38-year-old Csaba Kötcsei brings a wealth of experience in building online businesses. After studying business administration at the universities of Passau/Budapest/University of St. Gallen (HSG), he first worked as a consultant at the web service provider Namics. Later, he managed the day-to-day business in Hungary at the largest digital agency Kirovski/Isobar for seven years, the last years as COO. For this reason, in addition to his role as Country Manager, Kötcsei will also be responsible for the expansion of the Adello Group in Europe as "Head of Business Development".

Simon Meier, CFO of Adello, is pleased about the new addition: "He has been connected with Mark Forster and me for some time now due to the time we spent together at HSG and the overlapping circle of friends. Due to his background and management experience, he was always the ideal choice for us. After a long time, the time has finally been right to win him over for us."

A new challenging job awaits Csaba Kötcsei. "We had been talking to each other for a long time. I was always impressed by Adello's success. However, at the latest since the launch of "AdCTRL", I realized that a unique opportunity was opening up here at Adello. As the business is developing so rapidly, it makes high demands in terms of flexibility and also in terms of service quality. As Country Manager, I am happy to learn first-hand about the needs of the subsidiaries on the one hand, while on the other hand, as Head of Business Development, I optimize the processes for the ambitious, controlled growth," Kötcsei summarizes his motivation.
 

True to the motto "You can't do better with Ovaltine. But longer." After 2012, Ovomaltine is once again sponsoring everyone who sticks with it. Anyone who fulfills one of the sponsorship reasons advertised on posters and ads can sign up at the Website as well as newly via a Facebook tab on the Ovaltine profile as it says in a press release. Various familiar everyday situations are available for selection, such as "You've already applied for an apartment for the 10th time". If the user can prove his unsuccessful apartment search, Ovaltine will send him home with an extra portion of energy in the form of twelve Ovo drinks. The promotion has been running since the end of March and will continue until the end of July 2013.

Responsible at Wander: Bettina Marthaler (Marketing Manager Ovaltine), Miriam Wälti (Brand Manager Ovaltine). Responsible at Leo Burnett: Pablo Schencke, Johannes Raggio, Fabian Windhager (creation), Johannes Raggio (ECD), Fiona Gottwald, Michael Gassler (consulting). Responsible at Webguerillas: Richard Wegele (Art), Ennio Cadau (Text), Michel Bognar (Social Media), Elie Kerbage (PR), Michael Kohlbach (Programming), Tatjana Meichtry, Philipp Pongracz (Consulting).

On January 2, 2012, Swiss television broadcast a special program on botulinum toxin (Botox) in the health magazine "Puls". Among other things, the audience was informed about the medical and cosmetic application possibilities, as well as the billion-euro business for the manufacturers.

Necessary aspect

In 2012, the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI) came to the conclusion, following a complaint by the Association Against Animal Factories (VgT), that the necessary animal testing in connection with Botox should also have been addressed in this broadcast. By omitting the relevant information, the requirement to provide appropriate information had been violated. The Federal Supreme Court has now confirmed this decision and dismissed the appeal by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG). According to the judges in Lausanne, the UBI's decision is justifiable, contrary to the SRG's view. The report in question had been announced as a special program solely on the subject of Botox. Viewers were therefore entitled to assume that they would be informed about all aspects necessary for them as patients or consumers.

Influence the opinion of customers

The information that an estimated several hundred thousand mice would die each year in animal experiments with Botox should not have been ignored. The fact that more animal testing would be necessary with increasing consumption of Botox would have been suitable for influencing the attitude of potential customers. According to the court, a magazine that emphasizes its service and advice function should not be expected to conceal the aspect of animal testing. Only by mentioning the animal suffering associated with the production of Botox could the public have formed a complete opinion of its own.

The fact that the consumer magazine "Kassensturz" had addressed the issue of animal testing with Botox five years previously did not change this. Nor was it sufficient that a critical article on animal testing had appeared on the SRG homepage in a supplementary article to the Puls program. (SDA)
 

The consumption of digital media is increasing at a rapid pace. As a result, digital marketing is also continuously gaining in importance. For this reason, IAB Switzerland has created a guide in the newly founded specialist group "Agencies" under the leadership of Claus Bornholt, which is intended to help companies find the right partner for their projects in the jungle of agencies, according to a statement.

Guidance for agency evaluation

The guide explains in detail the procedural steps from the rough selection to the final decision and signing of the contract. Particular attention is paid to the strongly project-oriented way of working in digital marketing. The guide also explains the different types of digital marketing agencies, the tendering process and the selection procedure. The guide is available online at Iab-switzerland.ch retrievable.

Active specialist group "Agencies

The IAB specialist group "Agencies" will publish further guides in the course of the year. Documents on the topics of "fee regulations", "contract conclusion", "copyright" and "source code" are planned. The specialist group would like to develop these guides in cooperation with other associations such as Simsa and BSW.
 

Andrés Luther, lic. phil., has held various leadership positions in the communications division at Credit Suisse over the past ten years, serving as Head of Group Communications since 2005 and as Co-Head of Corporate Communications since 2011. Prior to that, he was Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Day Software, an Internet software company that is now part of Adobe.

Image: Realwwz.ch
 

Schweiz am Sonntag speculated last week that since Tamedia was not interested in the Landbote, the gates were wide open for Christoph Blocher and a new newspaper group (Werbewoche.ch reported). However, Blocher expressed himself to the NZZ am Sonntag with a disappointed undertone: It was common knowledge that the Landbote was de facto owned by the Tamedia publishing house - thoughts on the subject were therefore superfluous for him.

Tamedia is said to have made a purchase offer, but it was too low for the owner family. If Blocher or a third party were to place a higher bid, Tamedia would be allowed to buy at that price thanks to its right of first refusal. So it seems that Christoph Blocher has no interest in the role of price driver. Because Tamedia - contrary to last week's reports - is not leaving the Winterthur field to him without a fight. This is also confirmed by Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer: "Should the owner family decide to sell, it is clear that Tamedia is one of the possible partners."

The NZZ am Sonntag brings another interested party into play - the NZZ Group is also said to have submitted a bid. But the latter does not want to comment on its own newspaper. There is speculation, however, that Tamedia would have much more trouble with the NZZ as a buyer than with Blocher, who would have to reckon with a subscriber slump in the red-green city of Winterthur (as was the case in Basel at the time) - in the event of an NZZ takeover, the Tages-Anzeiger would not be able to take over any migrating subscribers.

And last but not least, Peter Wanner from AZ Medien is also brought into play. Because he would "not a priori say no" to the Landbote if asked. Wanner is in competition with Blocher in Basel and seems to have no interest in expanding Blocher's media power. Industry insiders suspect that it was no coincidence that it was one of Wanner's newspapers that brought Blocher's supposed intentions in Winterthur into the conversation. In this way, the Ziegler heirs were to be dissuaded from selling to Blocher. (hae)
 

Actually, YouTube’s five-second skip window is quite generous compared to other platforms, which keep viewers in suspense for much longer. It’s a little surprising, though, that most of the ads shown on the video platform don’t reveal the advertising message until near the end—by which time an estimated 95 percent of users have already and couldn’t even say which product was being advertised during those four half-heartedly watched seconds.

The Spanish agency DDB has taken a creative approach to this "skip" culture and produced an ad for the new Golf GTI that’s hard to skip—because it lasts only about two seconds. Too fast—even for the fastest skippers. (hae)
 

According to Schweiz am Sonntag, the two initiators are Hardy Lussi, a former member of the board of directors of Sat 1 Switzerland and managing director of Pro Sieben Sat 1 Media Switzerland, and Mike Gut, who served as both program director and managing director of Sat 1 Switzerland and Pro Sieben Switzerland.

Lussi, who also worked on the Tele 24 project, believes that the conditions for private television in Switzerland have improved significantly. He is convinced that S1«s planned »Swissness« concept will resonate with viewers and advertisers. Under the slogan »S1 – the new Swiss channel,« around 30 percent of prime-time content is to be Swiss—compared to just 10 percent on 3+. Plans include a dedicated comedy show designed to break SRF’s »comedy monopoly« (Giacobbo/Müller). Documentaries and older entertainment formats such as »Homerun” (Sat 1 Switzerland) are also set to feature in the lineup. Lussi has also expressed interest in political programs—his wish would be to see “Roger vs. Roger” on TV.

Through a partnership with ZDF, S1 will be able to access the largest library of German-language programming. The fact that Lussi cites Rosamunde Pilcher films as an example, in addition to documentaries, shows that the channel is targeting the 35+ demographic—an audience similar to that of SRF. According to Lussi, the goal is to offer not a «niche product» but rather «programming suitable for the mass audience.» The reason for focusing on a more mature audience is clear: very young people are turning away from traditional television, while the target demographic is growing larger (due to the aging population).

The identities of the financiers are unknown. However, research by Schweiz am Sonntag shows that the funding does not come from private sources; rather, the station is backed by investors who bring «media, distribution, and marketing expertise» to the table. In addition, a major media company is said to be backing the project. If everything goes according to plan, the channel will launch in October 2013. The lean channel has no cameras or studios of its own and outsources marketing to an external partner. (hae/SaS)
 

The 15-minute film, which has already screened at various festivals in Europe and the U.S. and won several awards (Werbewoche.ch reported), is one of nine short films nominated in the «Narrative» category. It explores the dilemma of social class divisions in Latin America through the lens of a story of abuse. Co-produced by Contrast Film Zurich, the film is Mauro Mueller’s thesis project at Columbia University in New York, where he studied film directing and screenwriting. Executive producer Ivan Madeo was, until recently, a copywriter and concept developer at Publicis Zurich.

A Coveted Trophy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which also presents the Oscars, annually honors works by film students with the «Student Oscar.» To date, two Swiss filmmakers have received the coveted trophy: Reto Caffi for «Auf der Strecke» in 2009 in the «Best Foreign Student Film» category, and Michael Schaerer for «Warmth» in 2001 in the «Alternative Fiction» category. The 40th edition of the awards ceremony will take place on June 8, 2013, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills (USA).

Pietro Supino, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Zurich-based media company, quickly ticked off item after item on the agenda. The shareholders approved all the proposals of the Board of Directors. A dividend of CHF 4.50 will be distributed. In addition, Claudia Coninx-Kaczynski and Martin Kall were elected to the Board of Directors. They replace Andreas Schulthess and Martin Bachem. Coninx-Kaczynski is a member of Tamedia's founding family, while Kall was CEO of Tamedia from April 2002 to December 2012.

Futile protest against austerity measures

With the support of the Syndicom trade union and the Impressum journalists' association, Tamedia employees had tried to persuade shareholders to waive half of the dividend (Werbewoche.ch reported). They drew attention to their cause in front of the Kongresshaus. A few dozen demonstrators set up a piggy bank with money spilling out of it - representing the shareholders, who should not be overfed. Next to it was an empty pot into which shareholder money should flow to maintain jobs and journalistic quality. Tamedia made a profit of 152 million francs in the last financial year. Nevertheless, the company management announced in March that CHF 34 million would be saved in Tamedia's editorial offices and printing plants over the next three years, including CHF 18 million in French-speaking Switzerland.

Ludovic Rocchi, spokesman for the French-speaking Tamedia editorial offices, spoke of a trust and image problem at the AGM. Tamedia appeared to be greedy. Cost-cutting measures were destroying the indispensable passion for the journalistic profession and jeopardizing the quality of journalism. Chairman Supino regretted that the announcement of an austerity program had caused uncertainty. However, the aim is to secure the company's long-term future, even in an economically and structurally challenging environment.

Mörgeli "in the wrong movie"

SVP National Councillor Christoph Mörgeli, who had recently purchased a Tamedia share, also made a brief appearance at the AGM. Mörgeli wanted to know when the company would part company with Res Strehle, editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger (Werbewoche.ch reported). Strehle is a Marxist and a terrorist apologist. Mörgeli said that such a man was not suited to the Tages-Anzeiger. Strehle was damaging the company, also economically. Supino replied that Strehle enjoyed his full confidence. The Tages-Anzeiger is an independent, philosophically liberal forum newspaper. Strehle and his team demonstrate this basic attitude every day in their work, said Supino. Another shareholder commented that Mörgeli must be watching the wrong movie. Mörgeli was at a general meeting and not at an SVP event.

Mörgeli blames Strehle and the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper in particular for the termination of his position as head of the Medical History Museum at the University of Zurich. The Tages-Anzeiger had published passages from reports on Mörgeli's unsatisfactory work performance that had not been released by the University of Zurich. (SDA)

The agency dramatized the amazingly low weight of the bike, which is equipped with a 974-gram frame, by simply letting it fly away: In a viral film distributed via Youtube and Facebook, which was shot in front of the Stöckli branch in Niederlenz with real Stöckli employees, the apprentice of the sports store is seen tying a helium-filled promotional balloon to a Beryll 29", whereupon it suddenly takes off and floats away.

The clip, shot seemingly by accident with a cell phone camera, spread on the Internet in no time and seemed so realistic that shortly after it was launched, the customer received a call from the police, who were concerned about the safety of the airspace, according to a statement.

The main film was then continuously supplemented by further film vignettes in which the escaped Beryl is pursued across Switzerland by a second Stöckli employee on an e-bike. At the same time, the public was called upon to participate in the hunt for the missing Beryl and to send in clues about his whereabouts by e-mail. The eagerly sent clips and picks were published on Facebook, and everyone who took part was entered into a draw for the reward offered.

After a few days, the indications that the Beryl would land on the Üetliberg on April 25 and be received there in a ceremonial manner became stronger. For this purpose, an event was organized, the showpiece of which was the Beryll Bike, which had been stuck together with the balloon on the observation tower at the Uto Kulm restaurant.

At the well-attended event on the Üetliberg, the public was able to test the flyweight Beryll itself on the bike trail, and guests were also entertained. In order to spread the message of the extra-light Stöckli bike even more widely, special posters and advertisements were also used, from which the Beryll was pulled up into the air by a balloon.

Responsible for the campaign on the part of Stöckli Outdoor Sports: Adrian Albrecht (Head of Marketing), at Serviceplan Suisse: Manuela Brunner (Account Direction) Sacha Moser, Viviana Chiosi and Jan Krohn (Creation). At Condor Films: Lukas Wälli (Director) and Leonardo San Filippo, Kerstin Reulen and Ricardo Colacurcio (Producers).
 

More data is available today than ever before. But how can meaningful information be extracted from this sea of data? How can we meet the need for legibility, clarity and orientation? Which facts are unobserved or underexposed? These were the questions addressed by the international competition "Out of Balance - Critique of the Present. Information Design according to Otto Neurath". The task was to record social inequality on the basis of empirical material and make it tangible. 

499 designers, scientists and students from 18 countries took part in the competition. Six 1st category prizes, six 2nd category prizes and five commendations were awarded. The only Swiss participant to win was the young design agency Yaay from Basel. The interdisciplinary team, consisting of specialists in the disciplines of graphic design, product design, IT, economics and sociology, specializes in the visualization of complex issues.

Yaay's award-winning work "Looking beyond the horizon: wages and prices in the world's major cities" refers to the discourse on social justice and fairness. It addresses the growing discrepancy between the incomes of individual occupational groups within a society using the example of twenty cities in different countries.

One subject (see above) graphically illustrates the income gap for various cities, while another shows the different purchasing power of the income of the occupational groups for various consumer goods and services depending on the city/country. Finally, the purchasing power of food in the lowest income group is shown for the respective cities and compared with the purchasing power that the income of a Zurich worker would have in the respective city. You can find the subjects here as PDF.

All winners and further information on the competition: Archplus.net.