In the middle of the year, four media and publishing professionals have come together under the name Purpur, AG für Publishing und Communication, on Zurich's Kanzleistrasse:In the middle of the year, four media and publishing professionals have come together under the name Purpur, AG für Publishing und Communication, on Zurich's Kanzleistrasse: Dario Benassa, CD, consultant, concept developer and co-editor of Bolero, creative partner Hansjörg Keller, media consultant Karin Jost of Jost Media, and copywriter and concept developer Franziska Zydek.The young agency specializes in corporate publishing. "We look after all corporate communication measures except advertising," says managing director Benassa. He sees Purpur's range of services, from annual reports to customer magazines, not as competition to advertising, but as complementary measures. "Corporate publishing is in vogue," Benassa says, "because you can't reach all customers with advertising alone." Purpur has won Ikea as its first main customer and produces the customer magazine View. (ba)

The party year is drawing to a close, thank goodness.by Beat Fritsch Shortly before the Christmas break, even the shortlist team, hardened by many events, notices signs of wear and tear. The job isn't easy, the fiestas take their toll on kidneys and gingerbread.
The same goes for handling the subjects; it is anything but easy, as shortlist photographer Dominic Ott could tell you. He cannot always count on the full cooperation of the models. The fact that women in particular like to stick their tongues out in the heat of the party battle is nothing new. Raoul Stöhlker, who was leashed by Beat Schlatter's bingo dominatrix at the Facts Bingo Night and paraded in a passing gait, even threatened to hire a lawyer if he were published. Too bad that the lawyer in question also found the picture highly amusing and immediately concluded a standstill agreement with the shortlist author.
Of course, there is also the other kind of party people who are all the more willing to pose in front of the shortlist camera in any condition. We have met and photographed D.S. from IP Multimedia and the crew from RMB at so many events, for example, that there is no need for another picture. This is in stark contrast to Roger Baur, who has been photographed just as often - he actually works for internet marketer Qualiclick in addition to managing various companies of his own. And thanks to his additional modeling jobs, his presence on advertising spaces of all kinds is so excessive that we don't want to be left behind.
Manuel Nappo is another special case. To do justice to his image, he has to be photographed with at least two women on the hood of his Porsche. He was meticulous in making sure that the ladies didn't have rivets and eyelets on the backs of their jeans - because of the scratches on his beautiful car.
The events in 2001 came in all possible quality levels. From bad to simply sensational. We swallowed the bad ones, which often upset our stomachs, got annoyed in silence and reported them neutrally. And we sometimes praised the good ones over the lush green clover.
One of the good guys has always been barbecue chef Markus Marchel, whose BBQ parties are rarely attended by children. The event is a paradise for children and parents, where everyone feels at home. This year it took place at El Torre on the banks of the Limmat in Zurich-West. The Golbach Center or RMB christening was also chic.
Incidentally, the blunder of the year was made by the Bolero ladies Sithara Atasoy and Martina Allenspach, who we so lovingly cared for in this section - and this after we had always gone to great lengths to spell their names correctly. In a Bolero caption, the shortlisted author was actually apostrophized as a Bluewin employee. Which is not to be confused with Blaukreuz.
In addition to all the parties, every now and then - but rather rarely - there is also a specialist event. The Art Directors Club of Europe's creative competition, for example, is a hugely exciting event. This is because, in contrast to the judging at home, the attending press is present during the awarding of points and is allowed to watch exactly how and what is being decided. That's what you call real transparency!
Beat Fritsch

tells you clearly what was a good advertising event this year, who deserves a special mention and who produced the best in front of the lens. And wishes all readers of this column all the best for 2002.
We will hardly miss a party next year either. As always, we are researching who from the advertising scene can be seen where. Do you already have something to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or get in touch (info@werbewo che.ch). Event tips and further shortlist images are available online at www. werbewoche.ch

The Reformed Church Messenger for eight cantons gets a new concept and layoutBy Markus Knöpfli A number of Reformed member newspapers are being renewed for 2002. The third-largest of these, the intercantonal Kirchenbote, will now be published in eight cantons in a header page system with 13 split editions. Without advertisements.
On December 28, the Intercantonal Church Messenger, the member newspaper of the Protestant Reformed Cantonal Churches of Basel-Stadt, Baselland, Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Lucerne, Obwalden, Schwyz and Uri, will be published for the first time with a new concept and layout in 160,000 households. The layout was designed by Zurich graphic designer Karl Heinz Gebert (NZZ Folio, Nikon News).
The previous intercantonal Kirchenbote had a joint cover and various regional sections in the second bundle. Now, however, the paper is intended to be closer to the faithful and is therefore published in a header page system with 13 cantonal and some regional splits.
The journalistic concept is also changing. Instead of primarily printing PR and press releases from church groups and committees as before, the editorial team in Basel, with a total of 520 full-time equivalents, will now observe and research church events in the cantons, according to the mission statement "in critical loyalty to the church".
Jörg Ferkel, President of the Editorial Commission, puts it this way: "The Kirchenbote should not only be a 100 percent court spokesperson, but also a court jester." However, the boundaries are clear: the cantonal churches and parishes finance the paper. "That's why there is also an internal dependency," says Ferkel. However, the new editor-in-chief Tilmann Zuber, a pastor, MAZ graduate and temporary editor-in-chief at the Zürcher Kirchenbote, also wants to tackle hot topics.
In addition, the magazine is explicitly intended to appeal not only to church members, but also to those outside the church. Among other things, with topics that are sometimes provocative within the church, such as the recently published issue on esotericism.
The intercantonal church messenger has an annual budget of CHF 1.2 million, excluding postage costs. There is no advertising revenue, as is the case with the Zürcher Kirchenbote (see box). According to Publicitas, there is a certain market, says Ferkel, but this would only cover the additional costs for the necessary expansion of the paper to 16 pages. "What's more, we didn't want to overload the cart now," says Ferkel.
Incidentally, the church bulletins of St.Gallen (7,000 copies) and Glarus (8,700 copies) will also be given a new design in 2002. The St.Gallen Kirchenbote was designed by the TGG office in St.Gallen. The Glarus Kirchenbote, on the other hand, is currently still part of the intercantonal Kirchenbote, but jumped ship with the new concept for fear that the canton would not be sufficiently covered by the Basel editorial team. The paper is now called Reformiert GL. The layout and content of the jacket come from Reformierte Medien in Zurich.
Advertisements are not taboo elsewhere

The Berner Sämann and the Kirchenbote of the canton of Zurich are not only the largest church member newspapers with 287,000 and 26,000,000 copies respectively, they have also been accepting advertisements for over a year. The reason: the general financial shortage of the churches. Both papers have strict criteria catalogs. The Zürcher Kirchenbote takes care of its own advertising acquisition (one page costs 8,000 francs), while the Sämann has leased it out. The Kirchenbote is expecting advertising income of around CHF 60,000 this year and CHF 100,000 in 2002. There are no figures for the Sämann, only this much: the advertisements not only cover the additional costs.

Muse & Musse Bea Hubschmid What was the last cultural event you attended?
Bea Hubschmid: "Eye-catcher",
a trade fair for furniture, lighting, fashion and jewelry design at the Kongresshaus Zurich.
What are you reading right now?
Hubschmid: "The House on the Potomac" by Mary Higgins Clark. Captivating from the first to the last line.
Which CD do you currently prefer to listen to?
Hubschmid: I could listen to "Best of Corrs" for hours because it's simply wonderful music.
Which movie would you most like to see again?
Hubschmid: "Cinema Paradiso". It's an older movie, but for me it's still one of the most beautiful.
What TV show did you fall asleep during the other night?
Hubschmid: I always switch off the TV beforehand.
What is your latest discovery on the Internet?
Hubschmid: www.perlentaucher.de
What could you never do without?
Hubschmid: Here's to lots of sun and vacations by the sea.
What do you do in a free minute?
Hubschmid: Whatever I feel like doing spontaneously.
Love is...?
Hubschmid: ...cannot be reduced to a short answer.

In addition, the closure of the Lausanne branch will lead to changes in the management of the Publicis advertising agency in Zurich (see also page 5). Starting in January 2002, Cornelia Harder will take over the role of Managing Director from Fredy Collioud. Collioud, who has led Publicis Zurich for 15 years, will remain Chairman of the Executive Board. Pascal Schaub will become Head of Strategic Planning, replacing Diana Strebel, whose departure was already announced at the end of November. In the consulting division, the current Group Heads Jean-Marie Egger, Christian Siegrist, and Lukas Tenger will take over three new units starting in January.
The new publishing director of *Glückspost* is Sari Simola, and she will take up her position in mid-January.
Effective February 1, Andreas Waldis will become the new head of marketing at Ringier TV. The advertising director will take charge of marketing, communications, sponsorship, and public relations for Ringier's television operations.
AD Martin Widmer is returning to the advertising agency Leuenberger. In 1997, Widmer left the small agency in Biel and went on to work at McCann-Erickson in Geneva and, most recently, at Publicis in Lausanne, among other places.
Urs P. Gasche is stepping down after five years as editorial director and managing director of the health magazine *Puls-Tipp*. Starting in January, he will serve only as a consultant for the magazine. René Schuhmacher, editorial director and managing director of the sister publications *K-Tipp* and *Saldo*, will take over Gasche’s responsibilities.
Bruno Vonwil will become the new managing director of Luzern-based Maihof Verlag. He will take over effective
April 1, 2002: Peter Gross, who will retire this summer.

The French advertising group Havas Advertising is simplifying its name to Havas. It has bought this brand name from the media group Vivendi Universal for 4.5 million euros.news Havas Advertising becomes Havas With this renaming, the group is returning to its original name. The suffix "Advertising" was added in 1996 to distinguish the company from the other units of the now defunct Havas media group.
Newspaper merger in Springer's Berlin Axel Springer Verlag (ASV) is merging its daily newspapers Die Welt and Berliner Morgenpost. The editorial offices and publishing houses will be merged in the course of next year. Both papers will continue to be published as independent titles. The current ZDF director Dieter Stolte will become joint publisher as of April 1, 2002. The editor-in-chief of Die Welt, Wolfram Weimer, will take over.
Major departures at AOL and VivendiTwo major departures are imminent at the media giants AOL Time Warner and Vivendi Universal. AOL CEO Jerry Levin is stepping down in May 2002. His successor will be Richard Parsons, one of the two Chief Operating Officers. Edgar Bronfman, Vice President of Vivendi Universal, will also be stepping down in the spring. Bronfman will, however, remain a member of the Vivendi Management Board.
WPP wants Berlin CameronThe advertising holding company WPP wants to take over Berlin Cameron and make it the new headquarters of the Red Cell network. This was reported by Advertising Age, which is itself a client of the New York agency. The takeover would allow WPP to solve two problems at once: Red Cell, previously only represented by the low-profile agency Cole & Weber from Seattle, would gain more weight in the USA, and with Chairman Andy Berlin, a successor would be found for Red Cell's CEO Luca Lindner, who wants to move to D'Arcy.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was also involved in advertising with celebritiesBlubb", Verona Feldbusch cheeped in the spinach commercial, and "Da weiss man, was man hat hat", continues the subtitle of the book "Promis in der Werbung". The richly illustrated documentation was published to accompany an exhibition of the same name at the House of History of the Federal Republic of Germany. It can be seen in Bonn until April 7, 2002. "Lux, die Seife der Filmstars", "Ist Zlatko prominent?" or "James Bond fährt BMW" are the titles of the essays that turn the book on celebrity advertising into an interesting non-fiction book. "Is Gottschalk tying a gummy bear on us with his advertising for yellow shares?" are the questions to which museum director Hermann Schäfer, advertiser Holger Jung, market researcher Achim von Kirschhofer and business journalist Dorothee Rothfuss seek answers.
Incidentally, the Deinhardt winery in Koblenz successfully used Wilhelm II's visits to the winery for sparkling wine advertising as early as 1895. What has remained of this basic idea is the conviction that advertisers like to use aristocrats or their modern-day descendants such as Emperor Franz Beckenbauer, the prince of chatterboxes Gottschalk or frog kisser Verona Feldbusch, especially for expensive and prestigious goods.
"Prominente in der Werbung" is published by Hermann Schmidt in Mainz and costs 53 francs. ISBN 3-87439-585-5 Andreas Panzeri

For the first time, Thurgau readers have the choice between St.Galler Tagblatt and Thurgauer ZeitungBy Markus Knöpfli A year ago, the Thurgau newspaper landscape was plowed over. Now the top dog Thurgauer Zeitung - Die Neue is about to renew its subscription for the first time. Competitor Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt has smelled a rat and is stepping up its efforts to attract subscribers. The race is likely to be exciting.
For a year now, two daily newspapers have been facing each other in Thurgau: the Thurgauer Zeitung - Die Neue (TZ, circulation: 42,000 copies) of Thurgauer Medien AG, a merger of six regional newspapers, and the one-year-old Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt (MTT) and its older sister Bodensee Tagblatt (BT), both Thurgau splits of the St.Galler Tagblatt.
Today, the situation is far more exciting than it was twelve months ago, particularly in the Mittelthurgau region. Subscription renewals are due for the first time at TZ, because the paper, which is subscribed to by around 60 percent of the 26,000 households in the Kreuzlingen and Weinfelden districts, was able to retain most of the subscriptions of its predecessor titles on January 3, 2001. MTT is different: it was only able to take over around 50 BT subscribers and, after starting with 10,000 scattered copies, now has 1,000 annual subscriptions and around 1,000 current trial subscriptions. "However, I had expected more," says publishing director Daniel Ehrat.
So now Frauenfeld and St.Gallen are waiting for the reactions of subscribers from Weinfelden and Kreuzlingen. The result should be known by the end of January. "The payday is yet to come," confirms TZ publishing director Urs Bucher, who does not expect a significant slump. The main reason for people leaving TZ would be that the new newspaper was too extensive and too expensive. But the MTT offers no alternative. In addition, TZ will continue its large weekly circulation (90000 copies in total) in order to generate new trial subscriptions with this "marketing instrument that should not be underestimated". Bucher's motto for the next two years is therefore "keep it going".
Thurgauer Zeitung still below advertising budget
The "attacker" MTT, on the other hand, has launched an October offensive using posters and mailings. By the end of 2002, Ehrat hopes for an increase to 3000 subscriptions, 1000 less than the original target. However, MTT is also relying on cooperation with three municipalities that are still working with TZ. From January, their official gazettes will each become an integrated additional bundle at MTT - which means that it will reach all 2,970 households in the area in question once a week. "If this measure doesn't work, then we'll also have a hard time in the future," says Ehrat, who doesn't hide the fact that the MTT is "struggling with the St.Gallen stamp".
The latter is probably also evident in the advertising sector. Although the MTT is "slightly over budget" with around half a page of advertisements per issue, according to Ehrat, there are no obituaries from the Mittelthurgau region - an important indicator of acceptance - unlike in the Oberthurgau region, where the BT is ahead. However, Ehrat categorically rules out merging the MTT with the BT or even abandoning it in Mittelthurgau for next year.
Up to the middle of the year, the volume of advertisements in the TC exceeded the budgeted increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year's volume of the predecessor TC. There were more national and cantonal advertisements, also thanks to membership of Kombi 1 and Nordostschweiz. From July onwards, however, the slump in advertising was also felt at TZ. "Although we are still above the previous year's figure for the predecessor TZ, we are still below budget," says Bucher.
As far as the assessment of content is concerned, both sides are largely in agreement. TZ editor-in-chief Andreas Netzle, who gave his paper a new layout and a new journalistic concept this fall, puts it in a nutshell: "We are more comprehensive, especially at cantonal level, and MTT is (still) better here and there in terms of journalistic craftsmanship." However, this does not necessarily apply to Oberthurgau, where both papers often have the same correspondent reports. That shows: The current main battle is concentrated in Mittelthurgau.
St. Galler Tagblatt plans relaunch

The layout of the St.Galler Tagblatt, which belongs to the NZZ Group, will be revised as of September 2002. The contract was awarded to freelance media designer Katja Hösli, who was already responsible for the previous layout and also designed the publisher's own sports magazines Drive and Smash.

Cornelia Harder, Managing Director of Publicis, Lausanne, on the closure of the agencyAfter almost 50 years of existence, the eventful agency history of Publicis, Lausanne, will come to an end at the beginning of next year. Publicis Director Cornelia Harder has been trying to keep the location in French-speaking Switzerland until the very end. A good six years ago, you took over the management of Publicis, Lausanne, then still BEP Publicis FCB. What is your assessment today?
Cornelia Harder: I took on this new role with a lot of expectations and relatively little experience. I soon realized that the situation here in the French-speaking Swiss market was not easy. I soon had to put the brakes on costs because Publicis Lausanne was in danger of going into the red. This difficult initial phase was then followed by an upturn, not least thanks to a major customer. With Swisslotto, we were able to manage another national budget. This was followed by the acquisition of Alphonse Garcia's agency and the move to larger premises. I am also convinced that we did everything we could to keep this location. Unfortunately, however, the signs for the future do not point to growth.
Before you took up your post, the management in Paris assured you that the Lausanne site was important to them. Why has that changed now?
Harder: The decisive factors are certainly the concentration of major brands in German-speaking Switzerland at a national level and increasing globalization. It's no secret that most Swiss companies make around 80 percent of their advertising investments in German-speaking Switzerland.
Was the loss of the Nestlé budget the decisive factor?
Harder: (hesitates) Not only.
Your job was also to get the agency up to scratch. What went wrong?
Harder: Nothing has gone wrong. The situation in the market has changed, the Publicis Group is thus completing a consistent restructuring in Switzerland and laying the foundations for a strong offering in integrated communication. There have been changes within the Group itself. The agency in Zurich has been operating successfully for years, then the dialog marketing agency Fisch Meier Direkt was added. Optimedia in its new composition allowed the group to grow once again. The group also acquired Saatchi & Saatchi. The network now has another agency in French-speaking Switzerland, something that was not planned six years ago.
The fact that agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann-Erickson and Euro RSCG have offices in French-speaking Switzerland also shows that the market in French-speaking Switzerland has not dried up, doesn't it?
Harder: The structure and organizational form of an agency play a major role. Publicis, Lausanne, was an independent public limited company with all the associated costs. For an agency like Publicis, with the corresponding demands of the network, survival is only possible with a healthy mix of network and local clients. However, these large companies are focused on Zurich.
But Publicis, Lausanne, counted among its clients such important companies as Swisslotto, Nestlé, Expo.02 and the insurance company La Suisse.
Harder: That actually shows that we did a good job. But the fact is that we lost the Nestlé chocolate budget and the Expo.02 budget expires next year. It's also true that, as a network agency, we tended to have larger clients and the cluster risk was correspondingly high.
Is Publicis profiting from the current rather morose economic situation to justify the closure?
Harder: Rather, we took a tough decision, but at a time when we were still able to bear the consequences, i.e. the costs associated with this closure.
How many employees are affected by the closure?
Harder: 15, of which solutions have already been found for 10 people. We are negotiating with every single employee and are also in talks with Saatchi & Saatchi here in French-speaking Switzerland to place them.
And what does the appointment as Managing Director of Publicis, Zurich, mean for you?
Harder: Of course I'm delighted about this nomination and the challenge. But at the moment I am still fully committed to my employees. Interview: Anita Vaucher

At the SonntagsZeitung (SoZ), editors who write opinion pieces—and therefore occasionally appear in the paper with a photo—have been summoned for a strategic photo shoot. Dress code: tie. The goal of the maneuver: In the battle for position against the NZZ am Sonntag, the SonntagsZeitung’s writers are meant to appear less exposed in terms of competence and credibility. Whether this new image can be achieved with a simple tie, however, is open to doubt. In the latest issue of the SoZ, under the headline «Men Are Finally Unbuttoning,» a strategically very differently styled article reported on the abolition of the tie requirement in casinos, banks, and luxury hotels. Subheading: «Time to mothball that suffocating thing!» Chili without a breeze. In the future, Mexican specialties at Tres Kilos in Zurich can be enjoyed without any discomfort, despite the addition of brown beans and other ingredients that aid digestion. According to the latest campaign by Jung von Matt/Limmat, this is ensured by small scented trees that have been discreetly hung directly on the backs of the chairs in the restaurant. And what appears as symbolism on the 12-square-meter poster and in the ads is first and foremost brought to life with real little green fir trees. Postcards featuring a perforated, scented key visual are also planned.
Decorative black ice. The icicles shine impressively, like a Las Vegas-style display. But the show is taking place in Wallisellen. There, the Glattzentrum tower has been transformed into Switzerland’s biggest Christmas gift. More than 50,000 lights, 6,670 square meters of mesh fabric, and a vast amount of wire and nylon ropes were draped around the brown building by Christinger Partner AG under the direction of Daniel Weissbaum.
X’02 is being expanded further. The X marketing trade show will take place for the fifth time from August 20 to 22, 2002. Andreas Stalder has been newly appointed as project manager for X’02. He was previously an exhibitor in the telecommunications sector and has extensive trade show experience. He will be supported by Sybille Hatt, project assistant, and Ajas Kulici, sales consultant.
Luxury suites for students. Anyone currently looking for an apartment on the bulletin boards at the universities in Zurich, Basel, Bern, or St. Gallen will be drawn to the listings for luxurious 1½-room apartments with views of the lake, the Rhine, or the old town, given the current housing shortage. But beware: the phone numbers listed for you to tear off turn out to be those of Stocks’ subscription service—with the promise that, thanks to lucrative investment tips, you’ll be able to afford such dream apartments yourself. Behind this ironic scam is the team led by Creative Director Daniel Matter and Art Director Philipp Skrabal from the Zurich-based agency Matter & Partner.
Wild on Posters. Effective January 1, 2002, Plakanda will change its name to Clear Channel Plakanda, thereby reflecting its affiliation with the world’s number one company in outdoor advertising, radio, live events, and promotions in its external branding. The name change is being promoted by Lesch + Frei, Zurich, with a creative “wild” campaign. The posters featuring this wild idea will be on display in German-speaking Switzerland through mid-January. Responsible at Clear Channel Plakanda: Beat Roeschlin (GM Switzerland) and Lucia Tellenbach.
Fritz and Fränzi in the Bushes: The TV commercial for the parent-teen magazine *Fritz und Fränzi*, featuring the rockers and their childlike voices, was original. Educators wondered why a magazine for progressive parenting didn’t feature any rocker chicks! Wirz Fraefel has now created a new commercial in which a happy Easter bunny family cheerfully celebrates Christmas under the Christmas tree. The message: a gift subscription! Although the free issues of Fritz und Fränzi have been flying off the shelves, the magazine for parents of school-age children is still waiting for enough subscribers to make Easter even happier.
Interfaith Experiment. *Der Sämann*, the member magazine of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Bern, will be published in January—as a one-time exception—under the title *Z’Visite* and with a print run of 350,000 copies instead of 287,000. For the first time, it will be mailed or distributed to all Reformed, Roman Catholic, and Christian Catholic church members, as well as to members of the Jewish community and Muslims.
Editorial

Back to Normal The most overused cliché of the year that is drawing to a close is: «Nothing is the same as it was before.» We’ve been hearing this phrase repeated ad nauseam ever since September 11.
At the same time, people are predicting the end of the «fun society» and railing against the pursuit of pleasure. Yes, even the fundamentalists in our ranks are having their moment in the spotlight. And the sermons of repentance from our own cultural critics and doomsayers seem never-ending. But their time is running out, because our system shows no signs of collapsing. In other words: We have defied the crisis; normality is taking hold. Not least thanks to the media. They clear up the world’s confusion by attributing events to specific individuals. We need someone to blame in order to come to terms with the world’s complexity. Anyone who turns on the TV or reads the newspapers can count on the world’s chaos being organized into events and people. For the mass media reduce all political and social relationships to events with news value. Their real message is this: Events change, but the broadcast framework remains constant. Tomorrow, too, your favorite newspaper will be in your mailbox, and at 7:30 p.m., the “Tagesschau” will be on the air. Mass media function like myths. They paint a picture of the world’s threatening forces and weave a safety net out of stories.
Now that the Internet hype has died down and the Swiss private television scene has come crashing down, we have an exciting spring of 2002 ahead of us in the print media with the *NZZ am Sonntag* and the relaunch of *Die Weltwoche*. Samuel Helbling, Editor-in-Chief

Patrick Zanello has been the new Director of Publimedia, Geneva, since December 1Head of the week "French-speaking Swiss must shed their complexes towards German-speaking Swiss"
Since the beginning of December, 34-year-old Patrick Zanello has been Director of Publimedia, Geneva, having previously worked for five years at Publicitas Léman as advertising manager for the daily newspaper Le Matin. However, he discovered his affinity for advertising much earlier.
Instead of going to university after secondary school, Zanello helped out in his parents' business because his father had fallen ill. It was while preparing the exhibition stand that was to present the company at a trade fair that he was struck. From then on, it was clear to him that his professional future would have to involve advertising and communication.
After a stint at a private radio station, he enrolled on the advertising assistant course at Sawi. As chance would have it, an in-house advertising department was set up at the then Geneva daily newspaper La Suisse, giving the young job applicant the opportunity to enter the world of advertising. Before he continued his training at the Heimann agency and then returned to La Suisse to take on a managerial role at a very young age, he briefly indulged his philanthropic streak. He went to South America for five months to set up a childcare service with friends.
When it comes to humanitarian aid, Patrick Zanello has his own philosophy. Instead of sending donations to an organization, he prefers to take his money directly to those in need and help them on the spot. Incidentally, as a young boy he dreamed of one day earning a lot of money so that he could generously distribute it to others rather than spending it on himself.
With the branch office of Publimedia, Geneva, the newly appointed director wants to get even closer to the customer. After all, it's not just about looking after major customers in Geneva. One-to-one marketing, as Zanello envisions it, must also be guaranteed in Sion. One important concern is the development of the website. Although the majority of Publimedia customers still prefer print advertising, Zanello and his employees want to be well equipped. After all, he is firmly convinced that there is a customer segment that is more likely to rely on online advertising than print advertising in the future. And finally, Publimedia, Geneva, also needs to defend the French-speaking Swiss market even more strongly against those beyond the language barrier. However, Patrick Zanello is convinced that the French-speaking Swiss must finally put aside their unjustified complexes towards German-speaking Switzerland and show more self-confidence. Anita Vaucher

Sybille Erdmann, co-owner of the agency for brand identity and communication Erdmannpeisker, is convinced: "The future lies in Biel. "Together with partner Gabriel Peisker and six employees, Erdmann has moved into a new domicile on Mattenstrasse in Biel. The agency grew out of the two partners' collaboration at MCC Smart GmbH, where Erdmann was head of trade communications and Peisker head of corporate identity. Two years after founding its own agency, Smart is still Erdmannpeisker's most important client. In addition, the young company has also won CS as well as regional clients such as the watch manufacturer Alfex, the producer of micromotors RMB and the railroad company Regionalverkehr Mitelland. Based on a now established culture of dispute, the two partners complement each other perfectly from a professional point of view: Erdmann comes from industry and worked as a division manager for advertising and trade marketing for Bosch and Blaupunkt in Germany, while Peisker's career most recently took him to the branding agency Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux, where he had worked as a senior designer and consultant. (ba)