Marcellus Gau becomes the new consulting group manager. The 44-year-old will assume responsibility for this area together with the partners. His areas of specialization include integrated brand strategy and digital communication. Most recently, he was Managing Director at Publicis Communications in Zurich. He has worked for brands such as Nike, Adidas, Mercedes, BMW, Dacia, UBS and Nestlé. Gau has a degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from the Hamburg Media School.

Margarethe Dopf has joined the team as Senior Project Manager. The 32-year-old looks back on several years of international experience in agencies - with a focus on the planning, development and implementation of digital media in market and corporate communications. She has worked for brands such as Kambly, Swarovski, Knorr, PwC, BMW and Siemens. Dopf was most recently project manager at Screenlight Interactive in Zollikerberg. She has a university degree with a focus on digital communication.

This weekend, the bill on the financing and expansion of the rail infrastructure (Fabi) was approved by a clear majority of over 60 percent. The Swiss Transport Club (VCS), which campaigned for this vote as part of the public transport alliance, played a part in this success. To thank the "yes" voters, especially the many car drivers, for their good decision, the VCS aired this spot yesterday evening immediately after the vote. It was conceived by the agency Spinas Civil Voices and dramatizes the advantages - especially those of car drivers - in a surprising way.

Responsible at the VCS: Nina Regli (Campaign Manager), Jérôme Faivre (PR Officer). Responsible at Spina's Civil Voices: Matthias Freuler and Stephan Huwiler (creation), Corinne Bucher and Olivia Spinatsch (consulting), Meier Productions (production), Alexander Meier, Tom Malecha (direction/cinematography), Lorenz Spinas (overall responsibility).
 

The countertrend was long overdue. Until now, links could not be short and simple enough. No matter how complex, long and confusing - so-called "URL shorteners" like Bit.ly, Goog.le or Tiny.cc used to keep order and clarity in the daily link jungle by shortening long URLs to just a few characters. This procedure was not known to all, but at least to almost all, as the following practical example shows:

Nerd-in-skirt.com

This is now an end. The service Mega URL sets new standards and turns handy links into confusing, extremely long character orgies. This is what the world has been waiting for.

via Drlima.net

This celebrated senselessness can actually only be topped by a URL service: Shady URL. Motto: "Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening." Here, harmless links are decorated with terms from pornography and phishing to create URLs that certainly no one will open - if they were able to overcome a spam barrier at all. If the world didn't wait for Mega URL, then at least for Shady URL. (hae)

This was announced by the Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association (SBVV) on Monday. The total industry turnover was not explicitly communicated, but according to the information available it is likely to be between 430 and 450 million francs. A study carried out by Media Control on behalf of the SBVV puts the number of books sold in German-speaking Switzerland at around 20 million. 17 million of these were sold by the Swiss book trade. Just over a third of these were in the fiction category. Every fifth book purchased was a children's book.

According to SBCA estimates, e-books account for around eight percent of total sales. This corresponds to a doubling compared to the previous year, but is a far cry from the figures in the Anglo-Saxon book market, where e-books generate a quarter of sales. (SDA)

Image: Keystone

In many occupational fields at VBZ, there are practically only men, for example in the area of automation, among truck mechanics or engineers. With streetcar pilots, on the other hand, the allocation is less pronounced, according to a statement. Therefore, VBZ recruits here on the broad labor market, where women make up almost 50 percent. Unconventional personnel campaigns, conceived by Ruf Lanz, repeatedly recruit women in a targeted manner.

With success, as Jörg Buckmann, head of human resources at VBZ, explains: "Thanks to our campaigns, we were able to recruit more female streetcar pilots in 2013 than ever before. 41 percent of all the tramp pilots we hired are women." In 2013, the NZZ and the Tages-Anzeiger reported on the success of the VBZ personnel campaigns. According to Jörg Buckmann, however, women only apply to this extent if they are approached consistently. "During the campaign phases, we notice a smooth doubling of applications from women."

That is why the next personnel campaign is now starting. Ruf Lanz is focusing on an important element of the tramp pilots' (and of course the tramp pilots') profession: their professional dress. The typical VBZ blue is promoted like a fashion trend. Last Friday (February 7), for example, VBZ lustfully infiltrated the style double page in the Friday edition of 20 Minuten, which is popular with the female target group. Instead of a star, VBZ tramp Melanie Mos presented her favorite pieces in the editorial vessel. Contributions in fashion blogs and on Facebook supported the campaign.

At the same time, style expert Clifford Lilley praises the advantages of the fresh trend color blue and the possible combinations of VBZ workwear in radio spots. Local television and radio stations have already picked up on the unusual campaign and increased the advertising impact.

The Style page in Friday as it normally looks:

Enlarged image

The infiltration by VBZ:

Enlarged image

Responsible at Zurich Public Transport: Jörg Buckmann (Head of Human Resources Management), Natascha Schüepp (Project Management). Responsible at Ruf Lanz: Markus Ruf, Danielle Lanz (CD), Marcel Schläfle (Art Direction), Florian Birkner (Text), Sabrina Luck, Nathalie Jakober (Consulting). Photography: Paolo Emmanuele. Retouching: Markus Graf, Aschmann Klauser. Production of radio spots: Selmi recording studio, Zurich.
 

Publisuisse's net sales in 2013 comprise CHF 285 million from classic TV advertising (down three percent on the previous year) and CHF 39 million from the other business areas (TV and radio sponsorship and cross-media). Net profit after taxes was around two million francs.

A difficult year for the Swiss advertising market

The introduction of a new measurement system to survey TV usage has been met with great turbulence, according to a statement. As a result, the TV market had to make do without audience ratings in the first half of the year. This led to a sharp drop in sales for publisuisse in the first half of the year. Despite a significant increase in sales in the second half of the year, publisuisse was no longer able to compensate for the financial losses.

Good start to 2014

The year 2014 has started well for Publisuisse. "The advertising blocks on SRG SSR channels have booked very well in the first few months," says Martin Schneider, Director of Publisuisse. He also describes the positive developments in the area of audience research as very pleasing. Various optimizations in the TV panel requested by the market have already been successfully implemented by Mediapulse, and others are still in progress. In addition, technical tests have systematically verified the measurement accuracy of the new TV measurement system. "The results show that the recording of usage and the separation of the various station signals work well," Schneider emphasizes.

According to the statement, the 41-year-old has many years of journalistic experience, holds a master's degree in business communications and worked for Radio 24 for about 15 years in various functions. "Few people are lucky enough to fulfill a professional dream. I have the great privilege of already fulfilling a second big dream after working at Radio 24. I'm really looking forward to my new challenge in the airline industry and I'm even more delighted that it's with Edelweiss Air," says Meier about his employment.
 

Under the direction of Creative Director Gabriel Peisker and together with photographer Alexander Magerl, great images have been created. They show workers using their high-precision PB Swiss Tools tools to complete challenging jobs in spectacular locations. After last year's vertigo-free assignment on a gondola, an exciting working environment was found again this year: a huge dam wall. Surrounded by the mountain peaks of Le Cheval Blanc, Pic de Tenneverge, Mt. Ruan and Tour Sallière, Lac d'Emosson is surrounded by an arched wall at 1930 m above sea level. M. is dammed by an arched wall. The perfect scenario for a PB Swiss Tools shoot and at the same time a motif that perfectly conveys Swissness in an international environment.

Thomas Schlapbach from PB Swiss Tools: "Photographing in this setting was fantastic. These photos will inspire our international customers once again."

The key visual is also the cover for the product catalog. The introduction to the chapters is introduced by further images from the shoot. The photos are also used from the campaign to the Internet and POS.

Responsible at PB Swiss Tool: Thomas Schlapbach. Responsible at Erdmannpeisker: Gabriel Peisker (CD), Christina Weisser (AD), Rainer Neusius (consulting). Photographer: Alexander Magerl
 

Theater Winkelwiese kicks off the new 2014 theater season with the theme "In Other Worlds", opening with the Swiss premiere of "Constellations" by Nick Payne. The season will be followed by further performances, readings and exciting panel discussions. Theater Winkelwiese, which has been at the forefront of auteur theater in the German-speaking world for many years, will thus continue to provide theatrical surprises for the coming season.

Vizner Borel is staging the new season with the Winkel season magazine, advertisements, postcards, cinema slides, banners and F4 posters.

Responsible at Theater Winkelwiese: Stephan Roppel (overall responsibility); Andrea Schmid (dramaturgy). Responsible at Vizner Borel: Lajos Vizner, Guillaume Borel (overall responsibility); Florian Steiner (art direction); Martina Glaser (consulting). Photography: Kuhn-Derron (angle), Rainer Schär (poster, ads, postcards, Kinodia, banner).

 

From the cult Ice Tea Lemon to the washing-up liquid Handy to the popular Candida toothpaste, the employees of the various Migros industrial operations produce around 10,000 articles that are only available at Migros. In close cooperation between the cooperatives, the Migros industry and the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, the multi-year initiative "From us. From here." has been developed.

"'From us. From here.' reflects back on our DNA, on the heart of the Migros brand. It focuses on the rich range of products that we make ourselves. These products are part of the Migros identity, just like the orange M," says Marc Engelhard, Head of Marketing Communications, explaining the significance of the initiative.

At the center of the launch campaign are two spots featuring different typical Migros products. Viewers imagine they are on a journey through the store and its associated industrial plants. The spots show, for example, the humorously exaggerated production worlds of Anna's Best Pizzas or those of the cult lemon ice tea. 16 production sites were documented in advance. Only then was it decided which were particularly suitable for the story to be told. The industrial plants and the Migros branch in the TV spots were integrated into the spots partly by means of real replicas, partly by means of complex 3D computer graphics. Four days were spent filming in a large hall in Lausanne. "We have never recreated a branch and six different industrial locations in one hall at the same time. This required a lot of preparation work from the production company, the agency and especially the director," Marc Engelhard specifies the production.

The launch of the "From us. From here." program will be accompanied by a collection campaign in which surprise packages containing products from the company's own industry will be given away. This campaign is supported by a TV reminder spot, a special cover of the Migros magazine, as well as posters, advertisements, and online advertising media. Various POP measures also bring "From us. From here." into Migros stores.
"After 'Generation M', we are launching a program for the second time that is much more than an advertising campaign. 'From us. From here.' is an initiative that comes straight from the heart of Migros and combines many different programs," says Marc Engelhard. The campaign now is just the beginning, Migros' Head of Marketing Communications continues.

TV commercial cut variant with cult Ice Tea lemon:

TV commercial cut variant with cell phone and bifidus:

Making-of TV spots:

Reminder surprise package:

Responsible at Migros: Hansueli Siber (Head of Marketing), Marc Engelhard (Head of Marketing Communications), Roman Reichelt (Head of Umbrella Brand), Désirée Strassmann (Project Manager Umbrella Brand), Philipp Kuonen (Project Manager Umbrella Brand), Lara Rohrer (Intern Umbrella Brand), Philipp Marquard (Head of Media), Simone Blaser (Project Manager Media). Responsible at Jung von Matt/Limmat: Alexander Jaggy (Executive Creative Direction), Samuel Christ (Creative Direction), Mateo Sacchetti, Maren Beck (Text); Daniel Serrano, Mario Moosbrugger (Art Direction); Lukas Frischknecht (Graphics); Sarida Bossoni, Deborah Herzig (Art Buying); Thomas Steiner, Marie-Hélène Thornton, Sebastian Suter (Consulting); Philipp Bühler (public relations); Caro Büchel, Pumpkin Film (producer); Alex Feil, Götz Hudelmeier (direction); Jan Döppert (camera); Hear Dis (music); Jingle Jungle (mix); BaconX (post production); Tobias Stahel (photography); Lorenz Wahl (image editing). Responsible at Wirz Advertising: Valentin Cheli (art direction/realization); Ada Tanner, Barbara Hartmann (art direction); Katja Schlosser, Seung-Yun Oh (graphics); Franziska Pennington (text); Hanspeter Schweizer (creative direction); Gordon Nemitz (strategic planning); Marion Schwager, Christine Zeller (consulting); Nicole Suter (art buying); Peter Hebeisen (photography); Fluxif (3D/rendering).
 

As the newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag writes in its current issue, e-mails from some Tamedia employees contain the footnote "Attention: The confidentiality of your e-mail cannot be guaranteed." The new regulations allow supervisors and work colleagues to access e-mails, electronic data or paper documents "if and to the extent necessary for deputization." As Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer explained to the newspaper, the regulation was introduced "to make transparent the possibility of access that already exists by law." Employees would have to actively protect private data by creating separate filing cabinets.

Some Tamedia employees intervened against the new regulation with the data protection officer, as the protection of sources is particularly important for journalists. The request was unsuccessful. According to Zimmer, however, Tamedia wants to take responsibility for source protection and only access data when all other possibilities to prevent damage have been exhausted. (SaS/hae)

Image magnifying glass: Keystone

In the past week, I was at several events. I would like to highlight two of them in particular. Firstly, the traditional meeting of the Tages-Anzeiger in the Schiffbau in Zurich and then the joint event of the Zurich Press Association and the Zurich PR Society in the Audimax of the ETH Zurich, the ComSum14, which has also become a tradition.

Let me start with the Shipbuilding Meeting. A high-profile event with celebrities from business, politics, advertising and the media. As always, the focus was on a prominent speaker. This year it was the German philosopher and publicist (including "Who am I - and if so, how many?"; "The art of not being an egoist") Richard David Precht. At the beginning, a presentation by Pietro Supino, Chairman of the Tamedia Board of Directors. Among other things, it was about the importance of journalism and about the freedom of the press, which is increasingly endangered also in Switzerland. The presentation was concise and had the right length or brevity. I thought it was good.

Then came the appearance of Richard David Precht. In terms of appearance and styling, he belonged to the faction of fashionable salon intellectuals, and spoke about egoism and morality. Philosophy, a topic that - as Precht also said in his welcome address - makes very few listeners fall into ecstasy with enthusiasm. But what Precht made of it in his detailed lecture was, in my opinion, remarkable. He "lectured" on what is in itself a rather dull topic - and in a good sense - in such a way that he was sure of the audience's unrestricted attention. His trains of thought were clear and coherent, the examples impressive. And all this in free speech, without a manuscript and ready to print. Even in the subsequent discussion with TA editor-in-chief Res Strehle, Precht remained calm. Not even with questions on specifically Swiss topics. I liked it.

This week, ComSum14 took place under the theme "The Digital Challenge. Frank Schirrmacher, Pietro Supino, Christine Maier and Veit Dengler were announced. Miriam Meckel, who had originally been announced, sent her apologies in advance. Schirrmacher, who was to have given an introductory talk, dropped out due to illness. Supino thankfully stepped in and gave an interesting presentation. But that was it. A completely chaotic Lipp moderated a boring, sprawling talk far removed from the topic. Ironic a Twitterer: "Maier has nothing to say, Supino is attacked, Dengler doesn't care. Was a great evening." He's right. Sorry colleagues: I didn't like it.

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