Michel Rey, CEO of M6, on his TV station and its French advertising windowThe cable network operators in Geneva and Lausanne are still "on strike" when it comes to switching on M6's French-speaking Swiss advertising window. But the Secrétaire Général of the French private TV station, Michel Rey, is optimistic - and continues to negotiate. Michel Rey, were you surprised by this strong opposition to your advertising window in French-speaking Switzerland?
Michel Rey: I was a bit surprised by the vehemence of this resistance. But when the economic situation changes, it's just the case that the companies involved first have to get to know each other better. We are the first foreign broadcaster to want to launch an advertising window in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. So this new situation must first be analyzed. The media policy conditions and possibilities must be clarified legally, both for Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR) and M6, and simultaneously with the competent authority CSA in France and Bakom in Switzerland. This requires an agreement with the various cable network operators. All this takes time, and that's why I think the delay in a project of this magnitude is actually quite normal.
Is Switzerland really that important for M6?
Rey: If you take a closer look at our station, you can see that we produce a very elaborate and varied program. So it seems legitimate to me that in all the places where M6's broadcasts can be seen, we also get something for financing these services. So why not in Switzerland as well? Here, too, we've had our program on the cable networks for ten years.
Are you satisfied with the development of viewer numbers in Switzerland?
Rey: Today, we have 40 percent of tuned devices out of a possible 77 percent in the cable network in French-speaking Switzerland. So if Geneva and Lausanne were added, the percentage achieved so far would increase by more than 20 percent, which is a good figure. We will increase continuously. This has already aroused great interest among many advertising customers. I'm told that TSR's prime-time advertising is usually fully booked. I'm therefore convinced that customers want a new field in which they can place their advertising.
Do you also plan to have your own program window in the future?
Rey: No, we only want to run an advertising window and not a program window. As I said, I think it's legitimate for us to make money in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, because our programming is very popular here. We rank third behind TSR and TF 1, with primetime market shares averaging 13 percent, and last May even 20 percent among 15- to 49-year-olds.
Which audience do you want to address?
Rey: We've been on the air since 1987 and today we have a 14 percent market share in France. We were only able to achieve that thanks to a clearly defined target audience. So right from the start, we positioned ourselves with an audience under 25. We are the clear leader in this segment, strikingly more so with young women than with young men. But we are generalists when it comes to programming, albeit with a lot of courage to try something new. We produce a contrasting program against the market trend. In France, we are the station with the most reports and magazines, such as the knowledge magazine "e=m6," which reaches 4 million viewers on Tuesdays. "Culture Pub" is a magazine about advertising, "Capital" brings business information. In addition, there are many entertainment formats, children's and youth programs, and of course the best international series.
Won't that cause problems with the rights for Switzerland if you now run advertising around these series?
Rey: No, we have regulated these rights internationally. But there are other restrictions. Under French law, we are not allowed to advertise films, books, and - which is perhaps our biggest disadvantage in Switzerland - retail advertising. In this way, France wants to protect the print media from television. Nevertheless, our profile as the youngest broadcaster in French-speaking Switzerland means we can offer a new opportunity for media planning that wants to cater to a precise target group. We have the youngest viewers. 9.5 percent are 15 to 24 years old. 23.5 percent in the 25- to 34-year-old group - and in April, our second season of "Loft Story," the French equivalent of "Big Brother," will start. That means we can even overtake TF 1 in terms of market shares.
Which owners are actually behind M6?
Rey: Channel M6 is controlled by RTL Group with 45.2 percent and Suez Group with a 37.3 percent share. The remainder of
17.5 percent is placed in public hands or with institutional investors. Our sales currently amount to 734 million euros, and we are generating double-digit growth figures. Advertising revenues account for 72 percent of our total consolidated revenues. M6 is divided into four subsegments: free TV in conjunction with the film business. Then our brand business with the M6 boutiques, which offer videos as well as a weekly DVD from our M6 Collection. Our brand business also includes our own soccer club. The third area is pay TV with the Fun TV and Music TV channels. The fourth area is the Internet. In this medium, we offer various activities related to "Loft Story" as well as a ticket service. All four areas generate very large synergies.
What will happen now in the French-speaking part of Switzerland?
Rey: Two appeals are currently pending, one in France and one in Switzerland. The next hearing will take place in Freiburg in April. Thanks to a legal study that we commissioned, I am optimistic that we are sufficiently protected legally with our advertising window. To this end, IP Multimedia is still seeking talks with the cable network operators in Lausanne and Geneva. Interview: Andreas Panzeri

SonntagsZeitung and Tages-Anzeiger launch Full House ad combinationSonntagsZeitung and Tages-Anzeiger respond to the more competitive situation in the Sunday market with an innovative ad combination. The offer, with the resonant name Full House, is not only unusual because it is the first time that titles from Tamedia have been combined into one (commercial) advertising combination. The booking options offered are also unusual. The Tages-Anzeiger combination partner can be booked for not just one, but three editions: either the Friday, Saturday or Monday editions.There are no models of this kind for a three-day model in Switzerland. Its philosophy is explained by Hans Jürg Klöti, Director Advertising Market Tamedia, as follows: "Placements in the Friday or Saturday edition of the Tages-Anzeiger are an excellent opportunity for advertisers to strengthen their presence at the weekend. On the other hand, bookings in the Monday edition can be a valuable part of a forward strategy into the following week. This would be interesting for the major retailer Coop, for example, which always has a promotion day on Tuesday."
The offer, which can be booked from May, applies to ad bookings of at least half a page in size. The price reduction is 10 percent. Full House positions itself as the "most favorable rate for reach in print. Only the SonntagsBlick/Blick combination (see table) is cheaper.
According to Klöti, the aim of the new advertising combination is to "absorb at least part of the advertising loss caused by the NZZ am Sonntag". Tamedia had already budgeted an advertising loss of around 10 percent for SoZ from April this year last fall. "But trying to compensate for the entire expected loss would probably be too ambitious," says Klöti. The advertising deadline for Full House is the preceding Wednesday at 2 p.m. Daniel Schifferle

Trend guru Matthias Horx faces competition from Switzerland: Peter Rudin, entrepreneur and founder of the Internet service provider Bluewin, is establishing an institute for futures studies. Together with a team of young and aspiring professors, Rudin aims to advise companies on the transition from product-oriented to knowledge-oriented value creation. According to a report in Netzwoche, a former monastery in the canton of Neuchâtel has been found for this purpose, which is ideally suited for reflection and discussion. Rudin is stepping down from his roles as CEO of the data transfer company Upaq and as president of the Swiss Interactive Media Association (Sima). However, he will remain active as chairman of the board of Upaq and honorary president of the new Swiss Interactive Media and Software Association (Simsa). Rudin plans to present his futures research institute to the public at the end of the year. Easier Reading. The wise travel by train. Although this old slogan is no longer quoted verbatim, its essence nevertheless served as the inspiration for the SBB’s new campaign. Because it’s simply true that traveling by train is more comfortable and relaxing—in this specific case, to Expo.02. In the poetically beautiful ad created by the Jung von Matt/Limmat agency, two rockers have switched from their motorcycles to the train’s padded seats. The campaign’s goal is clear: to get as many Expo.02 visitors as possible to join them in the train car. If the smell of pot bothers you, there’s always first class—but it costs extra.
An Eerie World. While searching for a murderer, the cantonal police inspector «stumbles into a world that feels eerie to him.» «Communication» is, in fact, the name of the industry in which the murder victim worked. Following *Engel im falschen Zug*, Viviane Egli has now released her second crime novel, *Finale in Wollishofen*, in bookstores. «Sly businesspeople and managers operating on hot air» make it difficult for the police to unravel the web of intrigue, the blurb continues. Of course, all we can say is: «Any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental,» since Viviane Egli, as is well known, runs a communications agency in Zurich—though not in Wollishofen. «Finale in Wollishofen» was published by Orte Verlag. On April 25 at 7 p.m., Viviane Egli will be reading alongside other Orte authors at Café Casablanca on Langstrasse in Zurich. Stressed-out listeners are asked to discreetly check their «Föhn» at the coat check.
The Zurich Ballet takes flight. Heinz Spoerli’s latest choreography will have its world premiere on April 6 at the Zurich Opera House. To promote Giovanni Pergolesi’s work—with its ethereal title «Der Sonne Leuchten ist ihr Kleid» (The Sun’s Radiance Is Her Garment)—in a way that is both striking and timelessly modern, Frank Bodin and Jürg Aemmer of Euro RSCG, Zurich, drew inspiration from the theme of angels. Just as mysterious as these beings are meant to be, so too is the poster’s visual: the back, open with zippers for the attachable wings, reveals the angels’ grace.
New juice bar staff wanted. Last year, the Ammarkt agency continued the campaign concept «Natural Wonders from Mostindia» with great success for the fruit juice producer Thurella: Thanks to a TV commercial and the CD «The Mostindia,» the charismatic protagonist Anoop Singh gained nationwide publicity, which the dual citizen of India and Thurgau now aims to build upon with a second CD. Building on the same advertising strategy, the St. Gallen-based agency is once again on the hunt for undiscovered «wonders of nature» with «expressive faces» to position Thurella’s beverage brands in an original and natural way. Experience as a model is not required, according to consultant and co-owner Heinz Frischknecht. “The only requirement is that the people we’re looking for are citizens of the canton of Thurgau or live here.”
Freelance.com is now placing communications professionals. The French group Freelance.com is strengthening its position in the Swiss market by launching a new division for communications professionals. The company has been operating in Switzerland since late 2000 and places freelancers in the IT sector throughout German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Encouraged by its success in France, Freelance.com is now using this new division to offer its services to advertising agencies and other companies seeking freelance professionals in the communications field. Freelance.com was founded in Paris in 1996. The company is led in France by Eric Delannoy, the former chairman of the board of TBWA Paris.

A Creative Balancing Act. A folk festival in Appenzell will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the traditional Appenzeller Alpenbitter brand. This spicy elixir is still considered the Swiss market leader among herbal liqueurs. Naturally, that’s why FCB Leutenegger Krüll came up with something special for the double-page birthday ad. They quickly turned two bottles into a pair of binoculars. With this design, the «Beobachter»—which turned 75 this year—was supposed to congratulate the Appenzeller liqueur. But oh my! The cheerful Appenzellers didn’t count on the Alcohol Administration. After all, congratulations from one product to another are prohibited in alcohol advertising. But how can an advertiser create a humorous ad featuring an alcoholic product without specifically mentioning that product in the ad? FCB Leutenegger Krüll has even received a letter of commendation from the Alcohol Administration for the solution they came up with—featuring the bottle laid on its side and the two glasses symbolizing the number 100—says a delighted Mike Krüll. That’s worth a hearty “Zäuerli” to us.
Regardez and Frame Eleven on the Promax Shortlist. Two Swiss production companies are on the shortlist for the 2002 Promax & BDA Awards: Regardez and Frame Eleven. The industry association Promax & BDA represents over 4,200 companies in the fields of promotion, marketing, and TV design worldwide. At the annual awards, over 12,000 entries are judged across 43 categories. Frame Eleven is a finalist for Best Set Design with “Cash-TV.” Regardez was nominated for Best On-Air Package Design with “MTV 2 Pop.” The awards ceremony will take place on April 9.
Editorial: All That Excitement Was Probably for Nothing
Swissfirst must have been greatly relieved when it was able to announce the new shareholders of Jean Frey AG on Maundy Thursday. The bank had not anticipated that concerns about the publishing house’s future would generate such a media frenzy. Speculation and conspiracy theories had been running rampant ever since the deal between Ringier and the Basel-based media group fell through and Jean Frey AG was sold to Swissfirst in a surprise move.
A bank’s involvement in this politically sensitive area sparked the journalists’ instinct to dig deeper. In the process, some agitated “Cassandras” violated their journalistic duty of care, in some cases in a flagrant manner. And once again, it became clear that the mass media do not always operate with substantiated information and are often content with plausibility and public resonance. The coverage surrounding the Jean Frey deal is a prime example of Marshall McLuhan’s thesis that the mass media often seek to stir up excitement rather than inform.
However, the beautiful dream of a sinister conspiracy has given way to disillusionment. Despite all the doomsday predictions and hostility, the bank has kept its word: The two conditions—transparency of ownership (only a few minority shareholders wish to remain anonymous) and a broadly diversified shareholder base (no majority shareholder)—have been met. The broad spectrum of new owners is the best guarantee of editorial independence for the individual publications. With the successful sale, there is a new voice in the market.
However, it remains to be seen whether the new project is economically viable. For one thing, the economic environment for media is quite grim. It also remains to be seen how the ailing *Weltwoche* will be revitalized and whether Ringier will launch its own consumer magazine that could compete with its cash cow, *Beobachter*, for readership.
It's no walk in the park for investors who have committed to a long-term investment. Accusing them of greed is out of place in this context. Samuel Helbling, Editor-in-Chief

Ringier's weekly magazine is taking shape. Project manager Rudolf Bächtold told WerbeWoche that he would present a zero number, including a business plan, to Ringier's executive board in the first half of May.The magazine in oversized format, for which Kurt Schwerzmann is designing the layout, is intended to appeal to a target audience "in the vicinity of Weltwoche," said the former Weltwoche co-chief editor. Bächtold, however, did not want to say anything more specific about the content. If the concept is accepted at the first attempt, the new magazine could be launched in September.
Such an early start should make it difficult for Weltwoche, which is about to be relaunched and is also being converted into a magazine. Weltwoche belongs to Jean Frey AG, which Ringier wanted to take over from the Basel media group but surprisingly lost to Swissfirst Bank (see p. 21). So Ringier has now pushed ahead with its (counter)project. (mk)

After Radio 24, Hitradio Z also got a new face on April 2.News Comedy Hitradio Z
The program was redesigned based on a listener survey. Hitradio Z focuses on a morning show with comedy, expanded news and new jingles. These were sung by Swiss pop starlet Tanja Dankner and produced in Berlin. Roger Baur, formerly of TV 3, is now on board as producer of the morning show. The comedy is written and produced by Nik Hartmann (until January head of presenting at Radio 24). Gerry Reinhardt and Tony Immer leave Hitradio Z.
Le beau Lac hebdoThe free weekly newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland, Genève Home Informations (GHI) and Lausanne-Cités, are launching the Lac hebdo supplement on April 17. It contains information about the districts of Nyon, Rolle, Aubonne and Morges and will be added to both titles as an additional bundle in this region. The circulation is 50000 copies. Editorial responsibility for the paper will be assumed by Gil Egger, who already serves as editor-in-chief for GHI and Lausanne-Cités.
Knockout for "Robinson
The third season of the survival show "Expedition Robinson" has been shot, but definitely cannot be aired. Just two weeks ago, Christian Stärkle, managing director of TeleNewsCombi (TNC), announced that "Robinson" would be resurrected on TNC's regional stations. Now the English company Castaway, which holds the broadcasting rights to "Expedition Robinson," has found the purchase price of 300,000 francs too low. Stärkle expressed his disappointment to WerbeWoche: "There was a commercial agreement."
New TSO clothes The private broadcaster Tele Südostschweiz in Chur is starting the spring with a new look. New is the daily news coverage. The previous news program has been renamed "TSO-News". The station announced that the daily news is possible thanks to considerable investments in technology. In addition, the station will add the series "Joya rennt" (Joya Runs) to its program starting in mid-April.

The advertising agency FCB Leutenegger Krüll founded a branch office in Geneva at the beginning of 2002, which still functions as a one-off operation with minimal infrastructure under the leadership of Managing Director Vivienne Heering. "In the longer term, however, the branch will function as a full-service agency on its own," says co-owner Peter Leutenegger, outlining the future. For the time being, however, the focus will be on direct marketing.Leutenegger sees French-speaking Switzerland as a market with potential and meets the needs of clients who demand Swiss expertise. The Geneva agency's first client was the Fondation Suisse pour la Paraplégie, based in Basel, which won a prestigious mandate following a pitch (ba).

Optimal off- and online measures turn a brand into a crossover brandBy Markus Gabriel* Brand management on the Internet is criminally neglected by most communication strategists. In the transition to a click & mortar company, companies can build a crossover brand with the clever use of offline and online measures.
Although the internet is the most revolutionary and highest-traffic medium of the modern era, it remains a marginal part of the average company's communications mix. Communications managers may be happy about the traffic on their website, which is largely due to the offline strength of the brand. They are also reassured when they can wrest something of a brand look and feel from the terribly CI-unfriendly html on their site.
The conventional wisdom is that brand management still takes place via mass media and works via public perception and hardly via websites that open up in the solitude of the lonely surfer. Thus, although the brand profits on the Internet, practically nothing is reinvested, as figures from the European MMXI study repeatedly show (see WW 12/02).
However, the reason for this reluctance is based less on a well-founded brand strategy assessment of the medium and more on a certain helplessness in dealing with the new technology, a lack of experience and also a lack of pressure to deviate from tried and tested paths. Furthermore, from a commercial point of view, the Internet is not necessarily in the favor of brand-cultivating advertising agencies, which prefer to create added value from traditional scatter budgets.
The Internet is not suitable for building a brand
Nevertheless, these questions arise: What relevance does the Internet have in terms of brand technology? How can a brand position itself on the Internet? The latter question becomes even more important if a company has already started certain business activities on the Internet and is in the process of becoming a so-called click & mortar company.
For example, while the Blick brand appears on the Internet with familiar letters as Blick Online and relies on the overarching brand identity, the Orell Füssli brand suddenly catches the reader's eye on the web as books.ch. Is it wise to sacrifice an established brand on the web to a generic, albeit catchier, word?
No, says the crossover brand study by the Institute of Marketing and Retailing at the University of St.Gallen: Over 80 percent of the companies surveyed consider a monobrand strategy (64%) or an umbrella brand strategy with online and offline sub-brands (20%) to be more promising than a
E-brand extra. On the other hand, it is hardly the last word in wisdom for a brand to be perceived on the Internet merely as a clickable copy of its offline appearance. A medium that allows interaction and transactions should be able to be used effectively for the brand.
In fact, the internet is not really suitable for building a brand. Internet platforms have had to learn this painfully. This requires the publicity of the mass media, i.e. the opportunity to position and differentiate oneself in direct comparison. Only through public friction with other brands and through the special sound in the babble of advertising messages does a brand gain profile and memorability. The Internet is the pure opposite of a mass medium. It is the most private and intimate medium of all, because it allows a maximum degree of self-determination in its use and thus always comes closer to the user's world of thought than the subscription-based newspaper or the zapped television program.
The brand can be actively experienced on the Internet
The different effects of mass media and the Internet can best be illustrated with an example: Billboards and TV screens impress Ikea on the viewer as the best furniture store. They gain the brand-worthy impression that Ikea stands for a youthful style of living, for affordable and smart furniture and not just for sawn wooden boards.
But that's only half the battle for Ikea. If the viewer now responds positively to the brand and wants to get closer to it in a non-committal way, then he brings Ikea into his home via modem, right into his private sphere and clicks through the brand. It's almost like carrying an Ikea piece of furniture home and working through the assembly instructions.
- The effect is the same: the user actively "experiences" the brand, enters into a dialog with it and adds new insights to their brand image. A missing screw can neutralize a lot of advertising money and have a stronger influence on brand understanding than the best campaign. That is why this screw should not be missing on the Internet. A careful Internet strategy is necessary if only to protect communication investments in the brand. But the goal can be set higher: The goal is the crossover brand.
This brand a priori has broader wings. It not only allows for the possible expansion of the business model, customer segments and sales radius, but also shines with an increase in expertise, customer proximity and modernity. The prerequisite for this is a web presence that adds functional value. The aim is to design the brand as an application, as brandware (brand software). In terms of perception, the crossover brand is characterized by an intensifying resonance system: "branding" in the public sphere of the mass media and "brand experience" in the private sphere of the Internet user.
But what does this mean for communication? A crossover brand naturally draws its energy and credibility from the effect of orchestrated offline and online communication measures: The classic tools of advertising, PR, direct marketing and promotion find their seamless counterparts in banner advertising, search engine optimization, permission marketing and viral marketing. The right mix and optimal dovetailing of offline and online measures ensures that a strong brand becomes an even stronger crossover brand that has a better chance of winning and retaining customers.
* Markus Gabriel is the owner of Angelink AG, a crossover agency.

Widespread relief about the new, broadly diversified shareholder base of Jean Frey AGBy Markus Knöpfli After the announcement of the majority of Jean Frey investors, the observer is in tense silence. In the other editorial offices of Jean Frey AG, people are relieved, but still tight-lipped. Media experts are satisfied, but also surprised about the investor transparency.
Christoph Richterich, Chairman of the Board of Jean Frey AG, did not want to comment on the current situation at his company to WerbeWoche. According to the Swissfirst communiqué, the only thing that is certain is that he will hold a shareholders' meeting within the next two months at which the board of directors will be definitively appointed.
CEO Filippo Leutenegger also remained rather vague on his first official day at work. After the layoffs and the subsequent immediate dismissals of Beobachter editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann, head of consulting Philippe Ruedin and editor Adrian Schmid, he could not rule out further departures. But it was now a matter of "looking to the future and reactivating trust," especially since the new investors would not hinder the independence of the Jean Frey titles. He also said he was unbiased, because "the explosion at the Observer" was primarily due to the past. Leutenegger: "There were obviously promises that were not kept."
As his most urgent problem at the moment, he mentioned the succession plan at the Beobachter. He was in talks with the editors about this, but did not want to say whether the current CR deputy Fredi Lüthin was also involved. Nor did he give any indication of his further "program.
But what about the 20 percent that rumors say must be cut from the Beobachter budget? Leutenegger waved it off: The fact is that Jean Frey AG is currently separating from the Basel media group and therefore all processes, costs and revenues are being reviewed. Investments, also at the Beobachter, are not excluded, he said.
The editors of the Beobachter are waiting to see what happens. One editor told SDA that he had "rubbed his eyes" at the list of investors. Press reports spoke of "subdued optimism" at Weltwoche and Bilanz. "The mood at our company is O.K.," said TR7 publishing director Sandro Rüegger, in contrast. "We now know who believes in us." That's a good starting point for working, he says.
The new situation is viewed positively by media professionals in particular.
assessed by the shareholders. Maike Juchler, Managing Director of m&m, expressed her "relief" at the broad distribution of shareholders, Andy Lehmann (Mediahaus Seefeld) was "very reassured by so much transparency," and Urs Renner (The Media Edge) does not see the independence of the Jean Frey titles at risk. Monica Jäggi (Konnex), however, sees the right-wing bias of some investors as problematic for the image of Beobachter and Weltwoche. On the positive side, she notes that with Charles von Graffenried and Heinz Wermelinger, people from the media industry have joined the company.
A new consumer magazine is also anticipated
Although Robert C. Baier (MediaBaier) finds all this "interesting and surprising," he nevertheless sees a dark cloud looming over Jean Frey AG and its "Goldeseli" Observer: if Ringier were to set up a consumer magazine, which Baier firmly expects to happen soon. Juchler, on the other hand, does not believe in anything short-term from Ringier. She fears more for Weltwoche, which, after its relaunch on May 8, will have to show what it's still made of by the end of the year, "otherwise I see black for it.
The attitude of advertisers is assessed differently. They tend to take a longer-term view and are "less nervous than the media scene" about the turbulence at Jean Frey, says Lehmann. Renner agrees with him about the observers, but not about Weltwoche: "It suffered from the turmoil and the postponed relaunch," he says. Juchler and Jäggi agree.
According to Swissfirst Bank, financier Tito Tettamanti is the largest single shareholder in Jean Frey AG with 25 percent. CM Crossmedia AG in Lucerne (boss: Heinz Wermelinger) holds 10 percent. A further 45 percent, in tranches of no more than 5 percent each, is held by: Charles von Graffenried, Berne; Peter Weigelt, Mörschwil; Hans Kaufmann, Wettswil; Altamira Holding, Zug; Aleardo Buzzi and Heinrich Sundmeyer, both Monte Carlo; Ralph Klingler, Flawil; Pierre Mirabaud, Founex; Jörg Rappold, Küsnacht; Elisabeth Schulz, Vienna; Alfred Wiederkehr, Zurich; and 34 bodies and members of Jean Frey AG. The owners of the remaining 20 percent remain anonymous, but according to Swissfirst, none of them holds "a significant position."
A total of two million shares with a par value of 51 francs each were placed, bringing the subscribed capital to 102 million francs, including a capital increase of 25.5 million francs. According to Swissfirst, this ensures that sufficient funds are available "among other things, for the relaunch of Weltwoche". The Basel-based media group is thus likely to have received 76.5 million francs, although this has not been confirmed.

With the campaign for fair rice, Max Havelaar is exploring new communication channelsBy Markus Knöpfli So-called fairly traded rice should account for around five percent of rice consumption in Switzerland within a year. And according to the Max Havelaar Foundation, this should also be a question of good taste, which consumers buy by the packet from wholesalers.
In Switzerland, around five kilos of rice are consumed per capita every year. Around 30 percent of this risotto rice comes from Italy. All other varieties are imported either from the Far East (30%) or from the USA (40%). Now the Max Havelaar Foundation (MHS) has become involved in this market. The organization, which is committed to fair trade, is helping 1000 small Thai farmers to sell their rice in Switzerland. The prerequisite for this is a commitment to certain social and ecological standards. In return, the rice farmers receive a price that is higher than the local market price. The aim is to sell 1000 tons of this rice in Switzerland within a year, which would correspond to a market share of around five percent.
The MHS aims to achieve this goal through certification and monitoring, but primarily through communication. Contrary to popular belief, however, the MHS does not import or sell any products. It leaves that to the retail trade. Part of the MHS's communication task is to certify products that meet the international fair trade criteria. It also monitors compliance with these criteria.
The criteria include, among other things, that producers undertake to adhere to strict cultivation guidelines, allow democratic participation in their cooperatives or farms and pay agreed minimum wages.
Once such producers have been found, the MHS looks for (wholesale) distributors in this country who will purchase these products, enter into long-term contracts and pay cost-covering prices. Once this is guaranteed, the communicative go-ahead is given for the introduction of a newly certified product. This results in a division of labor between the MHS and the (wholesale) distributors: while the MHS communicates the launch of the new product, the distributors themselves are responsible for promoting their respective product brands.
In the case of rice, this worked as follows: the MHS was initially able to win over the Fairtrade pioneer Claro as well as Coop, Migros and Le Shop as distribution channels. In mid-March, the MHS then launched its advertising campaign (posters in Ticino). It informed consumers that fair trade rice was now available. In addition, the fair trade criteria were expanded in small print and the content of the quality seal was specified. Marco Rosenberg, responsible for the MHS campaign at the Basel agency MRG, explains: "We didn't do traditional product advertising for MHS, but a transparency campaign: we explain what happens to the additional proceeds from fair trade."
Sharply observed centimeter-sized logos
The MHS uses the launch of a newly certified product to remind consumers of the quality seal and its significance. The (wholesale) distributors can then use the image gained or reinforced in this way for product advertising by means of a logo on their packaging, thus creating an image transfer.
The individual distributors obviously attach very different importance to this, which can be clearly seen in the example of the new long-grain rice packs. Claro places its own product brand in the center, while the MHS seal of approval (diameter 3.2 centimeters) is somewhat to the side. What is also striking is that Claro's own claim "It's fair trade" is easier to read than the statement on the MHS logo, which is probably intended to emphasize its own pioneering role in fair trade. Coop, on the other hand, seems to place more emphasis on environmental protection than on social commitment, with its own Naturaplan label in the middle and the MHS logo (diameter 2.6 centimeters) also placed at the edge. Migros is different: by placing the MHS label (diameter 5.3 centimetres) prominently in the middle and adding a shadow, it practically turns Max Havelaar into a product brand. In addition, the logo is visible on three sides of the pack.
With the newly launched MHS rice campaign, the foundation, which has now been in existence for ten years, is also hinting at a change in image. Whereas the campaign headlines previously emphasized the newly certified product and its benefits for producers (example: "This coffee gives work."), the current slogan "Because fairness is part of good taste" focuses on the pleasure of the palate. The product rice is not even mentioned in the headline and fades into the background, especially as it is not clearly recognizable in the picture.
Max Havelaar Foundation leads the way in Europe
Caterina Meier-Pfister, Head of Communications at Max Havelaar, confirms: "The main emphasis this time was on the benefits that fair trade brings to producers, trading partners and consumers alike." The aim of Max Havelaar's future communication is "to move away from the admonishing finger, the guilty conscience and the charity and instead emphasize taste, quality and product diversity".
The move away from the previous product-oriented communication strategy towards a more pleasure-oriented approach, which also establishes a standard ("... is part of good taste"), is all the easier as Max Havelaar has achieved an unsupported level of awareness of 42 percent and a supported level of 62 percent according to a survey conducted in 2000.
Incidentally, this puts the Swiss foundation in the lead compared to similar Fairtrade initiatives in 16 other countries. This is also reflected in the market shares of MHS-certified products such as coffee, bananas, chocolate, sugar, honey, tea, orange juice and flowers, which range from 1 to 20 percent depending on the product.
A brighter future For its tenth anniversary, the MHS had its seal of approval refreshed by the Basel-based graphic design studio Ritz & Häfliger, while ensuring that it remained recognizable. The logo is now lighter and livelier. The previously muscular, rather static figure has been given legs and appears lively. The globe, basket and background - painted with racy brushstrokes - reinforce this impression. The trilingual claim "With a plus for everyone" has been dropped. Instead, "Fair trade certified" appears in fine lettering. "We want to communicate more clearly that the MHS seal of approval stands for fair trade," says Caterina Meier-Pfister. This is because Max Havelaar has all too often been perceived as an eco or organic label.

Label Communication, the Geneva-based communications agency founded by Arnaud Grobet in summer 2000, has acquired the Swiss branch of the English company Advance Visual Communications, which specializes in web design and whose clients include Reuters, Tag Heuer, Bank Syz and Alinghi, the catamaran team that will represent Switzerland in the America's Cup. Label has 23 employees and reported an annual turnover of over six million francs in 2001. The Geneva agency's clients include various holding companies of Sandoz, Baume & Mercier, TCS and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. It also owns a minority stake in the Lausanne-based company Vésuve, which specializes in multimedia projects (av).

In addition, Hans-Jürg Gränicher, managing director of Media Focus, is leaving the market research firm at the end of April. He worked at Media Focus for 14 years, 10 of them as managing director.
Thomas Städeli, a partner at Frame Eleven, is leaving the screen design firm at the end of April. He was previously responsible for interactive media and productions.
The Swiss branch of BlowUp, the German giant in the poster marketing industry, has hired Mike Valentino as Country Manager for Switzerland as part of a reorganization.
Mario Aldrovandi, the former Business Development Manager, is leaving Medien Z Holding. He had launched various internet projects at Medien Z.
Following the departure of its former director, Franz Hänsli, the Zurich-based market research institute Scope is launching with a new project management team. The team consists of Elisabeth Mlasko, a specialist in brand management and communication who previously worked at Unilever and Wirz Werbeberatung; Robert Schwarz, formerly deputy head of the Marketing and Communications department at Swiss Re; and Thomas Gehrig, who had previously worked at the institute.
The communications agency Trimedia (Switzerland) has promoted three consultants to senior consultants. Manuela Christen works at the Bern office in the consumer goods and culture sectors. Ursula Luder, also based in Bern, specializes in consumer goods and public transportation. Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio manages accounts in the food and beverage and service sectors at Trimedia Geneva.
The Demoscope Group has restructured its executive management team. The two previous members, Damian Schnyder von Wartensee and Franz Hänsli, have left the market research company. Erich Meyer has joined Demoscope as Head of Finance and Logistics. In addition to him, the Executive Board now consists of Board Chairman Martin Mäder, Christian Tichelli, Head of Research, and company founder Werner Wyss. Wyss partially stepped back from day-to-day operations at the beginning of the year but remains on the Executive Board as a delegate of the Board of Directors and is available to Demoscope for special assignments.
Since April 2, Geri Aebi has served as the new CEO of Wirz Werbung and chairs the Executive Board. He succeeds Ulrich Schweizer, who will now focus on his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
In addition to his work with Marti Direct (see WW 12/02), Urs Obrist continues to work as a freelance creative consultant specializing in direct marketing through his own company, Directrend. He serves as creative director for Marti Direct on a contractual basis.

The definitive split-up of Régie Media Belge International (RMBI) is apparently imminent, according to the Brussels-based newspaper La Libre Belgique (LB), updating a report in WerbeWoche (8/02). Citing "very good sources", LB writes that the spin-off of the Swiss and Austrian RMB subsidiaries will soon be completed. This week, the rest of the network (around 10 other subsidiaries) will also be sold - to the French electronics manufacturer Thomson Multimedia, which has joined forces with the British Carlton Group for this purpose. No comment was available from RMBI. Thomson is also remaining silent. Matthias Luchsinger, CEO of RMB Switzerland, also refused to confirm the new announcement. As Area Manager Central Europe, who is involved in negotiations on behalf of RMBI, he has not yet seen a signed contract, he merely said. (mk)