The initially ridiculed Baselland-Post is now published weekly and is an ideal advertising platform for SMEsBy Markus KnöpfliFor the past five years, the small-format Baselland-Post has aimed to help the advertisements of small businesses in Basel attract more attention. Its success has now forced the magazine to appear more frequently.
When Doris Hirschi founded Novamedi GmbH in 1995 and published the Baselland-Post, she was a pioneer. Not only because she was breaking new ground in the publishing industry, but also because she chose a special small format (149 x 222 millimeters) for her free newspaper. She wanted to give the small advertisements of many small businesses more prominence.
The Baselland-Post was also one of the first print products of this size in Switzerland, says Fredy Weber, Managing Director of Merkur Druck AG in Langenthal. Weber printed the magazine from the very beginning and now has five other orders for periodicals of the same format in-house. Merkur Druck has also been the owner of Novamedi GmbH since last May.
Hirschi, who has been unavailable for weeks, is said to have sold her publishing company for health and family reasons. For Merkur Druck, entering the publishing business is a novelty. He also took over the "successful paper" because he wanted to keep the printing job in-house, says Weber.
Back to Hirschi's concept: it has worked. The Baselland-Post, which was ridiculed five years ago and started with a circulation of 81,000 copies, was able to increase this to an uncertified 113,000 copies. It is distributed by post throughout the Basel region, in the canton of Basel-Stadt and in
25 Solothurn and five Aargau municipalities to all households
distributed without stop stickers. What's more, the biweekly magazine increased its size from an initial 48 pages to an average of 90 pages. "The magazine is particularly strong in the real estate sector," attests Otto K. Walter, Head of Advertising at Basler Zeitung.
However, the original intention was in danger of being lost in the overkill of advertisements. Merkur Druck has therefore been publishing the magazine weekly since January with a revised layout, but only half the size. "The advertiser benefits from this, as their advertisement gets more attention again," says Detlef Braun from Triscom-Media AG, which has been in charge of advertising sales since last May.
However, even after a slight increase in the advertising rate, it remains to be seen whether the change will pay off in the long term due to the double distribution costs: A four-color page now costs CHF 1271.

Internet users can now also collect points on Swiss sitesby alessandro monachesiAlike the loyalty cards offered by major retailers, open bonus programs are set to spark collecting fever on the Internet. TwoSince recently, Internet users can also collect points on Swiss sitesby Alessandro
Monachesi
Similar to the loyalty cards offered by major distributors, open bonus programs are set to ignite collecting fever on the Internet. Two providers are currently competing on the Swiss market: Munich-based Webmiles AG and Bonus.net from ActiveAgent.
What is part of everyday life at Coop and Migros, and what banks have long used to make their customers' mouths water, is also on the rise on the Internet: Customer loyalty programs. In the United States, three quarters of all surfers are already chasing various loyalty points. Now the Swiss are set to get a taste for it too.
In November 2000, ActiveAgent launched its wholly-owned subsidiary Bonus.net in Switzerland. Bonus.net's first Swiss partner was the online media retailer Directmedia last December. Bonus.net's most important German competitor, the Munich-based company Webmiles AG, has meanwhile taken its time to enter the Swiss market.
Webmiles already announced its unofficial interest in Switzerland last summer. The company only recently announced its first collaborations on the Swiss market: Bluewin and Winner.ch offer their customers points for clicks that entitle them to rewards on the Webmiles website.
"It was clear to us from the outset that we would only enter into partnerships with big players," explains Katrin Teufelberger, Country Manager Switzerland
at Webmiles, the delayed market entry. Teufelberger manages the Swiss business from Munich. A branch in Switzerland is being considered, she explains. Bluewin and Winner will not be the only partners. Webmiles plans to announce further cooperations in the near future. Bonus.net is also about to enter into another partnership.
Customer loyalty in itself is not a new topic for Bluewin. Martin Sagmeister, responsible for customer loyalty: "We have strived for strong customer loyalty with our offers and products. What is new for us is the integration into a program." The creation of a position for Customer Relations Management illustrates the increasing importance that Bluewin attaches to customer care. "We would have liked to have developed our own customer loyalty program," Sagmeister continues, "but that is too expensive for us." Peter Strassmann from ActiveAgent agrees: "Only very large companies can afford their own programs. I'm talking about the size of a bank or Migros."
Immediately accessible premiums are important
Where prices are exploding, outsourcing is often the solution. The same idea underlies open customer loyalty programs such as Webmiles and Bonus.net. Strassmann explains: "A bonus program enables small websites to reach a critical mass of participants." Katrin Teufelberger believes that for a program to be successful, it must above all be transparent and easy to understand. In addition, the first rewards must be within reach, otherwise the customer will give up right at the start.
"A customer loyalty program for a portal is a European premiere," explains Sagmeister. Bluewin customers will initially receive points for games and feedback in the shopping directory. Later, Bluewin also wants to include the Bluemail and Bluemessenger services. "We can also use Webmiles to push special services in the future," reveals Sagmeister. For example, the new 55+ seniors channel? "Why not?" says Sagmeister, "our fathers were always passionate collectors."

The cigarette industry in North America has to print shock images on its packsBy Werner CatrinaCanada is serious about its detour through the Middle Ages to a cigarette-free society. From June blickThe cigarette industry in the North American country has to print shock images on its packsBy Werner Catrina
Canada is serious about its detour through the Middle Ages to a cigarette-free society. From June, smokers buying packs of cigarettes will be faced with
16 different medical horror stories. There are already protests, and even convinced non-smokers do not necessarily consider the official measures to be suitable.
"The picture with the mouth cancer is the most off-putting," says Tom Lee, "the subject with the pregnant woman is less drastic." Tom Lee is a kiosk owner at a Mini Mart in Missisauga, a suburb of Toronto. For a few weeks now, he has been receiving cigarette packs with gruesome photos printed on them from suppliers. Back in 1994, all packs had to read "Cigarettes cause cancer/La cigarette cause le cancer" in large letters in two languages. This was because the message also needed to be understood in the French-speaking province of Quebec.
16 horror subjects "decorate"
the cigarette packets
Last year, the Canadian government decided that all cigarette packs sold in the country must feature deterrent images in future. There are a total of 16 images to choose from, ranging from a man coughing to blood clots in the brain to black lungs. Each is accompanied by an explanatory text. For example: "Warning: Cigarettes cause brain strokes. Smoking tobacco can clog your arteries to the brain, blocking blood flow and causing a stroke, which can lead to disability and death."
As a Christmas present to Canadian smokers, so to speak, the law came into force on
The law came into force on December 23, 2000 and has since provoked a flood of comments and letters to the editor. There is still a grace period until June 2001, when every pack of cigarettes sold in Canada must carry the ultimate warning. Imports of packs without the deterrent images will then be prohibited, which is likely to drastically reduce the supply of cigarettes in the North American country.
Futile struggle of the
Cigarette industry
The Canadian cigarette industry did everything it could to defeat the government's new escalation in the fight against smoking. They fought with the best lawyers against the impending photos and condemned the law as unconstitutional. In vain. In response, the three largest Canadian cigarette manufacturers, Imperial Tobacco, JTI-Macdonald Corp. and Rothmans, Benson and Hedges Inc. tried to get at least a delay in the deadline, arguing that they needed more time to design the layout and match the colors of the packs to the photos. These efforts were also unsuccessful, as the government in Ottawa is hell-bent on bringing the cigarette industry to its knees.
Images are still much stronger than words of warning
According to a report in the Journal of the Canadian Cancer Institute, a two-year study by the Canadian Cancer Society has shown that pictures leave a much more lasting impression than words. According to the study, 88 percent of under-18s rated photos as significantly more powerful than words. The survey also revealed that the majority of young smokers did not want anyone to see them with the deterrent illustrated packs, which increases the motivation to quit.
Marie-José Lapointe, spokesperson for the Canadian cigarette and cigar manufacturers, explains in an interview in The Globe and Mail newspaper: "Rebellion is the motive of many young smokers; warnings of this kind could therefore have the opposite effect." And the president of the association, Rob Parker, goes one better: "Some young people will say: 'Oh, great! I'll buy the whole set with all 16 subjects'."
Even the Canadian Council for Non-Smoking calls the new packs "medical pornography" and demands "more positive" forms of warnings. The Canadian Council for Non-Smoking is made up of former smokers who have given up the habit. It now sells neutral plastic boxes for cigarette packets to cover the shock images with these "condoms".
Slogans such as "Stop smoking, it will definitely prolong your life" or "Be a hero! Learn to quit!" were enough to warn the public, according to the ex-smokers.
You don't force French fries and hamburger manufacturers to show fat people in their advertising, says Frank Dwyer, president of the association. "Why does the government think it can free people from their addiction through fear? That's ridiculous."
Tom Lee, who probably sells hundreds of packs of cigarettes a day, takes a similar view: "People look the other way and continue to smoke. They are all addicted."
Will the Canadians become a global role model?
"Smokers who want to quit tell us that strong warnings with pictures and colors are needed," explains Garfield Mahood, director of the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, in an interview in the Toronto Star newspaper, "the new warning system has been very well researched and is supported by the medical community." Mahood is convinced that the Canadians will serve as a model for many similar laws around the world.
Canada has been fighting smoking for decades - with mixed success. Teenagers in Canada smoke just as often as they used to. A new study from the USA - where the images will probably become part of everyday cigarette use sooner or later - has revealed some sobering results. A study of 8,500 students in the US state of Washington came to the conclusion that a rigorous 15-year anti-smoking program was probably little more than a waste of time and money.
Costs in the amount
of 30 million dollars
The design of the new cigarette packs and their introduction cost the Canadian tobacco industry around 30 million Canadian dollars, the equivalent of just over 30 million Swiss francs.
Two billion packs of cigarettes are produced every year in Canada for the domestic market. It is doubtful whether there will be fewer because of the scare images in 2001. Imports of packs without warning pictures will be banned from the middle of the year, which should boost domestic production. Cigarette posters have practically disappeared from the streets of Canada, from Halifax to Montreal to Vancouver, because even large-scale advertising has to be garnished with black lungs and images of brain strokes.
Wine, beer, whiskey and other spirits, on the other hand, can be advertised on giant posters or with fold-out pictures in magazines without any warning to young consumers. There is joie de vivre, nature, freshness and always a crisp sense of humor; not a word about cirrhosis of the liver, not a syllable about car accidents caused by drunk drivers, not a dying word about the countless broken families that can be attributed to the abuse of alcohol.
Toxic exhaust fumes smoke out of the tailpipes of millions of cars with impunity. Cigarette smoke is different: wherever you walk through a revolving door, the sign "No smoking!" jumps out at you. If you do it anyway, you can expect fines of thousands of dollars.
"People who smoke know it's bad for them," says Mary, a sales clerk at a kiosk in Toronto, "the government wants to manipulate us and tell us what to do; we don't like it!"
A letter to the editor in the Globe and Mail asks anxiously: "What will tourists say when they see these shocking pictures? The subjects look like a threat from the Middle Ages."

Suzanne Fournier is taking her successful women's magazine to German-speaking SwitzerlandAlmost three years ago, Suzanne Fournier launched Blandice, the first women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland. From April, she now wants to try her luck with a German-language version east of the Saane. Blandice has teamed up with the St. Gallen publishing house Mediax for marketing and advertising acquisition.why do you want to launch a German-language version of your women's magazine Blandice? Is this a question of survival?
Suzanne Fournier: Not at all. In the space of two years, Blandice has developed into a beautifully designed and interesting magazine that attracts a lot of attention from readers in French-speaking Switzerland. I've been following the development of women's magazines on the Swiss-German market for about a year and a half and have noticed that their readership figures are stagnating. The editorial quality has declined, despite the various facelifts. There is a clear editorial trend for women's magazines: today's readers are interested in topics that go far beyond fashion, beauty and health. With Blandice, I will also have the advantage that it will be self-supporting from the outset.
So is it mainly the advertisers who are forcing you to take this step into German-speaking Switzerland?
Fournier: That's right. As I have my sights set on the national market, there's no getting around the German-speaking region. That's why I don't want to deprive advertisers of these opportunities with Blandice, which will also have an unmistakable French touch in German-speaking Switzerland. After all, most of Blandice's advertising customers also run national campaigns. I am also convinced that there is still room for a women's magazine in German-speaking countries. But it depends on how you position it. I think we have done our homework in this respect. But we're certainly not going to go all out. We couldn't afford to do that either.
You are the first publisher in French-speaking Switzerland to take this step. Do you like taking risks?
Fournier: I was also the first publisher to launch the first women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland three years ago, apart from Femina, which is distributed as a free supplement to a daily newspaper. Profilfemme and Edelweiss only came onto the market six months after Blandice.
The Swiss-German market for women's magazines is saturated. What do you want to offer readers on the other side of the Saane?
Fournier: I have noticed that the current editorial concept of Blandice is very well received by readers in French-speaking Switzerland. It offers topics on politics, finance and society, as well as reports and current affairs. I am convinced that this also interests readers in German-speaking Switzerland. The advertisers confirm my view.
The French-speaking Swiss have a different mentality to the German-speaking Swiss. Blandice cannot be translated tel quel. How should we imagine the German-language version?
Fournier: I will be working with freelancers who already write for German-language titles. Freelancers follow the media very closely and spontaneously offer very interesting topics. That's my experience in French-speaking Switzerland. But the Swiss-German edition of Blandice will be very independent in terms of content. We will only use around 20 percent of the articles from the French-language magazine.
You are independent as a publisher. Will that change now?
Fournier: I have already been approached by various parties for a partnership. But I want to remain financially independent so that I can continue to shape Blandice the way I want to. However, Blandice has grown and undoubtedly needs professional structures. That's why I will be running marketing and advertising acquisition together with Mediax. Mediax AG is a renowned marketing and publishing company based in St. Gallen and as such specializes in the advertising market. It will take over the reins for the national market from April this year.
With the Swiss-German edition, the total circulation of Blandice will make a leap. What proportion will be intended for the German-speaking Swiss?
Fournier: The total print run will initially be 40,000 copies. Around 15,000 of these are planned for the German-speaking Swiss market. After that, there will be a continuous increase.
Will you have an office in Zurich to facilitate contact with journalists and advertising clients?
Fournier: Yes, it is my intention to set up a contact point together with Mediax.
Interview: Anita Vaucher

Yves Seydoux of Vaudoise Insurance on corporate communicationsVaudoise Insurance has not only acquired ISO certification; it is also breaking new ground in sponsorship and announcing this reorientation in corporate communications with a cheeky image campaign. Vaudoise Insurance recently acquired the ISO 9001 quality certificate. What does this certification mean for you as the company's communications officer?
Yves Seydoux: The company is committed to constantly improving quality. This certificate forces us to prove that we deserve it through regular audits. All work processes are scrutinized to guarantee quality management and customer satisfaction.
The ISO certificate is rather a novelty for insurance companies.
Seydoux: There are insurance companies that have partial areas certified. In this respect, Vaudoise is the first insurance company to also have the 9001 certificate, 2000 edition. This is a certificate that is better tailored to the service company. After all, ISO certification comes from the industrial sector.
How far do you want to integrate this certificate into the communication strategy?
Seydoux: Whenever the opportunity arises and it makes sense, we will communicate the certificate as a seal of quality. At the same time, this will also put a certain amount of pressure on employees to constantly rethink their work processes. In addition, we will affix the certification mark to all documents, brochures, and stationery.
What value does ISO have for the employees?
Seydoux: All employees were involved in the process from the beginning, and ISO soon became a common denominator. Internal communication was intensified and improved during the two years of preliminary work to achieve the certificate. Our employees are motivated to live up to the specifications of the certification.
Two years ago, Vaudoise launched a large-scale image campaign with a new look. Now another image campaign is following. Does Vaudoise have a pronounced image problem?
Seydoux: You can never do too much for a company's image. And an insurance company must constantly cultivate its image in view of the competitive situation. Generally, an insurance company has the image of a company that - when it comes down to it - never wants to pay. But the modern insurance company wants to offer comprehensive advice and create optimal conditions for the policyholder. This philosophy of advice should be at the forefront of our communications strategy. When the industry was still a cartel, the customer did not have much choice. Since liberalization, he can have customized solutions put together for him.
Can the success of the campaigns during the past two years be measured?
Seydoux: We were able to sign 10,000 new contracts, primarily in the area of motor vehicle insurance. In 2000, we achieved growth of four percent in this area.
The new campaign focuses on the nationwide character of Vaudoise Insurance. Does that matter to the policyholder?
Seydoux: Particularly in the wake of globalization, great importance is attached to customer proximity in the insurance industry. Vaudoise Insurance is therefore extremely decentralized with its 32 general agencies. We see this as a sign of quality.
"Other insurers will feel the effects" is the central theme running through the 2001 campaign. What will they feel?
Seydoux: Indirectly, this statement is a challenge for our employees to show competence at every level. As a competent company, we want to be perceived first by our customers and then by our competitors. But we certainly don't want this slogan to be perceived as arrogance on our part.
Until now, Vaudoise has mainly sponsored sports events. Now you're also supporting the entertainment show "Aeschbacher" on channel SF 1. Why this detour?
Seydoux: With sports sponsorship, we are addressing an audience close to the ground. "Aeschbacher" is a new show, but with a likeable, very well-known personality. It is therefore ideally suited to raise Vaudoise's profile in German-speaking Switzerland, which is one of the main goals of this year's campaign. The commitment to "Aeschbacher" will initially last one year.
Interview: Anita Vaucher
Muse & MusseMarco Catini
Which cultural event did you attend last and why this one in particular?
Marco Catini: "Blushin' Pink" - because it was highly recommended to me. But I didn't like it that much, despite the nice accompaniment.
What are you reading right now and why?
Catini: "The 131/2 Lives of Captain Blue Bear" by Walter Moers. The author not only has his own drawing style, he can also tell a good story.
Which CD do you currently prefer to listen to?
Catini: "Fântomas - Amenaza al Mundo."
Which movie would you most like to see again and why?
Catini: "Fargo" - because Steve Buscemi is just good.
What TV show did you fall asleep during the other night?
Catini: TV doesn't work as a sleep aid for me, unfortunately - I can zap for hours without getting tired.
What is your latest discovery on the Internet?
Catini: More of a rediscovery: www.joecartoon.com
Love is...?
Catini: ...something incredibly beautiful.
Marco Catini was involved in the campaign for Tornos as a consultant at Dorland.
In additionManaging director Daniel Kaiser is leaving the private Aargau TV station Tele M1. He will leave his post before the end of May. Kaiser joined Tele M1 in 1999, before that he was head of marketing at Swisscom.
Benjamin Aebischer is to become the new CEO of online marketer AdMaster Switzerland. He replaces Beat Alder, who will focus on his content company Internet Medien AG in the future. Alder will continue to be available to AdMaster's German parent company Arbo Media as a consultant.
SBB will have a new Head of Marketing Communications: Frank Bumann, previously Transport Director of the Valais resort of Saas Fee, will take up the post in May. At present, the department is being managed on an interim basis by Franziska Pasqua.
Former SF-DRS editor-in-chief Peter Studer is to become president of the Swiss Press Council. He replaces media scientist Roger Blum, who chaired the body for ten years, at the beginning of March. Studer was elected by the Board of Trustees by five votes to four.

Controversial photos on cigarette packs in Canada since the beginning of the year show how 16 horror images, including mouth cancer, are intended to scare smokers. page 10

Jacqueline Friederichs hands over head of reader marketing at NZZ and becomes publishing director at Tele "Even a Rolls-Royce can still be improved"
Jacqueline Friederichs is moving from the "old auntie" among newspapers to the "Rolls-Royce among media magazines", as she describes the Ringier title Tele. After building up and managing the NZZ reader marketing, the 37-year-old takes over as publishing director of the media magazine.
According to Ringier's in-house magazine Domo, she had a difficult legacy to take on, as her predecessor Thomas Tetzlaff had done a great job of building up the company. "On the contrary, I see this as a good basis," says Friederichs, "a difficult legacy would mean that I would have to reorganize something. This way, however, the starting position is very pleasant."
However, the fact that Tele is already in the luxury class is no reason for the newly appointed publishing director to take it easy: "Even a Rolls-Royce can be improved," says Friederichs, "to make it more luxurious, more comfortable or more functional." Under her leadership, she is unlikely to equip the luxury car with a Fiat engine. But perhaps with the drive of a racing car.
Jacqueline Friederichs sees the career change as an ideal step in her personal career. After seven years at the NZZ, she was ready for a new challenge, and when Tetzlaff offered her the position, she didn't hesitate for long: "I was attracted by the responsibility of managing not just a sub-division, but actually a small company."
The qualified publishing specialist began her career in advertising. After graduating from high school, she first joined small agencies before working as a consultant at Wirz for seven years. Her clients there included the NZZ. This experience prompted the advertiser to change sides. "I was fascinated by the NZZ as a client, it is an institution in Switzerland and I wanted to gain a deeper insight," says Friederichs, explaining her decision to leave the advertising consultancy. She joined the NZZ as advertising manager and publishing assistant and then took over the development and management of reader marketing for Switzerland and abroad.
It is not easy for her to leave the NZZ after seven years. "Nevertheless, I knew immediately that Ringier's offer was the right one for me," says Friederichs, "because I relied on my intuition when making this decision." She also sees it as a tool: "Intuition helps when dealing with people as well as when observing the market. Used correctly, it can provide a means to success." Let's hope that intuition helps Jacqueline Friederichs to steer her new ship Tele safely through the turbulent media world.
Bruno Amstutz

Giardina, the flower child of the Mustermesse Basel, becomes independentIt was only launched four years ago and this year it is already stepping out of its mother's shadow: we are talking about Giardina 2001. Previously a part of Muba, this year the Swiss garden fair is making its first solo appearance. "The great success of Giardina and the late date of Muba - it doesn't start until May this year - prompted us to organize the garden fair as an independent exhibition for the first time," says Roberta Turoldo, Head of Communications at Messe Basel, explaining the decision to separate Giardina from Muba.garden offers flourish to win the favour of hobby gardeners
The move could pay off, as various studies indicate that the garden as a living space and leisure area is becoming increasingly important. Economic Research Basel AG (BAK) estimates that last year's turnover for flowers and plants in Switzerland as a whole amounted to around 1.5 billion Swiss francs. This figure is almost seven percent higher than the previous year.
The range, which will fill an entire exhibition hall from February 22 to 26, will be reduced to a single flower for the campaign. Under the conceptual direction of the Bern-based agency Lang Gysi Knoll, Parisian photographer Peter Knaup has simply staged the exotic flowers. The result is reminiscent of the world-famous flower paintings by the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who died in 1986.
Will Giardina become as famous as the Chelsea Flower Shows?
Giardina is not (yet) a world-famous event, but it has no national rival. And if the boom in the garden market continues, it may one day be able to compete with its great role model, the Chelsea Flower Shows in London.
Simone Keller

The direct marketing department of Lowe Lintas GGK's advertising agency has become an independent subsidiary agency: Lowe Direct has set up shop on Stauffacherstrasse in Zurich under the management of Christian Hansen. The move from business unit to independent company comes as no surprise, but faster than expected. "When we set up the unit, we assumed it would take two years," says Hansen about the development of the unit, "but we have established ourselves unexpectedly quickly."
One and a half years after its foundation, Lowe Direct already has 15 employees. The team is to be expanded further by the end of the year. "First and foremost, we want to strengthen our position as a creative and innovative direct marketing agency," he explains. "The success of the first year and a half shows us that we are on the right track."
Lowe Direct will serve clients of Lowe Lintas GGK as well as its own mandates in order to distinguish itself as an independent company.
As part of the international expansion of Lowe Direct, the Managing Director also wants to look beyond Switzerland's borders in the longer term and seek international cooperation. The launch of Lowe Direct coincides with the departure of Fisch.Meier.Direct from the Lowe-Lintas Group (see also "In conversation" on page 37). (ba)

The new management board of the Seiler-DDB Group, in which the company's majority shareholdings are also represented, has been in place since the beginning of this month. CEO Kaspar Loeb and Esther Kunz (CFO Seiler Com Holding) form the new management board of the Seiler DDB Group, in which the company's majority shareholdings are also represented. Around CEO Kaspar Loeb, Esther Kunz (CFO Seiler Com Holding), Markus Cavegn (Head of Creation Seiler DDB, Zollikerberg), Roland Weiss (Head of Seiler DDB Corporate, Zollikerberg), Jürg Siegrist (Managing Director ckdt.), Ellen Heitlinger (Managing Director ckdt. Healthcare), Gilles Aeby (Managing Director Seiler DDB, Bern), Eric Müller (Managing Director OMD Switzerland) and Martin Fritsche (Managing Director Seiler Rapp Collins, Zollikerberg) make up the nine-strong management team. In addition, the Group's Total Communications Management division is to be further expanded in order to provide clients with integrated communications concepts (ko).

Interhome wants to encourage customers to book online with new websitesInterhome's website is booming. More and more of the 20000 vacation homes and apartments are being booked online. In the last financial year - it endedWith new websites, Interhome wants to encourage customers to book onlineInterhome's website is booming. More and more of the 20000 vacation homes and apartments are being booked online. In the last financial year - which ended in the fall of 2000 - the Hotelplan subsidiary achieved online sales of 8.3 million Swiss francs and this year has already reached 4.6 million.
Andreas Manhart, Head of Marketing at Interhome: "In the third week of the year alone, we generated between 700,000 and 800,000 francs in sales, with two thirds of the bookings coming from new customers."
Interhome has launched new websites to boost its online business, which accounts for only a few percent of total sales. "www. relax-spain.com - 3000 vacation homes and apartments bookable online." Anyone who has read one of these small advertisements in a Danish newspaper in the last ten days has been directed to one of Interhome's new websites.
Instead of using the company name, Interhome now advertises with vacation destinations. At first glance, the online customer does not notice that the vacation homes are offered by Interhome, but is lured to the site by the corresponding country. To this end, Interhome has created websites that are all structured according to the principle www. relax-land.com, whereby "land" is replaced by the corresponding destination, such as "spain".
Vacation homes in the
Panoramic view
According to Manhart, the small advertisements placed in Denmark are already proving successful: "There is quite a lot of traffic on the Relax websites. The first bookings have also been made." The idea behind these websites is simple. Customers can also be acquired from countries where Interhome does not have local sales offices. Manhart is convinced: "We have a great chance of being clicked on."
Interhome's new regional sites work on a similar principle to the Relax country sites. The sites www.visit-
engadin.com and www.visit-costa blanca.com. Unlike the Relax country sites, the Visit sites provide customers with a range of additional information about the vacation region.
The possibilities of the Internet are also being better utilized here, allowing surfers to take virtual tours of selected rental properties with 360-degree panoramic images. A new campaign is designed to generate traffic on the sites. Patrick Hediger

Seiler DDB positions and profiles the Lower Engadine on the advertising mapUntil two years ago, the Lower Engadine seemed to be at the other end of the Swiss world from the perspective of the inhabitants of the Mittelland. With the opening of the Vereina Tunnel, the previously remote region moved two hours closer to German-speaking Switzerland. The tunnel was a quantum leap for the valley in terms of both transport and marketing. Suddenly, day tourists, who had never been seen before, were flooding into the Motta Naluns snow sports area and the wellness destination of Scuol, but Scuol Tourism did not remain idle and unprepared. The tourism promoters from Schuls did their homework by expanding the range of offers and commissioning the Zurich agency Seiler DDB with the advertising campaign. This emphasizes the charms of the "still" dreamy vacation region, far removed from the status quirks, and also uses the attractive USPs, namely genuine tranquillity and relaxation, aesthetically and sensitively in the image composition. page 14