Social distancing and curfews are having an impact on the lives of Zalando customers. They have to get creative to stay fit at home: sports classes take place via livestreams, carpets become yoga mats and water bottles become weights.

The campaign film "Together I am strong" runs on Zalando's global social media channels and shows eleven people presenting their fitness routine at home. With only four weeks between the start of campaign planning and the finished commercial, the campaign had the shortest production time in Zalando's history.

Urs Jenni Owner and Managing Director of the PR agency Jenni Kommunikation, which he founded in 1993. Jenni describes himself as an "active bon vivant who enjoys intellectual and culinary challenges."

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in a home office?

Urs Jenni: From March 9, we did our first test runs, and since March 16, we have been completely in the home office.

Is your entire agency located in a home office?

We have an employee who holds down the fort in the office, I go to the agency on the weekends and at least every other evening.

Did you face any technical issues while setting up your workstation?

No. The corresponding setup took place at my home around two years ago, and the workstation was set up and tested at my deputy's in Q4 2019. Only the bandwidth fluctuates somewhat at home and we will certainly replace some devices in the office after the pandemic.

Where have you set up?

I have a kind of mini bay window in my apartment, which serves as my study. If I need more space or want to have some view, I sit down at the big dining room table.

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

Very important: a fresh juice in the morning. No, seriously, a notebook, headphones, cell phone, notepad and my Yard-O-Led pen, which I received as a gift when I founded my agency 27 years ago, printer and softphone client on the notebook, and a desk phone that is directly connected to the office network. I also have video conferencing tools and a good Internet connection to make sure everything works properly.

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

As communications consultants, we are used to flexibility and occasionally work from our home office. I'm also familiar with this from traveling, then simply the hotel room or a coffee house becomes the home office. But to this extent, it's clearly a first.

Based on initial experience: Which processes are difficult compared to the normal daily routine at the agency?

We are used to actually being able to access the knowledge in the team at any time, since we usually all work within seeing distance of each other. A quick glance and it's clear whether you can briefly interrupt someone at work and ask/discuss something or whether it's better to wait. Moods are also clearly visible when you know each other so well. This is not the case in the home office and this spontaneous exchange is certainly more complicated.

Which jobs go smoothly?

There are currently no restrictions, everything works smoothly.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

I generally work even more concentrated, since interruptions are mostly eliminated and, apart from a few ad hoc questions, we communicate with each other at fixed times. I hear the same from the team.

What do they do about the ceiling falling on your head?

I plan menus and look for ideas for new dishes. I've also turned my reading room into a mini-gym, regularly use the exercise bike and watch a movie. Dumbbells and a yoga mat invite me to exercise and relax. In addition, about 20 books are waiting to be read. Every now and then, I sit on the balcony and read, provided the construction noise right outside my front door isn't too loud.

What do you miss most about the physical day-to-day life at the agency?

I really miss the spontaneous exchange with the team, which is not made up for by the morning daily meeting via video call and various one2one conversations. I also miss the feeling of hustle and bustle, the excitement of working on a project or proposal for customers, sitting together for pitches and seeing how our heads start to smoke. We will take away learnings from the crisis, which will certainly help optimize our future work.

Are you confident that your agency/company will come through the crisis unscathed?

In this respect, the question arises as to whether we will see a recovery of the economy in the form of a V curve, a U curve, a long U curve or, in the worst case, an L curve. From today's perspective, we will survive in all scenarios, but we will probably lose some ground - the longer the crisis lasts, the more.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

Quite clearly a deceleration. For example, I save myself the trip to work and start the day less tense. And I really like the fact that I can now use my gas stove really often.

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

Try to make the best of the situation and incorporate positive learnings into agency development.

Nathalie Enseroth from Corporate Communications told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday that CH Media was right to expand its offerings on digital platforms. According to her, it was unclear when the streaming service would be launched. It was also unclear how much the services will cost and what content will be streamed.

Enseroth went on to say that the company is examining various options for the streaming service. These include collaborations with other platforms and companies, such as SRG. CH Media believes that users would appreciate it if all Swiss TV content were available on one platform.

Like all media companies, CH Media has been affected by the slump in advertising revenue due to the coronavirus crisis. The company has introduced short-time working. There is no talk of job cuts at the TV stations; CH Media wants to be prepared for future expansion.

CH Media acquired the channels of the 3-Plus Group (3+, 4+, 5+ and 6+) in fall 2019. The parties have agreed not to disclose the price. The media company also operates local TV stations and has been the largest provider of private television in Switzerland since the takeover of 3-Plus. According to its own figures, the channels have a market share of 10.5 percent. The fee-financed SRG has 25 percent.

CH Media is a media company that was established in fall 2018 as a joint venture between the NZZ media group and publisher Peter Wanner's AZ Medien. NZZ contributed its regional media to the joint venture. (SDA)

Compresso now supports the national market entry of the smartphone brand Oppo with all-round media support. The opening of the Zurich office is an important step within the global expansion strategy. Oppo positions itself as a brand for trend-setting, design-strong products. To increase the awareness and visibility of Oppo in Switzerland, the brand trusts in the know-how of Compresso from now on.

For an optimal result and the greatest possible reach, Compresso's Public Relations and Digital divisions use their synergies and work hand in hand. While the Compresso Public Relations team is the first point of contact for all journalists from all over Switzerland and is responsible for press relations, the Digital division looks after all Oppo Switzerland's social media channels. This includes content creation and community management for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The study results just published were collected by the market research institute Intervista. The results initially show that the chosen media or advertising channel depends on the particular activity that Mr. or Mrs. Swiss wants to perform. Food is still preferred to be selected in stores than online; books are also still readily consumed on paper. Product comparisons - for example, in the area of insurance, electronics or the like - on the other hand primarily take place online.

Typical? TV! Effective? Addressed! 

The study also shows that TV advertising is the epitome of what people would imagine to be "typical advertising" for a large majority of people when they first think about it. However, printed media and advertising with a personal address - delivered to the mailbox or e-mail inbox - lead the field in terms of impact in many respects.

In most of the study's questions, addressed mailings perform significantly better than other types of advertising: They are paid attention to most frequently, for the longest time and most fondly. The messages have the longest lasting impact and are passed on frequently. Personally addressed direct mailings attract the most consumers to local retail outlets. In addition, they are considered by a considerable majority of respondents to be the advertising channel that inspires them the most and informs them the best. Last but not least, advertising in personally addressed mailings triggers by far the most buying impulses.

TV advertising, newsletters, advertisements and unaddressed physical mailings are in the midfield in terms of perception and impact. For some questions, these advertising channels even achieve top positions - for example, TV advertising in terms of general awareness or the e-newsletter, which motivates people to visit a provider's website.

Across the entire study, advertising on social networks and websites performed the worst. With demographic development and advancing digitization, the importance of digital channels in the placement of advertising content is probably increasing all the time. Advertising in social media has potential; for example, the youngest target group rates it, together with addressed advertising mailings, as the advertising channel with the most interesting information for them.

In short: physical mailings are relevant for effective marketing. Especially when they are intelligently linked with other channels in the media mix.

"Suitable for those who need to pay attention to advertising francs".

But what about the costs? For SMEs in particular, it is probably crucial to know how expensive or favorable addressed mailings are compared to other advertising measures. And where the keyword "personalization" comes up, there is often the prejudice that prices skyrocket.

This is a prejudice that experts would like to refute. Daniel Schönmann, Head of Research & Communication at Dialog Marketing Solutions at Swiss Post, says: "Physical advertising mailings have a very good cost-income ratio. They ensure high-quality contacts, which in turn lead to more sales and revenue. That's why this form of advertising is particularly popular in industries where advertising dollars need to be put to good use."

Interview

"Honestly, I wouldn't have thought that addressed direct mail would do better almost across the board"

Marianne Binggeli is project manager at Intervista in Bern. In an interview with Advertisingweek.ch she talks about the methodology of the impact study on various forms of advertising - and about which results surprised her.

Advertisingweek.chYour market research institute studied the impact of various advertising channels. Who was surveyed - and over what period of time? 

Marianne Binggeli: 1000 people were interviewed from our ISO-certified Intervista Online Access Panel. Respondents reside in German- and French-speaking Switzerland and range in age from 18 to 80. The sample was quota-stratified by gender, age, WEMF region and education, so that it is representative of the distribution of the Swiss population. The survey took place from November 5 to 22, 2019.

What methodology did you choose to obtain reliable results? 

We conducted a quantitative online survey and selected different question types (open-ended questions, single choice, multiple choice, matrices and rankings). In addition to the careful questionnaire design, our panel as a high-quality data source, the representative composition of the sample, the meaningful sample size, and the mobile friendliness of the survey software used are important for the reliability of the results.

Does the study differ in effort and subject group from previous studies done at your institute when it came to advertising effects? To put it another way: Was a particularly great deal of effort invested here in order to obtain reliable results? 

Intervista conducts a great many studies on the subject of advertising impact. These studies differ, of course, in terms of their thematic focus and scope - but not in terms of our standards for the robustness of the results. We always invest as much effort as it takes to ensure that the study results provide a valuable and reliable basis for decision-making.

Were there any results that surprised you as the study director? 

To be honest, I wouldn't have thought that addressed direct mail would score better in almost all the assessment criteria than all the other in-home advertising channels surveyed. I was also surprised to see that, even among the youngest respondents (18 to 29 years old), addressed direct mail was roughly on a par with digital advertising channels such as newsletters (e-mail) or advertising on social networks.

Were there any findings that you would have expected a priori? 

I was not surprised, for example, that certain activities continue to be preferred to be performed in analog, while others are preferably regulated digitally. It was also to be expected that television is most often associated with advertising and that advertising on social media appeals particularly to younger people.

The capping of the SRG's share of the media levy at CHF 1.2 billion for 2019 meant that, after taking into account value-added tax, SRG's media levy revenue amounted to CHF 1.18 billion last year. This was announced by SRG on Wednesday.

Overall, operating income fell from 1.65 billion Swiss francs to just under 1.52 billion within the year. In the same period, operating expenses fell by over 102 million Swiss francs to over 1.53 billion. A negative financial result of almost 8.5 million Swiss francs ultimately led to a corporate loss of around 2.2 million.

Advertising market collapses

The situation on the advertising market continued to be unpleasant. Advertising revenues fell by a further CHF 23.1 million in 2019. Among other things, the trend of shifting advertising budgets from linear television to the international digital platforms had accentuated. In addition, restructuring costs of CHF 36.2 million burdened the company.

According to SRG, it has responded to the changed framework conditions and already launched a reform and reinvestment plan in the amount of CHF 100 million in March 2018. In the fall of 2019, this savings target would have had to be expanded by 50 million to a new 150 million francs due to the further decline in advertising revenues.

With drastic measures in all business units, costs could have been reduced by a total of 60 million Swiss francs in 2019. Among other things, the company saved CHF 8.4 million by foregoing general wage measures. The workforce was reduced by 74 full-time positions, mainly through natural attrition.

The transformation of the company will continue in the current year, the statement said. SRG must continue to adapt to the changing market conditions and user habits while observing an increasingly tight financial framework. The economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis would make the situation even more difficult. (SDA)

The online films show in quick cuts with which product advantages various Stihl tools make gardening easier for their owners - without becoming too didactic. All advertising material leads to a Micrositewhere the appropriate team partner as well as an online dealer in the vicinity can be found.

The films can be seen immediately as pre-roll, bumper and social media ads throughout Switzerland and are accompanied by various display ads and print ads.

The winery Diederik has adapted its delivery offer to the Corona crisis - but how best to communicate this in times when it is difficult to produce new photos and video material? Together with Jung von Matt/play and the "Stay Home Video" offer, an up-to-date and relevant advertising clip was realized. The focus is on the vintage wine Plan B, which was created in the frost year 2017 - and whose name is more topical than ever. So Michael Kindermanns (Managing Director) filmed new video footage of the vintage wine in his home studio, which was edited and finalized in the Home Edit Studios by Valentina Buoli (Editor) and Matthias Fasnacht (Managing Director).

Adapt and use experience

"As a creative and productive mind, you are constantly thinking about what you can do for your clients in the current situation. We are a strategic consulting company that has all the proven remote production tools as well as our own film equipment and the necessary know-how to develop customized solutions for our clients. Based on this experience, we came up with the idea of 'Stay Home Videos'," says Michael Kindermann, Managing Director of Jung von Matt/play.

Fast, uncomplicated and socially distanced

With "Stay Home Video", the video marketing agency Jung von Matt/play offers a video service with which clients receive realized video products quickly and easily. All work steps can be carried out separately by Jung von Matt/play employees - social distancing is fully maintained. The offer can be used for animated videos as well as for life action products.

The Board of Directors of Swiss media database SMD was reconstituted at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday. Katia Murmann, Head of Digital at Blick Group and Editor-in-Chief of Blick.ch, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, succeeding Alexander Theobald, who is stepping down. Theobald, CEO of Ringier Axel Springer Switzerland and COO of Ringier, is stepping down from both boards of directors after several years of service.

Katia Murmann brings around 20 years of experience in the media industry and will use her skills to focus on SMD's digital development. "SMD has repositioned itself digitally in recent months. I am very much looking forward to working with CEO Roberto Nespeca's team to drive the technological transformation and further increase SMD's competitiveness," explains Murmann. "To this end, we will consistently advance the entire corporate strategy digitally."

The Swiss Media Database is a joint venture of Ringier, TX Group and SRG. All print and online articles of the media of the participating companies as well as of most Swiss daily and weekly newspapers are archived in the SMD. Access to the SMD is open to editors of the participating media houses and partner publishers; for freelance journalists, the SMD offers low-cost access. Companies and private individuals have the option of accessing the released archives for a fee via Swissdox.

The non-profit EJC will evaluate the applications and allocate the funds in amounts ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 euros. Given the current situation, the process should take weeks rather than months, said Facebook manager Jesper Doub, who is responsible for media partnerships in Europe.

Media companies are currently suffering massively from the loss of advertising revenue, among other things. The fund is therefore intended to provide various types of support.

For example, it could be about help to increase the reach with an e-mail newsletter, innovation projects or also directly about money to pay freelancers, said Doub. Applications can be submitted from April 16.

The EJC intends to allocate 5,000 euros for short-term projects. To cover urgent economic needs, media companies can apply for 10,000 or 25,000 euros. However, 50,000 euros will be available for technological innovations or comprehensive projects for reporting on the coronavirus crisis.

This could involve data journalism projects or closing gaps in local TV reporting, for example, it said. (SDA)

The measures adopted by the coronavirus instruct society to stay at home. As a result, families now have to spend much more time together and may have to look for new activities to keep the kids happy.

So McCann unceremoniously turned the Ikea catalog into a children's booklet to support families' (free) time.

The lockdown is hitting Swiss businesses hard. The fact that almost all stores will remain closed until at least April 19, possibly even longer, means a direct drop in sales and existential challenges, especially for smaller businesses. Because not everyone can shift their business to e-commerce, Hamsterli.ch is now offering support.

Keen Innovation, a subsidiary of Basler Kantonalbank, developed the web platform in just a few days. It is open to the entire Swiss trade and is intended to contribute to the survival of endangered businesses. On Hamsterli.ch, vouchers are purchased that can be redeemed at participating stores once they have reopened. From a voucher for a haircut at the hairdresser's around the corner to a cordon bleu in the neighborhood pub. This is intended to compensate at least to some extent for the current shortfalls and at the same time to drive frequency after reopening.

Bank Cler, Sunrise and Zurich support Hamsterli.ch as partners. Among other things, they are financing a poster campaign, which will initially be launched in the canton of Ticino. Heimat Zürich is responsible for the campaign, contributing its work pro bono.