The Neue Zürcher Zeitung has rarely received praise for dedicated research. At least during the many decades of liberal dominance at the federal level and bourgeois dominance in the cantons, its editors and correspondents lived comfortably as embedded journalists, like private scholars, aware of their importance to the state. That is history. Today's working conditions, especially in the private and for-profit media houses, are less comfortable: In the thinned-out editorial offices, there is little time for reflection and follow-up; the news has to go online or over the air immediately. Be first, maybe be right. Corrections can always be made later, if absolutely necessary. Messages processed by media departments reduce production stress as well as editorial costs.

Last weekend, NZZ editor Adi Kälin complained that "the information behavior of the authorities" had "changed considerably" over the past twenty years. It would be embarrassing if they had closed their minds to developments in technology and the media. Kälin then criticizes: "Negative information" would be disseminated by government and administration "as casually as possible" or they would even hide it "quite well", for supposedly "great and important things". In plain language: More and more "public relations instead of information".

Kälin's description is not new, but accurate, except where he constructs a contradiction "principle of publicity", according to which "in principle" everything is public if no personal rights are violated. The list of exceptions is longer, but that is a detail. It is also undisputed that the principle of publicity is unpopular with many administrations and governments. The only thing is: it is not an obligation for the authorities to provide information according to the ideas of individual media professionals. It is a tool that curious media professionals could use. The only thing is that there are many indications that the introduction was preceded by heated discussions, and that in practice only a few media professionals invoke it. One example. In 2013, just 469 applications were submitted across the entire federal administration. Every application means work, but there is hardly any time for that in the editorial stress. Conclusion: If you want more media control of government and administration, you have to increase the editorial budget again. And perhaps this even requires increased state support for the media.

And finally this: Transparency is also unloved in the private sector. In the last session, the conservative-dominated Council of States passed a whistleblower law. It decided that employees should not be allowed to go to the media in the event of internal misconduct. They would only be able to go to an internal reporting office or to external authorities. This solution is a step backwards. Until now, the Federal Supreme Court has stated that employees may go to the media "if the authority remains inactive - and if the circumstances justify it". Lawyer Dominique Strebel, once a journalist and now head of studies at the Media Training Center (MAZ), even considers the Council of States' regulation to be a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. He points to a Strasbourg decision that ruled in favor of a German geriatric nurse: Although she had damaged the reputation and business interests of her employer, in a democratic society the public's interest in learning about abuses in geriatric care prevails. Let's see if NZZ editors will lobby for a strong whistleblowing regulation in the coming weeks, so that the National Council corrects the Council of States.

Hans Stutz is a journalist in Lucerne. He also sits on the Cantonal Council for the Green Party.
 

If advertising technology is entered as a search term on Local.ch and Search.ch, 250 to 278 entries are found for Switzerland. Although the additional keywords such as lettering, type design, print shop, pre-press, screen printing, graphic designer can help the searcher make a choice, the selection is large and additional criteria are necessary to determine the right partner.

Experienced craftsmanship combined with the latest technology, and the implementation succeeds, as here with the Mini, design of Car Wrapping by Adam Brody.

More courage to use new materials

There should be clarity before the contract is awarded. Everyone agrees on this point and recommends relying on reputable consultancies and checking the bids for completeness so that all services are listed and not just some of them. If comparative quotes are requested, particular attention should be paid to the comparability of the quality of the products and services. Here too, the cheapest solution is not necessarily the cheapest solution. Those who have the quality of the products on offer confirmed and rely on experienced suppliers with long warranty periods are less likely to be surprised by maintenance costs in the long term. It doesn't always have to be the most durable and expensive material. To make the right choice of material, questions about sustainability and ecology need to be answered, taking into account the aspects of what a film will be used for and how long and where it will be used, for example. By optimizing the service life of PVC-free and even organic films, manufacturers are already making a contribution to sustainability and investing in the further development of new carrier materials. How quickly these become established on the market also depends on customer requirements.

Ideally, the customer should contact us at a very early stage

By involving the advertising technicians in the project at an early stage, valuable information for production and implementation can flow into the creation process. Joint planning offers additional advantages because it allows implementation options to be checked against the actual circumstances, the right materials to be determined, and the process, data preparation for production and all further steps to be properly planned. All this with the aim of ensuring that the implementation is ultimately the most successful.

It pays to get in touch with the advertising technician at an early stage and incorporate their experience and knowledge of materials and products into the project. Due to the increasing complexity of tasks, we are nowadays increasingly confronted with the aspects of crossover branding and technical issues, which makes advertising technicians more designers and consultants for appearances in space with the special know-how and skills for implementation. As a client, the question of existing infrastructure for concept and realization may therefore also be asked.

We constantly have new products

Digital signage, digital advertising and information systems, magnetically adhering and easily replaceable digital printing substrates, LEDs for illuminated advertising with curved lenses for homogeneous illumination, large-format digital printing for object and façade cladding, latex printing for odorless printing of advertising tarpaulins and films, print & cut, flatbed printing in combination with the cutting area, finishing of wood, stone, metal and high-quality digital printing with glass are new additions to the range of classic advertising technology. The development of films has not stood still either. Today, new accents can be set with surface or glass design films. The fusion of digital and analog media has left its mark on advertising technology. IT is playing an increasingly important role in the design and implementation of digital signage and its control.

Following the transition from screen printing to digital printing, UV direct printing technology now makes it possible to print on a wide range of flexible and rigid materials, including white and varnish. All these developments and innovations contribute to the fact that the advertising technician is increasingly becoming a generalist and thus a general contractor.

The demands on employees are constantly increasing

Nanotechnology in vehicle windows and paints and integrated into substrates and surfaces require excellent product knowledge and comprehensive clarifications from the advertising technician. The job profile and vocational training of advertising technology designers have changed accordingly in recent years. Developing innovative and creative solutions while the required production times are getting shorter and shorter is one of the challenges, the other major ones for advertising technicians are being able to keep up with the rapid pace of technical change, new European environmental regulations, approval procedures, ordinances, directives, material certifications and the different regulations at cantonal and local level. Deadline and price pressure remain the biggest challenges.
The industry is clear: this will not change much in the future, in fact it will get worse, is the most frequently mentioned assumption of the advertising technicians surveyed. It will remain exciting in any case. The optimization of printing and production processes will continue. The manual skills of advertising technology designers will not be dispensed with in the future and will remain in demand. What will certainly change are the materials that advertising technicians work with. It is to be expected that the current generation of 3D printers will be followed by devices that can also be used to produce large-format 3D elements in one piece. It is also a matter of time before films can be used as touchscreens and projectors. It is assumed that LED technology will prevail across the board and that more screens will be installed in the most surprising places. Unless, of course, the issue of light emissions becomes more acute.

The VWP Advertising Technology+Print Association represents around 280 members and connects companies in the advertising technology, screen printing and illuminated advertising sectors in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Responsibility for the four individual areas of education, marketing, services and technology lies with the individual board members. The supreme body of the VWP is the annual general meeting, which is the final body that decides on the admission of new members. As a member of the European umbrella organization FESPA (Federation of Screen and Digital Printers Associations) and the Swiss Trade Association sgv, the exchange and representation of members' interests takes place at international and national level. The association is more than just a mouthpiece for the industry and primarily addresses issues that can be influenced for the further development and mastering of future challenges. The VWP is responsible for conducting the federal higher professional examinations for advertising technicians.

The Education department organizes the inter-company courses for the vocational profiles of advertising technology designer EFZ and printing technologist specializing in screen printing, prepares and implements the qualification procedures and the Education Ordinance (BiVo) for advertising technology designers. Current topics in the Education department include the partial revision of the education plan and ordinance on basic vocational training for apprenticeships as an advertising technology designer EFZ and further training as an advertising technician ED, which came into force on October 1. The course to prepare for the federal diploma in advertising technology is now being held for the third time and will run until July 2016. The issue of light emissions (light pollution) is another concern that directly affects the entire industry. The VWP is working with specialists to develop a measurement method for light emissions that will be used to define binding standards for the approval of illuminated advertising signs. Another topic in the lighting sector is the safety of illuminated advertising installations. The Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI) and the VWP are currently preparing the installation documentation as preliminary work for the definition of the framework conditions for the safety of illuminated advertising installations.

They are service providers, advising, designing, drawing, printing, plotting, cutting, gluing, storing, transporting and assembling. Precise manual work and dealing with expensive printers and a wide variety of materials is part of their daily routine. They are in direct contact with customers from all sectors and are almost always under time pressure. The earlier they are involved in the concept phase by clients and advertising agencies, the better it is for the budget and the results. Their specific know-how and knowledge of the current legal basis for indoor and outdoor advertising help with implementation and are a guarantee of quality. They bring creative ideas to life, making them visible indoors and outdoors, mobile and permanently installed. The designers of advertising technology.

Thomas Stuckert

 

Martin Spillmann founded the advertising agency Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett together with Peter Felser and, as Chief Creative Officer, built it up into the second-largest agency in Switzerland. Since mid-2011, he has served as Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett Western Europe. As one of the most awarded creatives in Switzerland, Martin Spillmann won and judged at national and international awards.

Martin Spillmann on his new role at Serviceplan: "Since entering the market, I have watched the agency with interest. With its integrated approach, Serviceplan Suisse holds a unique recipe for success and proves to be optimally positioned for the demands of communication. For this reason - and because of the opportunity to actively support the already outstanding creative performance of the agency around the three Creative Directors Christian Sommer, Raul Serrat and Christine Boje - I was delighted to be asked to join the Board of Directors."

For Christian Baertschi, Managing Partner of Serviceplan Suisse, the new constellation is also ideal: "We are extremely pleased to have such an experienced man on the Board of Directors in Martin Spillmann. I have personally had the pleasure of working with him for several years and value him not only as an exceptional creative, but also as a committed entrepreneur, which is an important criterion for a partner-led company like Serviceplan."

Peter Felser, Spillmann's long-time business partner and Chairman of the Board of Serviceplan Suisse, is looking forward to the collaboration: "Of course I know what to expect from Martin Spillmann. With him, we have a top European creative and
experienced entrepreneur for the further development of our agency group in Switzerland."
 

Together with the vote of the audience, the award ceremony on November 19, 2014 will decide who will become Master of Swiss Apps 2014. At the Award Night, the best Swiss app developments will be honored for each of the submission categories. Also, the "most popular project among the best" will be chosen: the Master of Swiss Apps! The title crowns the project that is deemed particularly successful by both the professional jury and the audience and across all categories.  

These projects are potential Master of Swiss Apps 2014:
 

App	Client	Contractor
Runic Sorcerer	Plexus Games	Plexus Games
First Strike	Blind Flight Studios	Blind Flight Studios
Fifa Official App	Fifa - Fédération Internationale de Football Association	Monitise Create plc
Berufsmesse Zurich by Messe Schweiz	MCH Group	Apps with love
Tickets	BLT Baselland Transport	Netcetera
Curiator	Readymade Inc	DU DA Group
watson	Fixxpoint	DU DA Group
SumUp	UBS	UBS/ SumUp Payments Ldt.
UBS Event App	UBS	Y&R Group Switzerland
Swisscom - Patrouille des Glaciers 2014	Swisscom	Apps with love
Mobi	Credit Suisse	Credit Suisse
Jiffy	Nordic Usability	Nordic Usability

 

The new Avenir Suisse discussion paper proposes a reform agenda with short-term measures to prevent the excessive expansion of SRG and longer-term measures to promote content rather than technology:

In the short term, the crowding-out effect should be reduced by financing SRG fees. Avenir Suisse proposes two instruments for this purpose. On the one hand, a procedure should examine whether (new) SRG offerings comply with the public mandate and to what extent they impact on the private media sector - in terms of distortion of competition and crowding out of private offerings. On the other hand, SRG's commitment should be subject to a revenue cap - a so-called "revenue cap" for fee and advertising revenue. This would mean linking the fees to a price index and linking the maximum advertising revenue to the aggregated private media budgets, as Urs Meister, project manager at Avenir Suisse and co-author of the discussion paper on media funding, told the media in Zurich on Thursday.

In the longer term, both the promotion of private media and the organization of the SRG should be redesigned from the ground up. At the center of Avenir Suisse's proposal is the SRG, as a "public content provider".

The "public content provider"

Avenir Suiss proposes a transformation of SRG into a "public content provider" as a longer-term measure. This does not have its own distribution platform and is not profit-oriented. It makes its content available to third parties. In this scenario, the content provider would be purely fee-financed, but would no longer have a performance mandate. SRG would continue to produce content in accordance with a program mandate in the four national languages, but would now make this content available to various end customers. The end customers could then add their own productions to this content. However, they would no longer receive any funding for this.

However, as such a proposal could exceed the limits of political feasibility, Avenir Suisse proposes the creation of an equally non-profit "private content provider" as an interim solution. This can be imagined as a further development of today's SDA, producing text, image, video and audio content in all four national languages. In contrast to the "Public Content Provider", however, the "Private Content Provider" would not have a performance mandate. The provider would be supported by private media, for example in a cooperative organization. However, a proposal on the specific weighting of the private media has not yet been worked out in detail, according to Meister.

According to the Avenir Suisse model, private media would benefit from media funding through the "public content provider", regardless of their technology (print, broadcasting, online), as they would be able to take over and redistribute fee-financed content free of charge. Subsidy-related market distortions would be minimized and media funding would be unified under one model.
 

PCM was a very intense advertising sparring partner to me in the best days of advertising and my editor-in-chief at Advertising Week for the last 4 years.

I take this column as an opportunity to talk about the Meier, the Pierre, the media monster - as CEO Berberat of Fiat called him -, or even the PCM (I forgot the C or never really took note of it. Journalists just call themselves that: Frank A. Meier, Kurt W. Zimmermann) to tell anecdotes. Unfortunately, I can't bring him back to life by doing so. But I will try to reveal some vivid moments from our times together.

At the very beginning of TBWA Zurich, Pierre joined the then five-strong team as an experienced media specialist. Through Carl Ally's Geneva office, we came to pitch the Fiat Suisse SA budget and hooked this big fish. So Pierre and I often traveled to Geneva, dined at Entrecôte, had another beer at the Bataclan, and spent the night at Du Rhône. Our AD Josi Spühler and the lyricist Francis Sulzer (unfortunately also no longer with us), Pierre and I had the same idea: to start our own agency.

At a retreat in Venice at the Gritti Palace, usual for those times, the B,S,S,M was launched. Pierre was always an extreme gourmet and so this new beginning was crowned accordingly.

The Fiat budget - Pierre's favorite client - then said goodbye to TBWA and opted for B,S,S,M. Twice a year, Swiss advertising was presented to the management in Turin, all in English. Pierre presented the strategy. In it, the word "proposition" appeared. To our internal amusement, he managed to turn it into "proposchissen" not only at the rehearsal but also in front of Fiat management. I even think it was intentional! After the presi we had Prosecco and seven Mirafiori (Fiat 131) chauffeured everyone to the Gatto Nero. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the 12 excellent courses were eaten and at 18.30 o'clock we took the plane from Milano Linate to Zurich. At the bar in the departure hall, Pierre accidentally left his James Bond Attaché Case, which he only noticed on the flight. The next day he read in the newspaper that Linate had to be evacuated for 4 hours because of a mysterious piece of luggage. His suitcase with all the file notes was returned to him without complications.

Pierre was always an entertaining travel and work companion. Whether annually at the opening of the Geneva Motor Show or at our client Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, it was always amusing. Pierre always used to say that the fee from Badrutt's Palace was about the same as the expense bill from the King's Club and Junior Suites.

We lost track of each other for a while, until Pierre made me the head of the week. He suggested that I should write down my suggestions for improving advertising in the form of a column. Just this "Motz von Butz". At that time we ate together again more often and chatted, not like in the Gritti Palace, but with the same fun. Pierre, we miss you.

So this week, no setter.

Theophil Butz, graphic designer, advertising agency owner, inspirer and, for more than three years now, also mothballs for Werbewoche readers. Please send any relevant information to [email protected].
 

The World Day is intended to draw attention to the fragility of this unique cultural heritage and make the public aware of the need to protect and preserve the images and sounds that bear witness to our history every day. Such sound documents are, for example Speech by Winston Churchill in Zurich of 1949 or the Speech by Federal Councillor Philipp Etter on mobilization from 1939.

In collaboration with the Swiss Unesco Commission, Memoriav is once again coordinating the over 20 events in Swiss memorial institutions that take place around World Remembrance Day.

Christoph Stuehn, Director, Memoriav: "In recent years, the Confederation, cantons and communes have increasingly addressed their audiovisual heritage - also thanks to the commitment of Memoriav - and have implemented preservation projects in many places. However, due to the large quantities and complexity of this undertaking, we continue to face major challenges on the way to a comprehensive and systematic preservation of our audiovisual heritage."
 

1. what would you work for free for one month?
We work for customers such as the "Foundation for the Cerebral Palsy Child" at reduced rates. And personally, I have been supporting sports clubs and the Bielersee winegrowers with unpaid commitment for years.

2. what does not come to the office under any circumstances?
 Potted plants that look like a Desert Storm after a week.

3. the best self-promotion?
We publish ZaK, the newspaper for stimulating communication, twice a year. It always surprises me how many people we don't know want to subscribe to ZaK.

4. do you tell other people how much you earn?
No, I'll leave the complaining to others.

5. who was the most fun lunch partner?
My partner. Over and over again.

6. what do you personally think about the effect of advertising?
It exists!

7. if you had not become an advertiser - what then?
Head teacher? Kindergarten teacher? Fireman? Butler? I often feel like a little bit of everything.

8. what do you see as the biggest challenge for advertising at the moment?
Digitization. We are only at the beginning, and it will not only turn the advertising world completely upside down.

9. what is it impossible for you to do without?
My partner. My business partners. Friends. Family. Co-workers. Customers.

10. a buzz word that gets on your nerves?
This has changed over the years: from reason why to insight to storytelling to content marketing. The question is always the same: How do we shape the relationship between people and brands?

11. can you give us a little secret betrayed?
Lorenz Schmid and I only wanted to finance our studies with in flagranti 24 years ago. And at first, we had no intention of becoming a successful agency.

12. which advertising medium do you find abominable?
Shirt collars. Ties. Cheap pens. WC doors.

13: Why would you advise or advise your children not to seek a career in advertising/communication?
I think the opportunity to take on responsibility at a young age, the versatility of the job and the diversity of the people you meet are unique.

Michael Hählen was founded in 1990 in flagranti in Lyss. Today, the owner-managed agency employs around 30 people and is number three in the Mittelland region according to the BSW ranking. In flagranti's clients include the Lungenliga, Die Post, BKW, and Hauert. Hählen has been a member of the BSW board since 2012 and was nominated for the title of Advertiser of the Year in 2014. 

From 2001 to 2010, Giancarlo Soriano worked for the travel company Kuoni Switzerland, from 2006 as Head of Management Training and Development. He then moved to Zurich University Hospital as Head of Management Development. Giancarlo Soriano holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Training Management from the IAP Zurich of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. 

Since September 2014, the management of Eclat is complete again after the founding partner left the company in May. With Sebastian Lenggenhager, the team has been strengthened by a management-experienced expert in brand consulting and communication design.

Forty-three-year-old Sebastian Lenggenhager brings a broad knowledge base from many years of work in the field of communications and brand consulting as well as at the interface with design and interior architecture. He gained his first experience in the industry at Eclat, where he worked as a designer and key account manager from 1995 to 2000, among others in a team with Werner Rudolf.

After several years as an independent entrepreneur, Sebastian Lenggenhager worked for NOSE Design for over ten years, most recently as a partner responsible for one of the five branding business units. There he provided important impulses for Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Saab and Chevrolet and for their worldwide brand appearances. Sebastian Lenggenhager and his team have also looked after clients such as SWISS, Betty Bossi, RUAG, Swiss Olympics, Allianz and VIVA.

Helm Pfohl has decided to take the step into self-employment after more than eight years as creative director and member of the management team at Eclat. He continues to support Eclat with his expertise in creation as well as in advising key clients.

Sebastian Lenggenhager not only completes the management team at Eclat, but also enriches the agency's range of services in the field of branding. 

WW: Verena Vonarburg, the "Only an ad can do that" (DKNEI) advertising campaign has been demonstrating the relevance of print as an advertising medium for ten years. This year, it is called "Print wirkt" (Print works). Wouldn't it have been time for a new message?
Verena Vonarburg: The intention of the campaign is the same: To show that an ad is still by far the most attractive advertising medium - and even more powerful. We want to show that you can move brands, people and markets with ads. What's new and very exciting about the campaign is the interactive, the ideal interplay between print and online. Because the industry is no longer just a print industry, but a convergent industry, which the campaign shows very clearly. What's also new is that we're not placing an assertion, but offering the entire population a stage and thus showing what power and potential the ad has in interaction with online. In addition, an advertising impact study is also part of our offensive.

Does print no longer work alone, only in conjunction with online and social media?
But print also works on its own. That's what advertising agencies want to convey to their customers again: Many think you're only hip if you advertise online. But print is an important, efficient component in a package of advertising options.

The hashtag is THE symbol for social media. Isn't it misleading as the central icon of a print campaign?
No. Because with this campaign, you have the opportunity to place a message online that is then fed back to print. The message only gets its massive reach and resonance in print.

The idea for DKNEI always came out of a young talent competition. This time there was a competitive presentation among agencies. Why?
We wanted to do something new for once, a pitch with renowned agencies. Now we have an independent, new campaign with an approach that Switzerland has not yet seen in this form.

Why did you choose Leo Burnett?
The idea convinced us immediately. It clearly stood out from the proposals of the agencies that participated in the competitive presentation.

The current campaign has been running since October 7. What are the reactions?
The feedback on the first run of the campaign has been mostly positive, both from the public and from the advertising market and media houses. I'm also very taken with the level of the messages. People are very engaged and playful with the possibilities. A respectable response for a campaign where there is nothing to win. We are also very grateful for the commitment of our members and for the support of Publicitas.

Do you think the campaign will also change the perception of print among those who make their statements?
We are aiming the campaign primarily at the advertising market, but have also thought about the impact it could have on the user market. When someone sees their statement in the newspaper, they and their environment get a personal connection to this medium.

Did you receive any reactions to your statement "FCZ should finally become Swiss champions again"?
Yes, friends and acquaintances have asked me about it. And I also discovered statements from people I know and thought, "Cool, they're also taking part."

Interview: Anne-Friederike Heinrich