For four years, Ovo has been running its ADC- and Effie-award-winning campaign, «With Ovomaltine, you can’t do better. But you can do it longer.» Example: In a commercial, a snowboarder can never land his jump just right—even with Ovo. After three such winter commercials for the brand—which is traditionally consumed warm—Wander has now recognized the signs of the times and wants to promote year-round and cold consumption. Advico Young & Rubicam has recently shot a new commercial for this purpose in the Zurich Oberland. Directed by Swiss filmmaker Pierre Monnard, the spot features a stunt paraglider struggling through countless takeoff attempts. Alongside the TV commercial, B12 and 3-D special posters are displayed throughout Switzerland, drawing attention to the Ovo drink, now available in PET bottles. The posters, too, have been designed to be strikingly elongated, in keeping with the headline «…not better. But longer.» Mini Cooper is sending sleuths to Barcelona. BMW is promoting its Mini Cooper S compact car with an unconventional event: Starting in mid-August, aspiring detectives in 17 countries, including Switzerland, can apply for “Mission Mini.” This mission will send selected teams of agents from various countries to Barcelona from November 7 to 11, where they must track down stolen collages by artist Peter Halley. They’ll have Minis at their disposal as vehicles. Their investigations will be covered through multimedia channels. In Switzerland, Star-TV is serving as the media partner. Scottish author Val McDermid has written the unfinished mystery novel that the mission participants must complete. A soundtrack is being produced in collaboration with Bertelsmann Music Group, and details of the criminal case can be followed on the website www.missionmini.com.
Men have it tough… Ever since Herbert Grönemeyer’s song «Männer,» it’s been clear that the male specimen of Homo sapiens—who apparently comes from Mars—ticks differently. But what drives men to compete in one-on-one battles with bulls or to enter into marriage with a woman? Because they’re deprived of sex, says the Lowe agency on behalf of its client, Erotik Factory. The result is silly ideas, like building atomic bombs or starting wars. But since women alone can’t bear the responsibility for world peace, there’s the Erotik Factory on Badenerstrasse in Zurich. With the tagline «Men come up with the dumbest ideas. When they don’t have sex» and the visual representation of these wild fantasies, the team led by Creative Directors Keith Loell and Mark Stahel has succeeded in giving the adult video store a new image—without any nudity.
Farner PR Wins Golden World Award. The Swiss PR agency Farner has been honored by the International PR Association (IPRA) with the 2002 Golden World Award in the prescription drugs category. Of the more than 1,000 entries submitted from 41 countries, 267 projects were accepted into the competition. A total of 30 Golden World Awards were presented. Farner is the only Swiss agency to have received an award. The award-winning Farner campaign «Diabetes Breakfast» was a joint effort by the Swiss Diabetes Society, Novartis Pharma Switzerland, Migros, Ringier, and Roche Diagnostics to raise public awareness of the risks of diabetes. The advertising agency Leuenberger in Biel was responsible for the campaign’s graphic design.
A Little Bedtime Reading for Copywriters. When recently asked by *WerbeWoche* about a well-written campaign, Basel-based advertising executive Robert Stalder cited a bed brand’s advertising campaign. However, since he had no immediate need to buy a bed, he hadn’t committed to memory either the wording of the headlines in the ads in question or the brand’s name (see WW 24/02). Stalder’s comments caught the attention of the Zurich-based agency Matter & Partner. They confidently concluded that the praise could only refer to the Hüsler Nest ads they had designed—and they were not mistaken. «Yes, that’s the campaign,» Robert Stalder confirmed dryly when asked. The incident shows: A) *WerbeWoche* is read closely. B) Matter & Partner is not an agency that misses out on capitalizing on opportunities as they arise. And C) Robert Stalder’s words do not fall on deaf ears in the advertising world.
Eye-Catching Creativity. Since 1966, the competition for the 100 best posters in Germany has been synonymous with the highest quality, especially in the realm of cultural posters. Expanding the competition to the entire German-speaking world had long been in the works. Now it has come to fruition: For the first time this year, graphic designers from Austria and Switzerland participated alongside German poster designers. «Achieving a lot with limited space—that’s an important argument in favor of the poster medium, especially in times of tight budgets,» say the organizers. As the organizer of the competition, the Association of the 100 Best Posters therefore aims to provide a platform for its renowned event «to ensure the competition receives the attention it deserves.» To this end, a publication titled «the 100 best posters 01» has been released by Hermann Schmidt Publishers in Mainz. The book has 180 full-color pages and costs 35 euros.
Swiss Television DRS is cutting 15 positions. As part of another round of cost-cutting measures, Swiss Television DRS must cut another 15 full-time positions. This decision hits the sports department particularly hard. It must reduce its staffing level by 320 percent. The best-known «victims» are Janine Geigele and Monika Fasnacht. Geigele joined SF DRS in 1999 and was established as the network’s flagship presenter; Monika Fasnacht was one of SF DRS’s first female sports presenters and most recently worked as a presenter on a 20 percent workload.
Editorial

Adventure: The Pay-Per-View Model Internet providers are embarking on their next adventure: they’re seeking customers for paid content. Within two months at the latest, Moneycab plans to distribute the majority of its content exclusively through a pay channel. However, whether it will succeed in attracting enough paying customers—as is urgently needed to cover costs—remains to be seen.
Recent experiences with the shift to a paid model—primarily by publishers—have been sobering.
The lack of interest has also caused Moneycab to hit the brakes, as the company had actually planned to launch the pay channel this spring.
However, the new paid content isn’t the main reason Moneycab is optimistic about the future. Leveraging synergies and cutting costs—that’s what it’s all about. Goldbach Media has internal conditions that other internet projects didn’t have. Moneycab’s sister company, Swisscontent, is generously lending a hand with the consolidation and streamlining efforts. The current Moneycab editorial team will be able to focus entirely on paid content going forward.
With this payment model, Moneycab isn't just breaking new ground. It's breaking new ground at the wrong time. Because in a
At a time when no one wants to get burned on the stock market anymore, demand for related information is also plummeting.
Nevertheless, Moneycab remains optimistic. A survey of users shows that a large majority of current users are willing to pay a small fee. It will be interesting to see how many of them actually turn that commitment into a paid subscription—and, more importantly, how much money they’re willing to shell out.
There is a high risk of losing users due to the switch to a paid model. This would be a major blow to the company’s own interests, as declining page impressions would also undermine the advertising platform’s appeal. The distinction between free and paid offerings is and remains a balancing act with an uncertain outcome.
One thing is certain: If Moneycab manages to weather the current crisis, the financial website will be on solid footing when the next upswing comes. However, if the stock market and Internet crises persist, one can expect that, for as long as and in whatever way
If that's the case—then even the most ingenious business models will remain in the red. Daniel Schifferle

Contexta pokes fun at the tabloid competition with a TV commercial series for the Swiss family By Luca Aloisi
The family magazine Schweizer Familie, positioned among a rather conservative reading public, is on the upswing again thanks to its value-for-money strategy. In the new TV commercial campaign, it confidently and ironically sets itself apart from the competition. Contexta directed the ad.
After years of decline, Schweizer Familie (SF) has found its way back onto the growth path. From 1996 to 2001, the circulation of the newspaper, which belongs to the Tamedia Group, fell by an alarming 22.8 percent. Only in 2001 was it able to increase again by 0.1 percent compared to the previous year.
Although SF has regained its footing, the distance between it and its competitor from Dufourstrasse (Schweizer Illustrierte) must be painful; the latter grew from just under 27,000 to almost 99,000 copies in the same period.
Nevertheless, SF has been able to halt the downward trend with an editorial reorientation towards a strongly service-oriented title. Coupled with the proven content of topicality and (not only Cervelat) celebrities, seasonal do-it-yourself sections and from puzzles to children's pages, the family magazine has once again lived up to its name. At the same time, SF has remained true to its line and continues to appeal to a target audience that is family-oriented in the best sense of the word. It clearly distinguishes itself from trend and tabloid magazines, which is also the core message of the TV commercial campaign that has been launched.
The subtle irony beckons from Werdstrasse to Seefeld
After an advertising offensive that proved the increased utility value of the Tamedia title via press and posters, the publisher is now presenting the best sides of SF to a wider TV audience. The result is a series of short, charming commercials that were filmed in the "Lüthi & Blanc" set in Glattfelden. The four strips make use of a wittily cunning principle that is reminiscent of the loud headlines of the tabloid press: a lead story read by Leon Huber leads viewers to speculate on a surprising story involving a celebrity. But the denouement is then literally taken by surprise.
For example, the teaser "Today in bed with Beat Schlatter" is simply resolved with a reader reading an issue of SF in her bed with Beat Schlatter on the cover. "The concept deliberately plays with the ever-functioning and tabloid-like testimonial mechanism and the personalities on the front", explains Marco Mesot, consultant at Bern-based Contexta. The choice of locations creates a natural bridge to the actual main message as well as an ironic comparison with the relevant competition: Schweizer Familie - the most useful magazine in Switzerland.

The Council of States is in favour of an early amendment to the Radio and Television Act (RTVA) to allow private radio and TV stations to advertise low-proof alcohol.News Council of States: Yes to alcohol advertising The small chamber adopted an initiative by Carlo Schmid (CVP), President of the umbrella organization Schweizer Werbung, by 22 votes to 11. According to the Council of States, however, alcohol advertising should not contain any lifestyle temptations. The bill now goes to the National Council.
Tages-Anzeiger with SMS subscription advertising The Tages-Anzeiger (TA) is now relying on SMS to attract subscribers: passengers are invited to order the TA for a trial via a tramp poster. The order is placed by cell phone via SMS. The streetcar passenger can remain seated, does not need a ballpoint pen and does not have to search for a letterbox. Due to the good results, the TA is repeating the campaign in July not only on VBZ, but also on several S-Bahn lines.
Competition Commission examines Corbaz takeover The Competition Commission (ComCo) is subjecting the takeover of the Vaud-based Corbaz publishing house by Edipresse to an in-depth examination. The preliminary examination has revealed indications that the merger "could strengthen a possible dominant position of Edipresse in the canton of Vaud", the Competition Commission announced.

Sex and bad taste dominated the advertising world championship Cannes '02 - the self-celebration of the fun society By Samuel Helbling
The 49th Cannes Advertising Festival suffered from the economic downturn: around 10 percent fewer works were submitted. There were also fewer delegations in attendance. However, this did not detract from the advertising festival. McCann-Erickson, Geneva, was the only Swiss agency to return from the Côte d'Azur with a Silver Lion.
Crash in installments, pessimistic market sentiment, consumers on a spending strike. In view of the not exactly encouraging economic data, everyone was eager to see how the traditionally pompous advertising festival would go in the year of recession and after September 11.
To the great surprise of many festival visitors, the terrorist attacks did not leave any noticeable traces in the advertising. Apart from increased security checks and a small solidarity exhibition for New York ("Still shining, New York") in an inconspicuous side room of the Palais, the festival's joy was unencumbered by coming to terms with the past. The only ungrateful thing for the new festival CEO Frank Prenner was the fact that in his debut year, of all years, there was a steep decline in the number of visitors and submissions.
The current state of mind and the prevailing trends are most clearly reflected in the Grand Prix (GP): this is where the jury takes the most care and invests all its ambition. With the GP, they want to put outstanding and pioneering works in the spotlight and create a monument to themselves in the process. The most prestigious GPs are awarded annually for the best communication solution in the three disciplines of press, outdoor and film.
The Press GP went to Saatchi & Saatchi, London, for the tour operator "Club 18 - 30". The subjects show groups of young, lightly dressed people in their leisure time. The collage technique blurs the levels of the motifs, so that at first glance they appear to depict sexual poses. "The subjects manage to be honest in a subtle way," enthused jury president Jeff Goodby. You could spend minutes looking at the individual ads. And when does an ad manage to do that these days, he said self-critically.
Leo Burnett (Oslo) won the Outdoor Grand Prix with a series of motifs for a piercing studio. The subjects are captured in close-up, brutally direct, raw and unadorned. In the supreme discipline of film, the Grand Prix went to Wieden+Kennedy from Portland for their Nike spot "Tag", a kind of "Fangis" fever that grips New York passers-by on the street. The jury and audience celebrated the Nike spot with frenetic applause. The fact that the young man can't catch up with anyone despite his Nike sneakers didn't bother the jury because, according to Goodby, it's all about the joy of sport, good entertainment and the Nike spirit in the game.
A controversial anti-smoking campaign was also among the award-winning gold campaigns. It shows dwarfs for whom sex magazines at the kiosk or the urinal bowl are out of reach. The claim: "Smoking causes fatal diseases". How the jury president explains this decision to his politically correct colleagues in the USA remains his secret.
Dutch juror Joeri Bakker saw an indication that advertising has returned to normality in the fact that sex and bad taste dominated current advertising. German juror Dörte Spengler-Ahrens agreed, slightly annoyed, that she had seen a conspicuous number of sex jokes this year. And the jurors across the board agreed on which subjects dominated this year's festival: "." There were so many of these subjects. It was generally feared that this trend would be reinforced by the festival.
And the Swiss delegation? Once again they had to realize that a medal from ADC Switzerland, Europe or New York is no guarantee of a Cannes Lion. A total of 19 entries made it onto the shortlist, but only the Generali advertisement by McCann-Erickson, Geneva (see WW 24/02), was awarded the eight staples.
The only Swiss person to make a major appearance in Cannes was Nicolas G. Hayek. He was awarded the prestigious title of "Advertiser of the Year" as the "epitome of the clever and innovative company". But on the day of the award ceremony, of all days, the king of watches was unavailable and had his acceptance speech recorded on tape. With a fat cigar in his mouth and smiling mischievously from the screen, he accepted the tribute from the applauding advertising crowd.
Film and DM shortlist

Toyota Corolla (Mirror Façade) by Wirz, Zurich; LTV/Yellow Pages (Car, Horse, Soccer, Clinton) by Publicis, Zch. Swisscom Mobile (Father & Daughter) by Publicis, Zch.
Expo VIP mailing for Orange by Lowe Direct, Zurich.

Moneycab expects hardly any loss of users despite pay channelBy Daniel Schifferle Moneycab and Swisscontent are moving even closer together and saving a lot of costs. In addition, the separation into a free and a pay channel should generate additional income. Nevertheless, without a change of trend on the stock market and on the Internet, the outlook remains bleak.
Financial portals are having a hard time. In view of the miserable performance of the stock market and the internet, cost-covering work has once again become a distant prospect. Good ideas are needed. In the case of Moneycab, the magic words are lean structures and a pay channel.
Together with its sister company Swisscontent, Moneycab is uniquely placed to make efficient cost savings. The two editorial offices were merged in March. The next step on the way to concentrating forces has already been announced for the beginning of 2003. The Swisscontent branch in Kehrsatz BE will then also be dissolved and integrated into the Zurich headquarters. "This will enable us to reduce the editorial team and make massive cost savings", explains Markus Gisler, still CEO of Moneycab and future member of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Finanzfachmarkt AG. The downsizing process will take place without layoffs, and some of the departures will not be replaced.
It is logical for Gisler that he will also be stepping down. "Both Moneycab and Swisscontent employ journalists. One boss is enough," says Gisler. It is therefore logical that Swisscontent CEO Fredy Hämmerli is now CEO of both companies. However, Gisler's tasks are not yet limited to his future role as a board member at Finanzfachmarkt AG. He has an employment contract that is valid until he has found a new position. And he still wants to complete his work. Gisler: "When the Pay Channel is up and running, Moneycab as a site will be finished."
The philosophy of the pay channel, which should be ready for implementation in two months at the latest, is to separate the basic information, which will continue to be available free of charge, from the content that will now only be available for a fee. Agency-style articles on daily economic events and access to stock market prices will remain free. "In-depth content and content that goes in the direction of advice will be subject to a charge in future, as will the special tools that we will offer exclusively to our customers," says Gisler.
The pay channel does not rely on pay-per-view, but on packages that can be subscribed to. According to Gisler, Moneycab is now defining a series of categories that include different services. Each user will be able to order their own personal information package according to their individual needs.
With the introduction of a pay channel, the collaboration between Swisscontent and Moneycab will also be reorganized. The existing Moneycab editorial team will in future write exclusively for the pay channel. In future, Swisscontent will regard Moneycab as a customer that receives the basic feed produced by Swisscontent for the free channel. However, this will not be produced exclusively for Moneycab, but also for other platforms.
Gisler is counting on sufficient demand for paid content. At the end of 2001, the University of St.Gallen carried out a study on behalf of Moneycab, which investigated the willingness to pay among around 600 Moneycab users. "A large number are prepared to dig into their wallets for certain content."
Nevertheless, Gisler does not want to venture a forecast as to how many paying subscribers Moneycab will generate in how long. Nevertheless, although he does not expect "big money" from the pay channel, he is confident that Moneycab will break even. "Moneycab will be in the black in 2004," says Gisler.

Cash news and Cash advertising will be featured in the free newspaper from AugustBy Markus Knöpfli Ringier's Cash and the commuter newspaper 20 Minuten have entered into a strategic partnership: Cash will produce the two daily business pages of 20 Minuten from August 5, and this will give the business paper access to the young readers it is looking for.
One thing was made clear by both sides: No money will flow from the new partnership, it consists solely of countertrade: The Cash Group with the business newspaper Cash and the investor platform Borsalino provides 20 Minuten with business and stock market information. In return, 20 Minuten makes it clear to its readers that the daily business page now comes from the Cash editorial team and the stock market page from Borsalino. In addition, Cash will receive a certain volume of advertising from 20 Minuten and Borsalino a link on the 20min.ch website. The two newspapers also want to cooperate in the commercial sector, but details have not yet been finalized.
"People are slowly accepting us," triumphs Rolf Bollmann, publishing director of 20 Minuten. He openly admits that the new partnership was primarily about "upgrading our free title". And only secondarily to solve a vacancy in the business editorial team. This could also have been solved with a new appointment, but Bollmann preferred the new, free partnership - for image reasons, but also because of the current tight financial situation. He was also the one who knocked on Cash's door.
If there is a participation of
Ringier at 20 Minuten before?
But Cash also benefits from the cooperation: "Our aim is to get the young readers of 20 Minuten interested in economic topics, so that Cash becomes the first port of call for those who are more intensively involved with the economy," says publishing director Thomas Passen.
The Cash editorial team now also has the option of continuing a story in print form over several days. A separate department will be set up in the Cash editorial team for this purpose, which will probably also supply the Borsalino web portal with daily updates in addition to 20 Minuten.
Even if no money flows - does this partnership perhaps mean that Ringier is moving closer to the commuter paper, possibly even with a view to acquiring a stake at a later date (see also page 1)? "Ringier won't come knocking - rather the other way around," says Ringier spokesman Fridolin Luchsinger, waving the question away. And has the reverse already happened? Luchsinger does not want to comment on this, but adds that Ringier would "certainly discuss an inquiry, but we still do not consider the economic basis and prospects of 20 Minuten to be particularly good." In addition, Ringier is of the opinion that free newspapers are not in the interests of publishers with paid-for newspapers.

Le Matin editor-in-chief not very popularPeople king in new realm" was the headline in Facts this spring, after Peter Rothenbühler was appointed as the new editor-in-chief of the French-speaking Swiss daily newspaper Le Matin in December 2001. After only four months in office, however, the king is already being questioned by his editorial team. An internal vote of confidence revealed that 32 members of the editorial team voted against Peter Rothenbühler, 20 abstained and 39 employees voted in favor of their boss. Although, according to Theo Bouchat from Edipresse, the vote was an internal matter, the result of the vote was strangely passed on to SDA. Rothenbühler is the second editor-in-chief to be stabbed in the back by the editorial team of Le Matin. Daniel Pillard, now editor-in-chief of dimanche.ch, Ringier Romandie's Sunday newspaper, already had to resign just over a year ago - allegedly because he did not know how to lead the staff and because they resisted the tabloidization of Le Matin. This argument is also being used now. There is even talk of journalists who are not sufficiently trained for the tabloid style. "I hope we don't have to maintain a horde of semi-celebrities in the style of the Ringier papers," one editor told Facts at the time.
The fact that an editorial team can saw away at its boss's chair in this way suggests that the Edipresse management is not giving its editors-in-chief much cover. The vote of confidence after a hundred days in office was decided by Edipresse at a time when there were problems with the former editor-in-chief of the Tribune de Genève, Guy Mettan. The vote is purely consultative in nature (av).

From July 1, there will be three radio pools, but only for six monthsBy Markus Knöpfli The radio industry is shaking up its pools - at such short notice, with such tight time limits and in such an uncoordinated manner that outsiders can hardly see through it all. In any case, there will be three national radio pools in the next six months instead of the previous two, as well as a jumble of names - but how things will continue from 2003 is still open. Probably everything will be completely different again.
Names are just smoke and mirrors. This is especially true in the radio scene. The Million Pool, although it can start in the announced composition, is renamed at the same time due to name disputes. Conversely, Pool 2000, which will no longer exist in its current composition, defiantly retains its name. And to complete the confusion, there are increasing signs that the City Pool will also soon be reorganized. So it should come as no surprise if it continues to be called the City Pool or - why not? - renamed the Million Pool.
But first things first. At least one point in the whole radio pool discussion seems to have been clarified in the meantime: on July 1, the Million Pool, which has been renamed One Pool, will go on sale. As previously described (WW 20/02), it comprises the previous Zurich module of Pool 2000 (Hitradio Z, Argovia, Sunshine) as well as the radios Top, Grischa/Piz, 32, Ri and Central. The One Pool can be divided into three modules: the Zurich module with Hitradio Z, Argovia, Sunshine and Top, the Mittelland module with Argovia and 32 and the Eastern Switzerland module with Top, Ri, Grischa/Piz and Central.
The new Pool 2000 will also start on July 1, still with three modules, but the Zurich module (Hitradio Z, Argovia, Sunshine), which was in breach of contract, was released into the One Pool last week at its own request and replaced by the Powerpool (Radio 24, Zürisee). The pool tariff will of course change, details will be decided this week, as will the question of whether Radio Aktuell should also be integrated. Incidentally, the dismissal of the unfaithful three even took place without lawyers for once, although presumably not without compensation payments. However, it was agreed to keep this confidential.
So far, contracts in the radio scene have rarely been honored
The main problem with the new Pool 2000 is not the many changes under the old name, but the fact that they will only be valid for six months. The reason for this is that the Powerpool could only be used as a replacement module for Zurich until the end of 2002. It is therefore still completely open as to what will become of Pool 2000 from 2003.
But why didn't the Powerpool allow itself to be involved in Pool 2000 in the long term? Because it received an invitation from the City Pool (Basilisk, Extra Bern, Pilatus). In addition, there is probably an instruction from the management of Tamedia. The three radio stations, 24, Basilisk and Extra Bern, in which the Group has a stake, are to be bundled into one and the same pool package.
One thing is certain: The City Pool has decided to expand, but has not yet given notice of termination. If everything goes according to contract, a termination should be announced this week. However, this may not even be necessary if there is unanimity regarding the inclusion of Radio 24 and the Powerpool. That would be in the articles of association. But what are statutes and contracts worth in the radio scene? So far, they have rarely been adhered to. In addition, Tamedia will surely find a way to at least get its Radio 24 into the city pool, after all it already sets the tone there via Basilisk and Extra Bern.
There are therefore many indications that the integration of Radio 24 or the Powerpool into the City Pool will become a reality from 2003. This would then result in the dissolution of Pool 2000. Two more or less reasonable scenarios would then be conceivable (although experience shows that these are unlikely to come to fruition): The orphaned pool modules Bern (BE1, BeO, Canal 3) and Basel (Regenbogen, Edelweiss) each remain independent and offer themselves as possible additions to the eastward-oriented One Pool. Or they could join the One Pool as additional modules. However, the (rhetorical) question then arises as to why they have not already done so. The media planners would certainly have thanked them. With this chaos, the radio industry is doing itself the greatest disservice.

Advertising volume is also set to increaseW Weltwoche, which switched to magazine format eight weeks ago, is finding new readers, but hardly any advertisers as yet. This is what publishing director Uli Rubner told WerbeWoche, emphasizing at the same time that it is "still very early" to take stock. However, Rubner is very satisfied with the results in the reader market so far: The renewal rate of existing Weltwoche subscribers is within "the usual range and has not - as many predicted - plunged massively".Special readership analysis ordered from Wemf
A copy test by Demoscope revealed that eight out of ten existing subscribers liked the new format better than the old newspaper format. In addition, the four-week free test campaign resulted in around 50,000 new test readers. Publishing director Rubner therefore expects around 5000 new paying subscribers. Retail sales have also been successful, with an increase of at least 50 percent over the previous figure four weeks after the launch.
It seems that Weltwoche has managed to slightly improve its figures (circulation: 84957 copies; 320000 readers) in the first phase. However, the first official figures are not expected until September at the earliest. Rubner has commissioned a special readership analysis from Wemf starting in May. However, it has not yet decided whether it will publish the results of this analysis.
Although the publishing director is "very confident" overall thanks to the results in the reader market, she speaks of a "downer" in terms of the advertising market. She identifies the "unfavorable launch date" and the delayed advertising acquisition due to the relaunch postponement as the reasons. However, due to the reader response and positive feedback from advertising customers, Rubner expects more advertising pages in the fall. Markus Knöpfli

Roland Wahrenberger, Publishing Director of Schweizer Familie, on the new circulation targets By Luca Aloisi
The unexpected gift from Rapperswil holds opportunities for growth: thanks to the acquired Meyer's customer base, Schweizer Familie (SF) can significantly expand its circulation and reach at Tamedia for the time being. SF Publishing Director Roland Wahrenberger talks about the strategy with which he wants to bind the new readers to the family magazine.
Roland Wahrenberger, although the Meyer's circulation figures (officially: 97,000) have obviously been rounded up considerably, can you be happy about the unexpected gift? How big is the actual subscription base?
Roland Wahrenberger: I don't know the exact number myself. The addresses are currently being entered into our system.
But surely you can say by how much you can increase the previous SF circulation of 156724 copies?
Wahrenberger: We will increase our print run to 215,000 copies in week 26.
This would mean that you would take over around 60,000 subscriptions.
Wahrenberger: You have to be a little careful with such calculations: You can't simply equate the certified circulation with the print run, as this is usually higher and currently still contains a relatively high number of trial subscriptions from the Swiss family.
Have you already noticed a reaction in the ad bookings?
Wahrenberger: The whole thing happened at such short notice that the official advertising deadlines were actually already over when the story broke. However, we have received signals that some customers are considering shifting their advertising budgets to the Swiss family. And we have already received concrete bookings.
What growth do you hope to achieve with the advertising pages?
Wahrenberger: Bets have been placed internally, but the figures vary quite widely. Expectations are well over 50 pages by the end of the year.
Which potential advertising customers do you want to target now?
Wahrenberger: These are primarily customers from the cosmetics and fashion sectors.
What target have you set yourself for the renewal rate of Meyer's subscribers?
Wahrenberger: There is a business plan, but I can't give you that figure either. Logically, we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to win over as many people as possible. But we remain realistic.
Specifically: Is the gain of one third of existing Meyer's subscribers an optimistic estimate?
Wahrenberger: No, it's very pessimistic. We are clearly aiming higher.
Of your 600,000 or so readers, around 66,000 have also read Meyer's so far. Seen in this light, you can gain at most 70 percent of Meyer's readership.
Wahrenberger: Here too, the Mach overlaps only partially reflect the facts. Just think of practices where both papers are next to each other. A double reader is not always the same as a double subscriber. We are now in the process of finding out the actual figures.
In the last five years, SF has lost 42,000 subscribers, which it was only able to make up for to a small extent with around 7,000 additional individual buyers. How good are the chances now that you will be able to make up for this loss?
Wahrenberger: The fact is that our circulation has been stable since 2000. But it would be presumptuous to expect to pick up 42,000 subscriptions again in a very short space of time. It was a huge achievement to stabilize circulation. The primary goal at the moment is to maintain circulation. We are currently experiencing a slight upward trend.
Does the editorial team also feel this high expectation?
Wahrenberger: Of course. We have already given a lot of thought to what we can offer Meyer's readers without throwing the previous concept overboard.
Although the two audiences have similar values, the reading material is very different: family topics on the one hand, women's and lifestyle topics on the other. So what is the Swiss family doing to retain as many of its new readers as possible after the subscription expires?
Wahrenberger: There will be neither new departments nor new subject areas, as on the one hand we already cover many Meyer's areas and on the other hand we don't want to offend existing SF subscribers. We will strengthen the topics of beauty, fashion and cosmetics somewhat. And we will also test this for acceptance. If we succeed, there could be another boost in a second phase.
By when do you intend to implement these measures?
Wahrenberger: That has not yet been scheduled. Meyer's has made a loss, especially since 1999, which proves that repositioning is tricky, especially with the conservative target audience that you serve. You have been able to stabilize the media data by increasing the utility value of your paper. What steps are in store for the Schweizer Familie?
Wahrenberger: Our audience really does react very sensitively to repositioning. The Swiss family has already undergone several relaunches in its history, and circulation has collapsed time and again. We were able to stop the trend with the new concept. There is therefore no reason to change it again at the moment. We will continue on this course. Although we have already achieved a high level of quality, our main goal remains to constantly improve it.
With the false testimonial campaign (see page 7), the Swiss family is showing itself to be quite cheeky, although the celebrities quoted are unlikely to appeal to the younger and urban audience. Don't you see a discrepancy between appearance and reality here?
Wahrenberger: I don't think it's cheeky. It simply works according to the mechanisms of how good advertising should work. And that was exactly the idea behind it. The game with the fake testimonial is an elegant way of showing which people you can read about in our paper. We chose the celebrities that we thought would best appeal to our target audience.

Markus Höfler will also become the new CEO and Overall Head of Corporate Events at Event Schweiz AG. He was previously national sales manager at Coca-Cola Switzerland.
The head of the Ringier Group's magazine advertising market, Duke Seidmann, is leaving the company at the end of the year. He will work as a freelance media consultant and have a stake in a film company. His successor from October will be his deputy Nick Hösli, previously Head of Media Marketing Services.
Cyril Meier is to become the new Director of the Swiss Public Relations Institute (SPRI). He will assume his first duties in the course of this year and formally take office on January 1, 2003. The current director, Eric Herzog, who is stepping down for health reasons, will be responsible for the development of the SPRI's range of services and quality assurance on a part-time basis and will continue to work as a course director and lecturer. Herzog has headed the SPRI since 1996. Meier's previous positions include consultant at Farner PR, Head of Global Corporate Communications at the Sulzer Group and Head of Marketing & Communications at Andersen Switzerland.
The young Basel advertising agency Ranz has expanded its team. CD and owner Daniel Ranz and copywriter/consultant Claudio Del Principe share the management, while graphic designer Erich Keller joins the creative team under AD Pascal Kottmann. The team has also been strengthened by Flavia Müller as Marketing Communications Planner and Web Manager and Reto Meyer as Consultant and Strategic Planner.
The University of St.Gallen (HSG) has a new Communications Officer. Eva Nietlispach Jaeger is taking over from Verena Klinger-Dering, who is taking maternity leave and will then become the Rector's Personal Assistant.

Noteworthy: According to the Federal Office of Public Health, one-fifth of our society is drinking alcohol uncontrollably. That’s why prevention is necessary. This effort continues with the «Everything Under Control?» campaign, now in its fourth year. Six new ads continue to warn against the number one “people’s drug.” But when you look at the glasses with a clear head, they seem clean and artificial. Are we mixing drinks with a toilet brush now? It’s also clear that alcohol produces urine. Hmm, I pause. I take another look at the posters after a glass of red wine. If my impression changes significantly afterward, I’ll have to rewrite this column. Chandra Kurt [email protected]
Column

Making Money By Liz Sutter
I’d advise against writing. You’re no Rowling, no Auster—not even Suter, Martin Suter, that is. You’re just as unlikely to land a bestseller as France is to become world champion again. Why don’t you become a chimney sweep? Peek down the flue a bit, fiddle around in there a bit—and collect your pay. It took years before our moonlighter was taken off the streets for failing to sweep chimneys. Before that, he made a pretty penny. Still not in the mood to strut around like a lucky charm on a New Year’s card? Then why not try your hand at fire extinguishers? All you need is a car and a little courage. Use that to hang your first fire extinguisher as inconspicuously as possible in some stairwell. With this starter kit in your trunk, ring the doorbell at the nearest house. Shout «Fire extinguisher inspection!» into the intercom, and you’re guaranteed entry. Once you’ve swapped the old one for the new one, write the date on it before you bill for the replacement. Homeowners aren’t completely clueless, after all.
Does all this seem too much of a hassle to you?
Then there’s the registry. Over twenty years ago, I had myself entered in the commercial registry because I wanted to lease a big car. Recently, the office said my entry looked a bit outdated. For 290 francs, however, they’d be happy to go through the books. I hadn’t even paid that bill yet when three more showed up in my mailbox.
298.50 francs for a registry in Aarau, 268.50 francs for another dubious one in Zurich. My favorite was the bill from a registry in Allschwil. It was printed on blush-pink paper and came to a whopping 1,345 francs. So, if you’re determined to make money by writing, your best bet is to write invoices.
[email protected]
Liz Sutter is a journalist.
Business lunch

A golden star hangs above the «Vorderen Sternen.» Zurich’s Bellevue neighborhood suffers a bit from the fact that, while it’s packed with bars and takeout spots right up to the curb, it has a glaring lack of restaurants suitable for business meetings. Sure, there’s the «Kronenhalle,» but that’s about it. Either the tables are too close together (sorry, Pierre from the «Blockhus»), or you just don’t feel like Bindella’s Italian cuisine («Terrasse»). Hold on. There’s one spot worth mentioning that has preserved a little gem on the first floor: the restaurant Vorderer Sternen—which used to be called «Goldener Sternen» back when great-grandmother used to go out with great-grandfather.
The Rosenberger brothers are the ones who’ve made sure a golden star now hangs above the Vordere. At the «Sterne Foifi,» guests in a hurry are served—on the main floor, they get the same food, but in a slightly more relaxed setting, with white tablecloths and cloth napkins, which is why a small surcharge is added. And rightly so.
I’ll gladly admit that I have a special connection to this restaurant. Thirty-five years ago, I tied on my first apron in the basement kitchen and, as a young kid, watched over the shoulders of the chefs, who were already going gray. At the serving hatch stood an Austrian chef de cuisine with a high-pitched voice, barking out orders into the L-shaped kitchen and overseeing everything that was sent up to the upper floors via the elevator. I was impressed, and I fondly remember the scene when, during peak hours, the cutlets were practically flying through the kitchen.
It is this high standard for the kitchen and wine cellar that the Rosenberger boys have inherited from their father, Eduard, and continue to uphold. The vitello tonnato (with plenty of sauce) tasted perfect, and the crêpes with vegetable filling (vegetarian menu) looked delicious, too. There’s no question that the caramel sundae and the panna cotta with strawberry coulis were also a hit. All of this, along with three deciliters of wine and two coffees, cost a small fortune—101.40 francs.
Certainly, the cuisine is honest, unpretentious, and free of any frills. The food is served quickly and without fuss. Leo, the waiter, always has a smile on his face, and so the equally friendly, brown-paneled atmosphere exudes a sense of refined—yet not stuffy—relaxation over lunch.
The wine list is well-stocked; you pay a reasonable price for good, authentic wines (around six francs per deciliter), and afterward you can’t help but wonder why the restaurant isn’t packed to capacity. Of course, die-hard fans who can’t bear to miss the hustle and bustle of Bellevueplatz even while dining have made themselves comfortable on the terrace. Not my thing—after all, unidentified flying objects might just end up decorating the edge of my plate uninvited. Carlo Bernasconi [email protected]
Vorderer Sternen, Bellevueplatz/Theaterstrasse 22
8001 Zurich
Tel. 01 251 49 49
Fax 01 252 90 63
Parking spaces in the Hohe Promenade parking garage.
Evaluation

Food .......................3
Drinks ..................4
Operation ................4
Business factor ........4
5=top, 4=very good, 3=o.k., 2=naja, 1=flop