The event will take place for the first time in the Kursaal Bern and will be hosted by Christa Rigozzi. Veronica Fusaro will provide musical highlights.

Input extension until October 30, 2020

The organizers and jury president Judit Solt have decided to use the additional time to extend the submission period. The new submission deadline is October 30, 2020. Objects that have been completed by this date and meet the submission criteria are welcome.

This expectation is based on the March figures now available and currently existing "booking cancellations" as a result of the Corona crisis. Against the background of the unpredictable further course and the gradual relaxations from the "lockdown" outlined by the Federal Council, a continued decline in advertising revenues must be assumed, it said.

In particular, the daily and Sunday titles as well as the commuter media of Tamedia and 20 Minuten were affected. In addition, the results of the digital job and real estate platforms of TX Markets are declining due to the gloomy economic forecasts.

At the same time, it was stated that no conclusive assessment for the first half of the year could be made at the present time due to the uncertainties. (SDA)

Although Switzerland has dropped from 6th to 8th place in the current year's press freedom ranking, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced on Tuesday. However, the index remained constant in the annual ranking.

The decisive factor for the drop of two places was that Jamaica and Costa Rica made significant gains in their press freedom indices. Switzerland remains in the "white zone" of countries where press freedom is fully guaranteed.

The press freedom ranking is led by Norway, Finland and Denmark. Germany is in 11th place. Switzerland's other neighboring countries do less well. Austria is in 18th place, France in 34th and Italy in 41st.

Difficult position of the media

However, the Swiss media are concerned because the economic situation is deteriorating rapidly. RSF denounces the accelerated concentration in the Swiss press. The diversity of titles is decreasing. Regional reporting, which is particularly important in direct democracy for shaping public opinion, is under great pressure, it says.

In addition, the coronavirus pandemic is turning into an economic disaster for the media. Advertising revenues are disappearing at breakneck speed. The RSF criticizes the Federal Council for refusing to help the media with emergency aid. The ball is now in Parliament's court.

Attack on a journalist

It is worrying that journalists are increasingly facing attacks from outside. Recently, for example, the entourage of Cameroonian President Paul Biya attacked a journalist from French-speaking Switzerland's radio and television station in Geneva.

Furthermore, government representatives in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva had taken legal action against journalists. And a journalist was convicted of trespassing. She had wanted to write a report in a house occupied by activists.

Crisis of democracy

In general, hostility toward journalists is on the rise worldwide. A crisis of democracy is on the horizon. Elected representatives of the people, such as U.S. President Donald Trump or Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, are fueling distrust of the media with fake news.

Weakened by the crisis of confidence, journalists were targeted by angry citizens at demonstrations. In France, they had become victims of police violence.

Call for mobilization

"All these crises mean that the next ten years will be crucial," says Christophe Deloire, RSF secretary general. "What will freedom, pluralism and reliability of information look like by 2030? The answer to that question is at stake today."

According to Deloire, authoritarian governments are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to take measures against press freedom that would be impossible in normal times. The world's population is called upon to defend itself against such attacks so that journalists can continue to do their work. (SDA)

In terms of content Q-Rated address a music-savvy target group that feels at home in an urban environment and in the subculture. Electro, indie, hip-hop, soul, jazz and world music set the tone. Various prominent representatives of these genres, such as the musician Kalabrese or Dominic Whalley from the English band Jungle, have been recruited for the event. Young artists such as the Zurich vocal prodigy Naomie Lareine or music experts from the STRG.studio label will also be taking part.

The new Swiss radio app is operated by Brands Are Live. The Swiss company has been developing innovations and technologies in the online audio sector for several years and accompanies brands and radios into the future.

"With Q-Rated, we are creating a new form of radio, not only technologically but also in terms of content. In contrast to the classic model, we are not relying on a head of music, but are seeking diversity through the involvement of different musicians and experts. I am very pleased that we were able to inspire Bank Cler to invest in this offering with us," says Jan Müller, CEO of Brands Are Live.

Q-Rated does without classic advertising interruptions between the song. The exclusivity gives the sponsor Bank Cler the opportunity to stand out visually and with content. This is not intended to interrupt the enjoyment of the music. The application is available as a mobile app as well as a web player and starts with 16 stations. The offer will be continuously expanded over the coming months.

It is truly not an easy time for the travel industry. The borders are closed indefinitely and new bookings have dropped drastically. Patience is called for. Also on the part of consumers, who have no choice but to dream of traveling. Kuoni's latest TV commercial addresses the current situation.

The atmospheric film was developed by the Küsnacht agency Unikat in close cooperation with Kuoni's creative team. The 25-second film will be shown on TV and online.

After what feels like an eternity, the fast food chain announces that it will reopen its drive-ins on April 23. Until then, Burger King has had all burger content on its website and social networks censored so as not to unnecessarily frustrate already strained customers

In her new role, Nicole Rütsche is responsible for the HR Business Partner area, the Salary Center, HR Services, and HR and Organizational Development. She has been with the Boston Consulting Group in Zurich since 2011, where she took over the position of Head of Human Resources and Recruiting in 2017. Prior to that, she served as Head of Recruiting for the company.

From 2007 to 2011, Rütsche also worked in HR at Kelly Financial Resources. She studied economics at the University of Zurich with a focus on organizational development and HR.

Nicole Rütsche will take up her position at the beginning of August and report directly to the CEO.

Thesis 1: Online vs. offline is history

Social distancing has, if not finally dissolved the boundary between offline and online, then drawn it anew. Five weeks after the start of the crisis, a huge proportion of our lives now take place online - dinners with extended family, game nights with friends, business meetings, museum visits. And even companies present their new products in an online event or offer online workshops.

"Even though we all long to finally hug our family and friends again, the past few weeks have shown that entire areas of life can be moved online at a speed that was previously considered impossible," said Birte Schnellen, Managing Director Grayling Switzerland. "Companies and organizations that quickly establish or expand their online presence and, most importantly, provide valuable content, create new relationships, new services and perhaps even new sales opportunities in the long run."

Thesis 2: Better together - better together

While there is nothing fundamentally positive about the pandemic, many of us are drawing inspiration and strength from the many collaborative initiatives that have sprung up locally or nationally in recent weeks. In times of isolation, people and companies alike are finding completely new and sometimes unexpected ways to stand up for each other and support others. And from the point of view of brand communication, companies that rely on - sometimes surprising - cooperative ventures are on the right track. Who would have expected, for example, just a few weeks ago that Apple and Google would be working on a joint interface for Corona contact tracing apps?

Thesis 3: The (intermediate) human moves to the center

The longer the pandemic lasts and the longer social distancing shapes everyday life, the more we look for interpersonal contact and connection - and for communication that focuses on people. Obviously unfair and overly profit-oriented actions cause direct critical backlash, especially when this behavior comes from internationally active corporations.

"Consumers are currently very sensitive to the actions and communication of companies. Now is the time for companies and brands to demonstrate their 'humanity'. On the one hand, we mean responsibility towards employees and society. On the other hand, it also means perceiving communication as a management task," says Schnellen.

Thesis 4: Free riders undesirable

In recent weeks, countless companies have made the pandemic an issue in various ways. The benefit of the messages hasn't always been apparent. Now, as oversaturation with Covid 19-related content sets in for many, it's more important than ever for brands to remember that you don't always have to have something to say about everything.

"Especially in times of crisis, 'Don't sell,' " emphasizes Birte Schnellen. "Limit communication to topics that are central to your brand's identity. And try to offer your consumers, your community and especially your employees real added value with meaning."

Thesis 5: Ready for a new world order

None of us knows what our world will look like after Covid-19, how the economy, the social or the education system, how our society will have changed. One thing is certain: the world will be a different place. Just knowing that everything - really everything - can change unpredictably and at breakneck speed brings with it new thinking.

Companies have discovered the rapid pace at which they can restructure logistics and supply chains. Organizations have learned to communicate content through new channels. All of this has potential for a lasting break with previous practices and processes. At the same time, we are seeing that familiar institutions that we have long considered sacrosanct are not. Even if it is still too early for concrete examples, those companies and organizations will emerge from the crisis as winners that change together with the world and do not remain stuck in old patterns.

"We've always done it that way. Or: We've never done that before. I am convinced that these phrases will have had their day for a while after the Corona crisis. Now is the time to think big and bold and remain confident. Let's not get caught up in 'it's always been this way' because it's already different now," concludes Birte Schnellen.

While gross power printing usually skyrockets in the third month of the year, the 2020 figure of 455.5 million is only slightly higher than in January.

The year-on-year gap in March was minus CHF 90 million or -16.4 percent. This means that the first quarter of 2020 is 114 million behind the prior-year figure. This corresponds to a decline of -8.2 percent.

Development of advertising print in the overall market as of March 2020 in millions of gross Swiss francs

Media groups affected to varying degrees

In percentage terms, cinema advertising fell the most in March (-77%), followed by radio advertising (-49%). Print declines by around 20 percent, with daily, regional weekly and Sunday press and trade press hit hardest. The general, financial and business press, on the other hand, remained at the previous year's level. Internet (-17%) and TV advertising also suffered noticeable losses (-15%).

Only out-of-home advertising print in March remains overall at the level of the previous year (-0.7%). The media group has made an extremely strong start to the new year and can still cushion the losses from calendar week 12, which are around 10 percent. It will be exciting to see when and how strongly effects arrive.

With the declaration of the "extraordinary situation" in Switzerland on March 16, 2020, calendar week 12 shows the biggest drop in advertising pressure across all media groups. However, there are differences to be observed between the individual media. While cinema advertising drops to zero after the closure from week 12 onwards, as expected, the decline in the other media groups is already less pronounced in the following week. After the initial shock, it becomes clear that a disruption, which the current exceptional situation undeniably represents for the advertising industry, creates obvious winners and losers.

Crisis winners: cleaning and tobacco products

A glance at the industry trend reveals. Mr. and Mrs. Swiss are encouraged to do two things in particular in March - clean and smoke.

Cleaning experienced the highest boost in March with a plus of 33.2%, followed by tobacco with plus 24.2 percent. Both sectors were still clearly in the red year-on-year in February.

Initiatives & campaigns strong through BAG campaign

Due to the FOPH's Corona campaign, the "product" with the highest advertising pressure in March 2020, the Initiatives and Campaigns sector also experiences a significant increase in advertising pressure (+5.7%) and the Financial sector also closes slightly up (+1.9%). However, looking at the year-to-date performance, this should be interpreted as a standstill. The industry started January and February with a good 20 percent more advertising pressure than in 2019.

Vehicle industry without auto show push

However, the fact that campaigns were stopped at short notice from calendar week 12 can so far only be observed with a few advertisers. One example of this from the automotive industry, the sector that has to contend with the highest absolute year-on-year decline, not least due to the discontinuation of the Motor Show, is VW.

It is true that the VW Golf 8 is on the silver podium of the top 10 products in March. However, a closer look at the placements shows that the advertising offensive in TV, OOH and cinema is short-lived and comes to an abrupt end in week 12. Only online advertising continues as before. Whether this was planned can at least be questioned.

Leisure, gastronomy, tourism in decline

The sector that loses the most ranks in March compared with the year to date is Leisure, Catering, Tourism. Clearly ranked #1 in January and February, this drops to #10. Advertising pressure has fallen steadily by a third since January.

Year-to-Date continues to have the highest advertising pressure, the year-on-year decline comes to -12.7%. March 2020 is around 40% below the prior-year figure.

Outlook

However, the crisis offers good short-, medium- and long-term positioning opportunities to those who communicate agilely, be it by adjusting the advertised product range (bicycles: +41%), highlighting services such as the online store (SportXX, from 23.3.2020), or image building (partnership rules of conduct: Coop/Migros/Denner).

And a simple logic should not be forgotten: If the competition reduces its activities, then its own "advertising voice" will carry more weight in the market while the advertising pressure remains the same (SOV%). It should not be due to the time and attention that the Swiss population devotes to the media in times of home office and quarantine.

Advertising printing in the industries

Top of the month

The top advertisers and most advertised products and services (excluding assortment and image advertising) in March.

Media Mix

"It's impossible not to discuss the coronavirus. Customers want to know what security measures companies are taking and whether their employees are keeping their jobs. Brands need to communicate this information regularly via social media. But they can't overdo it. If they push too hard on the tear gland, it quickly becomes unappealing," says marketing expert Bernd Pfeiffer of LimeSoda in an interview with the news portal Pressetext.

Convey normality

Twitter conducted the survey among 826 users. More than half (64 percent) want products to continue to be advertised as usual. One in two feels reassured by these ads, giving them a sense of normality. Nevertheless, brand communication must adapt to the crisis. Only seven percent of respondents think it is appropriate for the normal tone to prevail in marketing.

Helping in the fight against pandemic

Brands need to spread positive messages in the coronavirus crisis, according to 70 percent of survey respondents. They also need to do something to help fight the pandemic. 77 percent want brands to support society during this time. 82 percent are calling for specific financial assistance for medical personnel. (pte)

Erik Jakob, Head of the Location Promotion Directorate at Seco, at Monday's Point de Presse.

"First it's about survival, then it's about investment," Erik Jakob, head of the location promotion directorate at Seco, told the Federal Palace media on Monday. The tourism industry has been particularly hard hit by the Corona crisis, he said. There are real "waves of cancellations", while new bookings are almost completely absent.

The slump is unprecedented, said Jakob. Neither the challenges posed by the strong franc nor the second-home initiative can be compared to this. The pandemic affects everyone: business tourism and leisure tourism - in the city as well as in the countryside.

Slow recovery expected

Seco expects a "hesitant" recovery in the second half of the year and a "gradual" recovery next year. Globally, there will probably not be a complete easing of the situation until 2022. The psychological factor also plays a role: Travel will only resume once the uncertainty regarding health risks has been overcome, Jakob said.

In order to support tourism, the federal government is currently waiving the payment of a loan for hotel investments in the amount of CHF 5.5 million. Further measures are planned with the implementation of the New Regional Policy (NRP).

Advertising offensive for Switzerland vacations

At the same time, the federal government is examining other options for strengthening tourism. Switzerland Tourism has put forward a CHF 40 million stimulus program. Both Seco and the parliamentary committees are now discussing this.

According to Jakob, one thing is clear: A tourism aid program would have to target domestic tourism in an initial phase. "The promotion of Switzerland vacations plays a priority role." Finding the right time for a promotional offensive, however, would be something of a challenge.

Complex protection concepts

"It takes trust, confidence and experience that protection concepts work," Jakob said. The federal government is in the process of drawing up basic protection concepts for individual categories of activity. After that, the work of the industry representatives is needed to "break these down" to tourism.

There is no point in opening a mountain restaurant if access via the cable car is not regulated, Jakob said. "It needs concepts that mesh." (SDA)

If mountain railroads are allowed to operate again in the summer or travel to Italy or Spain is permitted again, 38 percent of Swiss respondents will go on vacation as planned, according to a survey conducted by the Institute for Communication and Marketing (IKM) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

One-third canceled their trip or traveled to another location, CH Media newspapers reported Monday. Travel to southern Europe (16 percent) and central Europe (15 percent) were particularly affected, they said. The remaining 28 percent of respondents had no travel plans.

Switzerland as a tourist destination will benefit from the wave of cancellations. This is crucial for many tourist regions, as few or no foreign guests are allowed to spend their vacations in Switzerland due to the effects of the Corona crisis.

Important groups, for example from Asia and the USA, are likely to disappear completely. This would affect Central Switzerland and the Bernese Oberland more than Graubünden. There, the share of Swiss tourists was already high before. Now the domestic guests would become even more important, as the CH media newspapers continue to write.

The IKM of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts surveyed 1003 people throughout Switzerland. The institute has investigated how the pandemic has turned the consumption and leisure behavior of the population upside down. (SDA)