AZ Media Group launches multi-channel project with Annemarie WildeisenBy Daniel Schifferle With a concentrated combination of magazine, TV program and Internet, the AZ Media Group is vying for the attention of the public and advertisers in the densely populated segment of cooking publications.
New dishes are being cooked up in the culinary market at the moment. The Chuchi has just come up with a new concept. The new La Tavola has been announced for mid-March (WW 3/02). The most ambitious project on the subject of cooking was undoubtedly launched by the AZ Media Group on March 6. The aim of the multimedia project from Rüebliland: to serve up journalistic delicacies to the highly sought-after audience of amateur cooks.
This is to be achieved with an alternative to the existing range. "We are targeting the more modern cook who wants to cook quickly and simply, but still well," says AZ publisher Peter Wanner, differentiating the target audience from the giant Betty Bossi (see also interview on page 5).
For his project, Wanner has brought the success-tested Annemarie Wildeisen, founder and editor-in-chief of Chuchi until the end of 2001, into the AZ-MedienKüche. With Wildeisen, her entire Bern-based editorial team, including the cooking studio, now also works on a contract cooking basis. Even the former advertising manager of d'Chuchi, Dieter Maier, is also moving with her.
The result is a project with a magazine, a TV program and a website. But that's not all: Wildeisen's ten or so cookbooks published by AT Verlag are also available for advertising purposes for the multi-channel project. Customers can order personalized cookbooks as gift editions. A free hotline is also available to the public for culinary or kitchen-related questions.
However, the magazine is also at the heart of the multi-channel project at Kochen. The main focus of the content is the recipe collection "for light, quick and uncomplicated dishes". It is surrounded by plenty of information and tips on products and kitchen know-how. Everything is appetizingly illustrated, as befits a cooking title. Kochen is published 10 times a year with double issues in January/February and July/August. The entire advertising page costs a standard CHF 6590.
A daily cooking clip (except Sunday) lasting a good 3 minutes brings the philosophy of cooking in short form to the TV screen. However, only Tele M1 and Tele Tell are involved for the time being. The cooking spot will be broadcast before the news at 4.55, 5.55 and 6.55 pm. On Wednesdays at 19.55 and in the hourly loop. Similar to the cooking program, the www.wildeisen.ch site also primarily has a promotional function. In addition to a forum for exchanging experiences and various reader offers, the site contains a cookbook that is exclusively available to subscribers to the magazine. The target group of the multimedia project: people between the ages of 20 and 65 who enjoy cooking. A mix of 70 percent female and 30 percent male is expected.
Piggyback with Marmite ensures a comfortable starting position
Project and publishing manager ad interim is Ueli Eckstein, deputy CEO of the AZ Media Group. 80,000 copies of the first two issues will be printed and sent to amateur chefs by mail order. From the third issue onwards, the print run will be reduced to 40,000 copies.
The in-house magazine Marmite serves as a convenient starting aid. Since March 6, the almost 20,000 subscribers to the wine-based gourmet title, which is positioned in the upper segment, have also been receiving Cooking. Marmite, which has been reduced from six to four annual issues as of this year, will now be included as a supplement. With these guidelines, it should not be difficult to achieve the target of 40,000 to 50,000 copies sold in one or two years.
Cooking magazine marketplace

Title Edition 2000 Edition 2001
Betty Bossi 920 000 920 000
Seasonal cuisine (German) 142 970 140 373
Chuchi 106 591 106 652
Le Menu (German) 30 992 44 566
Marmite 20 817 19 324

The Zurich advertising agency Hesskiss is now in charge of the original Ittinger Klosterbräu.
Amber beer is now produced by Heineken in Winterthur. The agency's first task was to redesign the label and the six-pack.
Lots of new work for Eugster The agency Eugster Kommunikation, Rorschacherberg, announces the Liechtenstein broadband cable network provider Lie-Comtel as a new client. It has entrusted Eugster with all its communications work. The Eastern Swiss agency has also been commissioned by the companies Aepli Metallbau AG and Aepli Stahlbau AG to implement their brand strategy.
Dynamite wins Zug Trade Fair The advertising agency Dynamite Advertising in Cham has won the Zug Trade Fair as a new client in an agency evaluation. The agency will be responsible for the trade fair's entire advertising presence and will also handle PR and media.
The Federal Chancellery is looking for a partner to realize its information brochures during the legislative period 2003 to 2007. In an evaluation phase, four agencies or bidding consortia will be selected and invited to take part in a paid competition. A general contractor will then produce all the brochures during the legislative period. Interested parties can obtain documents from Felix Spahr at the Federal Chancellery.
deutsche McCann for CSMcCann-Erickson, Frankfurt, has won the international advertising budget of Credit Suisse following a pitch. The agency will develop an international, image-oriented publicity campaign in print and TV as well as below-the-line activities for Credit Suisse and its subsidiary "Winterthur" insurance companies. The budget is expected to be in the double-digit millions.

The Hersant publishing group is showing its appetite for the French-speaking Swiss press marketBy Anita Vaucher Edipresse, the local hero in western Switzerland, is definitely facing serious competition. The French publishing group Hersant already gained a foothold in French-speaking Switzerland last summer. The two regional newspapers in Neuchâtel are unlikely to be the last that Hersant wants to buy.
The Société Neuchâteloise de Presse (SNP), which publishes the two regional newspapers L'Express de Neuchâtel and L'Impartial, is currently negotiating a majority takeover of the Neuchâtel publishing house with the French publishing group Hersant. Hersant already acquired the regional paper La Côte in French-speaking Switzerland last year.
Fabien Wolfrath, who took over the family business SNP from his father together with his brother Christian in 1978, decided to take this step because there were no suitable offspring to continue the publishing house.
Some of SNP's partners, such as PubliGroupe and the Journal du Jura, which heard the news on the eve of the official announcement, were particularly surprised by the negotiations. According to SNP, however, the contract will not be finalized for several months.
For the regional newspapers, this deal, if it actually comes to fruition, would be a warning and at the same time an unmistakable call to work even more closely together in order to show joint strength.
Finally, the Romandie-Combi, the joint advertising platform of the various regional newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland, would also be at risk if the French-speaking Swiss press market were to be split between the French group and Edipresse in future.
The latter is following the latest negotiations with a frown. The superiority of the largest publishing group in French-speaking Switzerland inevitably arouses the interest of the Competition Commission. Edipresse already had to learn this bitterly last year, when the publishing house also showed interest in La Côte, but was told no by the Competition Commission. And as the Competition Commission is still keeping an eye on Edipresse's activities, Hersant clearly has the better cards, at least for the time being, and can look for other acquisition targets in French-speaking Switzerland unhindered for the time being.

The front page of the Basler Zeitung is becoming less "newsy "Under the motto "More to read - the BaZ stands out", the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) has redesigned its front page, the second page and also the front page of the regional edition. The timing of the changes is not coincidental: BaZ editor-in-chief Hans-Peter Platz wants to set his paper apart from its competitor 20 Minuten and recommend it to potential Basel readers of the NZZ am Sonntag as a weekday publication. A bit of an intellectual touch can't hurt.
On the front page, three to five topics from all areas are no longer outlined in large letters and pictures, but only in a news column with page references. This means that there is now only one single article on the front page, but it is spread over four columns and does not even have to follow the news of the day. It discusses, analyzes and reflects on what the editorial team decides is the main (background) topic of the day.
The second page features a headline of the day, a gloss, a caricature and a reflective piece by a correspondent. On page three, as usual, the topic of the day is spread out, followed by two foreign pages and the domestic page. The front page of the regional section has a similar layout to the front page, with a new header and a four- to five-column article on the "topic of the region" and tear-offs.
The partly new layout takes some getting used to, because the news items only follow on page four or five. But Platz disagrees: this new layout was chosen because the first page is practically over-read. A study has shown this. Markus Knöpfli

The magazine Hemp now has a Swiss editorial team.News Hemp has new pages
The magazine, which not only deals with cannabis as an intoxicant, but also with the cultivation and other uses of the hemp plant, is published throughout the German-speaking world. Since legalization is most advanced in Switzerland and hemp enjoys great popularity, the publisher Hanf Medien AG moved its management here some time ago. Now, with its own editorial team, reporting on Switzerland is also to be strengthened. Work is also currently underway on a redesign of the magazine. A pilot issue is currently being distributed in selected hemp stores, and the first regular new issue of Hemp will be published on March 21.
Ringier continues dispute over Jean Frey The dispute between Ringier and the Basler Mediengruppe (BM) over Jean Frey AG continues. Ringier has now set out its demands in writing in a letter to the Basel publishing house and the Swissfirst bank. Ringier press spokesman Fridolin Luchsinger told SDA that it now depends on the reaction to the letter whether the sale of Jean Frey AG to Swissfirst will have any legal repercussions. "However, we continue to expect that the matter will be settled in court," he clarified a report from Hitradio Z.
AZ-Medien Group maintains profit level The AZ-Medien Group reported a satisfactory result for the 2001 financial year. The consolidated group turnover decreased by just under 2 percent to 201 million Swiss francs. The operating cash flow was increased to 15 percent, as the Aargauer Zeitung wrote. Net profit was on a par with the previous year, when it almost doubled to 8.7 million francs. The economic downturn in the second half of 2001 contributed significantly to the fact that the sales targets were not achieved.

Glass advertising pillar with brain Artware Litefast presents itself as an advertising pillar with panoramic screen
By Bruno Amstutz
If the e-board in Zurich's main train station represents the electronic billboard, Artware Litefast is the equivalent of the electronic Litfass column. The new medium aims to supply the public with advertising and news at highly frequented locations.
At first glance, not only the name Litefast but also the cylindrical shape is reminiscent of the good old advertising pillar. Instead of posters, however, texts and images are displayed at eye level and seem to float in a transparent tube. Insight is granted from all sides.
The phenomenon is made possible by three vertical LED bars that rotate along the screen, not at the speed of light, but still at around a thousand revolutions per minute. Due to the high speed, the eye cannot perceive the projectors, but the red, green and blue LEDs create any coherent colored images. The cylinder thus becomes a 1.2 square meter panoramic screen with a resolution of 160 by 512 pixels.
First experience is gained in cinemas
Similar to the e-board, the columns are fed with content from a control center. This is operated by the company Artware-Network GmbH, which thus wants to guarantee constant operational control as well as rapid adaptation of the content. In a further analogy to the e-board, the circular screens are not to focus exclusively on advertising messages. "The medium is to combine advertising with daily updated information," emphasizes Marcel Meester, Managing Director of Artware-Network, "so we can constantly offer an attractive eye-catcher."
The central control system also allows the electronic pillars to be used for employee or visitor information in companies. While around 80 units are already in operation in Germany, the first column was only installed here at the end of January: In the Maxx Kinocenter in Emmenbrücke LU.
In cooperation with the cinema marketer RMB, further cinemas in German-speaking Switzerland are to be equipped with Artware Litefast from mid-March. Around 10 locations are planned for the time being in multiplex cinemas. Jean-Claude Bruhin, Chief Communication Officer at RMB, sees Litefast as a medium with added value, especially for cinemas: "For the cinema operators, the pillars offer a good service, as they can also put up advance announcements on films, for example." In German cinema foyers, which according to Bruhin are used more as a communication arena than in Switzerland, there are already over 40 in use.
In addition to electronically generated images and animations, the columns offer traditional advertising space: The shaft can be equipped with backlit posters above and below the projection surface, and the screen itself serves not only as a projection surface but also as a showcase at the same time.

White Lion builds an authentic brand roof for the Disentis Sedrun regionSwiss mountain communities have discovered marketing fusion to help them remain competitive in the fierce battle for tourists' favor. The two Grisons vacation resorts of Disentis and Sedrun also want to jointly exploit strengths and consolidate their position in the market. Although decided three years ago, the new vacation brand Disentis Sedrun was only launched this winter. The Zurich-based advertising agency White Lion is responsible for all communications. With authenticity, Disentis Sedrun focuses on guests who are looking for peace and relaxation. page 12

The commuter newspaper 20 Minuten, which was available free of charge at 60 kiosks in Zurich, Basel and Bern for 13 months, has no longer been available there since March 1.Rolf Bollmann, publishing director of 20 Minuten, explains this as follows: Kiosk AG had decided in mid-February to deny 20 Minuten distribution via the 180 selected kiosk outlets until further notice. According to Bollmann, the press wholesaler justified the stop with the need to analyze the last 13 months in greater depth. However, Kiosk AG, which had described the launch of free newspapers as an experiment from the outset, has not given 20 Minuten a definitive rejection. Bollmann will meet with Kiosk AG this month, and Ringier denies putting pressure on Kiosk AG
No statement was available from Kiosk AG, which had announced a decision by the end of February. This behavior after the negative decision and the rather meager justification are surprising, especially since the experiment with the commuter newspapers was initiated by the company. In addition, it was often reported that kiosks with 20 minutes had recorded higher sales despite giving them away for free. Bollmann believes he knows the real reason for the stop: "I have heard that Kiosk AG was put under pressure by Blick to stop the test because sales of Blick copies had fallen massively at the newsstands with 20 Minuten." Ringier Group spokesperson Fridolin Luchsinger denies this, however. Blick had not suffered from the commuter newspapers, nor had any pressure been exerted. At the request of Kiosk AG, Ringier had only negatively assessed the free distribution of 20 Minuten at kiosks. Luchsinger: "As long as the commission regulation does not correspond to that of the titles sold, there is an uneven playing field."
The commuter newspapers on newsstands caused a stir among publishers last February. Initially, the free paper Metropol was also available at some sales outlets, but this was soon withdrawn. Some local free newspapers also showed interest in the experiment. According to publishing director Bollmann, 20 Minuten sold around 100 copies per newsstand per day (mk).

Unresolved issues with partner JCDecaux to be clarifiedBy Markus Knöpfli After record sales in 2000, the Affichage Group was able to increase its income once again. Consolidated sales rose by 4.2 percent to CHF 320.3 million, while consolidated net income fell by 3.5 percent to CHF 27.4 million.
In percentage terms, the Eastern European business of Europlakat (EPI), in which Affichage holds a 49% stake, is currently growing the fastest. Affichage's share of Eastern European sales rose to 33.3 million Swiss francs, which corresponds to an increase of 19.8 percent. This means that EPI accounts for 10.4 percent of Affichage sales, compared to 9 percent the year before last. According to Affichage CEO Christian Kauter, business is developing positively in Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia, but less encouragingly in Poland. There is an oversupply in the outdoor advertising market, which makes a market adjustment necessary. EPI must therefore consider withdrawing from Poland. Although EPI has already attempted to clear the market with a takeover bid to the shareholders of AMS, they have made excessive price demands. "EPI doesn't want to be a clearer at any price," says Kauter.
Another topic at EPI is the wholly-owned Eastern European subsidiaries of EPI majority shareholder JCDecaux. JCDecaux would like to integrate them into EPI. According to Kauter, it will soon be announced how this will be done.
And what about JCDecaux's demand for more say in Affichage itself? Despite its 30 percent stake, JCDecaux is only entitled to 5 percent of the voting rights due to the transfer restriction provisions in Affichage's articles of association. Kauter confirmed that this issue has "remained on the agenda" at Affichage. All the more so as, since last summer, the Competition Commission has definitely not qualified JCDecaux's stake in Affichage as an agreement under competition law.
Affichage in figures (in CHF million)

2001 2000 Change in %
Sales proceeds 320.3 307.5 + 4.2
Switzerland 287.0 279.7 + 2.6
Europlakat (49%) 33.3 27.8 + 19.8
Operating result 36.7 39.3 - 6.6
Consolidated net income 27.4 28.4 - 3.5
Cash flow 56.4 55.3 + 2.0

Where there is usually hustle and bustle on the premises of Duktus AG, an agency for media consulting and editorial services - most of the pages of the next issue of the Chuchi are already on the layout plan - for once there were fine delicacies not on paper but on a plate. Hanspeter Eggenberger and his team invited everyone to an aperitif. The timing was favorable: after a successful start and the associated initial hustle and bustle, a little more calm has returned: since November, Duktus has been looking after Chuchi from Verlag Meyer and the lifestyle special supplements of Bilanz.
Guests enjoyed jamon serrano and other tapas, including wine, in the brightly decorated rooms. Among them was PR expert and film journalist Christoph Soltmannowski, whose book about the Street Parade will be published soon. He is also in charge of the press work for Thomas Hitz's recently opened film store in Niederdorf and eagerly discussed with the music journalist Michael Lütscher, who was also present.
Monica Glisenti and Urs Peter Naef, both press officers at the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, also took a look. The visit was not entirely unpicky, as Naef was frequently seen and heard in the media last week on the subject of Chinese chicken. Hopefully, there won't be too many recipes with chicken in the next Chuchi.
A vernissage was on Marc Menden's agenda later in the evening. He has the reputation of being one of Zurich's top party organizers - including Backstageclub at the Q. He is also the owner of Mad and thus one of the hottest scene hairdressers. In addition, he also surprises again and again with small events that have a well-mixed audience. Among them are also some advertisers who usually let him do their hair.
The exhibition of Andreas Zivkovic bears the name Kügeliloo and is the first ever of the young artist. The pictures apparently impressed the guests present, because the tenor on all sides was that there would probably be something to see from Zivkovic in the future. And since the paintings are still affordable - in fact, most of them cost less than 1,000 Swiss francs, a real bargain - a purchase could be worthwhile (which the shortlist author immediately took advantage of and bought a nude painting).
The party went off pretty well without ever being crowded; Michael Schädler supported the groovy mood with his record collection, and Menden mixed plenty of boozy drinks behind the Mad Bar.
That was the opinion of the delegation of three from Frank Baumann's entertainment agency Wörterseh and Arti Mathur, ex-AD at Kenzo and now managing director of the newly opened boutique Teinture d'Iode, among many others. Also present was Alain Mehmann, who works in the Brand Strategy & Customer Communication department at Cablecom. Otherwise, he can also be seen as a peaple photographer for the scene magazine Forecast at parties in Zurich or in Laax.
As a quiet party finale to the weekend, there were finer sounds in the Helferei Grossmünster. WerbeWoche editor Ernst Weber, a gifted guitarist, embellished the finale with a concert to celebrate the launch of his new CD "Rotes Harz," a musical forest fairy tale. Part of the proceeds will go to the trees via WWF and Pro Natura.
Beat Frtisch

on the wet chair at Marc Menden's party at Mad, where he gets a friction from the Starfigaro for lack of hair to cut. To stimulate digestion, because before that he had filled his belly with all kinds of delicacies at Duktus AG, which designs the cooking magazine Chuchi.
Who is seen at party buffets or who gets their head washed in the industry is located at a wide variety of events on the scene. Do you already have something to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or hit the keys ([email protected]). Event tips and more shortlist images are available online at www.werbewoche.ch.

The cross-media holding company creates clearer structuresBy Markus Knöpfli The cross-media steamship Goldbach Media has recently started sailing under its own flag in Austria: ActiveAgent Holding AG, which was taken over at the end of July 2001 and is based in Vienna, has been renamed Goldbach Media AG.
To this end, the previous Board of Directors resigned at the Annual General Meeting and Closing on December 6, and a new three-member Board of Directors was elected. The new Chairman of the Board of Directors is Klaus Kappeler and his deputy is Mario Hrastnig.
Within the holding company, Goldbach Media Austria will become a subsidiary of the Swiss financial holding company of the same name, Goldbach Media AG, based in Küsnacht ZH, and a sister company of Goldbach Media Management AG.
The previous ActiveAgent subsidiaries in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland will now become subsidiaries of Goldbach Media Austria, but will continue to operate as ActiveAgent. Such treffer.at will be newly founded, which means that Goldbach Media will now also offer search engine marketing in Austria under the same brand as in Germany and Switzerland. Goldbach's partner Net-Promotions (modular online promotions and customer care solutions) is also set to gain a foothold in Austria and expand its range of services. According to Goldbach spokesman Paul Riesen, the establishment of further sister companies such as Media Agent (consulting) or Swisscontent Corp. is "under consideration, but neither decided nor scheduled". It is also foreseeable that another Goldbach subsidiary will be founded, at least in Germany.
Because parts of the Goldbach structures remain "illogical" (Riesen) despite the beginning reorganization, they at least want to provide customers with an overview. To this end, the online offerings in Switzerland will be sold centrally in future. This means that Goldbach customers will have a single point of contact for the companies ActiveAgent, MediaAgent, Net-Promotions and Suchtreffer as well as Swisscontent (Commerce, Content) and Moneycab.
With the new Goldbach Media Online service as a one-stop store and a competence & fulfillment center behind the sales front, product coordination is taken care of. The management of Goldbach Media Online lies with Michi Frank. Managing Director Rolf Suter heads the sales crew; Peter Strassmann will be responsible for the Competence Center. However, Suter will retain corporate responsibility for Suchtreffer and Strassmann for MediaAgent. The business managers will also continue to be responsible for the other companies. A similar one-stop store is also planned for Austria as soon as Net-Promotions commences operations there. There is also a contact person for international business: the company has appointed former Accenture and KPMG consultant Andy Sattlberger as Managing Director.

Commercial advertising began to pick up in JanuaryAfter last year's unpleasant overall results, Media Focus reports more conciliatory figures for January: Gross advertising revenues are just above the same month last year.However, there is still no cause for celebration. The overall increase in commercial advertising amounted to just 0.1 percent, and the various media genres started the new year very differently.
Internet banners have managed to turn things around. After months of slump with losses in the double-digit percentage range and a lackluster year-end result of minus 38.1 percent, they have stopped the rapid decline with screeching tires. Gross advertising expenditure for banners even grew by 2.9% in January. A positive sign, but still no guarantee of a turnaround - in monetary terms, the profit amounts to just CHF 30,000.
The daily newspapers are also getting a little more breathing space again: their losses compared to January 2001 have fallen to minus
3 percent or 3.5 million francs. The winners of the month were posters, which generated an impressive 13% or CHF 4 million more gross advertising income. Consumer magazines contributed 2.9 million francs in additional income and increased by 7.6 percent. January was also a positive month for radio stations, which saw an increase of 12.3% or CHF 972,000.
The situation for television channels is less glorious. They suffered declines for the second month in a row. In January, they were down 1.5 percent, which corresponds to CHF 621,000.
Trade journals replaced banners at the bottom of the rankings. Their gross advertising revenue slumped by 19.3 percent, with 2.9 million fewer advertising francs flowing into their coffers. Cinemas were also relegated to a shadowy position once again. Their losses widened compared to December and amounted to minus 18.6 percent in January. Teletext slipped back into the red after a positive result in December and lost 4 percent.
The tentative forward movement in the advertising market is giving rise to hope, but is only just budding. The results of the individual media categories are too incoherent - the additional income of 367,000 francs compared to the same month last year is due to the mainstays of posters and consumer magazines. Advertising clients will have to decide on a real turnaround in the coming months. Bruno Amstutz
Gross advertising expenditure by media

January 2001/January 2002 in comparison
in 1000 Fr. 2001 in 1000 Fr. 2002 +/- in %
Daily newspapers 116 578 113 078 - 3.0
Consumer magazines 38 634 41 562 7.6
Trade journals 15 030 12 135 - 19.3
TV 41 977 41 356 - 1.5
Radio 7 894 8 866 12.3
Cinema 2 323 1 892 - 18.6
Teletext 3 202 3 074 - 4.0
Poster 30 860 34 872 13.0
Internet banner 1 046 1 076 2.9
Total 257 544 257 911 0.1
Source: Media Focus