Konnex supplements Demoscope market radar with research projectBy Daniel Schifferle Winterthur-based Konnex AG is conducting its own research project to shed light on the most important moment in the life of a product: the act of purchase. Eight sectors are to be scrutinized over a period of three years.
Konnex AG is realizing what it announced when it was founded around a year ago: "An in-house research project was part of our strategy right from the start," says Peter Döbeli, Managing Director of the Winterthur-based media agency. The present study focuses on the most important, but previously little researched moment in the life of a product, the act of purchase.
"The way in which a product is selected and purchased is crucial to its success or failure," explains Döbeli. This is why the communication strategy and, in particular, the media strategy must be geared as strongly as possible towards influencing the purchasing process. This is the aim of the Konnex Purchase Act Study.
This exclusive study provides information on how different target groups go about shopping. It provides information on the power of brands and retail channels and shows how best to influence the purchasing process through communication. Among other things, the study answers the following questions: Which target groups buy and how? How strongly does the power of the brand influence the purchase decision? Does the brand influence the choice of purchase location or is it the other way around?
Compatible with Demoscope Radar and PAM
The study is not only produced in collaboration with the market research institute Demoscope. The purchase act study is also precisely based on the Demoscope Market Radar system. This means that it fits seamlessly into the work processes with the proven and widely used tool. Furthermore, the Purchase Act Study is of course also compatible with all other instruments that are based on the Market Radar. For example, with Publimedia's Print Advertising Monitor (PAM).
In other words, the purchase act study also promotes the Demoscope tools. This has an impact on the costs that the market research institute charges Konnex AG. "Of course we receive a preferential rate," reveals Döbeli. Nevertheless, the total amount of around CHF 200,000 for the three-year collaboration with Demoscope is a hefty sum for an agency with just 4.4 full-time positions.
The study on fresh dairy products was just the beginning. Over the next three years, eight different sectors and product groups will be scrutinized (see box). The second act of the Konnex study has been announced for the fall. Then it will be the turn of chocolate and confectionery.
Topics and prices

The Konnex purchasing act study is conducted over a period of three years. The following eight sectors and product groups are being researched: cars, food (divided into nine different product groups), cosmetics, consumer electronics, large electrical appliances, telecommunications, detergents, clothing and underwear.
Customers can benefit from the purchase act study in two ways. Variant without consulting mandate: Purchase of the raw data set. The price depends on the complexity of the respective sub-study. For the first case, fresh dairy products, it is CHF 12900 plus an additional license fee for agencies of CHF 5000. Variant with consulting: Strategic consulting by Konnex, which also includes the purchase of data. The costs for the data are part of an individual offer for the consulting mandate.

In Germany, the Netratings panel is merged with the MMXI panelOnly the MMXI Switzerland panel still measures Internet usage from home computers in Switzerland. Nielsen Netratings (NNR), which has also had a panel on the market since May 2001, closed its panel at the end of May 2002. The May data will no longer be published. This was explained by Sandra Wüest, Communications Manager at ACNielsen Switzerland, who explained that NNR's London head office had not enough customers to justify the closure. The panels in Finland and Norway were also closed for the same reason. Others, such as the one in Austria, are being reviewed. In other countries, such as Germany, the MMXI and NNR panels are currently being merged. NNR is also currently considering a panel for the entire German-speaking region or for Scandinavia as a whole.
At the beginning of May, NNR acquired the patent rights of Jupiter Media Metrix and the European customer contracts of MMXI and is therefore interested in consolidating the Internet panels. In Switzerland, however, the panels were not merged because Jupiter only holds a 20 percent stake in MMXI Switzerland via its subsidiary MMXI Europe. The rest belongs to IHA-GfK. In addition, the licenses are specially regulated until the end of 2005, explained Urs Wolfensberger, Managing Director of MMXI Switzerland. This means that NNR has no power of disposal over MMXI Switzerland. However, Wolfensberger did not rule out future cooperation with NNR. Markus Knöpfli
German Work Pannel

Nielsen Netratings has launched a panel in Germany that measures Internet usage in the workplace. The first results (for July 2002) will be published in mid-August.
Top 20 domains may 2002 MMXI

Rank Domain Visitor Reach
in 1000 in %
 1 bluewin.ch 1 372 50.4
 2 msn.ch 919 33.8
 3 google.ch 851 31.3
 4 msn.com 839 30.8
 5 microsoft.com 814 29.9
 6 passport.com 708 26.0
 7 search.ch 630 23.1
 8 sbb.ch 590 21.6
 9 yahoo.com 564 20.7
10 sunrise.ch 506 18.6
11 google.com 474 17.4
12 msn.de 339 12.5
13 yahoo.de 337 12.4
14 gmx.de 320 11.8
15 microsoft.de 258 9.5
16 ubs.com 250 9.2
17 microsoft.fr 230 8.4
18 yellownet.ch 217 8.0
19 swissonline.ch 209 7.7
20 amazon.de 206 7.6
Source: MMXI

In the midst of an advertising slump, the Publicitas Publishers' Conference was encouragingBy Markus Knöpfli The bottom has been reached, the economy is on the upswing again - that is the basic tenor of the economic forecasts. The Publicitas Publishers' Conference tried to show when publishers in Switzerland will also start to feel the upward trend.
While there is ever louder talk of an economic recovery everywhere, publishers in Switzerland are currently presented with a gloomy picture. In May, job advertisements continued to slump. Not only did job sales fall compared to the same month last year, but they are even lower than in 1999. The cumulative figures from January to May are also worse than they have been for four years. This was made clear by Publicitas Director General Ernst Grab at the beginning of the Publicitas Publishers' Conference in Bern. The conference was titled with the anxious question "Will things pick up again in 2003?
Nevertheless, consoling words prevailed in Bern. "There will be a recovery, but the economic upswing will be more moderate than the slump," said Marc Büdenbender, Associate Director and Group Economist at UBS AG. He estimates that the publishing industry will return to the level of 2000 in terms of advertising revenues in about two to three years. Based on factors such as the oil price, the global economy, gross domestic product, fiscal policy and various statistics, Büdenbender concluded that the advertising market should start to pick up again from the end of the year.
This is also evident from a comparison over several years of the Publicitas Index with the business barometer of the Swiss Institute of Economic Research (KOF) at the ETH Zurich. In the past, their curves were somewhat shifted in time, but otherwise very similar, so that, according to Büdenbender, the following rule of thumb can be derived from this for publishers: A change in the economy indicated by the KOF barometer has an effect on advertising sales about six months later (see graphic).
Turning to local customers as a new strategy
Markus Ehrle, Marketing Director at Publimedia, also expected a recovery by the end of the year. However, he warned that the media mix could develop to the disadvantage of print media. Although clients would continue to prefer print, media agencies, according to a survey, were tending more toward TV - probably because they could better distinguish themselves with TV campaigns, as Ehrle suspected.
He therefore called on the publishers not to slacken in any way in their marketing of the genre. Advertising must be made "flexible, simple and cost-effective", the press must provide performance certificates such as Publimedia's Print Advertising Monitor, and offer planning and scheduling aids that are also affordable for small media agencies. The titles should also enable links with other media, telecommunications and information technology.
Daniel Hofer, CEO Publicitas Promotion Network, reported on a meeting of US publishers. There, too, they are assuming an economic recovery, but are convinced that "the times are over when you could generate 40 to 50 percent of your sales with 10 or 15 top customers. In the U.S., newspaper and magazine publishers would therefore again increasingly turn to small, local customers. Hofer therefore recommended cultivating local customers even in times of economic boom.

Muse & Musse Hans Heierli What was the last cultural event you attended?
Hans Heierli: The Appenzeller Kirchentag, because I am the auditor of the Protestant parish.
What are you reading right now?
Heierli: "In the circle of the wolf" by Nicholas Evans. In every wilderness there is a place of hope.
Which CD do you currently prefer to listen to?
Heierli: The "New Original Appenzell String Music Project".
Which movie would you most like to see again?
Heierli: "40 days and 40 nights". A wonderfully refreshing summer movie.
What TV show did you fall asleep during the other night?
Heierli: At the World Cup.
What is your latest discovery on the Internet?
Heierli: www.auchgratulieren.ch
What could you never do without?
Heierli: To freedom, space, horse and dog.
What do you do in a free minute?
Heierli: Relax, enjoy a cigar and a cool Appenzeller Alpenbitter.
Love is...?
Heierli: ...to give everyone the freedom they need.

This trend can be observed internationally: More and more magazines are trying to stem their declining circulation with issues in DIN A5 format. And what works for Glamour, Joy, Allegra, and even PC-Welt or PC Magazin shouldn’t hurt Kult either. Admittedly, the argument that the mini-issues are being sold at rock-bottom prices—up to 60 percent below those of the full-size magazines—doesn’t apply to the Swiss scene magazine, since Kult is still available for free at trendy hangouts. «The mini-issue is a one-time sponsorship project for Mini Cooper,» reveals publisher Rainer Kuhn. Form and content—namely, the entire advertising section consisting almost exclusively of ads for the new Mini—merge here in an almost ideal way to create a new-media project. The next issue of Kult, however, will be published «as usual.» Much to the disappointment of many women, though, for whom the new Kult fits better in their handbags. The tiny issue has a print run of 35,000 copies and, according to the publisher’s estimates, is read by 100,000 people. Millionenpool is being renamed. If appearances aren’t too deceiving, a resolution will be reached on June 20 between Pool 2000 and its three dissenting members—Hitradio Z, Argovia, and Sunshine—who, together with Top, Ri, 32, Grischa, and Central, founded Millionenpool ahead of schedule. It has remained unclear since then whether Pool 2000 will remain in effect until the end of 2002 or whether the Millionenpool will be sold starting in July. According to Roland Baumgartner (Argovia), a proposed solution is now on the table, and a decision will be made today. Everything points to the existing Pool 2000 modules in Bern and Basel joining the new pool. Baumgartner, however, declined to reveal any details. This much is clear: Starting next week, a new pool will be announced, which—for legal reasons and likely also for image reasons (internal pool disputes)—will no longer be called the “Millionenpool.”.
Hochparterre spans three floors. In July 2000, 13 editors, designers, and publishing professionals gathered for the first retreat in the history of the Hochparterre publishing house. A second meeting followed in October 2001. Now the results are in. In its 15th year, the architecture and design magazine has given itself a new look, complete with a striking new logo. The new layout bears the mark of Susanne Kreuzer, supported and guided by Barbara Erb, who is responsible for the new logo. Until now, the magazine has been restyled every five years. The first redesign focused on the format; later, the structure of the sections was revised. Today, the most striking feature is the new logo. Editor-in-Chief Köbi Gantenbein calls it a «playful take on letters with a wink.» Among the content-related innovations is an ambitious feature on architecture competitions, which Hochparterre plans to cover extensively and on an ongoing basis in the future. To this end, a new news service covering announced and decided competitions has been launched at www.hochparterre.ch.
New Magazines for Men in French-Speaking Switzerland. Men in French-Speaking Switzerland are being courted with new publications. Two publishing houses—Ringier Romandie and Audace Publishing—are preparing to launch men’s magazines. Ringier Romandie plans to enter the market this fall with the magazine *Type*, targeting readers between the ages of 25 and 45. *Type* positions itself as a magazine featuring top spots and tips for wellness and fashion. The frequency and scope of the magazine’s publication have not yet been determined. Meanwhile, Audace Publishing is working on the revival of *Untel*. The men’s magazine, which was launched in the spring of 2000 and disappeared after just one year, is set to return to the market in the spring of 2003. Plans include a new layout and possibly a new name. Both a German-language and a French-language edition are planned. The publisher intends to establish a presence in Zurich. The small publishing house is currently seeking partners.
RadioDay 2002 won't take place until September. RadioDay 2002 will be held on Thursday, September 5, 2002, at the Lakeside Casino in Zurich, from 10 a.m. to about 7 p.m. This was confirmed by Rolf Müller, head of PublicaData. RadioDay had originally been scheduled for August 29. Registration via the RadioDay.ch website is not yet available.
Provocative Coupons. Just in time for the start of the annual hunt for Lions in Cannes, the Zurich-based film and video production company Blood Sweat & Tears is drawing attention to itself with an unusual advertising campaign: Agencies and clients are being sent a roll of toilet paper bearing the rather provocative headline «A Cannes roll instead of shitty movies.» For once, the coupons on the toilet paper roll aren’t just for tearing off—they’re also meant to be filled out and mailed in to order a free copy of Blood Sweat & Tears’ new showreel. The roll also features the Tibet commercial, which includes clips from the Swiss film production that has won the most awards to date. The toilet paper advertising concept was developed by Euro RSCG Switzerland.
Switzerland Forms Tourism Partnership with Liechtenstein. The tourism organizations of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein will work more closely together in the future. Switzerland Tourism plans to include Liechtenstein as a new partner in its global marketing efforts. Switzerland Tourism announced that the partnership is intended to further promote Liechtenstein’s vacation offerings through brochures, trade show appearances, and online channels. Through this collaboration, Switzerland is expanding its tourism offerings, and Liechtenstein will gain easier access to selected markets via existing channels.
Radio Extra Bern’s Ice Cream Giveaway. Radio Extra Bern is taking advantage of the summer days to reach its youngest audience: From June 17 to 28, the local station will be touring schools in the Bern region in partnership with the Cornetto (Pierrot Lusso) ice cream brand. A broadcast van will stop at a total of 16 schoolyards and hand out free ice cream to everyone. In addition, according to Extra Bern, «action, fun, and a request show are on the agenda.».
Vegetarian Friendship. This poster really ought to win a Lion at Cannes next year. Even if it’s just a herbivorous one. Kamuniak, the proud lioness from Kenya, is considered the world’s most famous vegetarian because she has been roaming the savanna in peaceful harmony with an antelope for months instead of eating it. «A wonderful example of how even die-hard meat-eaters are slowly turning away from meat consumption,» say Markus Ruf and Danielle Lanz. Their agency plans to effectively use this theme for the vegetarian restaurant «Pot au vert» at the Hotel Limmathof in Zurich on movie posters, postcards, and point-of-sale posters.
Association for Professional Campaigning Founded. On June 12, the Procampaigning association was founded in Zurich. Its members are the agencies 4C, Kampagnenforum (both in Zurich), and Afpa (Bonn/Berlin). According to a press release, a new, interdisciplinary industry is emerging under the strategic approach of “campaigning.” Procampaigning aims to support this by promoting understanding of the new approach and advocating for the exchange of experience and quality assurance in both training and practice. In the short term, guidelines for quality assessment will be developed; in the long term, the goal is to establish a comprehensive interdisciplinary training program leading to a corresponding diploma. According to Procampaigning, discussions have already begun with various educational institutions, other agencies, and practitioners. A first general meeting to prepare for operational activities is planned for July 2002. The first president of Procampaigning is Peter Metzinger, owner of the 4C agency and creator of a campaigning concept that has been applied in a wide variety of fields since 1998.
Deepening the «blue» experience. Blue Balls Music, the organizer of Blue Balls Nights and the Lucerne Blue Balls Festival, is solidifying its brand image. To this end, the ancillary offerings at the concerts are being expanded, and the impact of the advertising designed by Zurich-based graphic designer Beda Achermann is being amplified through better photos and the unrestricted use of the logo as a graphic element. Renowned photographers will be commissioned to shoot the featured headliners in the future. The Lucerne Blue Balls Festival, for example, which takes place this year from July 19 to 27, «shouldn’t just be one of about 250 festivals in Switzerland where one band after another performs, but should also offer visitors experiences centered around music,» says organizer Urs Leierer. For example, a festival exhibition titled “Michel and his friends in music” will showcase images from the body of work of Swiss star photographer Michel Comte. At the Session Club in the Hotel Schweizerhof, festivalgoers will be able to have a beer with the musicians and experience them up close as they jam. The key motif of the 2002 Blue Balls Festival—which depicts George Clinton—was created by Isabel Snyders, a Swiss photographer who has been living in Los Angeles for twelve years.

Roche Pharma (Schweiz) AG has awarded the media budget of its Consumer Health Division to Universal McCann, Zurich. The agency won the overall budget in a double-digit selection process. budget news Universal McCann wins Roche Roche Consumer Health includes brands such as Aleve, Bepanthen, Berocca, Redoxon and Supradyn.
Swiss evaluates eight agencies Swiss invites eight agencies to evaluate the development of a long-term creative strategy: Advico Young & Rubicam, Euro RSCG Switzerland, Jung von Matt/Limmat, Lesch+Frei, Lowe, Publicis, Weber Hodel Schmid and Wirz Werbung. Four of these are to go through to the second round, in which the brief will be fleshed out. Those responsible at Swiss are Peter Zeller, Vice-President Marketing & Communications, Reto Meister, General Manager Marketing Communications, and Katrina Rölli, Advertising Manager. Meister was previously Head of Advertising at Crossair, Zeller Head of Marketing at Swissair and before that Account Director at Advico Young & Rubicam, responsible for the Swissair budget.
Spar advertises worldwide with TBWA South Africa The supermarket chain Spar International has commissioned TBWA Hunt Lascaris in South Africa with its first global branding campaign. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, operates 17000 stores in 31 countries. According to a report by Adage Global, TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Spar's core agency in South Africa, won the pitch against five competitors. Spar asked all its agencies worldwide to send in a showreel and then invited six to present, a TBWA spokesperson explained. Spar wanted to position itself as younger and more multicultural, and the South African campaign, which shows young, mixed-race consumer families, was a good fit. TBWA Hunt Lascaris is realizing a TV spot for 500,000 euros, which will be provided with suitable voice-overs by the global Spar agencies.
Contexta wins Piz Buin Mountain In a competitive presentation against three Zurich agencies, Greiter (International) AG - a Johnson & Johnson Group company - has chosen the Bern-based agency Contexta. The task includes the creation and artwork for the next winter campaign for the Piz Buin Mountain product line. The campaign will be used in Switzerland and Europe.
Ranz scores The Basel-based advertising agency Ranz has won the budget for the overall Swiss presence of China Medical GmbH, the importer of Evergreen. Thanks to the wholesale license for Chinese extracts, the growing demand for traditional Chinese medicine can be met with high-quality remedies. Evergreen has been successful on the North American market for years and enjoys a good reputation, particularly in terms of quality (GMP-certified).

"English editions don't pay off, but bring prestige to quality titlesBy Oliver Classen Der Spiegel would like to have one, the NZZ is currently limiting its editions to the Internet and the FAZ is even discontinuing them altogether at the end of June: economic cost pressure is turning English-language editions from a dream into a worry for renowned publishing houses.
The fact that the Neue Zürcher Zeitung became Helmut Kohl's favorite newspaper in the 1990s was due not only to its conservative stance but also to the fact that it summarized German debates more neutrally and soberly than its competitors from Frankfurt (FAZ), Munich (Süddeutsche Zeitung) or Hamburg (Der Spiegel). For the same reason, the FAZ has met with immense interest from Anglo-American ambassadors, parliamentarians and even members of government - since its "English Edition" has been included daily in the International Herald Tribune (IHT). The person making this claim is Berthold Kohler, the political editor of the Frankfurt newspaper and therefore knows what he is talking about: cross-border opinion power.
And from a competitive journalistic advantage over publishers that traditionally look beyond the German (language) horizon, such as Der Spiegel. Its management team around editor-in-chief Stefan Aust and publishing director Fried von Bismarck have been toying with an overseas version of the news magazine aimed at business leaders and politicians for some time. In mid-March, the industry magazine Kontakter once again spread the rumor that such a publication was already in the pipeline. However, when asked by WerbeWoche, Spiegel boss von Bismarck waved it off. "Such a beautiful but costly expansion of Spiegel into the English-speaking world is far beyond our current means".
"English FAZ" increased IHT circulation by 30 percent
The FAZ, whose eight- to sixteen-page English edition will be published for the last time on June 30, has recently adopted a very similar tone. However, Kohler is adamant: "If you want to be heard in the concert of the greats, you have to speak or write the global lingua franca today." He was accordingly delighted when the IHT chose his newspaper (along with a dozen other papers, including El País and the Israeli Ha'aretz) as a "publishing partner" in mid-1999 and at the same time took over the entire financing of a "German Supplement". Incidentally, the Americans had also negotiated with the NZZ at the time.
In terms of content, however, responsibility for the supplement, which appeared for the first time in April 2000 - and then immediately in a print run of 30,000 copies - lay entirely with the FAZ, which had to massively subsidize the prestigious project last year following a "partial withdrawal due to the economic situation" (Kohler) on the part of the IHT.
When the Tribune wanted to pull out completely in April, FAZ Managing Director Jochen Becker lowered his thumb. With a loss of 27 million euros for the first time in the financial year, Frankfurt simply no longer has the funds for extravagances, no matter how prestigious they may be. But the Americans must also be up to their necks in water, otherwise they would certainly have continued to invest in a product that has given them a 30 percent jump in circulation in Germany within two years. The fact that the English-language Internet offshoot Faz.com is also being discontinued can also only be explained by an acute shortage of funds. "If one is discontinued, the other can no longer be maintained," is Kohler's laconic comment on a decision that leaves a further 6 web editors out of work after the 10 print editors.
"Low costs and high quality" is the NZZ credo
The English Window in the bottom left-hand corner of NZZ Online is far less staff-intensive and therefore less costly. With 150 full-time equivalents, the "Showcase to Switzerland", which was prominently placed for the first time in spring, offers up-to-date translations of important articles from the print edition as well as an in-house editorial service that is appreciated by expatriates and foreign business people alike. According to Kurt Busslinger, Head of Marketing New Media, this conclusion is suggested by the 3500 to 4000 page impressions per day, with which the English Window is "on a par with the NZZ online sports or domestic sections" in terms of usage.
The Internet service, which was launched in 1997, emerged from the "Swiss Review of World Affairs", which was discontinued six months later (and after 45 years!). Of its 32 black-and-white pages, a maximum of four were occupied by advertising. But the magazine, which already seemed antiquated at the time, didn't have to pay for itself. After all, the aim was "simply" to become the opinion leader among decision-makers domiciled in Switzerland who did not speak German.
The NZZ owes the continuity of its English-language offshoot not least to the elimination of distribution costs through the Internet. "As an extra print product, it could quickly fall victim to the red pencil in times like these," says Busslinger with a view to the corresponding announcement from Frankfurt. Another cost-cutting factor is the close cooperation with Swissinfo. The SRG's international service, which is based in Bern, regularly provides the "Breaking News in English", for which the NZZ prepares the background information.
However, this synergy not only serves to inform foreigners and expatriates, but also to present Switzerland in the most global of all media: anyone who clicks on the Swiss Links in the English Window of NZZ Online has access to all institutions and organizations that could be of interest to tourists, potential investors and other business decision-makers. Of course, there is no trace of refinancing advertising here either. But what don't state-preserving media companies do for national location marketing? - Even for free if necessary.

FCBLK dribbles around advertising restrictions for alcoholic beverages for the 100-year-old AlpenbitterThe national appearance of the Wallisell-based advertising agency FCB Leutenegger Krüll (FCBLK) for the 100-year-old Alpenbitter from Appenzell gets around federal alcohol advertising restrictions with great humor. And debunks the claim often made by advertisers as impotence, according to which the requirements of the law do not permit any outstanding campaigns for alcoholic beverages. FCBLK's motifs depict the jubilarian in full possession of his powers. The light-hearted realization is intended to win friends for the "genie in a bottle from Appenzell", especially among the younger public, who tend to prefer alcoholic herbal products with a more urban image. page 6

Meyer Druck AG is up to its neck in water Meyer Druck AG is up to its . "We have concluded contracts with customers and suppliers to ensure that they don't withdraw orders or deliveries," says Stefan Wenkebach, describing the uncomfortable situation. He had already taken over the print shop on May 23 for a symbolic franc.
30 out of 80 employees were dismissed. Shortly afterwards, new trouble came from the pension fund: the cantonal authorities dismissed the Board of Trustees. It is suspected that liquidity bottlenecks may have led to irregularities.
Wenkebach evades the question of when Meyer Druck will be in the black. "In 2 to 3 weeks or in 2 to 3 years," he told WerbeWoche, referring to the market situation. However, Meyer Druck AG's market position is anything but comfortable. The printing company is number two in Switzerland in the dying gravure printing sector of all things. (dse)

GO&M encourages people to think about organ transplantsBrun Bruno AmstutzThe agency Grendene Ogilvy & Mather (GO&M) is tackling a sensitive topic: On behalf of Zurich University Hospital, it is drawing attention to the problem of organ donation.
The acute shortage of donor organs in Switzerland gave rise to a campaign with an unusual theme. There are only fourteen organ donors for every million inhabitants, and the trend is falling. Donor cards are few and far between, and there is no central database of organ donors.
In order to clarify the willingness to donate, the relatives of the deceased must be consulted as a source of information. They, in turn, can only provide reliable information if a dialog on the subject has taken place beforehand. The campaign's message is that organ donation must be discussed during a person's lifetime, with relatives, friends and acquaintances.
The GO&M team threw themselves into the unusual task with enthusiasm and, according to copywriter Guillermo Garcia, developed around fifteen different campaigns of all kinds: "The spectrum ranged from informative to shocking, from gravestones and images of saints to children who need a new organ." The use of celebrities was also up for discussion. The model for this approach was provided by the USA, where basketball star Michael Jordan has been donating his famous name to transplant campaigns since 1996.
More communication with existential questions
"However, you reach your limits very quickly with a topic like this," says senior consultant Peter Roth, "the campaign should attract attention, but not offend anyone." The consequence was to avoid all distracting factors, not only shocking images of death, but also celebrities. What has remained is a very factual and simple campaign that clearly states what it wants: more communication on the subject of organ transplantation.
The first wave of teaser posters and advertisements have been on display in the Zurich area since mid-June, raising existential questions: Is there life after death? Can people still be saved? Does life make sense? A background of crumpled paper makes it clear that such questions often end up unprocessed in the mental wastepaper basket, especially among the younger generation.
The agency will provide a joint response in the following weeks, highlighting the life-saving qualities of organ donation. The timing of the campaign was chosen to coincide with European Organ Donation Day on June 22. In addition to the print and poster presence, GO&M has planned accompanying measures, from cards for free and cards with donor cards to its own website www.organtransplant.ch.

New life is being breathed into the local Basel TV station NordWest 5 (NW 5) - through cooperation with the production company NordWest Medien AG founded for this purpose.News NordWest 5 is being revived The managing director is the journalist Beat Alder, head of the content provider Internet Medien AG and the regional portal Netzpress.ch. The shareholders are EBM (formerly Elektra Birseck Münchenstein) and Internationale Treuhand AG (Itag) owned by Fritz Schuhmacher, Vice-Chairman of the Basel media group. NW 5 broadcasts to 25 municipalities in Basel, but not to Basel (130000 potential viewers). Alder wants to have daily television in a year's time.
Basel toilet deal rejected The Grand Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt has unanimously rejected a concept for public toilets to the government. The plan was for the Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft (APG) to finance self-cleaning toilet facilities in return for the rights to 254 new illuminated poster sites. The Grand Council is of the opinion that the government has allowed itself to be taken advantage of by APG.
"P" index falls again After the Publicitas index, which measures the development of advertising expenditure in the daily press, was able to slow down its decline somewhat in April, it fell more steeply again in May. The index lost 2.1 points and, at 116.2 points, is at the level of April 1999. However, Publicitas reports that commercial advertising almost reached the level of 2001.
PWA Index stagnates The Publimedia Web Advertising Index (PWA Index) remained practically at the previous month's level in May: it lost 0.1 points and now stands at 101.7 points. The downward trend of the last three months has thus been halted.

By Beat FritschÀ la bâloise" started the shortlist week with a visit to the world's most internationally renowned art fair, Art in Basel. We got down to business with Bilanz and Weltwoche. The preview of the art exhibition in the exhibition halls on the banks of the Rhine was also attended by some Zurich advertising dignitaries - not least in order to buy the expensive and increasingly valuable culture from under the noses of the profane public at the special event. The "day before" enjoys cult status - and not without good reason. Unfortunately, almost too much! The question must be allowed as to whether more wealthy people are expected on Tuesday (unofficial opening) or Wednesday (official opening)? Especially as the really rich insiders go shopping on Monday anyway! And on Tuesdays, the invited dignitaries follow, who were hit harder than all the artists and other visitors represented last year. This was just as obvious to the pilgrimage of lawyers as it was to the plastic surgeons, would-be art collectors, wine merchants, restaurateurs and advertisers. Their numbers were again legion and therefore greater than ever. The long faces caused by the price tags on the outlets were not just the result of looking at Munchs and Picassos. The prices to be paid, even for contemporary artists, obviously exceeded the budgets of any bargain hunters.
However, this did not stop the guests of the Jean Frey publishing house from asking the shrewd art guides and speakers for trouvailles. Andy Illien, for example, then led his group to the outlet of the Galerie de France, where he had a Chinese artist named Chong shown and offered him a great deal. Price per painting now - 3500 francs, estimated price in ten years: at least three times as much. But none of these art flight participants - including Peter Kettiger, Theophil Butz, Marion Wagner, Hans Tanner and Victor Zahn - were in a buying mood.
Last week, those responsible for Hochparterre magazine presented themselves in a new way - forgive the play on words. The redesign was celebrated with the finest grilled sausages, various meat fillings and plenty of wine. No stranger was behind the bar: We saw and mentioned Marco Valpiani last year in film and commercial production. He now runs the business of Spezerei Buonvicini & Söhne, a supplier of all kinds of fermented grape juices of Italian provenance and tasty treats. Also present: Pia Schleiss, Head of Studies at the HGK University of Art and Design in Lucerne. We had a great chat with her about upstream product and industrial design. After all, this discipline provides the shiny foils, the supple fabrics, the sparkling raw materials - from which designers produce their award-winning work.
There was also a birthday to celebrate last week. The Forecast Bar on Limmatquai turned three years old and has outgrown its diapers. What a birthday! Which attracted Andi Hess from Forecast, various exponents of the Rufener event agency and many other scenesters to celebrate. The location was full. And so were the attendees!
Beat Fritsch

acted as a "raider of the lost art" last week. In Basel, of course. After all, Art is the largest art fair in the world, attracting not only all the galleries of distinction but also an equally large audience. Thanks to Bilanz and Weltwoche, we didn't even have to do without expert explanations. A well-known gallery owner (Andy Illien), recognized curators (Christoph Doswald, Guido Magnaguagno, Gerald Matt, Christoph Vitali) and a highly esteemed artist (John Armleder) explained the exhibits to the guests on a guided tour.
Anyone in the communications scene who holds exhibitions, launches, relaunches or birthdays can be found 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 ([email protected]). For event tips and further shortlist images: www.werbewoche.ch