Pascal Magnenat on his observations of Swiss websites from the user's point of viewThe Geneva-based ergonomist Pascal Magnenat recommends that Swiss website operators once again focus more on the impact of written text.What should you think of as an ergonomist?
Pascal Magnenat: I look at the usability of interactive systems such as ATMs, ticket machines and websites from the end user's point of view, so to speak, and advise the relevant companies, submit suggestions for improvements or entire installation packages.
How to become an ergonomist?
Magnenat: So far, there is no classic training path. They are lateral entrants who are very interested in technology on the one hand and in psychological aspects on the other. In the USA, there is a special course for psychologists. At the University of Geneva, psychology students are also offered a number of hours of ergonomics. I have been working in this field for six years. At the beginning, I was in charge of interactive systems at a private bank. I then attended seminars on ergonomics in the USA because I began to be fascinated by the usability aspects. Since September 1999 I have been working independently.
In the study you prepared on the usability of various websites of Swiss companies, you found that 62 percent of users were unable to order a ticket from SBB. What do you advise these people to do?
Magnenat: Yes not to return to this website. I would like to emphasize that all the people involved in this study were familiar with the Internet and e-mail. But it wasn't just the SBB website that caused users headaches. Nestlé's Easyshop has even been closed down in the meantime. Apparently, it was not profitable because the system was not user-friendly enough.
Who commissioned this study?
Magnenat: No one. It was purely personal interest. When I started my own business, I wanted to face future customers with concrete figures.
What surprised you personally about the results of this study?
Magnenat: Similar studies in the U.S. showed roughly the same scores when it comes to website usability. I was surprised, however, that it was precisely such large and well-known companies as Nestlé and SBB that performed worst in the tests.
E-commerce is far from developing as euphoric forecasts had promised. Does that surprise you?
Magnenat: Not really. It's not just the poorly designed websites, but the technical difficulties that ordinary people have to overcome to access the Internet. Consumers also first have to get used to ordering products that they can't see or touch beforehand.
What future do you see for e-commerce?
Magnenat: I believe in the future of e-commerce, provided that the systems become more user-friendly and access to the Internet is not only via PC, but also via TV or touch screens.
Which products have a long-term chance of being sold via the Internet?
Magnenat: It's actually not so much a question of the product. Consumers will always shop via the Internet if they feel they are saving time. In England, there is a chain of stores that analyzes the purchases of Internet users and makes personalized shopping offers accordingly.
Your study also criticizes the relatively complicated terminology on the websites. Is there a trend toward standardization?
Magnenat: I think the problem at the moment is to define what the Internet is in the first place. Is it a medium for transmitting information, as the classic media do, or is it a tool with which you can become interactive? Today, the difference between these two directions is not yet understood everywhere. That's why you encounter a big jumble of information and interactive possibilities on most websites. Every provider tries to stand out from the competition by creating a homepage that is as original and elaborate as possible - but almost always at the expense of user-friendliness. A study published in the USA shows that e-branding is ultimately based not only on an original and as attractive as possible homepage, but also on easy access to information. The third generation of homepages is being rethought and redesigned there.
What differences do you see between the U.S. and Switzerland in general?
Magnenat: At least the big American companies are investing enormously in the user-friendliness of their websites. More and more, graphic elements are being dispensed with, and the focus is back on the impact of what is written. Texts are gradually replacing images and graphics.
So the websites of Swiss companies are overloaded?
Magnenat: Most of the websites we see here were designed by graphic designers. They are very aesthetic and creative, but in most cases not very user-friendly. In many cases, the creation of a website also forgets that it looks different depending on the user's screen size and that access to the information is simply not possible.
What do you think of the advertising on Swiss websites?
Magnenat: From the user's point of view, advertising on sites is generally considered annoying. If advertising is to be used, it should always be directly related to the company and provide the user with meaningful additional information. In the U.S., a test showed that advertising that was too dominant, blinking or moving, was covered by users with their hands because it was so annoying.
So it's not worth it to advertise on the Internet?
Magnenat: Yes, it is. It's just that advertising on the Internet requires different considerations than advertising for traditional media. It has to be user-friendly in any case. For example, if I want to order a ticket for a concert in Basel from Ticketcorner, it can be useful if I'm told via SBB advertising that I can buy the ticket at the same time. Interview: Anita Vaucher

Swissclick, the online ad platform, launches on August 14 with a new strategy.Swissclick, the online ad platform, launches on August 14 with a new strategy. The number 1 in the online ad market is to be transformed from a pure database for cars, jobs and real estate to a portal site with additional benefits for the user. This includes information offers provided by partners. An auction website, which is "of strategic importance" for Swissclick, is in the planning stage. With this further milestone, CEO Roger Baltensweiler wants to further expand Swissclick's national leadership position in the online advertising market. Swissclick is backed by the Basler Mediengruppe, Edipresse, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Publicitas. In the increasingly fierce cut-throat competition on the web, Swissclick benefits from the advantageous starting position of the largest advertising pooling in Switzerland with over sixty associated publishing titles.
For the new services, Swissclick also wants to enter into cooperations with experts and specialist journalists outside its shareholder structure, "especially since our shareholders cannot cover all areas," as Swissclick specifies. The partnerships with selected information providers will now give rise to information and service tools, "which can be called up individually by sector and tailored to the respective need." (pan/sm)

Christian Gartmann of Radio Z becomes Director of MGS MediaGruppe Schweiz AGHead of the Week "Switzerland is a good test market for Pro 7's multimedia strategy".
The offer to become director of MGS MediaGruppe Schweiz AG in August was "very attractive" to Christian Gartmann. And he did so even before he officially knew that the merger of Pro 7 and Sat 1 would make his new employer Europe's biggest TV broadcaster. MGS represents the overall interests of Pro 7 Media AG in Switzerland, with all its products and subsidiaries, with the not insignificant exception of TV marketing, which will remain with IP Multimedia.
As a subsidiary of the German Pro 7 Media AG, the Swiss offshoot initially markets mainly the websites of Pro 7 and its associated stations. But MGS MediaGruppe Schweiz AG also handles channel marketing for Pro 7 and Kabel 1 in Switzerland, sales of merchandising and licensing rights, and the Group's new projects.
"The strategy of the whole Group is a real multimedia strategy. So it makes a lot of sense for the station group to be represented in Switzerland by its own subsidiary," says Gartmann with conviction. Although Switzerland is not a market with a huge volume, it is a good test market for the future.
As a first task, he wants to set up the sales organization for the Internet area in the offices on Eidmattstrasse near Zurich's Klusplatz. Content adjustments will then be made in a second step. "The Swiss sites of the German broadcasters will not simply be <.ch> but Helvetized, where it makes sense," is the concept.
Gartmann, who also had a career as a journalist in all departments before he was appointed Managing Director at Radio Z in 1996, is used to being responsible for commercial and editorial content. And building up a new company is nothing new for him either: even while studying business administration in St. Gallen, the then young entrepreneur imported snowboards from market leader Burton and helped initiate the snowboard boom in Switzerland.
Gartmann, who is married to "Tagesschau" anchor Katja Stauber and has two children, is "really grateful" that his wife is a proven talent at planning and organizing. With Katja Stauber's fifty percent job at Swiss Television, family life should therefore still somehow be able to take place in the future, even with the new challenge. Before that, however, her father wants to take off for a month in America. The private pilot wants to use the time freed up by the job hop to brush up on his aviation skills. Andreas Panzeri

Dispute over an advertisement by Radio Aktuell in the St. Galler TagblattBy Markus Knöpfli Radio Top boss Günter Heuberger has filed a complaint with the Fairness Commission against Publicitas St. Gallen. The reason is an advertisement in the St. Galler Tagblatt (SGT).
For the SGT of May 24, 2000, Radio Top booked an advertisement comparing the general reach of Radio Top with that of Radio Aktuell.
The advertisement appeared, but immediately next to it was one from Radio Aktuell. And put the comparison into perspective.
Heuberger identified "St. Gallen power games" behind the counter-attack: P St. Gallen submitted the top advertisement to the management of Radio Aktuell and gave it the opportunity to counter-insert, he believes. After all, P has lease agreements with both SGT and Radio Aktuell and is also a shareholder in both.
The Publicitas/SGT tandem could thus prevent fair competition, Heuberger complained to the P St. Gallen on June 5 and - because he "did not receive an answer within a reasonable period of time" - nine days later also to the Fairness Commission. Their decision is still pending.
Publicitas denies any responsibility
Raphael Jud, SGT advertising manager at P St Gallen, SGT publishing director Daniel Ehrat and Aktuell director Herbert Bosshart did not want to tell WerbeWoche how Radio Aktuell had been informed about the top advertisement and referred to the ongoing proceedings. Jud merely stated that the leak was not to be found at P.
Ehrat and Bosshart justified the action because Radio Top had concealed the different sizes of the concession areas in its advertisement, used incomparable figures from different studies and also suggested that the difference in the number of listeners corresponded to Top's profit. Heuberger rejects these accusations.
Nevertheless, Ehrat suspected that feelings of revenge on both sides due to competition in the radio and TV sector were behind the dispute. The new situation surrounding TeleCombi and Tele-Leader-Pool (WW 22/00) had set nerves on edge. And Bosshart states: "Mistakes were probably made on both sides."

In addition, there has been a change in leadership at OMD Zollikerberg. Luigi G. Baretella plans to leave the company at the end of August; his successor has not yet been named.
New Consultant at Lesch + Frei: On June 13, Eveline Stocker moved into her office on Weinbergstrasse. She is responsible for clients such as Bucherer, British American Tobacco, Atraxis, Clariden Bank, and Metropol.
Following the departure of Martin Perini and Stefan Glöckler, Quarteco GmbH is now led by Franz Bühler, Urs Frey, and Norbert Unternährer. The partners are actively involved in the company and are primarily responsible for direct customer service.

Companies use the virtual sales platform to collect data about their fansBy Thérèse Balduzzi Street marketing on the internet has become established for subcultural music genres. In terms of films, the marketing success of the low-budget film "The Blair Witch Project" made a name for itself. In America, however, the Internet version of street marketing is now also being used for major entertainment productions such as the new episode of Eddie Murphy's "Nutty Professor".
Street marketing has a long tradition in the music industry. Record labels stock up music fans at concerts with T-shirts, free CDs and other promotional material to encourage word-of-mouth advertising. In the internet version of the strategy, marketing companies recruit groups of fans to promote new CDs or completely unknown musicians on websites of certain music genres. The pop singer Christine Aguilera, who has since become a star, is a prime example of this strategy.
With the help of Internet marketing company Electric Artists from New York, the RCA label orchestrated a storm on websites popular with teenagers. "The trick is not to give teenagers the feeling that it's a marketing campaign," says Ken Krasner, president and co-founder of the company, which has only been in existence for three years.
Since college students often react negatively to marketing that is too obvious, the companies don't even try to pretend to be fans, but place their information in a targeted manner and leave everything else to the fans. In Aguilera's case, Electric Artists first searched the web for sites where Aguilera had already been discussed. Aguilera had sung in the Disney film "Mulan" and released a single on the market.
The company then supplied music fans with CDs, photos, background information and banner ads, which they distributed in chat rooms. Thanks to the pre-plowed paths, Christine Aguilera's first CD reached the top of the hit parade in America last August.
The fans involved are not paid, as otherwise they would become employees and would no longer be pure music fans. They are satisfied with the "freebies" and the feeling of being at the source of the information. "They want these musicians to be successful. They do it out of passion," says Mark Schiller, CEO and partner of Electric Artists.
Internet marketing is also used for mainstream films
In turn, their audience is open to information because it has become impossible for individuals to keep track of the sprawling entertainment industry and the oversupply of websites. In addition, the opportunity to buy concert tickets or CDs on the Internet before they hit the market is tempting.
Recently, these internet marketing companies have also been used for the marketing of mainstream films: M80 marketed the film "Black & White" for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is currently handling the internet presence for the Miramax film "Human Traffic". Electric Artists handled the internet marketing for the film "American Psycho" and is currently working on the film "The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" with Eddie Murphy. The idea is to use either the soundtracks or other aspects of the films to highlight "cool" aspects in order to appeal to ethnic groups and subcultures such as African-Americans in the USA.
Film is not the only new medium to be marketed in this way. Electric Artist's client list also includes the Tommy stores of clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger, mobile phone company Air Touch, Rolling Stone magazine and a human rights organization. The companies promote the exchange of information about the products, realize sales and collect data about their fans. However, the effect of this strategy on offline sales is difficult to measure.

AY&R advertises the SonntagsZeitung with people who don't read itPoliteness is the attempt to see others as they are not, the German bon vivant and character actor Victor de Kowa once claimed. But false consideration has never been a matter for the SonntagsZeitung. On the contrary, it claims to call a spade a spade. Consequently, the latest advertising campaign for the TA-Media product could not be tame, but had to have rough edges. It does indeed have them, even if they are pretty well padded compared to its predecessors. The creative team at Advico Young & Rubicam has wisely reduced the risk of the company, which will soon be listed on the stock exchange, being sued for defamation due to its advertising blood libels, without completely abandoning its penchant for provocation. The advertising message no longer focuses on the content of the paper, but - and this is the unusual thing about it - on its non-readers. On those who supposedly have better things to do on a Sunday than stay up to date. page 10

Hans-Peter Rohner, member of the PubliGroupe management, is the new president of SawiThe new president of Sawi, Hans-Peter Rohner, predicts an exciting future for the national training and further education institute in Biel. New forms of teaching are to be used to adapt the communications professions to the rapidly changing market conditions. Sawi also wants to become internationally active.What appeals to you about the presidency?
Rohner: In 1974, I attended the advertising assistant course at Sawi as a media planner. At the same time, I was already a lecturer at Sawi. What made a lasting impression on me was the exchange of ideas and experiences. The special atmosphere at Sawi played a major role in my decision, at the age of 21, to start my professional career in communications. Over the years, I then became involved in various Sawi committees, including as an audit expert.
Do you also have emotional ties to Sawi?
Rohner: I simply loved Sawi as an institution. That's probably why I couldn't say no when my predecessor René Hürlimann approached me a year ago with the request to take over the presidency.
As a member of the PubliGroupe Management Board and responsible for the European, Latin American and Asian markets, you are professionally challenged. Why did you nevertheless take on this office?
Rohner: The topic of training and, in particular, the training and continuing education of communications professionals in the future and the promotion of talent are of burning interest to me. As a training company with annual sales of ten million francs and a wide range of courses, Sawi has an important role to play here. The Sawi institution is also facing an exciting shift towards new forms of teaching, such as interactive learning. Sawi also has the intention of becoming internationally oriented, and here I can make a contribution with my contacts abroad. In the area of human resources, it will become increasingly difficult for companies that want to hire advertising and communications professionals in the coming years to find qualified and talented people. For young professionals, on the other hand, lifelong learning will take on a completely different meaning than it has had up to now.
What do you want to achieve as Sawi president?
Rohner: I have great respect for this institution and would like to push ahead with the efforts to internationalize Sawi. Sawi should position itself even more as a training center with a high-quality offering. At the moment, Sawi is a leader in training in all established professions in communications. This should also be the case in the future and for the new professions.
Is the necessary spirit there?
Rohner: I am confident, because there is currently an innovative spirit at Sawi on the operational side. This can be seen not least in what Sawi has set up in western Switzerland. Unique in Switzerland, Polycom in Lausanne is the first institution to offer a service that is not focused on a single discipline, but rather links the communication disciplines with each other.
Is the Sawi offer expandable without loss of quality?
Rohner: Today, Sawi is a national education and training company with course locations throughout Switzerland. Sawi emulates the model of the universities, which offer practical training in addition to the scientific underpinnings by working closely with the business community. In this way, Sawi also aims to prevent course participants from receiving only theoretical training, the quality of which also depends heavily on the lecturer in charge. The times when a lecturer stands in front of the class and makes the course participants believe that he is telling the only true thing will soon be a thing of the past.
What should these new forms of instruction entail?
Rohner: I am convinced that exciting times are ahead of us in terms of new forms of teaching. I am thinking, among other things, of solving case studies in direct contact with the relevant company. International contacts also seem to me to be indispensable for guaranteeing the quality of teaching. There are very clear signals that the business world wants people who know and can operate in the international market environment.
The fact is that more and more private institutes are offering courses similar to Sawi. Does this competition worry you?
Rohner: The competition doesn't worry me at all. In fact, I think it's necessary, because it's always an incentive to stay on the ball. It's relatively difficult for people interested in training to get an idea of the training on offer. In addition to Sawi's serious competitors, there are also some not particularly good providers who lack seriousness.
You have qualified the Sawi as unique in its kind. What is its uniqueness?
Rohner: As a national institution, Sawi has a relatively small organization with only 30 full-time employees and more than 400 lecturers, who come from a wide variety of groups, not only in terms of age but also in terms of their professional orientation, and enable a maximum exchange of opinions and ideas. The Sawi has become the real village square of the communications industry.
In German-speaking circles in Switzerland, the French-speaking part of the country is often referred to as a third-world country in terms of the level of training of communications professionals and the quality of advertising practiced there. How do you rate Sawi's efforts to counteract this reputation?
Rohner: The fact is that in the advertising market there is an above-average concentration in and around Zurich, and in terms of population, French-speaking Switzerland is about four times smaller than the rest of Switzerland. It is therefore more difficult to find a large number of interested parties and course participants in French-speaking Switzerland. This is why the smallness of the market forces us to come up with new and innovative solutions again and again. This pressure has led, for example, to the launch of Polycom.
Will Sawi also offer training for aspiring journalists in the near future?
Rohner: Sawi has clear statutes and guidelines. These definitely rule out journalism training.
How long do you want to be president of Sawi?
Rohner: According to the new rules in the Articles of Association, the president can be elected for two further terms of office, and one term lasts three years. So Sawi will be rid of me after nine years at the latest. Interview: Anita Vaucher

Something that caught my eye: What appears here to be a cross-section of a nut is, in fact, proof that different people sometimes arrive at similar conclusions. In principle, that’s perfectly fine—even in advertising—otherwise, such high sales figures couldn’t be achieved through brand and label loyalty. It’s only a problem, however, when the same idea—as in the case shown here—is used to advertise two competitors, and in such quick succession at that. For while one nut is currently promoting Credit Suisse’s (CS) asset management, the Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB) drew the newspaper reader’s full attention this spring to its sponsored institution, the adult education center.
Visually, the shelled nut undoubtedly resembles the surface structure of human brain matter, at least to some extent. And as a result, this won’t be the last time it’s used as a symbol of that. The only question is why, in the case of CS, the brain itself isn’t depicted, since no pun was created here as in the ZKB example—«food for the gray cells.».
As for the effect of the two bank ads, however, it’s likely to be the same in both cases. Either you’ll feel like popping one of those neatly shelled nuts into your mouth, or you’ll start wondering why nuts get more screen time than the actual content in bank ads. Chandra Kurt
Column

In Fact, by Michael Barney
Although I’m no soccer expert, I’m still following the 2000 European Championship on TV. And as I type this on my Olivetti, the Dutch are just advancing to the next round. But actually, I want to get to something else: I want to talk about Günter Netzer, an idol from my youth. Now a commentator for ARD, he’s always perfectly dressed and always ends his sentences with, «In der Tat.» Of course, that’s the kind of thing we writers notice. For years, Franz Beckenbauer used to start his answers with, «Ja, sicherlich.» And no matter how you look at it, yes, certainly, indeed, the Germans are out of the picture at Euro 2000. And rightly so. West Germany—oh dear! Because even cyclist Jan Ullrich only got a whiff of the leader’s jersey at the Tour de Suisse; someone else won—yes, a Swiss rider. On the advertising front, however, the Germans seem to be snatching something away from the Swiss: the Smart budget, for example. So, the boss has to step in himself. And just like that, Reini headed to Berlin to turn the ship around once again. «Indeed, no easy task,» I heard Günter Netzer say. And in *Cash*, my favorite newspaper, I read: «The smart days are over.» Meanwhile, Prince William turns 18, and the «beating prince» of Hanover publicly pees at the Expo. Why not? After all, he’s playing on home turf there—which brings me back to the round leather ball. «Good evening, everyone!» Heribert Fassbender chimes in. And anyone with an ear for linguistic gems—as they say in Bavaria—will respond with «Have a good evening, wherever you’ve been watching us.» (ZDF). The media expert among you would call all of this a «verbal trademark.» Just like Verona Feldbusch’s broken German, Dieter Bohlen’s «Irgendwie so,» or Joschka Fischer’s typical “Wir sind auf einem guten Weg.” In fact, I can already hear the beginning of that sentence again: no matter who ends up winning Euro 2000, the lovely Claudine really couldn’t care less, right?
Language Observer

Postgame Comments: “The Swedes aren’t like the Dutch—that was very clear.” Franz Beckenbauer
The front line has become more compact. Berti Vogts
Some people have said it was a pretty good game. That makes me wonder if I need to see an eye doctor or an ear doctor. Andreas Möller
I don't think we would have lost the game if it had ended 1-1. Uli Hoeness
Well, the tie—of course, there was some bad luck involved—so, it was, well, let's just say we're satisfied. I, perhaps, to wrap this up, think that after 90 minutes, when you take everything into account, maybe neither team deserved the win. Franz Beckenbauer
I saw two very different halves. Volker Finke
We drove out here and said, "Okay, if we lose, we'll drive back home." Marco Rehmer
Leo Beenhakker, when asked how to help German soccer: “Do you have an hour?” “The Scots celebrate really well, without any riots. They drink so much that they can’t even fight anymore.” Gerd Delling
I could join Alcoholics Anonymous. The only problem is, I can't stay anonymous. George Best
During the World Cup, I watched the Austria vs. Cameroon game. On one side, exotic people, a foreign culture, wild rituals—and on the other side, Cameroon. Dieter Nuhr
The Swissair pilot, referring to the Swiss national team after their 0-3 loss in the Czech Republic: “I don’t even know if we should take you guys home with us.”.
I'm always amazed at how fast my husband can run. Even at home, he gets out of breath just climbing the stairs to our third-floor apartment. Nathalie Pires on Robert Pires
As I leaned against the left goalpost with my arms crossed, I enjoyed the luxury of closing my eyes. Vladimir Nabokov (during his brief career as a goalkeeper in England)
Johannes Rau on the proposal to name soccer stadiums after women: «Yeah, what are we supposed to call it? »Ernst Kuzorra’s Wife’s Stadium’ or what?” I’ll just say one word: “Thank you very much!” Horst Hrubesch. You can find more quotes at www.blutgraetsche.de. Or order the last four episodes as a Word file at [email protected] to tide you over during the summer break.
Beat Gloor

An extraordinary advertising alliance was formed for the launch of the e-butlerWith the progressive expansion of the global village and the associated mobility, the function and importance of the home is dwindling to a pit stop. To avoid finding the hamster's skeleton in the wheel and uninvited guests in the bed during these occasional stays, James keeps the apartment in shape around the clock and provides information about various events via text message, e-mail or telephone. So it comes as no surprise to anyone that the broad launch campaign for the electronic house servant from Switzerland was largely created via the Internet, in line with industry standards, across an ocean and a continent. In addition to the Zurich-based James manufacturer, start-up company Starseed, the Gebel advertising practice and Frame by Frame in Zurich and Los Angeles and - last but not least - a good friend were involved in the pioneering patchwork creation: Liliane Lerch with her surf-through agency. For the 17 low-budget commercials, the busy Californian by choice hired several students from the renowned American Film Institute (AFI). page 10

Sony promotes its new Walkman with an alien named PlatoBy Thérèse Balduzzi A cute alien is at the center of a major offensive by Sony Electronics in America for its new Sony Walkman product line. The 21-year-old brand wants to position itself as a trendy brand among a new generation of young music lovers.
Under the title "The Walkman has landed," Sony Electronics is launching in America the biggest campaign it has ever launched for its Sony Walkman brand. The occasion is a new series of Walkman products: the CD Walkman, the MD Walkman (minidisc player) and the Network Walkman and Memory Stick Walkman digital audio players, which can store and play music from the Internet or CDs.
The campaign, in which Sony is said to have invested around $30 million, includes TV commercials, print ads, online advertising, and event and guerrilla marketing. Its target audience is the so-called Generation Y, often called "Why?" by cynics, the stragglers of Generation X, which are the current 14- to 24-year-olds.
The star of the marketing campaign is an alien named Plato. Four TV spots - "Spaceship," "Language Lab," "Dog," and "Dorm Room" - tell how Plato lands on a college campus, takes classes, lives in a college dorm, and relaxes while always listening to music from the new Sony Walkman.
Plato likes to have fun, has a generally easygoing attitude to life and a great sense of humor. He is also technologically up to date, i.e. futuristic, and demonstrates the new digital Walkman models just imported from space to his astonished fellow students.
The spots will air primarily on cable stations, starting with the music station MTV. Print ads will appear in Rolling Stone, The Source and Teen People magazines, and Internet banner ads will appear on CD Now, Launch.com, MTV.com and Shockwave.com. Various links placed on search engines will direct Web surfers to the www. sony.com/walkman Web site, where they can download music.
Teenagers have no
Problems with Plato
The campaign was developed by Young & Rubicam Advertising in New York and aims to restore a trendier image to the Sony Walkman brand, one of the Japanese entertainment multinational's most successful products, which was launched in 1979. It alludes to values such as personal freedom, independence and creativity, and appeals to the savvy use of technology by today's teens.
Research conducted by Sony and Y&R showed that Generation Y listens to a wide range of music and has an optimistic outlook on life. That's why the commercials don't settle on a few musical styles, but eclectically draw from the broad spectrum of popular music.
Above all, the ability to download music from the Internet (or one's private CD collection) and then carry it around in the small, lightweight Walkmans in one's pocket should appeal to this generation and embody a piece of freedom in the 21st century.
Introducing a mascot in the form of the alien Plato is not seen as a gamble by Scott Edwards, Sony Electronics' vice president of marketing communications: "When we tested Plato in study groups, the reactions were very positive. Teenagers accepted him unconditionally and liked his personality."

NZZ Ticket, the new, colorful going-out agenda, arrives every Thursday from September 7By Daniel Schifferle It's colorful, it has an eye-catching format, and it arrives with readers as early as Thursday: NZZ Ticket, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung's new going-out agenda, is aimed at a national audience.
The topic of going out has so far been a stepchild in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Apart from the brief and extremely dry Zurich weekly calendar, which is only enclosed with the City of Zurich edition and is distinguished, among other things, by an overview of church services, one has searched in vain in the NZZ for complete event tips covering the whole of Switzerland. From September 7, this gap will be filled by the new NZZ Ticket, a 60-page national events calendar produced in collaboration with the Zurich advertising agency By Heart.
NZZ Ticket is worlds away from the Zurich weekly calendar, which is not very attractive either visually or in terms of content. This is evident in the format alone: normal tabloid in height, but three centimeters narrower than the norm in width, the new Ausgehagenda stands out strikingly from the rest of the newspaper, as evidenced by the three-column pagination in the cinema section, for example. Also a step in a new direction: colorful pictures and blue-underlaid title fonts provide colorfulness, which one has searched in vain for in the NZZ in newspaper printing so far.
In terms of content, the new Ausgehagenda is divided into the sections Zurich, Switzerland and International. The fourth section, Preferences, at the end of the issue makes it easier for NZZ's fun-loving readers to choose: The editors summarize the hottest event tips on a total of three pages.
According to Kenneth Angst, deputy editor-in-chief at the NZZ, "everything the entertainment and culture industry has to offer" finds its way into the NZZ Ticket. In other words, not only classical high culture, but everything that also attracts young audiences: Parties, pop concerts, events with a mass character. However, the content of the new NZZ supplement will continue to focus on Zurich, which will fill the lion's share of the issue.
In terms of tone, NZZ Ticket restricts itself to concise references. Apart from the serialized crime novel by Roger Graf entitled "Die Reise mit Freddy" (The Journey with Freddy) on the third to last page, Ausgehagenda hardly offers any longer reading material. It is true that short reviews appear here or there. But they do not want to anticipate the pointed pens of the feuilleton and are therefore deliberately not delivered in the preview of the premiere of an event, but only in the following week.
Nevertheless, the extensive supplement gives a lot to do. Under the leadership of Claudia Baer, who has already been working as a local editor at the NZZ for ten years, six people or a total of five and a half positions will be taking care of the Thursday supplement in the future.
Hedonistic audience creates new potential
The NZZ Ticket is not only expected to provide better services for readers; it also aims to exploit new potential in the advertiser market. "We have a readership that likes to go out and spend a lot of money doing so," says publishing director Tobias Trevisan. Among the advertisers, therefore, those who offer products for a hedonistic audience are particularly targeted: Fashion, watches, cars, alcohol and cigarettes. With a page price of 7837 Swiss francs and 20 centimes for a four-color ad, they also fare better than in the main paper. Additional incentive to get on board: The introductory offer 2 for 1 is valid until the end of the year.
There is also an Internet version of NZZ Ticket (www.nzz.ch/ticket) with additional interactive services. It is being developed and expanded step by step.