The Publigroupe Board of Directors is therefore advising shareholders to remain calm for the time being: Publigroupe will examine the offer of CHF 150 per Publigroupe share at the appropriate time and then issue a statement. There is no need for action due to the pre-announced public purchase offer, which Tamedia announced on Thursday evening. Tamedia is primarily targeting the Local.ch platform in its takeover plans. It is less interested in Publigroupe's other holdings. A continuation or sale will be examined. Thanks to Local.ch, Tamedia could expand its position in the Swiss directory market. It already owns 75 percent of its competitor search.ch, which it claims is the leading directory and information platform in the user market. Both platforms together could reach 4.8 million users, writes Tamedia.

Already a shareholder today

Tamedia is willing to pay for the expansion in the online market: The transaction is worth a total of around CHF 350 million. However, Tamedia itself already holds a 7.22 percent stake in Publigroupe. According to Tamedia, the offer price corresponds to a premium of 22 percent over the volume-weighted average price of the Publigroupe share over the last 60 trading days prior to the date of the pre-announcement. Publigroupe operates the envisaged Local.ch platform together with Swisscom. Tamedia would be interested in a constructive cooperation with Swisscom, said Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer when asked by the news agency SDA. Search.ch and Local.ch would continue to operate as independent brands.

However, Tamedia did not make the planned offer for Publigroupe in consultation with either Publigroupe management or Swisscom, Zimmer continued. The Board of Directors of Publigroupe also speaks of an unsolicited public purchase offer. Tamedia does not expect the Competition Commission (Weko) to impose any conditions. This would only become active after the takeover has been completed. It is therefore still too early to make any anticipations, Weko spokesman Patrik Ducrey told SDA.

Good news

Publigroupe is currently undergoing major changes: at the beginning of April, Publigroupe announced that it would be concentrating on the electronic market and therefore divesting its struggling core business, newspaper advertising. The subsidiary Publicitas is therefore being sold to the German investment company Aurelius (Werbewoche.ch reported). At the beginning of April, Publisher President Hanspeter Lebrument criticized Publigroupe's management for letting things get this far. Publigroupe had recorded a net loss of CHF 5.9 million in 2013. On Thursday evening, Lebrument told SDA that Tamedia now wants to buy Publigroupe, or what remains of it, for the time being as "pleasing".

Tamedia ready for talks

When asked about the minority stake of 20 percent that Publigroupe holds in Südostschweiz Presse und Print AG, Lebrument, as publisher of Südostschweiz, said: "If Tamedia becomes the new owner, we will make some internal considerations." Tamedia does not consider the minority shareholdings to be strategic investments and is not seeking to exert any influence on the companies. It is prepared to hold talks with the majority owners and, if the valuation is appropriate, to sell.

In addition to its minority stake in Südostschweiz Presse und Print, Publigroupe also holds shares in Zanox.de (47.5 percent), SNP Société Neuchâteloise de Presse (29 percent) and FPH Freie Presse Holding (25 percent). FPH, publisher of the Neue Luzerner Zeitung and the St.Galler Tagblatt, is 75 percent owned by the NZZ Group. It is also too early for the NZZ Group to comment, as spokeswoman Bettina Schibli told SDA.

The detailed presentation of the Swiss web agency sector published annually by Best of Swiss Web is based on the one hand on the medal table from fourteen years of Best of Swiss Web Awards and on the other hand on a comprehensive survey of the economic and thematic reviews and outlooks of the most important web companies in Switzerland. The "Internet Agency Ranking" is compiled annually by Best of Swiss Web in cooperation with its partners Simsa and the magazine Netzwoche.

Namics ahead of Jung von Matt and Hinderling Volkart

In the last fourteen years, the full-service web agency Namics has won the most prizes or ranking points at the Best of Swiss Web Awards, having already topped the rankings last year. It was followed by the former traditional advertising agency Jung von Matt/Limmat, which has built up a strong digital unit with Jung von Matt/Next. New on the podium is the agency Hinderling Volkart, which was only founded in 2007 and ousted the full-service web agency Unic from the podium. In addition, Station and Notch Interactive made the biggest steps forward. Liip took the most top places in the individual disciplines (categories) - namely three (out of ten).

Top 15 of the "Eternal Best List"

Method: Points system: Shortlist: 1 point | Bronze: 2 pts | Silver: 4 pts | Gold: 7 pts | Master: 3 pts.
Multiple contractors: Points were divided according to the number of companies.
Mergers: Consolidation of all points of merged companies.

 

Regarding the survey: 'Best of Swiss Web' carried out plausibility checks on those agencies that did not want to report their turnover this year or were unable to do so - for example for stock exchange law reasons - e.g. by consulting available data (e.g. annual reports), making telephone inquiries or assigning average values or estimates.

360 million francs turnover of the 70 largest web agencies

More than 70 agencies returned the standardized questionnaire for the current "Web Agency Ranking 2014". The turnover of the web and mobile companies participating in the survey amounted to around 360 million Swiss francs last year. The total volume of project orders for service providers in Switzerland is likely to be around half a billion. This is economically relevant and underlines the importance of the web and mobile industry for Switzerland as a business location. If other revenues, such as those generated by the apps, online games and digital ancillary sectors such as hosting, online media agencies, software applications for the Internet, etc., are also included, well over one billion Swiss francs in revenues are generated each year. In addition to direct economic project sales, the web and mobile industry also offers great potential for creativity, innovation and indirect economic improvements. New, more efficient business processes, the increase in e-commerce with the associated expansion of customer bases or interactive services, for example in the healthcare or education sectors, demonstrate the continued great growth potential of the web and mobile industry. For 2014, the agencies surveyed expect an average increase in turnover of 13% compared to last year.

What the agencies are working on in 2014

The web agencies were also asked about their most important topics in the questionnaire. The focus is on technical developments relating to "mobile" (such as HTML 5 or native apps), but above all on personnel and economic aspects.

So the health insurance of Switzerland is now also the health insurance of Swiss football, according to a statement. The communications package developed by KSP Krieg Schlupp Partner is multifaceted and long-term. To prove that Helsana is everywhere Swiss football is, Helsana and KSP have launched a photo project during which all Swiss goals will be photographed. In other words, the goals at all 1400 football grounds in Switzerland. The campaign will kick off at the Cup Final on Easter Monday with a first print ad and a spot on Cupplay.ch.

Responsible at Helsana: Christian Moser (Head of Marketing Coordination); Michael Waldmeyer (Project Manager Marketing); Yves Ekmann (Head of Sponsoring/Events). Responsible at KSP Krieg Schlupp Partner: Uwe Schlupp (creative direction); Beat Egger (concept, text); Sebastian Krayer (art direction); Lea Balinger (graphics); Raphael Koller (online graphics); Audrey Isaak, Angela van der Sman (consulting); Christian Breitler (photography).
 

Motto: "Time for something new". The protagonists in the three TV commercials are once again the five friends who already appeared in the first phase of the campaign. Among other things, they use their new subscriptions to send WhatsApp messages from abroad or take trips to remote parts of Switzerland. The TV commercials are running on all high-reach channels and are supplemented by additional online and offline advertising measures. Further information on the new service is available on the updated microsite, which also features a themed competition.

Responsible at Sunrise Communications: Timm Degenhardt (CMO), Cristian Vaccariello (Senior Marcom Manager Segment Young & Youth), Martin Hufschmid (Senior Proposition Manager Segment Young & Youth), Sanja Ruggiero (Marketing Manager Viacom). Responsible at Draftfcb/Lowe Zurich: Dennis Lück (Executive Creative Director), Sören Schröder (Senior Copywriter), Marcin Baba (Senior Art Director), Cornelia Harder (CEO), Mark Becher (Client Service Director). Other contributors: Per Kasch (photography), Rolf Hellat (director), WirzFraefelPaal (TV/Internet production), Jingle Jungle (sound studio), Goldbach Interactive (online advertising media).
 

The 47-year-old Thorsten Stecher and Peter Kreiliger are two new editorial directors in the Science and Society department, as detailed in a press release. Thorsten Stecher has been appointed as the successor to Silvia Zwygart, who has been working as a producer at "10vor10" since April 2014, and is the new head of the Einstein editorial team. Thorsten Stecher has been team leader of 3sat's "Schweizweit" editorial team since 2013 and previously worked as an editor, cultural correspondent and presenter for "Kulturplatz", "10vor10" and "Box Office", among others. He was responsible for the conception and implementation of the relaunch of the program "Schweizweit".

Peter Kreiliger replaces Barbara Krieger, who is leaving SRF at her own request at the end of May, and takes over as head of the SRFmyschool editorial team. Peter Kreiliger began his television career in 1997 as a stagiaire and editor of "Telesguard" at RTR and worked in various areas, for example as a producer of "Cuntrasts" or as a video journalist and documentary filmmaker for various RTR and SRF and 3sat broadcasts. Since 2011, he has been editorial director of the children's news program "Minisguard" in Chur.

 

"We make you safer" is the promise of Baloise Insurance. And because misfortune rarely happens alone, Baloise insures its SME customers against two major claims per year with the "double guarantee" safety module. This double guarantee now plays the main role in the TV commercial designed by Rod Kommunikation, visualized of course by the proven and characteristic yellow/black safety module. The TV commercial is now in use until further notice.

Film production: Uli Scheper, Markenfilm. Directed by: Marc Schöllermann. Photography: Elias Gmünder.

With Wirz Wietlisbach Dialog (3x) and Agentur am Flughafen (2x) two Swiss agencies even convinced the jury several times. The sixth Shortlist-Serviceplan Switzerland took first place. "After eight shortlisted places at the SDV Awards, we were already confident that we would also have a good chance of winning the medals in Germany. But when it really works out, the joy is still extremely high," says Wirz Wietlisbach Creative Director Stefan Dätwyler about the good result. Whether the shortlisted entries will actually become awards will be decided on May 24, when the coveted prizes are handed over in Berlin.

 

At CHF 242.2 million, Group sales were down CHF 9.5 million (portfolio-adjusted CHF -6.2 million) on the previous year, mainly due to declining sales in the core business, according to the press release. In operational terms, the decline in sales in the classifieds market had the biggest negative impact at more than CHF 4 million. Positive effects were recorded in the subscription business, the print and TV divisions, as well as the book publishing business. The strong regional roots and diversified business activities could not fully compensate for the persistently difficult market development. Thanks to cost discipline in all areas, AZ Medien achieved an EBITDA of CHF 28.6 million. This corresponds to a decline of 13.3 percent. In contrast to the previous year, the 2013 financial year did not record any special effects or acquisitions.

In the past financial year, loans and mortgages amounting to CHF 6 million were repaid. With a self-financing ratio of 48.7 percent, AZ Medien has a solid capital base despite high investment activity. The Board of Directors of AZ Medien approved investments totaling over CHF 45 million in 2013, in particular for the new printing press, the new TV24 channel and the investment in the mobile news portal Watson. AZ Medien is thus investing in three central pillars of the media business - the traditional newspaper business, the TV business and the digital future.

The AZ Medien annual report will be published at the beginning of May on Azmedien.ch published. The Annual General Meeting will take place on May 23, 2014.

On Friday, April 11, 2014, rows of clothed people fell into a pool of water in Bern and Zurich - and they were even happy about it. They were holding a new Samsung Galaxy S5 in their hands, which they were allowed to take home. The Galaxy S5 offers many new features. Among other things, it is water-resistant to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes.

This is where the concept created by Kreienbühl and Vogler comes in: people could take the water resistance test and put themselves on a drop board over a pool. There were 50 phone numbers displayed on the stand. One worked. Passers-by and visitors could call the numbers: as soon as the Galaxy S5 rang and the person picked it up, he or she fell into the water, smartphone and all.

The events attracted thousands of people on site in Bern and Zurich.

Responsible at Samsung Electronics Switzerland: Alexander Tschobokdji (Head of Marketing Switzerland), Anja Olsson (Head of Marcom), Jennifer Rimann (Marcom Specialist). Responsible at Kreienbühl and Vogler advertising agency: Reto Vogler, Oli Kreienbühl, Marco Donada, Fabian Schiltknecht; Filmgerberei (film production); Spool (event and promotion); Serranetga (GALAXY S5 campaign lead).
 

To the brand with customer growth

The advertising agency from eastern Switzerland, which specializes in branding and B2B marketing, is pleased to have won further new business. Recently, the Basel-based international transport company Lamprecht Transport was won over for a long-term collaboration in the field of brand development and B2B marketing. The special window manufacturer Graf Fenster from Altstätten, St. Gallen, also relies on the agency's core competence. B2B marketing in the broader sense also topic with the food giant Nestlé. Zur Marke was commissioned with a sales-oriented periodical for the retail trade.

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Similasan is a new addition to the Wirz portfolio

Wirz Werbung has another new client to celebrate: homeopathic drug manufacturer Similasan has placed its advertising reins in the hands of the Zurich agency with immediate effect. Similasan focuses on natural products that contribute to a noticeable improvement in personal quality of life. Its more than 150 preparations are manufactured and tested exclusively in Switzerland and exported to numerous countries. After jointly developing the new strategy, Wirz Werbung is creating Similasan's communicative appearance, which will be launched in fall 2014.

 

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Subway new on the client list of Weber Harbeke Partners

After an agency evaluation, Subway chose Weber Harbeke Partners as its Swiss communications partner. According to Subway Marketing Director Gordon Faehnrich, in addition to strategic and creative expertise, "the deep understanding of the day-to-day business of a franchise company" also led to the award of the budget. This understanding does not come by chance, but from years of work for McDonalds by the two WHP partners Sven Oeschger and Guido Zehnder. According to Faehnrich, Subway is "the fresh alternative in the fast food market". That's because what's special about the sandwiches, called "subs," is that they are prepared fresh individually in front of the clientele. "The core of the Subway concept corresponds to today's growing nutritional awareness" says Sven Oeschger "and we are very pleased to be able to accompany the brand on its expansion course in Switzerland." Worldwide, Subway is the fast food chain with the most restaurants. In Switzerland, the franchise company is represented by 17 stores so far. And the trend is upward. The mandate covers all communication measures in Switzerland. The first results of the collaboration will be seen from mid-2014.

 

The repeatedly postponed market launch of Google Glass, the search engine giant's glasses equipped with a mini-computer, appears to be becoming reality. While the launch in America is scheduled for April 2014, the intelligent eyeglasses should also be available in Europe in the first half of this year. Three questions come to mind.

Firstly, how can this thing be reconciled with data protection? We haven't exactly been spoiled from overseas lately anyway when it comes to protecting our privacy. The combination of Google Glass's capabilities and the company's market power raises unease. Or as journalist Andrew Keen put it, "Neither Orwell nor Hitchcock could have dreamed up Google Glass in their most terrifying dystopias." A device that records and analyzes the user's surroundings and sends the data to Google - it's not just data protectionists who have their hackles up.

Secondly, will Google still adapt the design at launch or will potential buyers have to jump over the shadow of aesthetics? There has been a lot of writing and discussion about who should be wearing the thing in the first place. Or how the designer Marc Newson recently summed up the problem: "It looks stupid." In order to prove the long-awaited opposite, the Tumblr blog recently "People who look cool wearing Google Glass" launched. Whereby... never mind.

Third, do we really need Google Glass? Similar to smartwatches, it seems that the need required for the breakthrough has yet to be created. Advertising and marketing will do their utmost. Until that time comes, the competition will laugh derisively at the supposed enrichment of our society. For example, the American First Bank. "Get back to the real world," it says at the end. By the way, this refers to the company's e-banking app. Brave new world. (hae)

One remembers the emancipated tabloid, with a culture section, then it became magazine-like in format, then back to the large format and towards the Teutonic title style. Since last fall, the aim has been to become more politically relevant. Hence the election of René Lüchinger as editor-in-chief. But what was said in the gossipy industry: "He doesn't have a clue about tabloids." Far from it.

Since today at the latest, it's clear that Lüchi has shown everyone. Lüchi can do the tabloids. It's about the Dillier case. Vera Dillier, a jet-set exponent since time immemorial and therefore a safe value, has suffered a bitter blow and shares it with Blick. Here is the history with the corresponding titles and snippets: 10.4.: "Vera Dillier fears for her life partner

Felix Guyer - and learns at his hospital bedside that he is having an affair: First shocked, then betrayed." On the same day, supplemented with a poll: "Should Vera Dillier separate from Felix Guyer?" On 11.4. Felix Guyer has his say: "After 19 years with his Vera. I was curious about something new!" Also on 11.4. the result of the survey and the readers' letters on the topic: basic tenor: "She should forget the SMS." Same day on Blick online: Dog advisor and Playboy model Andrea Vetsch explains how the animals now comfort the jet-set lady: "The animals help Dillier get over the sex text message."

On 12.4. then another expert: Couples therapist Klaus Heer explains "The hormone rush is ravishing". 4/14: "He's always naked! Vera Dillier has a new guy" (it's about a Mexican naked dog). Then on 4/16 the climax: "I'd rather cry in my golden bathtub in St. Moritz than in a backyard room in Oerlikon." And "Meine geile Welt," Dillier's new column. The phrases in the first column are great cinema: "The sun is shining over the snow-covered mountains, but in my heart everything is still quite cloudy," "Felix's Gucci socks, which were still lying next to the bed, are flying high into the trash bag. There was still too much smell and memories of him on them!", "I lie in my golden bathtub and lick my wounds in the fragrant water".

The nice thing about Ringier is that there is room for real tabloids alongside serious stuff like Cicero or, in the future, Le Temps.

Pierre C. Meier, Editor in Chief
[email protected]