia. Wunderman's task is based on a CRM approach in the B2B sector and primarily includes branding, sales support, event/brand experience, dialog marketing and classic advertising measures. For local implementation, Wunderman is working with sister agencies in the Wunderman network; for events, for example, with Wunderman Singapore. The total budget is just under one million Swiss francs.
New client for Media Consulting The young design and branding agency Media Consulting Group in Bühler, Appenzell, is delighted to have acquired a small, but very nice client. For Liechtenstein-based PAV AG (Präzisionsapparatebau Vaduz, a company that mainly develops engine blocks for the automotive industry and manufactures small series), Media Consulting Group will design the architectural labeling for the new plant in Suhl, Germany. Media Consulting Group develops and implements identity programs and branding strategies for medium-sized companies.

The poor consumer mood has also hit the media: free reading is more popular than ever before. This is clearly documented by the new Mach Basic 2002 readership study. 20 Minuten and TVtäglich took off. As a direct consequence of this, the Berner Zeitung has now also been infected by the commuter newspaper flu after the Tages-Anzeiger. But the paid-for TV titles also felt the effects of tighter wallets drastically, while the economic downturn also had a direct impact on the relevant title groups. Business newspapers were read significantly less across the board. And titles with more hedonistic content also saw a decline in interest. The automotive press and other magazines were particularly hard hit by this.
Meanwhile, the desire to read was in full swing on Sunday. The Sunday papers were able to gain a lot of readers in all three parts of the country. However, the current Mach Basic does not yet reveal the expected negative effects of NZZ am Sonntag and the Borer affair on SonntagsZeitung and Sonntags-Blick. We will only find out the whole truth about the Swiss-German Sunday market next year. from page 18

Anyone involved in advertising in Bern is in a champagne mood at the Urs Trophy awards ceremony "If you never take off, you'll never land anywhere". With this truism, Publicitas Director Walter Althaus welcomed over 270 guests to the Urs Trophy awards ceremony in the Kursaal in Bern - alluding to this year's record participation: A total of 170 entries were submitted.
This award ceremony brings Bern's advertisers together at least once a year. The event is also a popular rendezvous for Publicitas clients from the region. Fredy Collioud, "development worker from the advertising Mecca of Zurich", as Althaus described the jury president, presided over the event.
as always competently and with the necessary touch of humor.
The Swiss singer Eve Kay had, as she herself admitted, aimed her singing at a rather younger audience. Collioud immediately had to contradict her. As a rather older participant, he suffers from varicose veins, which is why he did not appear at the award ceremony in shorts.
This verbal coming out was prompted by the nominated small advertisement for the Aarberg Regional Hospital from the Hofer advertising agency in Bern. The series of ads presents the hospital's services, including the removal of varicose veins.
Roger Bertsch, iron sculptor and creator of this year's Urs Trophy, went to the Historical Museum to find a sketch from 1910 by a Bernese advertiser called Luder, which he used as a model for the Trophy.
The graduates of the Bern-Biel School of Design were the first to devour the buffet with a conspicuous appetite. They had been invited because this year, for the first time, the graphic design prize was awarded, sponsored by the newspaper Der Bund. The winner, Nathalie Oswald, can enjoy four days in Berlin thanks to the brain she designed out of newspaper (av).

The employees of Schaffhauser Nachrichten are promoting the image of their newspaperBy Andreas Panzeri Promises of quality from 135 employees form the basis of an image campaign for Schaffhauser Nachrichten. The newspaper makers' testimonials are also emblazoned with their heads and names on an articulated bus of the Schaffhauser Verkehrsbetriebe. The Bern agency Camponovo und Partner realized this idea.
Schaffhauser Nachrichten took a different approach for its latest advertising campaign. In a survey in the editorial, publishing and technical departments, all employees were asked to think about the question: "How can we improve our services for readers and advertisers?" The answers served as preparation for a campaign and ultimately led to a wide variety of guarantee and quality promises. For example, someone in sales guaranteed: "Anyone who has not received their Schaffhauser Nachrichten can call around the clock and 45 minutes later they will have the newspaper at home."
These and similar statements are now used to present the heads, names and coordinates of those responsible to the Schaffhausen public. The messages are complemented by the image of all 135 employees. Both full-page and double-page advertisements and posters (B4/B12) will be used as advertising media.
As the flagship of the campaign, an 18-metre-long articulated bus from the Schaffhausen public transport company is rolling through the city covered with all the newspaper makers' photos. This bus was christened at an event by editor-in-chief Norbert Neininger and publishing director Felix Walder in the middle of the old town. The flanks of the now eye-catching vehicle are adorned with snapshots taken by the employees themselves. You can see the polygrapher next to the newspaper carrier or the editor next to the advertising consultant. Together, the staff want to reinforce the message: "We stand behind our newspaper and give it a face that guarantees quality."
The advertising agency Camponovo und Partner, Bern, "succeeded brilliantly in giving our idea a face with character by including us employees as the main characters in the concept," say Alexandra Schneider, Head of Reader Market, and Felix Walder from the publishing house management.
Parallel to this campaign, the publisher has launched a similarly designed offensive for the Schaffhauser Nachrichten advertising market with full-page advertisements in the marketing and advertising trade press.

One-Pool's reaction to the Tamedia offensive still unclearAs of January 1, 2003, the City-Pool (Basilisk, ExtraBern, Pilatus) will have two new members: full member Radio 24 and Radio Zürisee, which can be booked as an optional module. Radio 24 and Zürisee will remain linked in the power pool.
The new constellation comes as no surprise: it had already been expected at the end of June as part of Tamedia's strategy. However, the media company apparently first had to digest the takeover of Radio Basilisk and find a new structure. In addition, the strategy of the then Belcom CEO Christian Stärkle was not geared towards short-term corporate interests.
After Stärkle's departure, Andreas Meili, the new Head of Electronic Media, immediately implemented Tamedia's strategy in the city pool and united all radio stations in which the Group has a stake under one pool umbrella. The fact that ExtraBern is no longer clearly number two in Berne certainly helped. According to reports, Radio BeO was also approached to become another member of the City Pool - in order to strengthen the Bern area. BeO, however, declined.
The prices of the new City Pool will not be published until the end of October. However, it is already clear that the relatively expensive ExtraBern will have to lower its prices so that the City Pool can exist alongside the One Pool.
The fact that the power pool of 24 and Zürisee will remain and will not be torn apart - in line with Tamedia's original strategy - will change little from a media planner's point of view. It remains to be seen how the Pool 2000 modules Basel, Bern and St. Gallen will react. They can still be added to the Powerpool. Or to the One-Pool. However, Aktuell may try to join the City Pool, with Toxic.fm as its trump card, with which it has formed a combination. Markus Knöpfli