Dominique Strebel is head of the Maz study, former journalist at the Beobachter and president of the research network Investigative.ch.

WW: Journalists from all over the world collaborated on the "Offshore Leaks" research. What lessons can journalists learn from the affair?
Dominique Strebel: With the offshore leaks, a quality of research was achieved that was previously out of reach. For the first time, a global phenomenon - the globalized offshore business - found an equal opponent - a global network of journalists. A network that not only had the data and the expertise to process it, but also the journalists to break the data down into specific national and local stories. In Switzerland, the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche came to the rescue. These are media that cultivate investigative journalism - for example in the form of a research desk. In this respect, the offshore leaks show that national media must excel in research and make a name for themselves internationally. This is the only way they can get their hands on big stories.

Media companies like Tamedia can afford specialized research positions. How do small media titles promote research?
For smaller media titles, it is important that individual journalists specialize in research and are supported by their superiors and the publisher. However, initiatives such as the Swiss research network Investigativ.ch are also important. It pools the research knowledge of 150 journalists, promotes exchange and supports journalists in their research.

Researched stories are a way for media titles to distinguish themselves. How does Investigativ.ch ensure that this research incentive is maintained?
The more than 150 members of Investigative.ch do not research stories together, but help each other at the tool level. Through knowledge sharing, checklists, sample letters for requests for access and concrete coaching, these journalists help each other so that stories that one of them is pursuing for their paper can actually be realized.

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The first negatively striking and telling point was that there was hardly any tweeting from Sihlberg. However, without an officially defined hashtag, this is not surprising. It may be that there are still association meetings in Switzerland that manage without a second screen via Twitter, but a social media event in 2013? With international guests? Seriously? If you look a little closer at the organizer, the lack of a Twitter stream comes as little surprise. Although the agency offers social media support, none of its leaders can be found on Twitter. Nor are social buttons to be found on their site. Alright, they organized a Facebook and not a Twitter Conference. So I took a look at their company Facebook page. Practically zero interactions, and out of 3500 fans, only 150 are German speakers. Either all the likes are bought in, or the fans are just very poorly served.

But back to the event - a web bricolage like from a children's playgroup. The website of the event was created as Facebook-conference.ch and the associated prize award as the Swiss Facebook Award. This, although Facebook prohibits combining their brand with other names, other brands or general terms. It also does not allow the use of the logo or content that bears a confusing resemblance to the brand. That doesn't seem to have deterred organizers from doing it anyway. But it gets particularly amusing again with the Facebook page. Where else? Here, the list of missteps is practically endless. The name violates the page guidelines. The cover image, with its more than 20 percent text, violates the advertising guidelines, the screenshots in the cover image violate the brand permissions, and the vote that went through the Like button (like we did back in anno 2008) violates the promo guidelines. Well, you could argue that there are so many guidelines on Facebook that you can't find your way around. You could. As an average user anno 2008. But as an organizer of the Facebook Conference? Seriously? I wonder what Facebook would say about that.

I'm usually supportive of anyone trying something in social media. As we all know, only one percent of the journey has been fulfilled, and as a lecturer in our course likes to say, we are all "a bit of a self-proclaimed expert." But what we've experienced here is hair-raising. The organizers of the Facebook Conference belong to the kind of social media agencies that practice hucksterism. Without the slightest clue about the basics, they are harming those who seriously advocate social media relevance in the practice of today's communications mix on a daily basis.
 

What a fuss. Something that has been common practice in Germany for 50 years and in Austria for 22 years is still a cramp in Switzerland: the publication of TV ratings. This data is not insignificant for the advertising industry, as the ratings tell it in which environment it is worth advertising. And in which not. Hundreds of millions of advertising dollars are at stake. This is precisely why broadcasters have long been reluctant to reveal how their programs and their viewers are really doing. At least not if the statement is not nailed down and powdered and routed by the press department. Because while Switzerland is otherwise reasonably rigorous with Pestalozzi pupils, on television every jumping jack is allowed to try his hand at his own show. So much democracy is a must. The result: Sodom, Seich and sometimes even "The Last Judgement".

It was clear that as soon as Mediapulse was able (and allowed) to collect data on how many viewers watched which program, the sabre-rattling over advertising budgets would begin. Programs that don't make the coffers jingle will be abolished without further ado. So what? Quite normal competition, not nice, but normal. And for the benefit of the viewers. They vote on whether they want a show or not with their viewing behavior. It could hardly be more Swiss.
 
What must not be is not
 
The private broadcaster 3+ nevertheless finds so much transparency mean and at the end of March obtained a super-provisional injunction from the Nidwalden High Court that the audience figures collected may not be published for the time being and, above all, may not be passed on to advertising agencies. Reason: Doubts about the measurement method. Of course, one can assume that the broadcaster is disputing the results because the current ratings attest to a massive loss of viewers for 3+. And of course a broadcaster prefers not to make a big deal of this. But doubts about the Mediapulse data are indeed justified. After all, the company introduced a very error-prone system, did not test it in real operation and then pursued an unspeakable information policy. Nevertheless, the last judgment is approaching. And it remains to be seen who the quota bu(h)man is.

Classified audience

SRF was the first Swiss broadcaster to venture forward and publish its audience figures for the first quarter of 2013. "All in all, the figures are stable with the new measurement system," said SRF Director Ruedi Matter with satisfaction. The new formats "Der Bestatter" with 747,000 viewers and "The Voice of Switzerland " with 592,000 viewers (Saturday) were particularly well received, writes the Tages-Anzeiger. Blick, on the other hand, finds: "'Bestatter' top - 'The Voice' flop". Interpretation is a matter of luck. One thing is clear: SRF has viewers, 3+ no longer has many. Incidentally, 909,000 people watched the Lauberhorn race on SRF zwei on January 19, which is an impressive 78.1 percent market share. You can rely on Swiss viewers. If the program is right.
 
Tele Züri also announced its viewer figures: In general, the figures were better than the average for 2012, but a direct comparison was not possible due to the change in the measurement system. In addition, the figures only relate to the "advertising-relevant target group" of 15 to 49-year-olds. And the broadcaster does not yet have any data from its narrowest broadcasting area, the city and agglomeration of Zurich. Well, quota comes from torment.

Dominique Strebel is head of the Maz study, former journalist at the Beobachter and president of the Investigativ.ch research network.

WW: Journalists from all over the world collaborated on the "Offshore Leaks" research. What lessons can journalists learn from the affair? Dominique Strebel:
With the offshore leaks, a quality of research was achieved that was previously out of reach. For the first time, a global phenomenon - the globalized offshore business - found an equal opponent - a global network of journalists. A network that not only had the data and the expertise to process it, but also the journalists to break the data down into specific national and local stories. In Switzerland, the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche came to the rescue. These are media that cultivate investigative journalism - for example in the form of a research desk. In this respect, the offshore leaks show that national media must excel in research and make a name for themselves internationally. This is the only way they can get their hands on big stories.

Media companies like Tamedia can afford specialized research positions. How do small media titles promote research?
For smaller media titles, it is important that individual journalists specialize in research and are supported by their superiors and the publisher. However, initiatives such as the Swiss research network Investigativ.ch are also important. It pools the research knowledge of 150 journalists, promotes exchange and supports journalists in their research.

Researched stories are a way for media titles to distinguish themselves. How does Investigativ. ch ensure that this research incentive is maintained?
The more than 150 members of Investigativ.ch do not research stories together, but help each other at the level of tools. Through knowledge sharing, checklists, sample letters for requests for access and concrete coaching, these journalists help each other so that stories that one of them is pursuing for their paper can actually be realized.

Can you explain this with an example?
The Bieler Tagblatt was interested in the case of a local politician who was allegedly the subject of criminal proceedings. As there were difficulties in accessing the judicial documents, the journalist from the Bieler Tagblatt turned to Investigativ.ch. We coached her and helped her to submit a request for access to the public prosecutor's office. With success. The journalist Brigitte Jeckelmann got hold of the closure order and discovered that the public prosecutor's office had made a mistake: the proceedings were not closed because there was nothing to the case, but because the statute of limitations had expired. The investigation turned into a Lead story in the Bieler Tagblatt.

In which areas are searches urgent?
In my opinion, important stories are left lying around, especially in the local area. Stories that are about being persistent, sticking with it and not allowing yourself to get caught up in the muck. In general, research is particularly important in the justice sector: journalists have to look at how public prosecutors' offices and courts work.

What is the problem with local journalism: the lack of resources or the inhibition to bite because you live close to each other?
Both. That is why the Maz Media Training Center and Investigativ.ch are in the process of developing a new platform. With Drehscheibe Schweiz (Drehscheibe-schweiz.ch), we want to strengthen local journalism and generate new ideas. Best practice examples from other regions will provide local newspapers with inspiration for their own stories. Journalists can receive coaching for their research. There will also be a blog where publishers can discuss new forms of local journalism. For a local newspaper, participation will cost CHF 500 per year.

When will the platform go live?
We have already received a two-year grant from Beatrice Oeri's Basel Foundation for Media Diversity. It amounts to 150,000 francs. What we still need to get started is a declaration of intent from the publishers that they are basically prepared to help with the financing in the long term. As soon as the publishers have given their okay, the money from the foundation can be called up and work can begin on setting up the website. This should be the case in the course of the year.

Back to the offshore leaks: the documents on which the research is based were submitted anonymously. Isn't there a risk of being instrumentalized as a journalist?
I have every confidence in the 90 investigative journalists working on the case for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). For investigative journalists, checking the truth and credibility of information or informants is part of their normal day-to-day research tasks.

There is currently a debate as to whether journalists should pass the documents on to politicians and the judiciary. What is your position on this?
In my opinion, the documents must not be handed over due to the protection of sources. Journalists should not become stooges of politics. However, the research material should be passed on to other media in a second phase. The more eyes that see the data, the sooner the important stories will be written. This must happen now.

Revelations such as those about offshore business are good publicity for journalism. Do you agree?
Yes, but what is very special is that this global networking, as achieved by the ICIJ, would never have come about through the political system or the judiciary. There would have been years of legal assistance proceedings before the countries could have been brought together. This unique overall view of a global phenomenon can almost only be achieved by journalistic work.

Isabel Imper

The mountain world also has its negative sides: Anyone who has ever ridden a bike up a pass, stood in line at the ski lift or had to endure hours of ski lodge hits knows about these disadvantages. Good reasons, then, to plan your excursions and vacations far from the mountains.

Impressive, picturesque images are intended to make the many tourist beauties and subtleties of the canton in eastern Switzerland shine - prominently and without frills, according to the agency. "With an eye-catching campaign, we want to concisely communicate the many advantages for our guests," explains Christoph Tobler, President of Thurgau Tourism.

A special focus at the start of the campaign was set at Zurich main station: all platform ends of the arrivals hall were placarded - a kind of picture book of the Thurgau tourist region at one of the most frequented points in Switzerland. Other F12 sites in the city, railposters and various online measures were also used.

Responsible at Thurgau Tourism: Monika Grünenfelder (Managing Director), Christoph Tobler (President). Responsible at Koch Communication: Jean-Marc Demeulemeester, Sandro Kradolfer and Monika Beerli (creation), Philipp Koch (consulting).

There was the story of the recalcitrant SP National Councillor Jacqueline Badran, who was kicked out of a non-smoking club for puffing away. She tweeted her frustration and was probably no longer quite in her right mind due to the drop in nicotine levels. A trivial story, but it made it to 73 articles in the Swiss Media Database (SMD). However, as is often the case, the story behind the story is the more interesting one: the journo who broke it is somehow connected to the club's PR aunt, who in turn used the Badran story to publicize the new must-be-there location. Nasty.

Then something from the animal kingdom - animals always pull. Are-you-eigetli-from-off-bite-Mörgeli against Sandro Brotz, "Rundschau", SRF, and all the left-wing journalists who joined forces with the well-known left-wing forces of the University of Zurich against him, the fighter against all evil. That's right - he seemed a bit like Don Quixote, the black-haired ex-professor and SVP chief strategist. 87 articles in the SMD. Plus an appearance on TeleZüri, which was to be feared. Amusing and tragic at the same time.

The "Rundschau" cannot rest. The report on Bishop Vitus Huonder and his diocese of Chur is a case of "demagoguery and audience manipulation". Okay, the clergy know this problem from centuries of practical experience. So it is nothing but logical to lodge a complaint with the Press Council. Amen.

The concerted Offshore Leaks campaign has resulted in 375 articles in the media database in the last seven days. Chapeau to the research performance (2.5 million documents with a data volume of 260 gigabytes) of the International Consortium for Investigative Journalism. What surprised me, however, is that practically no Swiss journalist has raised the question of whether there might not be tangible interests behind the whole story and perhaps even allow themselves to be instrumentalized? Perhaps the story behind the story would be more interesting here too. Who has an interest in this data being made public? Who benefits from it? Lots of questions, but so far no answers.

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

Mörgeli also explained to the media how he had been bullied as curator of the Medical History Museum at the University of Zurich because of his disagreeable political statements. Mörgeli was dismissed from the University of Zurich last fall with immediate effect. The "Rundschau" report from March 27, 2013 about his work as a doctoral supervisor contained "66 factual misstatements", said Mörgeli on Thursday. He is also complaining to the ombudsman's office about a "10 to 10" program from 28 March and a "Rundschau" report from 3 April on the same topic.

According to the "Rundschau", around a dozen doctoral theses supervised by Mörgeli had mainly involved the transcription of historical texts. An anonymously quoted witness who had made accusations in the program had not submitted a doctoral thesis to him at all, i.e. had not received a doctorate for merely transcribing an old text, said Mörgeli. In a second case, a doctoral student had not simply translated a text from Bulgarian, but had first written it in Bulgarian and then translated it. Weltwoche also reports on the two "key witnesses" in its current issue.

In a press release, "Rundschau" states that the doctor Mörgeli and Weltwoche reported on was not the doctor who had testified in the television program. And the second witness was quoted correctly.

Making yourself untrustworthy as a scientist

Mörgeli accuses the "Rundschau" of having tried to cast doubt on him as a scientist in a character assassinating manner and to make him untrustworthy. It was wrongly suggested that he knew "exactly" about the fraud committed by a doctoral student who ultimately failed. Mörgeli went on to criticize the fact that the 14-minute report did not contain a counter-position. And he, who was able to comment live in the "hot seat", had only been given rudimentary information about the allegations before the broadcast.
In Mörgeli's opinion, the SRG program charter was "criminally trampled underfoot" with the "Rundschau" report.

Already other complaints against "Rundschau" article

According to ombudsman Achille Casanova, the SRG ombudsman's office for German-speaking Switzerland had not yet received Mörgeli's complaints by Thursday, but had received four other complaints directed against the "Rundschau" report. If the ombudsman's office considers complaints to be well-founded, it forwards them to the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI).

However, Mörgeli has little faith in the UBI. Its president, Roger Blum, tweeted shortly after the "Rundschau" program that the "Schavan case" was a piece of cake compared to the dissertations supervised by Mörgeli. Annette Schavan had been forced to resign as German Education Minister due to accusations of deliberate deception in her doctoral thesis. Blum has confirmed a statement from Blick-Online that he will step down if the UBI has to rule on the Mörgeli case. He describes the linking of the two cases as "risky". He believes that Schavan is right to take legal action against the University of Düsseldorf's revocation of her doctorate. And he also considers it appropriate for the University of Zurich to clarify where the bar might be set too low for medical dissertations. (SDA)

Teaser image: Keystone
 

BSSM is also linking the website with social media channels. This is not least because the Lucerne-based company is broadening its range and expanding its branch network beyond central Switzerland, the agency explained in a press release on Thursday. This is because Bäckerei Hug is now on the move throughout Switzerland with its frozen range and is opening a branch in Zurich/Wiedikon in May. The agency and its Basel-based internet partner 4eyes created the website with responsive web technology to cater to the mobile clientele of the traditional Lucerne bakery.

Responsible at Bäckerei Hug, Lucerne: Andreas Tobler, Murielle Jöri (overall responsibility). Responsible at BSSM Werbeagentur, Basel: Sylvia Halbeisen (consulting), Urs Schneider (CD), Daniel Bard (AD/screen design), Hans-Peter Brugger (text). Programming: 4Eyes Internetagentur, Basel.

Apple led the way with the media hype surrounding the launch of new iPhones, and now Google is trying to emulate this example. The object that is set to arouse frenetic desire is called Google Glass: a mini screen is placed in front of the eye with a frame (with or without corrective lenses). Equipped in this way, you can easily access the internet at any time to make phone calls, start search queries by voice input, read new messages, take photos or videos and even have the world explained to you. In fact, nothing that couldn't be done with a modern smartphone, but in a different way. People who concentrate on their smartphone and swipe around on the screen isolate themselves in society and it feels somehow "emasculating", said Google co-founder Sergey Brin during an impromptu appearance at a TED conference at the end of February. He also wanted to get closer to the vision that anyone who needed information would no longer have to search for it, but would simply receive it when they needed it.

How "cool" are walking surveillance cameras?

However, unlike Apple's iPhone, whose aesthetics were convincing, the emerging data glasses bring with them some unfamiliar innovations, which is why many contemporaries are reacting negatively to them, and in some cases very strongly, as a glance at the numerous blog entries and comments reveals. It is clear that the launch of Google Glass will be accompanied by a multifaceted and far-reaching social discourse on sometimes fundamental social issues, such as how to deal with privacy in the age of ubiquitous and networked systems. The built-in camera and microphone, in particular, are causing a lot of controversy. This was already the case when cameras became ubiquitous with smartphones. However, it was still possible to recognize when someone was recording with it, and it was possible to react and intervene if necessary. With Glass, it is no longer possible to tell whether recordings are being made or not. If such recordings were only intended for the wearer's own use, the issue would probably cause fewer heated discussions. But cyber glasses don't come alone: Glass works (via Bluetooth) together with a smartphone, which in turn is connected to computers all over the world via data transmission (WiFi or GSM/UMTS/LTE). This is the only way to implement many of the "cool" applications that make data privacy advocates' blood run cold or boil (depending on their temperament). For example, tourists walking through a foreign city and having the sights explained to them via Glass and finding the trendy meeting places will transmit image and geodata to Google so that images can be recognized and evaluated. Critics complain that personal data (faces) of bystanders could also be analyzed and that such data could be stored for an uncontrolled period of time, even abroad. Glass wearers would thus become potential walking surveillance cameras, surpassing the worst ideas of Big Brother.

And so a closer look at Glass reveals numerous other areas, as smart glasses bring changes that are beneficial but unfamiliar. Many of them, such as the use of video cameras, will raise concerns among data protectionists. This also applies to Switzerland, where video surveillance by private individuals is regulated by the Federal Act on Data Protection and subject to numerous restrictions. The emerging debate about the use of Glass will not just be about legal or political issues, but also about social norms: Is it ok to meet someone in a one-on-one conversation with data glasses on? Can you ask such a person to refrain from wearing them? What if the other person is visually impaired and (also) uses the glasses as a visual aid? Can Glass be used in road traffic? According to Google, Glass has "enormous potential" to improve safety on our roads and reduce the number of accidents. However, there is already a bill in the US state of West Virginia to change the law to prohibit the use of devices such as Glass on the roads. It is therefore clear that politicians will also have to deal with Glass. Politicians in particular could be among the most frequent users of data glasses, which will be viewed differently in the foreseeable future: For example, in debates (think of an arena round), will they only use Glass to access a few notes they have written themselves, or will they constantly receive new arguments from their advisors and lobbyists?

No advertising on Glass?

Google is taking on a pioneering role with Glass and will attract most of the criticism. This may be courageous or naïve - but it would be wrong to weigh the issue down with Google hatred. After all, digital glasses are not just an allure of Google bosses. Rumors and speculations are circulating that Microsoft will launch a similar product on the market in 2014, and in China, the largest search engine operator Baidu has announced that it is developing a similar product with Baidu Eye. And Facebook boss Marc Zuckerberg is reported to be eager to use Google Glass and has already set up his own development department for this purpose. It is therefore not surprising that the first media companies, such as the New York Times, have started to prepare their content specifically for Glass. According to initial information on Google's program interface, it is possible to subscribe to information streams that are divided into so-called cards, which can also contain rich media such as images. Cards can be combined into bundles, and options such as "share" or "read aloud" allow various interactions. As hardly anyone will want to consume large texts, the main focus is on headlines so that users can keep up to date with the latest news throughout the day whenever they have time. What interests them can be sent to their own tablet, for example, where it can be consumed in detail later.

Anyone who thinks about advertising via Glass and starts dreaming about it will first have to take note of Google's assertion that there will be no advertising on Glass. In any case, it is easy to imagine that a news offering for Glass could also contain cards with advertising messages. These may cover the entire card or just part of it and will probably always be tailored to the profile of the respective user. However, there are also advertising fantasies about the use of Glass that should be viewed with skepticism, at least for the time being. For example, discount coupons to entice customers into the store they are walking past. Or using image analysis to show where to buy the dress or tie you have just come across. Or transform the real world into a gaming environment (branded entertainment using augmented reality). Such things will probably remain fiction for some time to come because most users will hardly be willing to share their location data or use their precious data transfer credit to continuously transmit video data to Google so that it can be analyzed and used for profile matching to create advertising messages that are displayed to users on the Glass screen. In addition, many websites, even those of major brands, are not yet optimized for smartphones and therefore adaptation for smart glasses will only be considered when there is a prospect that the additional effort will be worthwhile.

This assumes that smart glasses will quickly become mainstream. Glass enthusiasts point out that new technologies are catching on with the public faster and faster. The smartphone boom, for example, has happened ten times faster than the PC revolution in the 1980s. It remains to be seen whether Glass will become a hit and when the devices will go on sale in Switzerland (in the USA, this is expected to happen before the end of this year). But one thing is clear: data glasses will become an increasingly important topic in the coming months. And so it will be interesting to keep an eye on Glass and observe how these aspects will develop: Will Glass be a success for Google, or will it damage its own brand? How (if at all) will Glass and its ilk appear on the Swiss market, and what debates will this trigger? What specific opportunities will data glasses create for media companies and advertising?

Christoph J. Walther

The New York Times was the first media company to demonstrate how Google Glass can be used in the media sector: Beautifully presented headlines are designed to keep users up to date with current events throughout the day.
 

Suva combines prevention, insurance and rehabilitation. The Suvacare brand, for example, helps people affected by a serious accident with rehabilitation and reintegration. Because people with disabilities have great potential - if they are not hindered. Ruf Lanz shows what people with disabilities are capable of in sports, for example, using the example of an eye-catching winner's podium, where the first place has been made wheelchair-accessible. Other subjects will follow, according to the release.

Responsible at Suva: Urs Schaad (Head of Marketing Communications Suva), Kevin Blättler (Exhibition and Sponsoring Manager Suva). Responsible at Ruf Lanz: Markus Ruf, Danielle Lanz (creative direction), Isabelle Hauser (art direction), Maren Beck (text), Doelkar Monkhar (consulting), Sebastian Durband (consulting management). Photography: Flufix.

 

When a brand is recommended by friends, that's the biggest deciding factor for a purchase. This is the case throughout Europe, but especially in Switzerland, according to a statement. In addition to product quality, reliability, good service, and knowledgeable and friendly employees are becoming increasingly important in earning consumers' trust.

The study on consumer brand trust in Europe identified the most trusted brands in more than 30 product categories. In Switzerland alone, respondents named a total of 2153 different brands that they consider particularly trustworthy.

In Switzerland, many brands with tradition are at the top. These include Die Mobiliar, Elmex, HP, Kellogg's, Kuoni, Lindt, Nivea, Nokia, Ricola, Swisscom, Visa, Charles Vögele and Whiskas. For the first time in five years, Persil again achieved the top position in the laundry detergent category. Valser knocked market giant Coca-Cola out of first place in the non-alcoholic beverages category.

Customers want to be understood

The personal experiences of consumers are a decisive moment far ahead of the general image or awareness of a brand. Companies that give their customers the feeling that they know their needs and make intensive efforts to meet them are popular. Environmental awareness and a transparent corporate policy also play an above-average role for the Swiss. In a European comparison, it stands out that only for 47 percent of the Swiss does a low price contribute to building trust. On average in the other countries surveyed, this criterion is important for 62 percent of respondents.

"In these politically and economically difficult times, when consumers in Europe are repeatedly worried about future developments, brand trust continues to gain in importance," says Werner Neunzig, Managing Director of Reader's Digest Germany, Switzerland, Austria. "It is an outstanding achievement by companies if, despite increasingly intense competition, they succeed in gaining, maintaining or even further expanding consumer trust in a brand," says Neunzig. There is no doubt that extensive service transparency and honest efforts to ensure customer satisfaction also contribute to such a reliable relationship between brand and consumer.

Seals of quality also generate trust

When it comes to choosing a brand, 78 percent of the Swiss rely on recommendations from friends or relatives. But one in two also trusts awards from experts. 54 percent attribute a strong recommending power to a trust seal. The counterpoint to this: Only 21 percent of the Swiss would buy a brand they had never heard of before.

Swiss SMEs can convince

Another result of the study: Not only the big manufacturer brands, but also the medium-sized companies in Switzerland enjoy a high reputation and trust among the Swiss. 76 percent of respondents expressed their high to very high level of trust in the SME sector.

The Most Trusted Brands 2013: There is movement in the brands

While the study has always shown great stability for the most trusted brands in consumer favor in previous years, the 2013 study reveals some remarkable upheavals. In the cell phone category, the top brand Nokia, which had seemed almost uncatchable in all years, has lost its pre-eminence. The pressure on the once almost unassailable number one among cell phones in all countries is obviously increasing significantly due to the innovative forces in this market. Competitors such as Apple and Samsung are now gaining traction among the broader consumer base. Samsung is clearly outstripping Nokia in the Trusted Brands 2013 study, taking the top position in Germany and the Netherlands for the first time. In Switzerland, Nokia is still in first place, but here, too, it is losing considerable affection from year to year. In 2004, 74 percent of the Swiss still considered Nokia to be the most trusted cell phone brand; today, only 36 percent of the Swiss still regard the brand as trustworthy. Samsung, on the other hand, has been making significant headway in Switzerland since 2011 and, with a 21 percent share of the vote, is now hot on the heels of competitors Apple (26 percent) and Nokia. Even in its home country of Finland, Nokia lost ground - from 91 percent in 2004 to 79 percent of the trust votes today.

Nivea remains number 1 in all 12 countries

Nivea, on the other hand, remains number 1 in the skin care category in all countries surveyed, with a relatively stable share of the vote at a high level over the years. Nivea is also number 1 in the hair care and cosmetics category in three out of twelve countries - including Switzerland.

Category	Brand
Car
Kitchen
PC
Cell phone manufacturer
Mobile operator
Cameras
Vacation travel
Banks
Credit cards
Insurances
Internet Provider
Gasoline/Filling stations
Vitamin supplements
Painkiller
Remedy for cold
Hair care
Cosmetics
Skin care
Detergent
Breakfast cereals

The winners of all countries can be found at Rdtrustedbrands.com can be retrieved.

The sponsorship prizes are awarded by the committee of the Journalism Conference of Chief Editors chaired by publisher Pietro Supino, as detailed in a press release. Employees or teams who have been awarded a recognized media or journalism prize are presented with a sponsorship award for this reason. One journalist and three journalists from Annabelle, 24 Heures, BZ Berner Zeitung and Le Matin Dimanche have qualified for the 2012 prize:

Julia Hofer, Annabelle: Julia Hofer received the Zurich Journalism Prize 2012 in the magazine category for her article "Unter der Haube", published in Annabelle on June 29, 2011. This entitles her to the Tamedia sponsorship award. Julia Hofer's article provides an unvarnished insight into the world of orthodox Jewish women and their immediate neighborhood in Zurich.

Claude Ansermoz, 24 Heures: Claude Ansermoz published the article "Une affaire de faux Giacometti secoue un prestigieux musée" in 24 Heures on January 13, 2011. He was awarded the Swiss Journalism Prize for Local Journalism for his research into the world of culture. He was therefore also awarded the Tamedia sponsorship prize.

Daniel Barben, BZ Berner Zeitung: Daniel Barben receives the Tamedia Sponsorship Award at the request of the Editor-in-Chief and as bronze medal winner of the internationally recognized Malofiej competition for the graphic "The year 2011 in headlines". The committee of the Journalism Conference thus recognizes the importance of sophisticated infographics and the willingness to present journalistic topics visually.

Dominique Botti, Le Matin Dimanche: Dominique Botti is awarded the Tamedia Promotion Prize at the request of the editorial management of Tamedia Publications romandes and as winner of the Grand Prix GHI-LC for local journalism. He conducted extensive research into the Bulat Chagaev affair and the failure of the Neuchâtel Xamax football club and reported on it in a series of articles. He was also awarded a Tamedia sponsorship prize.

Tamedia's sponsorship prizes were awarded for the fifth time. The sponsorship is intended to take account of the individual needs of the winners and enable the realization of special journalistic projects or a change of perspective. The winners are offered paid working time, financial support for a major piece of research, an exchange with another editorial office in Switzerland or abroad or the opportunity for further training.