Berner Tagblatt Medien AG buys the Automobil-Revue GroupBy Markus KnöpfliHallwag AG in Bern is dissolved. Part of it, the Automobil-Revue Group, has already been sold to the BTM subsidiary Büchler Grafino as of January 1, 2001. Buyers are still being sought for the book and map publishing company.
The Automobil Revue Group includes Automobil Revue and Revue Automobile, with a weekly circulation of 45,000 and 20,000 copies respectively, Moto Sport Schweiz (14,000 copies weekly) and Moto Sport Suisse (3,500 copies fortnightly). Büchler Grafino, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berner Tagblatt Medien (BTM), is taking over all the employees of the AR groups; the jobs will remain in the Hallwag building.
Hallwag AG has been looking for buyers for its products for several months. As Maili Wolf, managing director of Hallwag AG, told WerbeWoche, the publishing house is to be dissolved if possible. Neither the shareholder families Wagner and Thoenen nor Meyer's geographisches Unternehmen, Stuttgart, another shareholder, are willing to continue the business for a longer period of time, she said.
Therefore, Hallwag AG had already sold the publishing rights of the Landfreund magazine to Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH in Münster-Hiltrup, Germany, in October 2000. Wolf is still looking for solutions for the Hallwag maps and the books (wine literature). Presumably, the book and map divisions would be sold separately. According to Wolf, the aim is to preserve jobs and ensure the continued existence of the titles.
Negotiations are currently underway for the book publisher with the German publishing house Gräfe & Unzer (GU) in Munich, which already distributes Hallwag books in Germany and Austria. This is confirmed by a GU spokesman.
Wolf took over the management of Hallwag AG at the end of 1997 on a mandate basis, the aim being to restructure the publishing house. He succeeded in doing this, including selling the entire printing division to BTM, which integrated it into Benteli, which is why this company is still called Benteli Hallwag Druck AG. Wolf also sold various magazine titles and concentrated on the motor sector.
Hallwag took over Moto Sport from BTM, a title that has now been sold back to BTM. At the time, BTM had wanted to divest itself of small magazines. Asked about this buyback, Albert P. Stäheli, Chairman of the BTM Group Executive Board, explained that Automobil Revue was primarily of interest to BTM, but Hallwag had only wanted to sell the entire AR Group. Automobil Revue generates a turnover of about 20 million Swiss francs and has never been in the red, even during the difficult Hallwag years, emphasizes Stäheli.
The turnaround at Hallwag has been successful. According to Wolf, the publishing house now generates sales of CHF 60 million. Wolf, who was head of magazines at Ringier until 1997, does not yet know what she will do after Hallwag AG is dissolved. She has received various inquiries, she says.
Acquire print jobs and buy titles

The BTM subsidiary Büchler Grafino (BG), which is taking over the AR Group, holds a one-third stake in the Bern printing center, as do the BTM-independent companies Fischer AG, Münsingen, and Marufia AG, Langnau i. E.. It specializes in newspaper printing and prints, among others, the Berner Zeitung, the Hotelrevue and the Ringier title Dimanche.ch.
According to Managing Director Paul Galli, BG has one job above all: order processing for the print center. "But we don't just acquire print jobs, we also buy titles or manage them," says Galli. In recent years, BG has therefore focused on regional newspapers and purchased corresponding titles, such as the Solothurner Woche, the Berner Bär, the Schweizer Bauer and the Bantiger Post.
And Automobil Revue, a newspaper, is of interest to BG not only financially but also in terms of printing, also in view of the new printing center planned for 2004. Other BTM-owned titles, such as the Burgdorfer Tagblatt, the Murtenbieter and the Anzeiger von Kerzers, are handled by BG as management contracts. The situation is similar with the title Landfreund, for which BG has concluded a utilization agreement with Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH in Stuttgart. (mk)

Denner AG suspended all booked advertisements in Blick on January 8.Denner AG, which places advertisements in Blick for more than one million Swiss francs annually, was reacting to an article in SonntagsBlick on December 31 about its boss Karl Schweri. The report linked Schweri's search for a bank to a possible Alzheimer's disease. Denner has already boycotted Cash from 1993 to 1995.

Swiss agencies win three categories at the Epica AwardsBy Carole KochAdvico Young & Rubicam, Publicis and Wirz are the proud category winners of the Epica Awards. In total, only 27 Swiss advertising agencies with 312 entries competed for prizes. In 1999, 33 agencies with 331 works still took part in the competition.
In 2000, 58 winners were honored at the Epica Awards. In the running were 6268 works from 771 agencies, 27 of which came from Switzerland. Compared to last year, fewer agencies applied - but Swiss creatives will still have something to celebrate at the Epica Awards in Helsinki on January 26, namely three category wins and eleven final places.
Advico Young & Rubicam (AY&R) once again made it onto the winners' podium. This time, the agency won in the Print/Transport & Tourism category with its campaign for Kuoni Travel. Also at the top are the Publicis print campaign for Mobiliar Insurance and Wirz's Callino campaign in the Print/Communication Services category.
On the other hand, fewer Swiss entries made it onto the shortlist - in the previous year, 19 final places were occupied, in 2000 there were only 11, divided among larger Swiss agencies such as Publicis, McCann-Erickson, Lesch + Frei, Honegger von Matt and Seiler DDB.
With this result, Switzerland has dropped from eighth to tenth place in the ranking of the most successful European countries - winners and finalists combined. At the top this time is Sweden with a total of 72 awards, followed by Germany and England. The Stockholm agency Lowe Brindfors is the most successful agency with three wins and nine finalists, and BBDO clearly emerges as the most successful network with eleven category wins. The top prize "Epica d'Or" was awarded to the Amsterdam agency 180 Communications for the spot "Adidas makes you better.

In Thurgau, a local and a St. Gallen publisher fight for readers and subscribersBy Markus KnöpfliOn January 3, the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung appeared for the first time, replacing six previous Thurgau titles. On the same day, the St. Galler Tagblatt responded, as announced, by launching its second Thurgau split - the Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt.
The Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt (MTT) should actually have been called Neues Thurgauer Tagblatt. This name was also on the documents Publicitas St. Gallen sent to potential customers. However, due to a super provisional injunction issued by the Commercial Court of St. Gallen before Christmas, the St. Galler Tagblatt (SGT) had to reschedule and rename its new split edition.
The ban had been brought by Thurgauer Medien AG, publisher of the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung (NTZ). It had found the originally intended name to be an unfriendly act from St. Gallen and "clearly misleading" because one of the six titles replaced by NTZ had been called Thurgauer Tagblatt.
Prelude to a
Cut-throat competition
The accusation of misleading is rejected in St. Gallen. "We were far from wanting to confuse anyone," explains SGT publishing and marketing manager Daniel Ehrat. However, he makes it clear that the SGT is not interested in the
Ruckstuhl titles Thurgauer Tagblatt, Thurgauer Volkszeitung, Thurgauer Volksfreund and Bischofszeller Nachrichten, which have now been merged into NTZ. "But we were also in contact with Urs Lüdi of Huber & Co. in Frauenfeld with a view to possible cooperation in these areas," Ehrat says. When the merger took place "unilaterally and without consultation," they were surprised. However, the MTT was not launched out of anger, but to realize "obvious growth targets" in districts bordering the circulation area of the Bodensee Tagblatt (BT). The BT is the already existing SCT split in Upper Thurgau (14000 copies).
So now both newspapers were published on January 3, the NTZ with 42000 copies and the MTT in the Weinfelden and Kreuzlingen districts with a scattered circulation of 10000 copies.
Both sides are aware that this will lead to cut-throat competition. In a market where up to now 20,000 out of 25,000 households have subscribed to a newspaper, MTT wants to gain 6,000 to 8,000 subscribers in the next two years, and even 10,000 in four years.
Lüdi is confident: "The NZZ behind the SCT is a strong force, but we have a good starting position." For example, NTZ does not make an introductory offer to advertising customers and charges 1.31 francs per millimeter. By comparison, the Thurgauer Zeitung (32000 copies) cost 1.17 francs. In contrast, the MTT charges 0.76 francs per millimeter, combined with the Bodensee Tagblatt 1.16 francs. The 2 for 1 promotion is valid until March.
The publisher dispute in eastern Switzerland also leads to internal competition within Publicitas: NTZ handles the local and regional market itself, while P Winterthur is responsible for the national market (also for Kombi 1 and Nordostschweiz-Kombi). MTT sales, on the other hand, are handled by P St. Gallen,
which has opened branches in Kreuzlingen and Weinfelden. Ehrat sees their opening as a "certain signal from the P in favor of the SCT.
What consequences does the new competition in Thurgau have for the region's private TV projects? After all, Thurgauer Medien AG is allied with Günter Heuberger's Top Group in the radio sector, and at the same time SGT and NZZ tried last year to involve Lüdi in a joint Eastern Switzerland TV and portal project. "We haven't had any contact for some time," says Lüdi coolly. On the other hand, he says, "We're always talking to Tele Top.
The signal is clear. In
St. Gallen, on the other hand, still seems to be trying to limit the damage. Ehrat emphasizes that the projects in the portal or TV area could work despite new print competition. "We can continue to talk about this in a reasonable way."

According to a letter of intent, the partner institutions Sawi and Spri plan to establish a nationally and internationally recognized center for training and expertise in the field of communication and marketing. A project group has been tasked with developing a concept for the creation of this center of excellence. Sawi and Spri aim to have laid the foundation for the new center of excellence in communication and marketing by the time the new Vocational Training Act takes effect at the latest. OMD and Target Group Join the BSW. The Federation of Swiss Advertising Agencies (BSW) has admitted two new members. OMD Switzerland is the third media agency—after Optimedia and The Media Edge—to join the BSW. Target Group, the second new member, strengthens the ranks of direct marketing firms. Last year, the BSW decided to open its doors to non-traditional agencies as well.
BONAPARTE SHOWS A COMMITMENT TO CULTURE. Zurich’s Theater an der Winkelwiese is a small theater in a charming setting that can rarely afford to advertise. As part of its commitment to culture, the Zurich-based agency Bonaparte manages it pro bono. Their latest creation is a B4-sized poster for a production of the fairy tale «Bluebeard,» which runs from January 12 through
The play, which opens on February 7, features a blue shaving brush. «We wanted to convey both the title of the play and Bluebeard’s inconspicuousness in a single stroke,» says consultant Roland Trabadelo. Dea Loher has transposed the plot of the fairy tale—which entered modern literary canon in 1697 through Charles Perrault—to the present day: Women are so infatuated with a modest man without ambition that they would even let him kill them if he merely desired them. The poster is displayed on municipal billboards.
Guerrilla stickers for the Yellow Pages. Following last year’s print campaign, Publicis is back with a sequel for the «Yellow Versatile Ones» that’s just as ironic—if not sarcastic. Now the centerpiece of the ad campaign is taking shape in physical form: small yellow stickers whose pithy questions address and challenge the viewer’s situation. So anyone who holds their nose in a public restroom and happens to spot the «Gas Masks?» sticker or, after doing their business, styles their hair with wet hands in front of the mirror and spots the “Stylist?” sticker on the mirror—will have clearly seen the value of the business directory for themselves.
«KRÄFTIG ZUGEPACKT» is already halfway to losing weight. Anyone who overindulged during the holidays and slipped up a bit can now shed those extra pounds with a pretty wacky idea. McCann-Erickson is promoting the Ladyfit wellness oasis with a «guerrilla campaign.» «Getting the most out of the lowest budget» was the concept for Creative Director Claude Catsky. The posters were bent and set up “on the move” throughout Zurich—a city of millions—until the authorities intervened. Otherwise, the posters are meant to highlight that women, too, could have more energy in their everyday lives—provided they do strength training at the Ladyfit fitness center.
Markus Gislers' financial portal is called Moneycab. The planned financial portal from Bluewin, Credit Suisse, and Tamedia will launch in the spring of 2001 under the name Moneycab.com. Franziska Hügli, former head of the "Money and Capital" section at the monthly magazine *Bilanz*, will serve as editor-in-chief. Her deputy in the 15- to 20-member editorial team will be Beat Römer, currently a member of the editorial board at Cash. Werner Krüdewagen, previously head of marketing at Borsalino, will take over as head of marketing and sales. The web agency Adlink will be responsible for marketing the advertising space on the website.
MIGROS LUZERN NOMINATED FOR THE 2001 MARKETING TROPHY. Under the slogan «From the Region. For the Region,» the branches of the Migros Lucerne Cooperative have been offering products since November 1999 that are all produced in Central Switzerland. Four months after its launch, the campaign had already achieved a 69 percent awareness rate. In recent months, the share of regional agricultural products in the Migros Cooperative’s total food sales averaged nine million francs, which corresponds to a share of approximately
13 percent. This success prompted the Swiss Marketing Club to nominate the campaign for the 2001 Marketing Trophy.
RMB is also acquiring CineCom Austria. The Belgian advertising agency RMB International is acquiring a 75 percent stake in the Austrian company CineCom & Media GmbH in Vienna. RMB is already the majority owner of CineCom’s sister companies in Switzerland and Germany. As RMB’s area manager for German-speaking countries, Matthias Luchsinger will also be responsible for CineCom Austria. However, day-to-day operations will remain under the control of the existing management. Luchsinger described his role to *WerbeWoche* as «the shareholders» right-hand man.” CineCom Austria markets the advertising slots for Sat 1 as well as for the international movie theater chains United Cinemas International and Loews. As a cinema marketing company, CineCom manages 95 percent of the screens in Austria.
Editorial

The context is not the message
Two years ago, *Die Weltwoche* published a test. It examined the editorial staff’s resistance to pressure from advertisers. The experiment was set up as follows: A wine trading company offered twelve media outlets the opportunity to place advertisements worth 10,000 francs if they were also willing to publish a PR piece in their editorial section. The result confirmed what many had long suspected: Half of the media outlets approached responded favorably.
Even though the evidence presented in this test was incomplete—since it involved undercover reporting and only the intention to publish the PR piece had been stated—it shed light on the fragile balance of power between PR and journalism. To what extent can journalists determine topics and timing on their own? On the other hand, how great is the influence of PR professionals who provide the media with news material?
and are increasingly staging events to generate media coverage
to encourage? Ultimately, it's a matter of
a trade-off between information and attention, in which the media must defend its credibility.
The lines of conflict are similar when it comes to ad placement. Media planners and their clients prefer to place a commercial or ad in a «suitable context.» There is a persistent belief that the context in which an ad appears or a commercial is shown influences the ad’s effectiveness. Ads for luxury perfumes are placed alongside lifestyle articles, book ads next to bestseller lists, and tourism ads in travel supplements.
It is therefore not uncommon for editorial staff and program producers to be asked to tailor editorial content to the surrounding advertising. Media analysts are more skeptical in this regard and describe the media-related impact of advertising as wishful thinking. In his contribution to our article series «How Advertising Really Works,» Wolfgang J. Koschnick presents the findings of the latest research. Samuel Helbling

Hannes Britschgi is the new Editor-in-Chief of Facts from January 15Hannes Britschgi is the new Editor-in-Chief of Facts "Share ownership is not an issue for me".
From a public service company financed by fees to a listed company: The differences in corporate cultures that Hannes Britschgi encounters with the switch from SF DRS to Tamedia couldn't be greater. His first experiences with the new corporate culture, however, were mainly of the amusing kind: "For example, I smiled at the ingenious timing when my appointment as Facts Editor-in-Chief was communicated," he recalls. This was not planned after the contract had been signed, as is usually the case, but on a date specially coordinated with the stock exchange.
However, the 45-year-old wants to keep such constraints at bay as far as possible for his journalistic work. That's why he is strictly abstinent as far as share ownership is concerned. And he is not at all unhappy about joining Tamedia only a few months after the IPO. He laughs that he just barely missed out on the special share promotion for employees. But such things can't dampen his appetite for new things. After 15 years at SF DRS, he is hungry for a new environment and new challenges.
Nevertheless, it was not easy for him to say goodbye to Swiss television. The lawyer and attorney has lived through his entire career as a journalist there. Two years of "Karussell," an interlude with "Max," four years of "Kassensturz" behind the scenes. And the highlight was "Rundschau," which Britschgi joined in 1994 and headed from January 1999.
The aggressive interviewer succeeded in driving the ratings of the politics and business magazine even higher. In recent months, up to 600,000 viewers, and occasionally even more, watched Britschgi take apart the business bosses.
He will not give up this hands-on style at Facts either. He does not want to reveal any details about the future direction of the news magazine. But one thing is certain: He will continue to cultivate the "Rundschau's" recipe for success at the new location.
But who is this tough TV pro, who most people only know from "Rundschau"? "Certainly not that 'nasty and impossible guy' from the show." But the temperament is the same, because Britschgi likes the dedicated debate in the team. "When you rub up against each other, argue, when people explode - that leads to good results in journalism."
Britschgi also experiences this stimulating atmosphere, as he paints it, at home in Zurich. Partner Lucia and his three daughters keep him physically and mentally fit. Above all, the children, aged between four and eight, inspire him. "They go into life with an incredible openness." That's exactly how he'll approach the new working environment: "Entering this new corporate world with really big eyes."
Daniel Schifferle

Erwin Bachmann on the new form of cooperation between Neue LZ and PublicitasAfter two years of negotiations between Neue Luzerner Zeitung (Neue LZ) and Publicitas (P), a model has emerged that puts the publisher in charge of the advertising business. Erwin Bachmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LZ Medien Holding, explains why his company wanted this.Why did Neue LZ want a new cooperation model with P?
Erwin Bachmann: The advertising business is generally the most important thing that we and other publishers do, because two-thirds of our revenue comes from this business. That's why it's been our intention for some time to get closer to this business.
But why this radical change from outsourcing to in-house processing?
Bachmann: I believe that the classic management contract is outdated, with which you pass on such a business practically via a piece of paper. We need to have a much stronger influence on this key business and be able to exert much more influence, both in terms of customer contact and in the corresponding strategic and operational decisions.
We are talking about a form of cooperation based on parity. What does that mean?
Bachmann: Parity means that we work together on an equal footing in two different bodies: At the strategy level we have something like a board of directors, and at the operational level something like a management board. The model is structured in such a way that we jointly bear the basic costs that arise, for example, for processing, for the billing systems and other things. We have a direct influence on these costs. In this way, we help decide how to solve a problem and which services to buy. For Publicitas, on the other hand, the model amounts to a share of the profits after payment for its services.
Are you going to start a joint company?
Bachmann: No, there is no company in the legal sense. Only the construction is similar to that of a company. But the legal form remains: two different companies, but working much more closely together. For us, the decisive factor is that P Luzern will move its location to the LZ Medien site, so that the distances between the ad and the publisher, between the ad and the technology, and to some extent between the ad and the editorial office are very short. Ultimately, this will also be very convenient for customers.
What will be the composition of the quasi-VC and the quasi-GL?
Bachmann: At the strategic level, we have a team of four, which I chair with a casting vote. Our managing director Jürg Weber and Bruno Hegglin, the director of P Lucerne, and a representative of P Switzerland are also part of the team. At the operational level, a team of six is planned. There, the managing director of Neue LZ will be in charge, and on the part of Publicitas, the advertising manager and the key account manager will be there. But in terms of personnel, this is not yet definite.
The fact that the lead will be at Neue LZ gives the impression that you don't quite trust Publicitas. Have there been problems in the past?
Bachmann: No, otherwise we wouldn't be working with the P, but would go in-house. The aim was to find a more advantageous model. P is a very good advertising company. This should be bundled with the publishing business to form a sensible combination, actually similar to what is possible with self-directed newspapers. There can be no question of distrust towards P at all. The fact that the chairmanship is with us merely shows that we really want to take this business seriously.
But you were in a hurry with that. After all, the previous lease was terminated prematurely.
Bachmann: It was merely replaced by the new model a year before it expired in order to immediately introduce the better solution.
Will the new model make it easier for advertisers to influence the editorial team in the future?
Bachmann: Neither easier nor more difficult, because we have a clear separation between the advertising space and the editorial space. But when it comes to placing ads, our closer coming together - also locally - will shorten the paths between ad sales and editorial. This will benefit customers, but will not affect the content of the newspaper. Incidentally, I believe that in terms of ad placement, we already have an excellent offer and very good cooperation with our editorial team.
As the market-dominating newspaper in central Switzerland, is it image-wise clever for the Neue LZ to be even more closely allied with the market-dominating advertising salesman in the future?
Bachmann: We don't see any problem with that at all, because it doesn't change anything for the other competitors. The cooperation between Neuer LZ and P already existed, but in a different form.
How does your cooperation model differ from what has existed in Chur with Südostschweiz Publicitas AG for some time?
Bachmann: Essentially, only the legal form is different.
And why did Neue LZ and P Luzern choose a less clear legal form?
Bachmann: We are by far P Luzern's biggest customer, but they also serve other providers in Central Switzerland. That's why it would be problematic for them to be an advertising seller for third parties in the same area at the same time via a company that is also legally joint.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli

SPOK is tackling the new year with vigor: Ronny Schmid takes over as Managing Director on February 1, and the range of courses on offer is being expanded.SPOK is starting the new year with vigor: Ronny Schmid will take over as Managing Director on February 1, and the range of courses on offer will be expanded. Schmid, Managing Director at Universal McCann and a founding member of the school, will form the Board of Directors together with Peter Döbeli, Röné Bertschi, Christoph Bürge and Peter Bächtiger. Ursula Krebs, Jacqueline Weber and Monika Klingler will continue to manage the courses.
In addition to the training courses for planners in marketing communication, heads of marketing communication (starting in January 2002) and the SPOK Media Academy course Media Basic, a Media Expert course and various workshops are planned. According to Monika Klingler, Media Expert is a kind of media manager, similar to an advertising manager. Exact start dates for the new course are not yet known (ba).

Neue LZ and Publicitas agree on a new cooperation model for the advertising businessThe Neue Luzerner Zeitung (Neue LZ) and Publicitas (P) have terminated their management contract one year before it expires and agreed on a new cooperation model that applies with immediate effect. P will continue to manage the advertising business, but this will now be under the management of Neue LZ. The new agreement was preceded by two years of negotiations, and under the new model a joint management committee with equal representation will be set up at both strategic and operational level. It is noteworthy that both bodies are headed by Neue LZ (see also page 5). Karl Angst will remain the contact person for advertisers.
Neue LZ is thus assuming responsibility for the advertising business, which will become more transparent for it, and last but not least, the new contract should also be more financially interesting for Neue LZ.
The new regulation amounts to profit sharing
From P's point of view, however, the new contract has two main advantages, according to P General Director Ernst Grab: Firstly, Publicitas can secure its cooperation with the largest provider in Central Switzerland for the longer term (although Grab does not want to specify the duration of the contract); secondly, the strategies in the advertising business and in publishing marketing can be better coordinated in future. "In the past, this hasn't always worked optimally on both sides," says Grab. In the medium term, P Luzern will therefore move its activities to the LZ Medien Holding site.
From a financial perspective, Grab estimates the new situation for Publicitas to be "roughly the same as before". No wonder: for P, the new model amounts to a kind of profit sharing after compensation for its services. It will therefore only see more money if the better strategy coordination also leads to more revenue.
The LZ model has similarities with the forms of cooperation that P maintains with Edipresse or Le Temps. In terms of parity, however, it goes the furthest. "For us, it certainly means opening up in the direction of partnership-based cooperation," says Grab. This is why the LZ model will probably also become the basis for cooperation elsewhere - in St. Gallen, for example.
Markus Knöpfli
Neue LZ acquires stake in Swissclick

The online advertising operator Swissclick AG is expanding its shareholder base. In addition to the Basler Mediengruppe, Edipresse, NZZ and Publicitas, Neue Luzerner Zeitung AG will also acquire a 20 percent stake in Swissclick in the first quarter of 2001. The investment will be made by means of a capital increase. Swissclick wants to anchor its platform in the most important Swiss economic areas. Edipresse will therefore open its own portal in French-speaking Switzerland in cooperation with Swissclick. Cooperation talks are also underway with other publishing houses.

Urs Rohner on the difficulties of making regional private TV in SwitzerlandTwenty to forty percent market share would be required for Swiss private television broadcasters such as TV 3 or Tele 24 to survive throughout the day. This was the conclusion reached by Urs Rohner, CEO of Pro Sieben Sat 1 Media AG, in Zurich at the invitation of the International Advertising Association, Swiss Chapter (IAA).The Swiss television market is dense but small. 2.86 million TV households give a coverage of 92 percent. In Germany, there are televisions in 34 million households.
In our northern neighboring country, the private stations have established themselves and conquered the audience, said Rohner: their market share is 53.8 percent and they dominate the target group of 14 to 49-year-olds. The public broadcasters had to be content with a 43.3 percent market share. Pay-TV accounted for 1.5 percent.
The situation in Switzerland is the opposite: even though TV 3 has captured many viewers with "Big Brother", the market share of the private stations is only 43.8%. At 55.8 percent, the public stations are clearly in the lead. According to Urs Rohner, this dominance is "politically intentional". The public broadcasters absorbed around 60 percent of the net advertising market.
The private sector would have to divide the rest among themselves. With around CHF 520 million a year for advertising and sponsorship, they would be left with around CHF 208 million. Rohner assumes that a regional-language private broadcaster such as TV 3 or Tele 24 would have to raise at least CHF 100 million per year in order to be able to offer a full program. According to Rohner, such a station would have to achieve a market share of 20 to 40 percent throughout the day in Switzerland in order to survive. Special interest channels would have to achieve around ten percent. However, thanks to "Big Brother", TV 3 only achieved 7.8% towards the end of the year.
The TV manager went on to say that the Swiss market is not an easy task for providers: Production costs are the same as abroad, but the number of potential viewers remains relatively low.
Moreover, the Swiss are not even particularly fond of television. They spend an average of 130 minutes a day watching television, while Germans and French spend around 200 minutes a day in front of the box. Urs Rohner explains the difference by the fact that the Swiss work longer hours than our neighbors.
However, when the Swiss watch television, they have a wide range of channels to choose from. The range of cable channels in this country is much larger than in Germany. The foreign stations already cover practically all needs, and SF DRS has also positioned itself well through a certain degree of tabloidization, according to Rohner.
"In Switzerland, private television came ten years too late," is Rohner's conclusion. The late deregulation has hindered the private television industry. Today, the hurdle for new private television broadcasters has also become high in Germany, where the market has consolidated through mergers.
Nevertheless, Rohner does not rule out the possibility of putting out feelers to Switzerland again in the future with the Pro-Sieben Sat-1 Group. Bruno Amstutz

Külling & Partner and cR Seiler DDB, Basel, have given Coop a new identityAfter several years of preparation, Coop is implementing the "Coop Forte" vision with a view to moving closer to the EU: On January 1, 2001, the 14 Coop cooperatives were merged into one company. At the same time as this structural reorganization was completed, the company launched a newly designed brand identity in the spirit of corporate branding, which is intended to tap into previously untapped profiling potential. In the new image, the corporate color orange is about the only thing that is still reminiscent of the "old" Coop. A strategy paper justifies the retention: "We want to take the strength of tradition with us into the future and are not evading Migros, but are finally putting it on the defensive."
The new identity of the Coop brand is communicated through a new corporate design by Zurich identity agency Külling & Partner and a new umbrella brand identity by cR Seiler DDB, Basel, in which even toddlers blink their eyes as they make their choices. page 14

In addition, Peter Karlen will become a new member of the board of directors at Ringier Print Holding and the companies of the Ringier printing centers in Zofingen and Adligenswil. The owner and managing director of Karlen-Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in print and new media, will replace Marco Solari, who is stepping down.
Christoph Bürge, head of entertainment at TV-3, will also take on the role of programming director. The former head of programming, Catherine Mühlemann, has started her own business.
Roger Möschler stepped down as head of the APG Zurich branch effective January 1. Beat Holenstein, his former deputy, succeeded Möschler.

At the most recent annual general meeting of Wirz Partner Holding AG, three additional members were elected to the board of directors. Achim Wirtz, Chairman of the Executive Board and co-owner of Wirz Identity AG; Urs Lauffer, a management consultant and board member at various companies; and Christian Steinmann, an attorney and senior partner at the Zurich law firm Bär & Karrer. They join the existing board, which consists of Jost Wirz, Chairman; Jürg Gulich, Vice Chairman; Felix Kreyenbühl; Hans Ulrich Schweizer; and Andreas Thommen.
Myrta Bugini has been head of the communications department at Ringier since January 1. She succeeds Fridolin Luchsinger, who will focus on his duties as secretary general of the Group Executive Board and head of the journalism school. Luchsinger will, however, remain the company spokesperson and Bugini’s direct supervisor.