Once again, it was "Guet Schtei" at the end of January. The annual curling tournament organized by the Idée-VfW advertising association was on the agenda. by Beat Fritsch After a long time, the Baregg curling hall, named after the tunnel of the same name, was back. After the old hall was converted into a trend sports center, a new one was built right next to it. The organizers from Idée, under the direction of Heinz Egli, were not unhappy about this, as the catering in Küsnacht, where the tournament has been held for the last few years, has not exactly caused a storm of enthusiasm.
In addition to the old hands such as the Iisfäger from Mosse or the Beobachter curlers with Markus Marchel, who have been frequenting the ice event for years, there were several new teams this year. Suzanne Speich from Viva-Swizz entered the race with Hans-Peter Scholl from Radiotele and two Juniors. She skated across the ice quite skillfully, although she usually only skates during the winter vacations in
St. Moritz plays. The Grey agency provided a team, and because Kilian Gasser has changed jobs, a team from WochenZeitung also slid through the hall. Not forgetting Goldbach CEO Michi Frank, who pushed stones with Peter Lesch from Lesch + Frei and Frank Bodin from Euro RSCG. And because both Franks don't like to lose, the Goldbach bees also took the title of best advertising curlers.
However, they proved to be ungrateful winners. An old curling tradition says that the winners invite the losers for a drink. Unfortunately, as it turned out afterwards, this only applies to the individual games, not the entire tournament. The Goldbach wallets were therefore spared, as the other participants had to pay for their final drinks themselves.
The WerbeWoche team, reinforced by Florian Biafori and Sandro Proietto from Mediabox, got off lightly this year with the loser's drinks after the ends. They won two of their four games, one of which was against their colleagues from Persönlich. The fact that this tournament pairing was drawn for the third time in a row suggests cheating in the match schedule. Nevertheless, we are pleased that the score in the internal duel between the communications magazines is now 2:1 in favor of WerbeWoche. But it would be nice if the next time they only met the competition in the final! The Flying Hearts also had to lay down their arms before us. We were then crowned champions by Die Netten, the WoZ team under Kilian Gasser. However, they brought a professional skip onto the ice for the final game, which catapulted them into third place.
Heinz Egli said during the prize-giving ceremony that the event cannot take place without sponsors. Because the tournament is a lot of fun, most of the sponsors are also involved with a team. The team from rink sponsor Facts with guest skip Röbi Baier came sixth, while the team from aperitif sponsor Absolutturnus even came second.
At the end of the tournament, everyone was satisfied because the food and drink had also been taken care of. The spaghetti was fine, and there was even a fine Chianti to drink. The occasional players will have noticed that curling is hard on the bones. Pushing stones and wiping brooms can make your muscles ache.
Beat Fritsch

lifts a stone weighing around 20 kilograms, which has to be placed as precisely as possible in the target area during curling. With the help of a broom that is swept in front of the stone. For WerbeWoche, the shortlisted author and the photographer took on the challenge with a two-man team from the Mediabox agency.
Anyone who usually goes off the beaten track or slips around at parties will be spotted at various events in 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 further shortlist images are available online at www.werbewoche.ch

The profession of marketing manager seems to be losing more and more of its glamor: 17 female candidates and 79 male candidates passed the higher professional examination to become federally certified marketing managers in December 2001. The candidates were 128 men and 28 women. This confirms the trend of decreasing examination applications since 1997, when the previous peak of 177 candidates was reached. Last year, 164 graduates received their diplomas, with a pass rate of 61.5 percent and an average grade of 4.4. Three candidates achieved an average grade of 5 or higher. These were Dieter Aeschimann from Bern (5.1), Urs Dummermuth from Lohn (5.0) and Christian Hermle from Bonstetten (5.0).
Since 1981, when the marketing manager examination was first held, a total of 654 diplomas have been awarded. (ba)

For the Geneva-based piercing studio Red Light District, the agency Label Communication—also based in Geneva—has developed a «before-and-after» campaign designed to visualize the changes that have taken place since the studio opened. Thus, a lion’s head and a hook—representing all other ring-bearers—show how the city of Calvin has changed since 1995: only with the corresponding ring does the door knocker fulfill its true purpose. The master piercer is Richard Anex, who has occasionally expanded his client base with red guerrilla stickers, which now replace the tagline in the new campaign. True to this model, in addition to ads, wild posters and flyers have been in use since the end of January. CD: Patric Bütikofer; Graphic design: Sylvain Baumgartner; Consulting: Ioana Pop; Photo: Vladimir Marti. A 20 percent loss. 2001 was a year of losses for investors. According to the first issue of Cashvalue, 20 percent of stock value was wiped out on the stock market. «In such uncertain times, the long-term perspective comes back into focus,» writes Guntram Rehsche, editor-in-chief of Value, in his first editorial. Cashvalue aims to be not just another publication about the stock market, but «rather a magazine focused on long-term wealth building.» The new magazine’s debut was celebrated in style: the publishing team headed to «SixtyOne» with the VIPs. The rest of the newspaper staff partied at “Kaufleuten.”.
Gold and Bronze in New York for Swiss Effectiveness. At the Advertising/Marketing Effectiveness (AME) competition, Euro RSCG won gold for its «Olympics with Tibet» campaign in the «Local Low Budget» category. The campaign by Jung von Matt/Limmat for Cablecom Hispeed was awarded bronze (Telecom Services and Equipment category).
Grand Award for Switzerland at the NY Festivals. Swiss agencies performed exceptionally well at the New York Festivals« competition for TV and movie commercials. Advico Young & Rubicam (AY&R) was honored with one of only five Grand Awards for »Borders« (Médecins sans Frontières). AY&R also received a Gold award in the Peace & Human Rights category for this commercial. Euro RSCG won Silver in this category for »The Beijing Games. With Tibet.« McCann-Erickson, Zurich, also took home Gold: The »Hitchhiker” commercial for Randstad was honored in the Professional Services category. AY&R once again won bronze in the Household Products category with an ad for the Elan laundry detergent. In addition, nine finalist awards were presented to McCann (2), Euro RSCG (2), Jung von Matt/Limmat, Publicis, AY&R (2), and Lowe Lintas GGK.
SWISS MADE. «Swissness»—The world wants Swiss brands. Steven Loepfe is convinced of this opportunity. The owner of Loepfe & Partner, Identity/Reputation in Basel, has therefore written a treatise in the context of preparations for the launch of the new airline, in which he reflects on «dusting off the old instead of reinventing the wheel.» «Atraxis, Unaxis, Galexis—all a bust!» he says, and therefore calls for: «The country needs Bouws and Brûlés.» Brand gurus—whether Dutch or Canadian—who appreciate the true value of «Swissness.» Switzerland stands for quality, safety, punctuality, simplicity, and minimalism. “A combination of qualities that others envy us for,” says Loepfe.
Voice of Europe. Under the title «Voix d’Europe,» the national exhibition Expo.02, in collaboration with Ringier Publishing, is organizing an event dedicated to Europe on September 6 and 7. The project leader at Ringier is Jacques Pilet, former editor-in-chief of L’Hebdo and Nouveau Quotidien, who is currently responsible for media development on the corporate staff. According to Expo.02 spokesperson Laurent Paoliello, the event’s program will feature choral performances, forums, and discussions.
Consistently unlucky. Of the 31 Swiss entries that made it onto the shortlist for the Eurobest creative awards this year, only one won an award: the poster campaign for Zurich Public Transport (VBZ) by Advico Young & Rubicam. This means that Switzerland has consistently won exactly one Eurobest award every year since 1997.
Better cheap than shabby. When new car sales go into hibernation, car dealers tend to bemoan their fate and outdo one another with ruinous discount campaigns. The Zurich-based Renault agency Publicis is now addressing the consequences of such campaigns, which put a strain on the advertising budget. For an eye-catching fake campaign, Creative Director Daniel Krieg, Copywriter Rolando Baron, and Art Director Daniel Kobi stepped into the shoes of car salespeople who design a campaign themselves: To save money, they grabbed scissors and markers themselves and created their own advertising materials using a do-it-yourself approach. The deliberately sloppy campaign perfectly conveys the motto: Better cheap advertising than shabby offers.
Column

Efficiency comes at a price
Compared to today, regional TV stations are likely to feel like they’re in the land of milk and honey in three to four years. It won’t be additional advertising minutes, but the prospect of millions in license fees that will turn the industry upside down.
If the Federal Council has its way, the structure of the Swiss regional TV landscape will be overhauled, and market opportunities will be redistributed. This is a explosive issue. After all, in this efficiency-driven model, there is room for only ten to twelve licensees. Of the 17 major regional TV stations, several will fall through the cracks.
The only option left for broadcasters in the affected regions is a merger—which is hardly feasible on short notice. Or they can fight, each on their own, for their respective licenses. There’s a lot at stake. After all, the losers would have a tough time competing against a rival backed by millions. Especially since the winner would then also encroach on their own broadcast area.
Despite everything, the new model represents a step forward. It is intended to consistently apply the approach of allocating broadcast areas based on communication zones—which are guided by economic efficiency criteria—to all of Switzerland. This also makes sense from an advertising perspective and will strengthen TeleNewsCombi’s position as a partner to the advertising industry.
Admittedly, there is still one fly in the ointment. The service mandate for private broadcasters—which was actually supposed to be scrapped as part of the RTVG revision—will be extended after all. It will likely even be tightened and subject to even stricter oversight. Local TV stations will thus become an even more integral part of the SRG system than before, with clearly defined roles in the TV market. That is the price that must be paid. Daniel Schifferle

The C-Matrix Group AG, Baar, one of Switzerland's leading PR agencies, is merging with Syntagme MS&L Genève to form the C-Matrix Group with offices in Baar and Geneva and an exclusive Swiss partnership with Manning, Selvage & Lee (MS&L), New York, one of the world's largest PR networks. The new company employs 25 people, 18 in Baar and 7 in Geneva. Consolidated net fee income in 2001 amounted to around CHF 5.4 million. By joining the global PR network, C-Matrix Group is strengthening its expertise in handling international mandates. With 100 offices and partners, MS&L is part of Bcom3, the world's fourth-largest communications group. The C-Matrix Group in Baar will continue to be headed by Alfred Köcher, Managing Partner. The former Syntagme MS&L, Geneva, will continue to be managed as C-Matrix Genève SA by the current director Luc Giacobino (pan).

TV fee splitting arouses additional covetousness among radio broadcastersBy Daniel Schifferle The millions in fees promised by the Federal Council do not only present local TV stations with a new situation. Private radio stations are already expressing their desire to have their own share of fees massively increased.
It is still unclear how many millions in fees will be available for the regional TV scene. And it is just as unclear how the money will be distributed among the ten to twelve concession areas to be eliminated. The tug-of-war over these crucial questions is only just beginning.
In response to the millions announced for TV, the Swiss Private Radio Association (VSP) has now also announced additional fee demands. Martin Muerner, Vice President of the VSP and responsible for fee splitting, is demanding "a massive improvement in the splitting contribution for private radio stations as compensation". This must "make up around half of the amount that television will receive". Compared to the approximately CHF 7 million that currently goes to private radio, this would mean a considerable increase. Muerner's arguments: "Television, private radio stations and publishers are so interconnected in Switzerland - the announced fee splitting would not only support TV, but an entire group in each case. So if two private radio stations broadcast in a city, one of which still has a TV station, the one without TV would also have to be compensated."
TeleNewsCombi continues integration course quickly
How will the millions in fees affect TeleNewsCombi (TNC)? Will the regional TV pool continue its integration course in the same targeted way as before or will the windfall take the pressure off to work together? For TNC Managing Director Christian Stärkle, one thing is clear: "We have to continue working in the same way as we started in 2001, we even have to speed up this process as much as possible so that we can quickly exploit the synergies." The aim is to quickly provide an optimal service for viewers, even without fee splitting.
Stärkle's concerns are well founded: "The more resources you have, the more likely you are to go it alone, as experience with local radio stations has shown. That's why taking a breather now would be out of place."
Stärkle is not yet really happy about the beer and wine advertising that the Federal Council is allowing local broadcasters. "That would only be really interesting if the market leader SRG could also advertise on the radio," he objects.

Stand "It needs the hard data"
Is the agreement on poster research a put-up or a put-down for you?
Fritz Zimmermann: A clear stand-out. SBB has used posters as one of its most important advertising media for decades. That's why we welcome hard data that helps us with planning processes and intermedia comparisons.
Do you believe that the pilot study will really come to fruition?
Zimmermann: But the main question will be how meaningful the figures will be.
Advertisers use the poster medium anyway, hard data or not.
Zimmermann: (laughs) The fact is that you have to have the poster in the media concert anyway because of its uniqueness. Nevertheless, we've always been in a bit of an argumentation quandary and had to make decisions based on our gut feeling. But now we finally want to find out what we are really achieving. We need the hard data; this gap needs to be filled.
If the research project should still fail: Would clients switch to other media in the longer term?
Zimmermann: A protest action by shoppers is not foreseeable. However, the pressure on out-of-home advertisers would certainly increase further. I assume that they are interested in moving their industry forward in terms of advertising performance data. The billposters have realized that they have to deliver figures. Interview: Markus Knöpfli

Radios 24, Top, Zürisee and Grischa are in talks about a new pool, Grischa CEO Hanspeter Lebrument told WerbeWoche. Theodor Gut, Chairman of the Board of Zürisee, explained that it was obvious that a solution would be sought with Grischa and Top this year following the differences over the Powerpool. The Powerpool was launched by 24 and Zürisee in November, but was suspended under pressure from Leaderpool members Top and Grischa.
One thing is certain: If Radio 24 enters into an alliance with Zürisee, the Competition Commission will also have its say. It wanted to know from 24 and Zürisee whether they were cooperating in the advertising market because the new Belcom owner Tamedia could become dominant in the Zurich market. The Competition Commission wanted to prevent this when it demanded that Tamedia sell its Zürisee shares (mk).

Eye-Catching: The use of body parts in advertising continues to attract attention…even if it’s not the brainchild of former Benetton advertiser Oliviero Toscani. All it takes is the lips of Miss Switzerland Jennifer Ann Gerber (hidden behind a generous amount of makeup) or a few dozen male palms (in their unpainted, natural state), and we look at them and wonder at first: What is this ad trying to sell us? Pop art, palm reading, reduction to the essentials, gloves, multiculturalism…? Wrong. This is actually about gender-specific toys for adults: the Alfa for women and the Pocket PC for men. What’s interesting is that the Alfa ad is very likely to make the male brain dream more than the female one. Or is it not? Chandra Kurt
Column

Confectioner, Sugar Snow
From Mike Müller
Mountain dwellers are the greatest patriots. They bring obscure names like «Auf den Blatten» back into our consciousness. The Valaisans are the toughest of all: They’re staunchly Catholic (Zurbriggen), ski on white wine (Colombin), wriggle their way out of convoluted scandals (Blatter), and defend their genetically determined autonomous status when they refer to the rest of us as “Usserschwizer.” They’ve also given us beautiful singers (Sina) and fine wine (Heida). Admittedly, the Grisons have, in some cases, better wine (Herrschäftler), more writers (Camartin), and unbeatable singers (Bardill), but the Grisons are so focused on Zurich that they’ve mentally degenerated into “lowlanders.” In the past, the poor people of the Engadin even emigrated to Northern Italy to make big money as confectioners; today, they laze around at home and use cannons to produce sugar snow. It’s like Assugrin in Kafi Luz. The reasons are economic in nature: Of course, of course—unemployed people on green meadows aren’t an attractive sight—and after all, the Engadinese studied business administration at the University of Zurich and snow cannonry at ETH Zurich. The Valaisans are different; they went to Fribourg for eight semesters, kept drinking after evening mass just like back home, and—after earning a cheap licentiate degree—pushed through the most expensive of all tunnels as politicians in Bern. Granted, the Grisons have also ended up with a tunnel that would drive any price regulator into delirium tremens, but they always make a point of lowering themselves to the guest’s level: The Grisons are doing everything they can to shake off their Subaru image and finally be associated with the Audi A8. With their massive investments in the “sugar-coated snow” segment, they’ve succeeded—they’re welcome guests at Zurich’s banks (where they run into their college classmates). I’d much rather have my mountain folk stubborn and grumpy.
[email protected]
Mike Müller is a performer.
Business lunch

You’d have to be a fool not to eat a cutlet here. José Estevez is the owner of a restaurant in District 4 (Zurich—Zurich again!?) called Pergola, which has a distinctly Mediterranean vibe. José is of Spanish descent. But at Pergola, José also serves Italian dishes. And for someone who grew up on gnocchi al ragù, tortellini in brodo, arrosto di vitello, and other delicacies, restaurants where Spaniards serve Italian dishes are usually the kind you should avoid—consistently, even. But at José’s, it’s different.
The first reason: He’s a thoroughly honest person. You can see it written all over his face. You can tell that from his menu. The lunch specials cost around 20 francs, and these days even a man in a smock can afford that. The dishes are well-prepared—in other words, rich in calories and carbohydrates, they satisfy the hungry. The fact that he also offers a nice selection of pasta dishes, which can be ordered as a main course for a small upcharge, is something best kept under wraps. We don’t want to ruin this bar owner, after all—there are plenty of other members of his profession in this city who ruthlessly rip you off while pretending to be innocent country folk.
This restaurant has been a staple of my personal restaurant guide for a quarter of a century. Mainly because of the mural, which suggests it was once run by a Ticino innkeeper. The mural has a blissfully kitschy charm. The tables are set relatively close together, though they’re covered with fine white cotton tablecloths, as are the napkins. Of course, some tables allow for a more intimate conversation and even the review of documents, if necessary—but that’s not necessarily why one goes to a restaurant. It’s still a bit cramped.
José's menu is a paradise for meat-lovers—those who prefer meatless dishes will have to
Make do with pasta and a few salads. That’s just how it is with the Italo-Spaniards—and even more so with the Hispano-Italians. So you find yourself among your own kind, and consequently, the noise level is relatively high. Especially at lunchtime, when the restaurant is packed to the brim. What’s the point of a cell phone there? Turning it off isn’t a must, but it’s certainly advisable.
José’s kitchen has a real knack for preparing well-aged cuts of beef and veal. The fillets, in particular, are among the kitchen’s signature dishes. And, of course, the consistently legendary double veal chop, seared to a perfect pink, for 39.50 francs per person. It’s so delicious when pan-seared in butter that even the bone ends up on your plate—if only to allow you to approach the juicy meat remnants in a paleontologically correct manner… Long story short: you’d be a fool not to order a cutlet here. The plate is also filled twice (served with wide noodles—though a little vegetables wouldn’t hurt either…), just enough that a small salad beforehand is sufficient to whet your appetite.
So, everything’s cool, then? Well, the service could have picked up the pace a bit this Monday. It just wasn’t in the cards. Just let it slide—preferably with some Spanish wines, some of which are excellent and available by the glass, just as affordable as the food. If the service slips up, they try to make up for lost ground with charm, just like in a six-day race.
Everything okay? Yes. As long as you reserve a table. There’s no way you can just walk in here at lunchtime without a reservation. After all, most of the diners here are middle managers with the budget to match. And the Pergola fits right in here. There are a few parking spots around the building. Carlo Bernasconi
Pergola Restaurant, Kanzleistrasse 121
8004 Zurich
Phone: 01 241 12 21

The Beobachter turns 75 years youngBasel advertising expert Max Ras was 38 years old when he had 66,000,000 copies of the Schweizerischer Beobachter distributed to every household in German-speaking Switzerland in 1927, full of zest for action. He wanted to use this method to warn people about dubious traders. At the same time, Ras wanted to communicate his journalistic credo: His Beobachter should "not dance to anyone's tune". The rest is press history. The Beobachter is currently looking back on 75 successful years. Today, the fortnightly publication from Jean Frey Verlag is the leading information and advice magazine in Switzerland with 1059,000 readers. The company around the now multimedia observer is networked with TV ("Quer", "konsum.tv") and radio (broadcasts on over ten stations), runs a large advice center (20 experts for 70,000 inquiries per year), has produced 40 advice books and provides social aid worth around CHF 3 million every year. The happy birthday party will take place on February 2 in Zurich's Volkshaus. On the same evening, the Prix Courage will be awarded for the fifth time in the presence of Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss.
In addition to many surprising observations from the history of the successful magazine, the anniversary issue also reveals that Dürrenmatt's novel "The Judge and his Executioner", which has since been filmed in Hollywood, was originally commissioned by the Beobachter. Interspersed with advertisements for Ovaltine, Knorr soups and Haferflöckli, the Beobachter first printed the crime novel in several installments from December 1950. Fee for Fritz, "the young talent", at the time: 3,000 francs. Andreas Panzeri

SRG Director General Armin Walpen prepares for damage limitationThe SRG will only accept the announced fee splitting for local and regional television stations if it receives compensation. Radio advertising is just one of several possible demands that SRG Director General Armin Walpen is putting on the table.Immediately after the Federal Council announced its plans for fee-splitting, you put your demand for radio advertising on the table - you are obviously very serious about it now.
Armin Walpen: If there is a large-scale fee-splitting, then we have to accept that we will have to ask about compensation. We have always pointed this out; this demand is nothing new. Further fee-splitting would mean fewer financial resources for SRG SSR idée suisse; one possible compensation for this would be radio advertising.
However, the chances are slim. The Federal Council said on the same day that it announced the splitting plans that it did not want advertising on SRG radio stations. Doesn't this statement put you off?
Walpen: The question will only arise when the new Radio and Television Act comes into force. On the other hand, this is a passive demand. In other words, if the framework conditions had remained the same, we would not have discussed radio advertising. I have always linked any demand for radio advertising to a significantly higher fee-splitting. SRG SSR can certainly do without radio advertising. We could live with that, as we do today. But if people want to take money away from us, as Director General I have to ask where I can recoup this money. We are not a company with an enormous amount of money. On the contrary: we are reaching our limits.
Nevertheless, the Federal Council will have the final say, as whether SRG radio stations are allowed to advertise or not is laid down in their licenses. However, the Federal Council is responsible for amending licenses.
Walpen: Of course it is up to the national government to decide. If the Federal Council says no, then that is a no, and SRG SSR idée suisse must also accept this. But if it says yes, then we would also accept that.
With the threat of radio advertising, the main aim now is to keep the amount for fee splitting, which has yet to be determined, as low as possible. Is there a pain threshold at which you would give up the demand for radio advertising?
Walpen: Various figures are now being bandied about. For my part, I assume that it is still completely unclear at the moment how high the fee share for local and regional broadcasters will be. One thing is clear to me: five percent would clearly be too much. At this level, the pain threshold would be exceeded and we would not just be asking the question about radio advertising.
Do you have other compensation claims in your sights?
Walpen: There are several conceivable options; for example, an increase in fees, which Marc Furrer, Director of the Federal Office of Communications, has at least not ruled out. However, SRG SSR would not be responsible for this increase. Another compensation option would be more entrepreneurial freedom for SRG SSR.
However, the Federal Council is also making concessions to the SRG, as it can keep its radio and television sponsorship and thus around CHF 40 million in annual revenue. This is roughly the amount that is now being talked about with regard to fee splitting. Is that not enough for you?
Walpen: I reject such offsetting against a possible loss of fees. We already have these 40 million francs today. If sponsorship had been taken away from us, we would have lost another significant proportion of our income.
What does it mean for SRG if it can now keep the sponsorship?
Walpen: I am extremely grateful to the Federal Council for coming back to this decision. Sponsorship is very interesting for us. And it's not just about SRG SSR. Sponsorship is also primarily about the fact that culture, sport and the economy benefit from it. The fact is that today there are many events that could no longer be held without sponsorship or that are at least heavily dependent on it.
However, opinions are divided on the desirability and impact of radio advertising on private radio stations.
Walpen: I am aware that there are two opinions. It's like when TV advertising was introduced, only back then it was the press that harbored fears. But even today, some private radio stations are of the opinion that they would lose revenue if SRG also offered radio advertising. Another group, however, is convinced that it will be the other way around. They say that if the market leader offers radio advertising, radio advertising will become more important overall. This opinion is held by both the industry and advertising acquisition. There are at least some radio broadcasters in German-speaking Switzerland who also see it this way. In French-speaking Switzerland, the majority share this view. But ultimately, neither position can be proven today. They are and will remain assumptions for the time being.
What is your opinion?
Walpen: I don't know whether one or the other will apply. There are arguments for both possible developments. For me, as I said, the crucial question is how we can recoup any financial resources that may be lost. Interview: Daniel Schifferle

TSR continues to lose market shareBy Anita Vaucher Television in French-speaking Switzerland has been losing market share slightly but steadily since 1998. However, the French private channel M6 and the small special interest channels are making gains. TSR has an image problem with media and advertising experts, which is to be solved with improved communication.
It's business as usual, one is tempted to say, if one takes a closer look at the 2001 viewing figures for Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR). Just over one million French-speaking people watch television on TSR every day. The French-speaking Swiss remain loyal to their television. Only "Loft Story", the counterpart to "Big Brother", caused younger viewers in particular to increasingly switch to M6 during the summer months. Older viewers, however, hardly seem to succumb to the temptations of M6.
M6 is in third place behind TSR and TF 1 among viewers aged 15 to 44. M6's market share increased from 7.4 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent last year. That of TF1, TSR's main competitor, weakened slightly from 16% to 15.9%.
Lack of sporting events causes market share to fall
TSR's market share has also fallen, from 32.2% to 31.1%. This means that the French-speaking Swiss broadcaster is sinking even further towards the magic threshold that TSR director Gilles Marchand recently mentioned in an interview, namely that the market share should never be below 30 percent.
Raymond Vouillamoz, program director of TSR, has an explanation for this renewed slump, albeit not an entirely convincing one: odd-numbered years have always been less blessed with international sporting events, and the French-speaking Swiss broadcaster's programming during the broadcast of "Loft Story" did not provide a counterbalance in time. Be that as it may, the management in the Geneva television tower will have to come up with something if they want to keep their market share above the 30 percent mark in the long term.
Media and advertising agencies targeted
Gilles Marchand wants to sell the channel better to media and advertising people in future. There is a completely false image of TSR's positioning in the market compared to TF1 and M6, he told WerbeWoche. And it is not without pride that he points to the latest result, according to which TSR is the superior leader among viewers in all age groups. In the 15 to 24 age group, TSR dominates with a 23% market share compared to TF1 with 18% and M6 with 16%, and in the 25 to 44 age group, TSR even has a 16% lead over M6.
There are also plans to rethink the structure of the second broadcasting channel TSR2, which alternately serves as a platform for sport or cultural events as required. The placement of advertising time on this channel is therefore correspondingly difficult.

Exxtra Kommunikation dramatizes Migros' wide range of frozen foodsPrepared dishes simply popped in the oven are still frowned upon. Nevertheless, there are signs of an upward trend in the consumption of frozen products. With a 48.3 percent market share and over 200 products, the major distributor Migros is the undisputed leader in the frozen food segment. The in-house agency Exxtra Kommunikation has been entrusted with the production of two commercials to communicate the wide range of products in a sustainable way. The short stories, directed by Norwegian Hans Petter Moland, skillfully avoid the usual advertising sins in this segment by deliberately avoiding clichéd images and statements. For a romantic date, of all things, treats are served from the cooler - more or less successfully. The staged situations wittily underline the consumer benefit that the Migros range has the right quick meal for every situation. page 6