This is about clear communication. And that doesn't work at all. I would be happy if a reader with knowledge could explain this new light bulb world order to me. But I don't think a reader of Advertising Week could help me.

It is written on the box in 31 languages that the light bulb will burn or live for ten years or 10,000 hours. That's 3650 days or 2,73972603 hours a day. It is also written that the bulb can be switched on or off 20,000 times. However, it takes up to 80 seconds for the lamp to reach 60 percent brightness. You are standing in front of the front door and have to wait until you can find the keyhole. When the bulb finally lights up, you are met with a Persil white-washed light. However, the packaging says "warm white". Incidentally, this modern thing cannot be dimmed either. In my experience, such lights have given up the ghost after just two years. There hasn't been much significant change in the price on the EWZ electricity bill either. Incidentally, this Philips product scored top marks on the A to G scale. This is obviously a European communication unity problem. And this is not only the case in the light bulb world. Unfortunately, the communication worm is also often in the advertising industry.

My theory is that the advertising message is not always as unclear as with light bulbs. But often I am faced with a puzzle and don't understand what this product is trying to explain or even convince me of.

As I have often described, one of the reasons for this puzzle communication is that the many cooks spoil the broth. The advertising manager thinks that the boss thinks so. The consulting group manager thinks that the client wants to advertise A and B. That's why the CD adds a super idea C, and everyone thinks it could work. Only the consumer doesn't understand anything and has neither the time nor the desire to decipher such puzzles. Speaking of puzzles: I still don't understand how Thomas Edison was able to make the carbon filament light bulb idea a success 125 years ago. It's quite simple: you flip the switch and the bulb burns. Yes, but how does that work? Oh, quite simply. We have to generate electricity and carry it for kilometers to the location of the light bulb. Is electricity dangerous? Yes, of course, if you come into contact with it, you can die instantly. Yes, but you have to keep refilling the oil lamps and the candles burn out quickly. Finalmente, the incandescent light bulb has caught on and is here to stay. Only the EU standards have unfortunately been added. Does a light bulb light up for you now?

The hairdresser of the week was Titti, the village hairdresser in Bucine (Tuscany). Two hair washes, a perfect cut including eyebrows and a blow-dry in 14 minutes for 18 euros. I still have hair (see photo). By the way incluso Prosecco.

Theophil Butz, graphic designer, advertising agency owner, inspirer and since three years also
Motzer for Advertising Week readers. Please send any relevant information to [email protected]
 

A pioneer. In front of the mind's eye is a bearded man with a coonskin cap and a double-barreled shotgun in his hand. Ready to enter new territory, to conquer, to do things that no one has done before. If you cast off the romance of the leather stocking and turn to the Swiss business world, you will also find a few pioneers - at least in the recent past: Gottlieb Duttweiler, the light figure of Migros, Mövenpick founder Ueli Prager and - to stay in the broader gastronomy and food sector - Robert Barth, founder of Rivella. They have at least one thing in common: the iconic table drink Passaia.

Until 1952, it had never occurred to anyone to create a soft drink based on milk serum. Anyone who heard of Robert Barth's idea at the time often mouthed off in disgust and waved it away. That can't taste good. The success story of Rivella, the first sponsor of the Swiss national ski team, is the example of a vision and the will of a true patron. "We kept receiving inquiries from entrepreneurs abroad who were looking for something new," recalls Kurt Minder, former marketing and sales manager at Rivella and active for the company from 1954-1995. Among the interested parties was Cottee from Australia, and so Robert Barth, who loved to travel, set out for Down Under to sell Rivella. And he came back with something unprecedented: passion fruit juice and a vision of an aromatic table drink the likes of which Europe had never tasted.

"At an invitation in Melbourne, Dr. Barth enjoyed a cake enhanced with passion fruit coulis," says Kurt Minder. "He was blown away by this refreshing taste and saw it as an opportunity to add a new brand to Rivella's range." In the local lab, the imported juice was analyzed, diluted, and ultimately a refreshing drink was created along Australian lines. Once the formula was in place, the Swiss beverage pioneer addressed the people of Goroka, a highland in Papua New Guinea and a passion fruit growing region, in December 1962 with the following words: "Ologeta man i harim. Kumpani i rere nau long baim prut. Sapos man i karim prut long faktori pei enap long 9 d. long wan paun hevi.- You all men hear. The company is now ready to buy fruits. If a man brings fruit to the factory, enough is paid, 9 d. for a pound of weight."

Simply Passi

In 1964, the time had finally come: "To be on the safe side, we used the same brown bottles as for Rivella at that time, because we didn't know whether we would meet people's taste," says Minder. The advertising drums were beaten. The messages were exotic. South Sea charm and flower chains surrounded the yellow drink on the poster. Customers are far less familiar with the name tag than with the drink itself," says Kurt Minder. "They simply call it Passi, and we follow suit."

No effort is spared to offer the Swiss population the exotic pleasure of passion fruit, as support for the local population of Papua New Guinea is also seen as meaningful development aid. There are no connecting roads between the cultivation area located 3° south of the equator in the highlands of Goroka at 1800 meters above sea level and the port. "So they packed the canisters of passion fruit juice into DC-3 propeller planes and flew them unceremoniously to the coast. There, the contents were immediately deep-frozen and shipped to Europe," Minder explains with still incredulous laughter.

Two pioneers find each other

Like Robert Barth, gastronomy pioneer Ueli Prager also recognizes the potential of Passi and includes the fruit juice drink in the range of his popular Mövenpick restaurants right from the start. By the end of the first year of sales, half a million liters of the exotic soft drink were already being drunk. But Passi's growing popularity also brings enviers on the scene. "In 1967, the U.S. beverage company Pepsico threatened to take legal action because the name 'Passi' could lead to confusion with Pepsi," says Kurt Minder. "Rather than let it come down to a lawsuit, we decided to change the name. "Passaia is born.

To guarantee the continued success of Passaia, Cottee and Rivella set up a passion fruit plantation in Kenya in the early 1970s. Local farmers deliver their fruit, and the specially founded Passi AG processes it into juice and concentrate, which is sold to Switzerland and other companies worldwide. But political unrest forces the abandonment of the operation. Instead of throwing in the towel, the company starts looking for other locations. Angola serves as a supplier for a short time, but civil war turmoil puts an end to trade relations. Despite the continuing difficulties, Robert Barth sticks with Passaia and finds the aromatic concentrate in Brazil. Today, pure passion fruit juice from Ecuador serves as the basis for the refreshing table drink.

Hot Rhythm - cool Passaia

In spite of all the efforts, the Passaia business fell somewhat asleep in the mid-1970s. What to do? "To the eye, passion fruit doesn't look like much," recalls Hans Werner Zobrist, sales manager from 1978 to 1995. The small, often somewhat wizened balls exude nothing of the majestic sight of a pineapple and: "At that time, they were virtually unknown in our latitudes, only delicatessens occasionally carried them." Right from the start, Rivella provided educational information on the actual information leaflets, including pronunciation instructions: "Passionfruit is pronounced Päschenfruut. " - "We also couldn't rely on the inner values that inspired Rivella founder Robert Barth for advertising," says Zobrist. But his team found other ways to illustrate the beauty of the passion fruit and to convince the 25,000 sales outlets throughout Switzerland: "We filled Passaia in transparent bottles and brought the yellow color into focus," says Kurt Minder. But the Rivella sales team landed a real marketing coup with smartly dressed Black Beauties, attractive dark-skinned ladies who, together with sales representatives, paid surprise visits to the restaurants - after all, the aim was to attract the attention of the restaurant operators. "When and where such an action would take place was not known," says Hans Werner Zobrist. "The bartenders only knew that such a campaign was underway in the area and that all Passaia bottles on the tables were paid for by Rivella. So excitement and attention was guaranteed. Very smart regulars kept an eye out for the black beauties and ordered a Passaia just before they arrived. "From today's perspective, you can hardly believe such a marketing campaign, which was supported with corresponding poster subjects," grins Zobrist mischievously. "But the regulars found it very funny, and there was plenty to talk about."

As successful as the Black Beauties campaign was, a theme had to be found for Passaia that fit Rivella like sports and appealed to a young target audience. Chance came to the aid of Charly Buser, the head of Sportservice from 1972-1985. Together with Kurt Minder, he discovered the young band Boney M. at an Udo Jürgens concert in Zurich's Hallenstadion just before their big hit "By the Rivers of Babylon" (1978). "The band was perfect and embodied the exotic of Passaia," explains the later inventor of the audience spectacle Super- 10-Kampf. As a result, the German music producer Frank Farian was contacted and a sold-out Swiss tour with six concerts was organized in the spring of 1978. "The success confirmed the decision that music and Passaia were a perfect pair," Buser says. "Under the slogan 'Hot Rhythm - Cool Passaia,' we supported the events of the newly founded concert agency Good News as a sponsor. That was just as unique as Rivella's decision to become the first sponsor of the Swiss ski team." From then on, the exotic thirst quencher led the range of beverages on offer at Good News gigs, and the Passaia logo, complete with palm trees, was emblazoned on all concert announcements and posters. In 1979, Passaia sold around 3.5 million liters, thus reaching a temporary peak in production.

Migros takes over

In the mid-1970s, a central switch in the history of Passaia is made, and another Swiss pioneer comes into play: Although it is not Gottlieb Duttweiler personally who takes a liking to Passaia, the buyers at his Migros understand the appeal of passion fruit compared to Coop. Under the name Passinel - a trademark protected by Rivella - the soft drink is added to the range. To mark the 40th anniversary of Passaia, which is also available in a light variant, Migros abandons the "Passinel" brand. "Since then, Migros has been selling Passaia exclusively and sales have been increasing," says a pleased Kurt Minder, who continues to keep an eye on the success of "his" company despite his retirement. Although the eponymous product is the focus at Rivella and the sporty soft drink also accounts for the lion's share of sales, efforts are always being made to keep Passaia in the conversation and, above all, on the table. In 2009, the cult brand undergoes a relaunch. Labels and logos were redesigned from scratch and the fresh appearance was supported by a humorous advertising campaign - with success. Since then, sales of Passaia have been rising steadily.

Now, on the 50th anniversary of the yellow drink, various campaigns are again planned that continue the tradition of guerrilla marketing. "This time, it's not trompe l'oeuil paintings of exotic oases that will be painted on squares and streets," says Monika Christener, head of corporate communications at Rivella. "Via Facebook, we are recruiting brand ambassadors to accompany us throughout the year."

These ambassadors are to represent the Passaia brand and products in their private environment in a positive and, above all, authentic way. "They should invite friends to a barbecue and are supported by us and Migros in doing so ", explains Ms. Christener. "At open-air festivals, they continue the tradition of music and passaia with actions, and of course something is being considered in the environment of the World Cup." Of course, there is also a prize in store for the chosen ambassadors. All will receive a travel voucher worth 200 francs. "The winner of the main prize will fly to Hawaii," reveals Monika Christener. The vending machine campaign will also attract attention, as Passaia is available free of charge here. "Eye-catching vending machines filled only with Passaia will be set up in public places," says Monika Christener. "Anyone who outed themselves as a Passaia- fan on Facebook will receive a QR code that can be used to get a free bottle from the vending machine." Well then, cheers.

Marc Bodmer
 

Publigroupe is selling its historic core business Publicitas and withdrawing from the print market in order to pursue a consistent digital strategy.

This will not have been the last step. By 2016 at the latest, it intends to sell its remaining media holdings. Thanks to these divestments, more than CHF 60 million will be available to help Publigroupe grow again through acquisitions in areas that fit the new strategy.

After the sale was announced, Publigroupe shares rose by a whopping 27.2 percent by 11 a.m. on Wednesday. This figure needs to be put into perspective, as the value of the share fell by a total of 37.9 percent in 2013 as a whole. But the stock market euphoria shows how dissatisfied shareholders were with the once all-powerful Publigroupe. Tens of millions have been squandered in recent years, money has been lost in supposedly promising projects abroad, and one strategy change has followed the next.

The unfortunate strategy was compounded by a marked decline in advertising investment in the print sector, Publigroupe's former goldmine. Despite the sale of many properties, the financial results weakened. This was due to the persistently poor results of the Media Sales division - i.e. Publicitas. Now, Publigroupe has freed itself from its burden and can look to the future with more optimism. Whether it will be rosy, we will see. It will certainly be easier.

The buyer of Publicitas is the Munich-based company Aurelius. A listed investment company that - according to the entry on its website - specializes in the "acquisition of companies with development potential through operational support". It goes on to say, "Through capital injections, new strategic directions and operational support, we achieve positive development for our subsidiaries and secure their future." But even more important is what Donatus Albrecht, Chief M&A Officer of Aurelius, said at Wednesday's media conference in response to the question of why Aurelius, of all companies, believes it can lead Publicitas back to success. Long-time owners often find it difficult to react to market changes, he says. "We are not smarter than today's owners, but we are unencumbered." He adds, "Tougher decisions are possible." If that's not a clear message. But it seems that Publicitas CEO Bandle can now implement his strategy with the full support of the owners. We are curious and keeping our fingers crossed.

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

Ringier's LandLiebe magazine, launched in spring 2011, has a WEMF-certified circulation of 180,139 copies and, according to MACH 2014-1, a current readership of 482,000 people, which corresponds to 2.7 readers per copy. This title information can now be queried in no time at all using the new WEMFApp and - if desired - compared with other titles. Other app-based facts include the price of a 4c page, the cost per 1000 contacts, and the readership structure by gender and three age groups. Circulation and readership structures can also be called up graphically under Figures. They are supplemented with the five most important reader interests based on affinity. In the case of LandLiebe, these are living and furnishing, animals and nature, local and regional information on the subject, and classical and folk music. The LandLiebe example is the media highlight of recent years. Such examples are few and far between. But it shows that the print media market is still developing dynamically and that positive launches are possible. The title has been on the market for just three years. LandLiebe has gained over 80,000 readers or 20 percent since MACH 2013-2!

With an advertising volume of around 1.7 billion Swiss francs, Swiss newspapers and magazines are the most important media genre in this country. The range of titles is correspondingly large and diverse. It ranges from the Anzeiger von Kerzers with 1,452 certified copies (indispensable for the local traders based there!) to Springer Media's million-strong combination with Beobachter, TV Star and Tele with a total of 1,322,000 readers. Both offerings can be accessed with the new WEMF app, as can another 1,000 or so titles in all three language regions.

The WEMF app is not just for media geeks, on the contrary. The simple access makes it possible to get interesting and planning-relevant information with just a few touches. That comes in handy for many. Budding communications planners will also appreciate it. Or anyone who wants a quick overview of titles or media offerings and their costs and services. Or want to know how much coverage the individual print media achieve in the desired business areas. And how large the consumer potential is in these WGs. The information structure with facts (figures) and figures (graphics) brings playful elements to what is in itself a rather dry subject. The same applies to the possibility of comparing two titles. This is possible for readership comparisons whenever both titles are included in the MACH-Basic study, i.e., for around 350 titles.

The print media app is free of charge and can be accessed via Appstore or Android/Google play. Media can be accessed either by title name, media typology, or by publication location or economic area. Once downloaded, the data is updated automatically. This applies to new readership figures, circulation figures and media rates. Thanks to WEMF. The gift to the advertising industry is part of the 50th anniversary of WEMF AG für Werbemedienforschung.

Otto Meier

WEMF app for on the go: Facts & Figures
- Current circulation of around 1,000 Swiss newspapers and magazines supplemented by readership figures from the MACH Basic study.
- Graphical representation of the gender and age structure as well as the five most important interests (affinities) of the respective readership
- Information on the WEMF areas: Number of persons, households as well as reach of MACH titles per economic area.
- In the languages German, French, Italian, English
- App for iOS and Android free to download
 

The government should only put its foot down if self-regulation is not effective. The National Council and Council of States had agreed in principle on a ban on advertising small loans and approved a parliamentary initiative. This was reported by the SDA in a press release on Thursday. The Economic Committee of the National Council then had to draw up a draft law, which the national government agreed to on Wednesday. The proposed restriction of advertising in the revision of the Consumer Credit Act is supported, according to a statement from the Federal Council: aggressive advertising encourages ill-considered credit decisions and increases the risk of over-indebtedness. In addition, advertising aimed specifically at young people should be classified as aggressive and therefore banned.

(Teaser image: Fricktal24.ch)

AZ Medien intends to consolidate its digital activities with the "Digital" division. The aim is to develop the digital business into a relevant division in the medium term and to drive forward the transformation of the core business, according to a press release issued by AZ Medien on Thursday. Peter Neumann, Chief Digital Officer, is responsible for digital marketing, the operation and development of all AZ Medien websites, the development of new business and investments. Editorial and journalistic responsibility will remain with the chief editors.

Peter Neumann was most recently Managing Director of Styria Digital Holding GmbH, based in Graz, with a turnover of around 30 million euros from the classifieds, community and media portals sectors. He previously held various positions at the Holtzbrinck Group for seven years, including Head of New Media Projects. Before moving to Styria Media, he was General Manager Online at the Tagesspiegel Group. Neumann holds a Master's degree in Information Science, Political Science and Marketing from Saarland University in Saarbrücken.

"2014 is a solid vintage. We were able to evaluate many good works on a wide variety of topics," says Christian Huldi, chairman of the jury. The well-mixed jury with specialists from all areas of dialog marketing took a particularly critical approach this year. A further step in the direction of quality of the award was clearly noticeable here", says Milo Stössel, President SDV. This year, once again fewer certificates were awarded than in previous years.

The judging itself took place on March 5 and 6 following the vernissage and exhibition at the Folium. The jurors were pleased with the new digital jurying via iPad and were able to evaluate the works in 17 different categories with little administrative effort. Submit.to, the company that has simplified the judging of awards such as DMVÖ, Caesar, ensured smooth judging, according to the statement. On the part of the jurors, the consistently high quality of the submitted work was praised overall. They saw solid dialog competence with a wide variety of solutions and approaches, and surprisingly strong dialogs in the digital categories.

 

Number of works	Submitter
8	Wirz Wietlisbach Dialog
6	Leo Burnett Switzerland
5	Serviceplan
5	Y&R Group Switzerland
3	GKK Dialog Group
3	One Marketing Services
3	Wirz advertising
2	Ogilvy One
2	Publicis Communications Switzerland
2	Red Works
1	Contexta
1	Eyekon
1	Formula Three
1	Four advertising agency
1	Huguenin
1	Jung von Matt / Limmat
1	Notch Interactive
1	Rembrand
1	SBB
1	Serranetga

New this year, all competition submissions can be viewed in an online exhibition - Click here for the gallery: Sdv-award.ch/online-exhibition

Ever since the "pictures learned to walk", there has been movement in the film scene. And it has been constantly growing. That's why the advertising industry introduced the new term "moving images" for the good old TV commercial a few years ago. Because such an advertising video had to compete more and more with films in other formats at trade fairs, on e-boards or finally on the Internet. Since then, there have been a few more playback options and moving images can be found cross-medially across all communication measures. Only in a few cases is film still the main medium. In most cases, the "seventh art" only functions as a supplement or documentation within a multimedia-staged idea. This development is now increasingly giving rise to lively discussions at film competitions. What should be judged here?

As is now the case at many festivals, pears had to be compared with apples in the same category at the "Klappe" in Hamburg, or case films for the agency's own advertising had to compete against virally distributed gags with no further explanation but 4 million clicks, commercials against interview collages or music videos against a compilation of various weather forecasts. The criteria that the individual jury members wanted to apply were not interpreted in the same way by everyone. It can therefore be summarized here: With the cross-media development, everything works crosswise today and this has also produced completely new crossovers of ideas. The next step should be to incorporate this insight into the competition business. Otherwise, interest in such awards seems to be unabated. With 305 entries, this was 7 percent more than in the previous year. Around 20 percent of them won a hatch. For Switzerland, there were only two bronze awards for Swisscom. There were also no "winners" from Germany. Heimat won the most golds, for Hornbach and Otto. Detailed information on all the winners can be found at Theflap.com.

Andreas Panzeri

You can find the pictures of the article in the PDF version.

 

Many companies are still reluctant to use videos in marketing and are taking a wait-and-see approach. Helsana is different: on the official YouTube channel, there is an expert debate on the topic of "Pros and cons of a single health insurance fund", the various insurance products are explained in animated films, the Helsi cooking shows are about cooking with children and the employer positioning also uses videos to provide information about jobs and careers at Helsana. Kathrin Zimmermann from HR Marketing explains this diverse video commitment with an innovative and error-tolerant corporate culture: "We have innovative people who like to take on a pioneering role in the market and this is encouraged accordingly. " It is therefore not surprising that the approach is different in every area. Instead of a uniform visual language that is coordinated with the corporate identity, there are strikingly different implementations, for which different agencies were brought in.

Finding the right employees with videos

"An agency is no longer absolutely necessary for us when it comes to implementation," says Zimmermann based on her first experiences with videos. Self-confidence and competence have increased, while the inhibition threshold for criticism has fallen and, thanks to the experience gained, it is easier to assert oneself, even if an agency suggests something different. And indeed, a lot has now changed in the second season of job videos. "A modern employer like us must have a fresh image - an authentic employer brand," says Zimmermann, explaining the basic intention. As a health insurer, the Helsana Group (with around 3,000 employees) is active in the insurance industry job market. In order to be perceived by the public in this way, a corresponding amount of extra effort is required. With the filming of the first videos a year and a half ago, the company began to "give Helsana a face as an employer". Together with the Zurich agency schneiter meier, the well-known photographer and film director Alberto Venzago, who had won an award at Edi.08, the Swiss prize for advertising, industrial and corporate films, was hired for this purpose. Making something like this involves a financial commitment, reports Zimmermann, which is why they limited themselves to three videos for the Helsana website. The result is a portrait of a young career changer, for example, to document the flexible progression (one of the three EVPs, [employer value proposition, benefits offered to employees]). A second video stands for social responsibility and shows a manager and her team. The third example of an IT specialist emphasizes the aspect of work-life balance and the attractive size of Helsana as an employer. Zimmermann finds these results "quite successful", but admits that he also received critical feedback. For example, the videos are "rather high-end" and therefore appear rather "elitist". The next HR videos should increasingly "show employees on the job". Instead of a fixed storyboard, there will be questions and employees will be able to answer them freely.

Animations in four languages

As Head of E-Market, Anne-Katrin Maser had a different problem to solve: Health insurance is a complex product and not everyone likes to read through product documentation. At the same time, she herself noticed that "audiovisual content attracts attention" and that informative video formats such as tutorials on YouTube are being used more and more. In 2012, it therefore looked for ways to enable potential customers to find out about Helsana insurance products online using videos. In collaboration with the Cologne agency .dotkomm rich media solutions, the animation as a form of presentation was quite obvious right from the start, reports Maser. They wanted to convey information as "briefly and crisply" as possible and "explain products with a wink". Storyboards were developed together and the first animated videos were produced within three months. These were produced in four languages right from the start, which was "no additional challenge". As a special feature, at the end of a short intro, the viewer can choose how to continue. There is also a signpost on which the various topics can be selected for further in-depth study. The fact that these interactive videos run technically on all devices is "not so easy" and is not possible on YouTube, for example, or only possible with a workaround. Helsana uses these product animations "very widely". Not only on the website, but also on microsites for products, via social media, in mailings, at trade fairs and events as well as internally at training courses. The reactions have been "consistently positive", says Maser. It is appreciated that "there is a different approach to product information".

This is why a video in this style is produced for each new offer, such as the recent "Primeo" supplementary insurance. However, unlike the first videos, the teasers are now "even more compressed" so that the viewer can quickly find their way to the guide. They have also learned that a "strong visual world that arouses interest in the product" is needed at the beginning of a video. When it comes to the future, Maser is considering interactive graphics alongside the animated videos, which can be used to explore the products.

From four to ten shows per year

"Helsi" is the name of a beaver that not only acts as Helsana's mascot, but also as an ambassador for nutrition and exercise with a focus on parents and children. Jacqueline Meister is the project manager responsible for this and she explains that the aim is to offer existing customers added value with attractive content. Although Helsi is available in a full-body costume at various events, he achieves the best reach on the Internet, especially with the Helsi show. Together with two children at a time, top restaurateur Albi von Felten cooks on topics ranging from using up leftovers to Znüni-Ziit and honey magic, and also addresses exercise topics. When this concept was initiated in 2011 together with the Streuplan agency, many more children were involved with a different chef. There was a lot of confusion with a high noise level. Last year, four episodes were produced in a show kitchen over two days of filming and this year, with the same budget of money and time, the aim is to produce ten episodes, each lasting no longer than three minutes. "We want to get to the point more quickly," says Meister, describing one of the insights gained. The Helsi show is advertised in a variety of ways: In the customer magazine Senso, with policy and bill inserts, on Facebook and Twitter, on the website and in the Helsana customer forum. The number of views is tracked via Google Analytics and peaks at almost 39,000. 35% of the views come from Switzerland, with parents often watching the entire video with their children, according to Meister. 40 percent of views are via computer, 60 percent via mobile devices (tablets, smartphones), which is why the Helsi website was redesigned and optimized accordingly in February. Although the Helsi website is multilingual, the Helsi show is currently only available in German for budget reasons. When asked about the future, Meister is excited to see how the adjustments to the show concept will work: "We will continue to build on this experience in our commitment to children's health."

Christoph J. Walther
 

This morning I got some pleasant mail. The collection '200 Best Digital Artists Worldwide' from Lürzer's Archiv was in the mailbox. And me in the middle of it with a double page spread. Cool." With these words Patrick Salonen wanted to express his joy in a blog. And he added, "A reason to keep working hard every day to keep developing new images." That was in the early summer of 2013. And already in January of the current year, an image edited by Salonen of "his" photographer Michel Jaussi has been published again in Lürzer's Archive, this time among the "200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide"

It is true that photos in which digital image processing was in the foreground or "pushed itself to the forefront of the viewer's mind" were sorted out in advance. They will be given another chance next year in the anthology of "Best Digital Artists Worldwide," which the publisher publishes every two years. Either way, however, Jaussi's work for Renault, in which the vehicle's bend lighting (see subject on right page) is staged by Salonen in a gloomy mountain landscape under a tension-filled sky, shows that in today's advertising, emotions can hardly develop their effect without image editing.

Patrick Salonen really started with this art in January 2004. At the beginning of 2014, he was able to celebrate his 10th year of self-employment. "In retrospect: a single success story," he says about the past years. As has been the case in the industry for decades, these have once again brought a concentrated load of new developments. The most obvious of these is CGI - Computer Generated Imagery - or, to put it more graphically, "3D illustrations", which have become the new benchmark and will soon become the norm.

Patrick Salonen started in his profession with a paintbrush. About 20 years ago, he did an apprenticeship as a lithographer at Henzi in Bern. At the time, this "litho shop" was considered one of the leading ones in Europe. Salonen's work with a brush on film was not to last long, however. Already in the course of his apprenticeship, polygraphs took over the reins with a new technique. Since then, the specialist has "experienced everything" via the first image processing systems to the Mac.

When Henzi was taken over and finally dissolved in 1997, a new opportunity opened up for the young professional in Thun. Salonen was "thrown in at the deep end" at the advertising agency Weber AG. He was allowed to set up and drive forward the entire litho production and, in the meantime, more and more popular image processing within the small agency. He had to acquire most of his knowledge autodidactically, because "even today, you can't officially learn image editing. Most specialists are photographers, graphic designers or polygraphs who have "somehow" moved on. However, an official regulation of the profession is likely to become an issue soon.

Autodidact and pioneer

By the end of 2003, Patrick Salonen had acquired so much artistry that he wanted to "go full-on image editing." He quit the advertising agency and founded his own company in Bern in January 2004. At that time, he knew of three companies in Zurich that could compete with him. In Bern, however, he was the top dog for the time being. In the first years, however, the established and still active litho companies were a problem for the young entrepreneur. Although they had hardly specialized in this area, they still didn't want to give up the lucrative image processing. Nevertheless, Patrick Salonen constantly received new orders with his start-up and was "also very lucky": Michel Jaussi, the well-known advertising photographer, trusted the young colleague from the very beginning and brought him many orders. The two still work closely together today. Even back then, their clients included VW Switzerland and Swiss Post, for example.

In Bern Salonen was installed with his image processing in office community with the photographer Guy Jost. He also works with this photographer, who specializes primarily in food and still life, very often and still does. "These regular jobs gave me a bit of security," recalls Patrick Salonen, because as a young father he already had to provide for a family during the first phase of his self-employment. In the meantime, there are five children between the ages of 3 months and 12 years. Nevertheless, Barbara Salonen is now working as a teacher again. "Her profession means a lot to my wife. That was also a reason why I moved back to Thun with my studio in 2013." At his family's place of residence, it was easier for the father to cover the one or other lunch hour per week as a cook for the kids. In an initial phase, the self-employed man even worked from home. "But because certain jobs often kept me out of the house for days at a time, I jumped at the chance when it came up in the old town." With a five-minute commute on his bike or a 20-minute walk, the busy man can now air out his head in an ideal way when he's once again stressed out by increasingly fast-paced deadlines. "Then I'm open again at home for my family."

Today, Patrick Salonen also finds a growing share of his jobs through his representative office in Germany. "As a one-man business, I often lack the time to acquire. Nevertheless, I don't want to expand my business. Those who come to me come because of my style of work and thus also want to be served personally. It doesn't help much if I delegate the work to an assistant and then still have to correct it again at the end." Two years after becoming self-employed, his first major international job came about through the agency Kombinatroweiss in Frankfurt. Salonen was given the opportunity to spend a week retouching a campaign for Deutsche Bahn at Ogilvy & Mather in Frankfurt. This assignment also developed into a lasting relationship. During a side trip to Germany by car with his computer and screen, Patrick Salonen discovered the need to be able to offer his services "on location" elsewhere during special assignments. "During a photo shoot, you start roughly assembling the puzzle pieces on the computer while still on set. This way, initial results can be approved by the client and agency right away, which saves an enormous amount of time." Likewise, an assignment "on sturgeon" at agencies can make sense for individual projects. "You can develop the subjects in direct interaction with the creatives."

Growing market

Image editing is needed practically everywhere today. "Hardly any image is not edited. Amazing effects are achieved with watches and jewelry. In beauty and fashion, the technology has become indispensable," says Salonen. He himself is less involved in this field. But he has all the more experience in the car advertising segment. This is especially true in collaboration with Michel Jaussi. The team is very strong in the field of landscapes. And here, Jaussi and Salonen have also discovered a market that they want to explore further together with Kombinatroweiss. For example, this could involve winter shots with new models from the automotive industry. In Germany, there are hardly any mountains for suitable photo shoots. Jaussi, on the other hand, has an archive with thousands of landscape photographs from Switzerland. The photographed or rendered cars are inserted into these templates.

The technology for this is becoming more sophisticated by the day. Since Patrick Salonen printed out the first fully rendered 3D image using CGI technology in 2007, numerous further developments have already been added. "It's a constant learning process," the accomplished digital artist knows. And he smiles when he thinks about how a photographer used to spend days poking holes in a cardboard box with a needle so that he could finally use a backlight to suggest a "starry sky." The image editor demonstrates how this art of illusion works today on his website www.patricksalonen.ch, also with his own making-of. This earns him a lot of feedback. He is aware that this also makes public "what the photographer delivers. But after all, he works closely as a team with all his partners. "And the change in the sense of an even stronger statement is our job."

Andreas Panzeri

 

The focus is on multi-device solutions for digital advertising and digital branding. Of course, the focus is always on cross-media communication. The appointment of Patrik Giacobbo is intended to strengthen the agency's digital expertise and thus further boost the unit's growth.

Patrik Giacobbo left the advertising agency Achtgrad, which he co-founded two years ago, at the end of 2013. Before joining Achtgrad, he had already worked as Creative Director for Noise for around three years. Prior to that, he was Head of Creation at Namics Germany and worked as Art Director at the agencies Assai Interactive and Wirz Interactive.

Patrik Leuenberger and Christian Frey complete the management team.
 

Roland Bernhard studied business administration in Zurich and the USA and graduated with an MBA. Commenting on his approach with Vivaldi, he says: "We don't see the brand as a design issue, but as a business issue. The brand should be something that creates value for the business."

WW: What is the background or purpose of the Always-On Consumer Study? Roland Bernhard: The study is being published at a time when Always-On Consumers (AOCs) make up almost half of the total US population - and the trend is rising! In other words: very soon we will be able to count a large proportion of consumers among the 'AOCs'. It is therefore this 'tipping point' that gives the issue such urgency. If you want to know what will make the majority of consumers tick in the future, you need to understand the 'AOC'.

Is this the first time this study has been written? When did the industry start talking about the "always-on consumer"?
The marketing world has been looking at the always-on consumer with growing interest for some time now. This phenomenon was originally coined by Forrester, among others, two years ago. The current study by Vivaldi Partners now examines the strategic implications for the future relationship between brands and consumers in detail for the first time.

How exactly are these consumers defined?
The always-on consumer is constantly online, several times a day via multiple devices in different places. These consumers differ from "classic" consumers less in terms of demographic factors and more in terms of their greatly changed purchasing and consumer behavior.

What is specific to the consumer behavior of these consumers?
Our study shows that the always-on consumer is much more selective when it comes to brands and their communication/advertising. Attention is primarily attracted by offers with substantial added value that reach them at the right moment and in the right context. However, according to our findings, there are different patterns of behavior. This means that always-on is not the same as always-on.

What do you consider to be a really new finding from this study?
The always-on consumer is much more independent, focused and determined in their purchasing decisions than we are used to. They no longer necessarily follow the principle of the classic purchase funnel from the age of mass media. Marketing managers must therefore be able to accompany consumers on their personal purchase decision path and intervene at the right moment, in the right place and in the right context. To do this, they need to build up completely new skills in their marketing organization - according to our findings, primarily along the cornerstones of big data, location-based technology and mobile platforms. This represents an enormous challenge for marketing managers. Against this backdrop, we also speak of "digital Darwinism". Those who are not able to adapt to this change will become irrelevant to consumers and will therefore be pushed aside.

What are the other key findings of the study?
In order to meet the demands of the always-on consumer, the entire value chain must be specifically geared towards this new type of consumer. This goes far beyond the traditional understanding of marketing or communication. Tailor-made offers are needed that do justice to the consumer behavior of AOCs and can be translated into corresponding products and services. Streaming services, shared mobility, mobile payment, etc. - new formats are already emerging in many sectors that go hand in hand with the changing consumer behavior of AOCs.

Why do always-on consumers deal with brands differently than traditional consumers?
The main reason is that they can no longer be bombarded with one-sided advertising messages around the clock via mass media. Consumers in the USA already spend more time on their smartphones than in front of the TV, and in China even twice as much time. On this new "first screen", consumers are in control - of what content they want to see and what they want to share with their friends; what recommendations they follow from their friends and what recommendations they make themselves. But consumers don't just use their smartphones and tablets to get information, they also use them directly for mobile shopping. The gap between information intake, purchase and, in some cases, distribution is shrinking. Completely new mechanisms are needed to achieve relevance in this process.

Did the study also reveal any surprises?
We have been dealing with changing consumer behavior in the dawning digital age for several years now. Nevertheless, it is astonishing how strongly these new consumers are no longer characterized by the so-called digital natives or millennials, but represent a rapidly growing group. This is precisely the reason why it is so important to take a very targeted and strategic look at your own business model now and transform it in a customer-oriented way.

With this study, your company is predicting the end of traditional market research: Isn't that a bit tongue in cheek?
You could say that until now, marketers have relied on traditional market research to learn about consumers. We assume that learning and acting will merge into a mutual exchange in the future. Traditional market research can no longer achieve this. Instead of measuring consumers' attitudes towards a brand, in future marketers will need methods that enable them to track the entire consumer journey right up to the point of purchase in real time - at the "point of action" and across all channels.

The study also calls for brand experiences instead of advertising: do you think advertising agencies are ready for such a step?
I think the question is not so much whether advertising agencies are ready, but rather whether they can achieve this. Advertising agencies have their strength in the broad dissemination of brand messages and in changing the image and attitudes of consumers towards brands on a broad front. However, other means are required to motivate the AOC to make a purchase. As a rule, the company will have to offer much more contextually relevant messages, products and services via a large number of contact points and thus be able to react in real time to the situational circumstances of consumers. The brand experiences created in this way go far beyond pure communication and have a direct sales impact. The strategic focus is shifting towards creating digital infrastructures and tools that enable managers to do just that. Nestlé is a good example of this. The company set up its own "Digital Acceleration Team", which uses digital tools around the clock to stay in constant contact with consumers. The success of such measures can be tracked in real time and enables marketing managers to continuously take on a steering role.

The study was conducted in the USA. Do the findings also apply to Europe and Switzerland in particular?
Yes, the study was conducted in the USA and there is no doubt that consumers in the home of Google, Apple & Co are already more "digitalized". In our opinion, however, it is only a matter of time before this trend manifests itself even more clearly here in Switzerland.

The Vivaldi Partners Group is behind the study: What is the elevator pitch for this company?
With our customer-centric consulting approach, we specialize in growth - be it through positioning and managing the brand experience, outside-in based development of innovations or through the development of digital marketing strategies.

You represent Vivaldi Partners in Switzerland: How big is your consultancy firm and what projects are you involved in?
We are a global boutique management consultancy with our head office in New York and a strong presence in German-speaking countries. Our global team of around 100 employees works for multinational clients from all industries. In Zurich, we have six consultants plus a back office. Our goal is to grow to around 10 consultants. For all projects, however, we have the opportunity for an international exchange with our network. We have a pool of people throughout Europe and, if required, also in the USA, depending on the topic and sector. Many of our clients also have an international presence. We can mirror this accordingly. Our clients in Switzerland include UBS, Rivella, Swarovski, Lego, Lonza, SIX, etc.

What are your goals with Vivaldi in Switzerland?
We want to become the first choice for clients in Switzerland who want to achieve profitable growth through customer-centric development of their brand, offering and business model.
 
Interview: Andreas Panzeri

Vivaldi Partners identifies five key segments that are relevant to address from a marketing perspective:

Social Bumblebees (22% of AOCs) spend a lot of time online, especially on social networks, often make spontaneous purchases online, often on the move
Mindful Explorers (27%) like to remain inconspicuous, protect their privacy and shop online for various reasons - but always after thorough research and consideration
Deal Hunters (13%) are to a certain extent the bargain hunters among the AOCs - price/performance is what counts for them
Focused Problem Solvers (18%) go online for comparatively short and targeted periods, largely ignore online advertising and usually remain loyal to their existing brands
Ad Blockers (20%) shop online very selectively and completely ignore advertising and branded content

The study in PDF format