Unlike their colleagues in tennis, Formula 1, and alpine skiing, soccer commentators in Switzerland enjoy little support among large segments of the sports-loving population. Since the legendary duo of Thurnheer and Netzer, no one who has sat behind an SRF microphone at the stadium has captured the hearts of the fans. Among other things, the SRF commentary team is accused of lacking expertise, being unfocused, displaying artificial and exaggerated emotions, focusing one-sidedly on big names, having a dated style, and showing a lack of reaction. One also frequently hears the criticism that SRF commentators merely describe what viewers can see for themselves—instead of providing them with useful (!) background information or tactical analysis.

Whenever this topic comes up on the major online portals, the comment sections are bursting at the seams. SRF soccer seems to be just as much of a hot-button issue for people as refugee influxes, welfare fraud, criminal foreigners, or rowdy former beauty queens. People envy not only the Germans, the English, and the Austrians, but also the people of Ticino and French-speaking Switzerland. Soccer broadcasts are good everywhere—just not here. Those who can, find a way around it. Time and again, people express a desire for a commentary-free audio channel—many would rather enjoy the stadium atmosphere «in peace.» Or they switch over to the acclaimed radio broadcasts on SRF 3 (which, given the different transmission speeds (though it's not as easy as it used to be).

Screenshots from Blick.ch and 20min.ch

Basel-based inventor and sound engineer Martin Born may now have found a solution with his invention. With the «Nocommentator,» he has developed a small box that filters the commentator’s voice out of the audio signal. Pure stadium sounds at the push of a button. The device is connected between the TV and the audio system and removes all commentator voices. «I’ve tried it with soccer, hockey, and tennis, and the sports commentator either disappears completely or is almost inaudible,» says Martin Born.

The Nocommentator goes into production in Switzerland when Wemakeit.com if the production goal of 45,000 francs is reached within 45 days. The first 200 buyers will receive it for 60 francs. If the reader comments are anything to go by, there seems to be a great deal of demand for the device. Whether the complainers are actually willing to follow through with action, however, remains to be seen. And anyway: it’s not all bad. Gürkan Sermeter as a co-commentator, for example, is music to the ears. A light on the horizon. Why not on an international level as well? Perhaps the 'no-commenter” will become obsolete one day anyway…

Thomas Häusermann

Teaser image (before editing): SRF

Likemag’s target audience is young and mobile. About 65 percent of readers are between the ages of 18 and 34. Already, 62 percent access Likemag’s interactive content via smartphone—and that number is on the rise. Likemag has 2.2 million monthly users. The investment reaffirms Centralway’s conviction that new technologies will fundamentally transform traditional media business models, according to a press release. Declining subscriber numbers and shrinking print circulations are merely the first signs of the drastic changes that traditional media must face in the wake of the digital transformation. Media companies must transform themselves into technology companies, in addition to their core competency of producing journalistic content.

It is not enough to hire young programmers and task them with creating a new «cool» website. Transforming into a technology company means that every employee, right up to top management, understands the technology and the product. Only then are the prerequisites for this transformation in place. Having a CEO who uses Twitter is not enough, the statement continued.

«LikeMag understands the communication and culture of the digital age. With over 100 experts in the fields of design, technology, marketing, finance, and investment, Centralway offers the expertise needed to develop LikeMag into a technologically leading media company,» said Antoine Verdon, Head of Centralway Ventures.

«Centralway is our ideal partner for a collaboration. As a partner, Centralway provides us with the necessary financial backing and helps us evolve from an innovative media company into a global technology leader in the industry. With passion, strong conviction, and hard work, a new, forward-looking era for the Likemag world is now beginning,» says Sandro Proietto, founder of Likemag.

With Antoine Verdon, Centralway Ventures also gains a seat on the board of directors, thereby joining the existing board, which consists of Sandro Proietto and Florian Biafori, the founders and owners of the Mediabox publishing house, as well as Markus Bucheli, the co-founder, partner, and managing director of Likemag.

In collaboration with top chefs, Swiss repeatedly offers culinary highlights from various Swiss regions. Now it is adding a new highlight with Andreas Caminada's pop-up restaurant on the flight from Zurich to New York. And because Caminada won't let anyone serve him a plate he hasn't personally inspected, he and his kitchen guards are flying along with him. For this unique event, Publicis created a Microsite which offers a number of delicacies. For example, the online films that combine culinary images with acoustic flight worlds. The whole thing is rounded off with a documentary created before and during the actual flight on November 21. For all those who were there. Or would have liked to have been there.

Responsible at Swiss International Air Lines: Myriam Mojon (Marketing Communication Projects). Responsible at Publicis Communications: Urs Schrepfer (CD), Wim Roelfs (CD Digital), Christian Schirmer (Text), Norihito Iida, Daniel Ahrens (AD), Anatole Comte (Graphics), Benjamin Kaegi (Art Buying), Candido Righetto, Sabrina Anding (Consulting), Simon Grasser (Head of Digital), Tiago Dias (Programming), Lauschsicht (Film Production).

The 2015 judging will be held on April 14 and 15, 2015, culminating in the awards ceremony and gala on Saturday, April 18. The judging and gala will take place at the Volkshaus Zurich. According to the statement, the reasons for this are on the one hand the year-end stress with the submissions, especially for campaigns that appeared shortly before around Christmas time. In addition, it is easier to find suitable locations for the judging and the gala in spring than in January.

Work published between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2014, will still be juried. Initial submissions can be made online from January 1, 2015 at Adc.ch be made. The closing date will be announced in good time.

 

When the acquisition was announced in February, there was still talk of up to $19 billion. But since then, the Facebook share price has risen. Therefore, the 223.7 million Facebook shares going to owners and employees of the short message service Whatsapp are worth more. In cash flow to the former Whatsapp owners 4.59 billion dollars. Facebook had repeatedly assured Whatsapp would continue to operate independently. The data of the two services should not be mixed. Whatsapp emphasizes collecting as little data as possible about its users, while Facebook thrives on giving advertising partners targeted access to desired user groups. More than 600 million people use Whatsapp. The co-founder and head of Whatsapp, Jan Koum, is to receive only one dollar as annual salary in the future - but at the same time gets Facebook shares with a current value of almost two billion dollars. (SDA)

KSP: Swisscom's new agency for sustainability issues

KSP Krieg Schlupp Partner is now working for Swisscom on a project basis. This is because KSP is particularly qualified for the communication of sustainability issues. In particular, the project "Communication of the Sustainability Goals 2020 internally and externally" is worth mentioning.

 

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Contcept with new mandates

Contcept Communication has taken over the PR work for four Coop centers: Center Eleven in Oerlikon, Center Dietlikon, Coopark Affoltern am Albis and Center Dielsdorf. Contcept is also pleased about further new mandates: For the 5-star organic hotel Stanglwirt in Tyrol, Contcept works as the Swiss press office. It is responsible for strategic media relations. Also for strategic media work and the function as press office the agency was mandated by the Swiss computer company Brentford. Contcept Communication also added the celebrated Berlin-based start-up Amorelie to its portfolio. Contcept is the Swiss press office and supports the company in media relations and live PR.

 

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Komet wins pitch at Migros Aare

The Migros Aare Cooperative owns more than 230 supermarkets, specialist stores and food outlets in the cantons of Aargau, Solothurn and Berne. In 2015, GMA is launching attractive promotional campaigns designed to appeal to existing and new customers. The aim of the campaign is to increase customer frequency and satisfaction. The high availability and the great variety of the Migros offer should be thematized. Komet presented various concepts and was able to convince with two proposals. The applications will be seen both in the stores themselves and on various advertising channels. The implementation will take place in 2015.

 

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Zeta is pleased to announce a new mandate: Trust Real Estate

Trust Immobilien is a renowned and experienced real estate company in Richterswil. Since 1991, it has been successfully conducting business with real estate on Lake Zurich. A personal and individual support of the customers is always in the center. The Zeta agency has now been commissioned with the development of various communication measures. The corporate design and the online presence are to be redesigned. The aim is to sharpen the profile of the Trust Immobilien brand and to convey the brand values in a credible way and make them tangible.

 

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Namics 13 wins account for Migros annual report

The digital communications agency Namics 13 secures the budget for the Migros annual report. The focus of the contract is the further development of the report, which has been published digitally since 2009. In the pitch, Namics 13 convinced the largest Swiss retailer with a storytelling concept focused on corporate strategy and prevailed against five renowned agencies. "Migros has regularly stood out with its annual reports in recent years. The further development is now intended to set a new standard in terms of online annual reports: With interactive storytelling, content and conceptual innovations and a clear focus on the relevant stakeholders, we make Migros' corporate vision of "living better every day" come alive," says Felix Widmaier, Head of Creation and Partner at Namics, about winning the account.

 

The SRG license stipulates that online text contributions without a broadcast reference must be limited to a maximum of 1,000 characters in the news, sports and local/regional sections. In addition, text contributions with a broadcast reference must contain the information to which broadcast they refer. The "Conformity Monitor," an analysis of SRG's online content, gives the company a good report card: 97 percent of all text articles on SRG's news portals (SRF, RTS, RSI and RTR) fully comply with the regulations and are classified as correct, according to an SRG SSR statement. In 3.3 percent of all articles, there was a lack of clear information about which program they refer to; in the study, these are referred to as "gray zone 1." Not a single complaint is in "gray zone 2" - text articles with a non-transparent broadcast reference. Thanks to consistent and recurring training measures by SRG with the responsible editorial staff, identified deficiencies have been and will continue to be corrected in the future. The "Conformity Monitor" examines parts of the SRG online offering (including the linking structure) with regard to selected requirements of the new SRG license, which came into force in June 2013. The analysis is commissioned by Bakom and conducted by the Department of Media Change & Innovation of the IPMZ at the University of Zurich.

With appeals for donations, a Pay What You Want subscription and various campaigns on social media (hashtag #RetteDieperspektive), the missing 7,000 francs are to be collected. In just under three days, over 3,500 francs have already been collected. During the Rescue Week, Dieperspektive will provide information about the fate of a small magazine and the financial challenges it faces. The aim is to raise awareness of print products in the niche sector and create complete transparency about dieperspektive's business. The death of newspapers threatens to catch up with several small magazines in 2014 (PS, Saiten, Dieperspektive).

Since September 2010, Dieperspektive has been published with a circulation of 4000 copies with a focus on the Zurich area. During this period, 34 issues have been published on various cultural topics with reader-generated contributions. The magazine offers young and aspiring journalists, illustrators, graphic designers and authors a platform to gain experience in their respective fields.

Dieperspektive.ch/rescue-we-dieperspektive

 

The amuse-bouche mailing printed on edible paper can also be eaten right after reading. The acquisition mailing will be used in fall 2014.

Responsible at VBZ: Natascha Klinger (Marketing Communications). Responsible at Agentur am Flughafen, Altenrhein: René Eugstair (Creative Direction), Dominique Rutishauser (Art Direction), Valeria Hörler (Graphics), Miriam Egli (Consulting/Text).
 

The 36-year-old will be used as a new brand ambassador in all communication channels (TV, print, posters, online), according to a statement. The cooperation will kick off with the TV commercials for the new My Prime entertainment service, which will be shown nationwide on TV in three languages from October 6, 2014. The video library includes several thousand classic films, series, children's films and documentaries. This concentrated load of entertainment also means plenty of popcorn for Berger and Leal. In the spots, they are virtually swimming in a sea of popcorn. Ivo Hoevel, Senior Vice President Marketing & Products at UPC Cablecom, is convinced that Berger is just the right ambassador for UPC Cablecom: "Stéphanie Berger is a nationally known personality and a true multi-talent. She has a wonderful sense of humor and immediately infects people with her cheerful manner. Stéphanie Berger and Carlos Leal also complement each other perfectly."

Multifaceted entertainer

Stéphanie Berger was crowned Miss Switzerland in 1995. Since then, she has established herself as an actress, presenter and comedian. She has appeared successfully at home and abroad in television productions such as "Tag und Nacht," "Die dreisten Drei" and "Sketch News. In the cinema, Berger was convincing alongside Otto Waalkes in the comedy "Otto's Eleven." In her comedy show "MissErfolg," she takes her former role as Miss Switzerland and the whole miss business for a ride. At the end of October, the comedian will premiere her new stage program "Höllelujah".

A vision, mission, core values and positioning themes were developed for the brand. According to a press release issued on Sunday, a concise, contemporary image does justice to the changing nature of the library. The two colorful visual elements were used to create a compact trademark that combines analog and digital elements. The abbreviation ZB, which is already part of the vernacular, has now become a trademark. With the new image, the ZB is focusing more on emotional brand communication that corresponds to the predominantly young target group.

During the process, Keim Identity developed concepts for various ZB media and adapted the website, for example. The 2013 annual report was used to bring the new brand to life for the first time. Work is currently focusing on a comprehensive guidance and information system for the various buildings of the ZB. Digital and physical identification elements are being seamlessly interlinked and should contribute to visitor guidance that begins at home via the Internet.
 

The startup Rayneer, which wanted to shake up the market with personalized music television, closed a financing round of two million francs a year ago. Well-known investors such as Zürcher Kantonalbank and Goldbach Group were on board. Rayneer switched on the Internet TV Wilmaa a short time later. Now the company is bankrupt.

The end comes as a surprise, according to the Sonntagszeitung. Rayneer was one of the "high flyers of the Swiss start-up scene". According to its own data, Rayneer had around 100,000 unique users per month. Still, that wasn't enough to avert bankruptcy, it said. "In hindsight, we know that we would have needed significantly more money," Flückiger tells the Sonntagszeitung. "We invested a lot of money in marketing, mainly in TV advertising on private stations." The cost of label contracts also proved to be the undoing of personalized music television. For each music video of Rihanna, Bligg and Co. the company had to pay money.

Strong pressure to make a lot of money with advertising

As free music television, Rayneer was dependent on showing viewers as much advertising as possible. Rayneer's undoing was that they focused too early and too much on monetization, the Sunday newspaper writes in this regard - probably also due to pressure from investors. The pressure to earn as much money as possible through advertising allowed Rayneer to "care too little about the needs of the users," as Flückiger tells the Sonntagszeitung.