Not sexist due to the factual connection to the advertised service, but still does not belong in the public space: The SLK approves the complaint against the advertisement of a sauna club operator (Photo: Screenshot Tele Bärn).

The Third Chamber of the SLK had to adjudicate on an impressive 19 appeals at its meeting on June 19, 2019. In addition to the three cases on the subject of influencer marketing, which had already made waves in advance, the three elected chamber members and the 13 advising experts had other interesting questions to answer. For example, whether the stop-advertising sticker also applies if the advertising is sent as an insert in an order from a mail-order company.

Of the 19 appeals it dealt with, the Third Board upheld six, dismissed eight and decided one appeal in part. In addition, one appeal was not taken into consideration and three were not substantively examined because the respondents had submitted. This means that they had already given credible assurances before the Board meeting that they would no longer use the advertising in question.

Influencer marketing under increased media scrutiny

Of a total of five complaints filed by a consumer organization against well-known Swiss celebrities for allegedly violating the obligation to separate content and advertising in their Instagram accounts, the Third Chamber was able to judge three in its June session. Of these, it approved one, rejected one and, in the third case, accepted that the sportswoman concerned had submitted.

• Approved: The complaint that was upheld concerned an athlete who advertised the clothing line of a sports equipment supplier on his account, including the statement "what to wear". Since this outfitter is also one of the athlete's main sponsors, his justification that he had made the post purely out of personal interest and that it was not a commercial communication did not seem comprehensible in any way.
• Rejected: This case involved a post by a TV presenter and musician in which she thanked the crew with whom she had filmed her new music video for their collaboration. At the end of the list of 15 corresponding hashtags, she linked a bar, a shopping mall and a fashion label, which was interpreted by the complainant as advertising. The SLK disagreed, as the three hashtags in question were not specifically singled out and did not make any promotional statements; moreover, when producing such a video, it is customary to thank those involved.  
• Subjected: In the third case, the athlete submitted to the complaint before it was dealt with by the SLK. This means that she credibly assured that she would comply with the separation requirement in the future and would mark her posts accordingly. For this reason, the Third Board did not substantively assess the appeal and did not comment on the athlete's suggestions as to how she would label advertising in the future. 

Seximus: The factual context is central

The appeal against the advertising of a sauna club was upheld by the SLK, although the required factual connection between the advertised service and the type of advertising was given. The Third Board did not find any fault with the presentation. However, the claim "Easter? Lick eggs! When shaved...". Such detailed descriptions of erotic services are not appropriate in the public sphere. In contrast, the same complaint was rejected which was directed against the media agency responsible for placing the advertisement on this billboard. According to Art. 8 Par. 2 of the SLK's Rules of Procedure, a complaint must always be directed against the advertising company.

The complaint against a paid post on the website of a newspaper was also rejected. The services of an erotic dating agency were advertised. Within the framework of the constitutionally guaranteed economic freedom under Article 27 of the Federal Constitution, it is not unlawful to offer and advertise erotic services as long as they do not violate Principle No. B.8 "Sex-discriminatory commercial communication". In the view of the Third Chamber, the post in question did not do so, all the more so as there was a factual connection between the form and the advertised offer.

Other cases in the overview

• The limits of the stop advertising sticker: The complaint of a private person was directed against an online mail-order company that had sent unaddressed advertising along with the ordered goods. In this case, the stop-advertising sticker is not effective. According to Art. 27 of the Federal Constitution and Art. 19 of the Code of Obligations, a company is free to decide how to structure its offer. The appeal was dismissed.
• Test reports must be independent: An online platform for financial services published a test report on five providers of money exchange services. The complainant, a direct competitor, complained that the platform did not make it clear that the author was one of its own employees. SLK's guidelines set high standards for tests and require, among other things, that the tester be neutral. This means that there must be no cooperation between the tester and the tested. The complaint was upheld.
• Complete business details only in business transactions: In one complaint, it was objected, among other things, that the respondent had not published its address in full in a publicity report, as required by the Commercial Register. In doing so, the complainant did not take into account that, according to Principle No. B.10, a company must only adopt the entry in the Commercial Register unchanged in business dealings. A public report is not a business transaction within the meaning of Art. 954a para. 1 of the Code of Obligations. The appeal was dismissed.

Former partners Sven Oeschger (left) and Guido Zehnder (center) bring Michael Bürgin on board for Fastr (right).

An economist by training, he has over 20 years of national and international experience, primarily in the finance and insurance sector and the luxury goods industry.

"Michael and I have known each other for a very long time and have often discussed the sometimes large gap in expectations between clients and agencies. During joint projects, we closed this gap and achieved better results. With Michael, we can now credibly pass on this know-how to our clients. As trivial as it may sound, he knows the challenges and processes of marketing and corporate departments inside out. Fastr will now understand even more quickly what will lead customers to their goals. He complements our team perfectly," says partner Sven Oeschger.

"As a client, I always wanted to be as close as possible to the agency and the creative development process so that what was wanted was really understood. However, network agencies in particular sometimes made this impossible for me due to rigid processes. We won't have these walls at Fastr. I am convinced that clients will benefit from this transparency, which will increase creative output and, above all, efficiency," says Michael Bürgin. "In my career to date, I have dealt with an enormous number of very different agencies. It was noticeable that I was always better off with owner-managed agencies. This entrepreneurial commitment is practiced at Fastr and convinced me to join the company. The extra mile is worth it - for everyone: agency, client, client-client."

Kai Gerwig, 42, was most recently Managing Director at the DPA subsidiary News Aktuell Schweiz for more than ten years. Before that, he was responsible for substantial customer relations, among other things as Key Account Manager for News Aktuell.

Landau Media Switzerland launched its media monitoring service in Swiss print media, TV, radio, and online and social media portals in September 2018. The service is aimed at communications managers in organizations, companies and agencies.

"We are delighted to have Kai Gerwig join Landau Media," said Uwe Mommert, Managing Director of the German parent Landau Media in Berlin and Chairman of the Board of Landau Media Switzerland. "With Kai Gerwig, an accomplished expert in the PR and communications industry, a communications professional and a gifted networker comes on board, who will drive the successful expansion of our business in Switzerland," Mommert continues.

Kai Gerwig's tasks in his new position include strengthening and developing the local site, expanding the team and establishing successful customer relationships. "As a youngster among Swiss PR service providers, we focus on an agile development of our processes and products and have many fresh ideas and impulses in our luggage," says Kai Gerwig.

Swissgrid is using the first longer, underground section of a Swiss extra-high-voltage line as an opportunity to objectively demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of overhead lines and underground cabling and discuss them with interested parties. At the same time, the national grid company is documenting the challenges involved in the planning, construction and operation of this extraordinary project at the Bözberg visitor center.

Complex topics broken down in an understandable way

Scholtysik & Partner is responsible for the scenography and design of the visitor center, paying particular attention to the accessibility of the complex and sometimes abstract topics of electricity transmission and the extra-high voltage grid. Comparisons of the two transmission technologies are made possible through comprehensible comparisons and interactive elements. Complex issues such as the comprehensive weighing up of interests before a technology decision is made are broken down and communicated in an accessible way with the help of animated explanatory videos. At the end of the exhibition visit, an opinion barometer captures the mood of the visitors and promotes dialog on a sometimes controversial topic. 

In addition to the spatial staging, Scholtysik & Partner is also responsible for the multimedia preparation of the content and the design of all exhibition areas. The Infrakom agency is responsible for text editing and content curation, while auviso audio visual solutions is responsible for the structural implementation of the exhibition.

Reto Scherrer joins Blick TV from SRF (Photo: SRF)

Blick TV continues to round out its team: Reto Scherrer will start at the digital channel next year. The 43-year-old will start work as anchor at Blick TV on January 1. Scherrer is "an absolute dream candidate," says Jonas Projer, editor-in-chief of Blick TV, in a statement. Scherrer's direct and down-to-earth manner fits in perfectly with Blick's DNA.

Scherrer will anchor the news programs at Blick TV and provide the audience with all the View-topics, from politics to entertainment. He has many years of experience in journalism. The presenter, who grew up in Weinfelden, most recently worked for 14 years as a presenter and editor in the SRF entertainment department and at Radio SRF 1. From 2005 to 2018, he was an outside reporter for the program "Donnschtig-Jass." In addition, he hosted various TV entertainment shows on SRF. Since 2007, he has also been behind the microphone at Radio SRF. He has been the "Samschtig-Jass" presenter since late summer 2017. He started his career at Radio Thurgau and later worked at Radio Top in Winterthur.

Also joining Blick TV: Joiz co-founder and current SRF Head of Digital Offerings, Dominik Stroppel (Photo: SRF).

Dominik Stroppel will join Blick TV as Head of Formats & Branded Entertainment by March 1, 2020 at the latest. "With Dominik, we are gaining a pioneer for social TV and branded entertainment. He knows the needs of digital users and will decisively shape the formats of Blick TV. Because in addition to the central focus on news, Blick TV will also offer various professionally produced formats," says Projer. In his role, Stroppel will, among other things, manage the station's weekly vessels and develop attractive formats for users and customers. "I find Blick TV, with its clear focus on digital moving images, particularly interesting and forward-looking. I am very much looking forward to working with the team, to the spirit of optimism, and in general to being able to help build up this innovative project," says Stroppel.

Stroppel is now Head of Digital Services at SRF and a member of the "Programs" department management. Before that, the 52-year-old co-founded and operationally managed Europe's first social TV, Joiz. He started out as an editor and presenter at Radio Z, but since 1999 he has been continuously on the move in the TV world, with stations in leading positions at Viva Switzerland, B&B Endemol and SRF. For the latter, he was producer and project manager of various major projects.

"I'm delighted that with Reto and Dominik we have two absolute TV professionals on the team, in front of and behind the camera, who in addition to their vast experience also bring the courage to try something new," says Projer. Recruitment for additional positions is still underway. Blick TV will start next year with 48 people.

Autism is only known to a few people in Switzerland. Accordingly, little understanding is often shown to those affected and their environment. This is why Ruf Lanz was commissioned by Autismus Forum Schweiz in 2012 with a long-term awareness-raising mandate.

According to Nicole Ulrich-Neidhardt, President of Autismus Forum Schweiz, "Ruf Lanz's independent campaigns have greatly contributed to promoting understanding of people with autism. In addition, the campaigns and the numerous awards have proven to be door openers to the media. Although the topic is complex, there is increased editorial coverage."

The individual manifestations of autism are varied. But all people with autism have impairments in social behavior in common. They are often perceived as introverted and isolated from their environment. The retreat into the interior is a reaction to the flood of stimuli and sensory impressions, which they cannot interpret and filter. That is why they find it difficult to have contact with the outside world.

This aspect is symbolized in a surprising way by Ruf Lanz's latest campaign: using the example of matryoshkas, which for once are not painted on the outside but on the inside. A campaign that deviates from the norm and is special precisely because of this - just like people with autism.

The lovingly implemented campaign was created in close collaboration between Ruf Lanz, the CGI artists at Carioca Studios in Bucharest and the production company Visualeyes International. The subjects are used on advertisements, posters, postcards and in various online applications.

Christian Haberbeck (pictured left) joined Tamedia in 2007 as Managing Director of Huber & Co. in Frauenfeld. He was Head of Magazines from 2008 to the end of 2013 and took over as Head of Corporate Development in 2014. In recent years, he has supported the transformation of Tamedia and led pioneering projects such as the acquisition of the Goldbach Group and the centralization of the publishing divisions. 

Daniel Mönch (pictured right) has been working in corporate development at Tamedia since 2015. He previously worked for the international management consultancy Horváth & Partners in Munich. Mönch studied economics at the University of Ulm and the University of South Florida and is currently completing an Executive MBA in Business Engineering at the University of St.Gallen HSG. In his future role as Head of Corporate Development, he will be responsible for managing cross-divisional strategy projects from July 2020 and will support the publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors Pietro Supino and Group Management at a strategic level. 

Pietro Supino, publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tamedia: "Christian Haberbeck has successfully managed numerous projects of very different kinds with his diverse skills. Christoph Tonini and I would like to thank him for his excellent cooperation. At the same time, we are delighted to have found an outstanding successor in Daniel Mönch and wish him every success in his future tasks."

In the week from January 13 to 19, 2020, various Swiss media will be offering young people an in-depth insight into the various branches of journalism at the third edition of YouNews, the Swiss Youth Media Week.  

NZZ provides an insight into the work of video journalists over three days. At SRF Virus, young people will learn how the legendary rap event "Virus Bounce Cypher" comes about and get to know live radio better. With the new YouNews partner PCtipp, those interested can produce their own podcast, and young talents can also determine and help shape what is broadcast in an edition of the news magazine 10vor10. 

For the first time with a cross-media project are ViewSRF Tagesschau and Tages-Anzeiger at the start and are cooperating with the Lauberhorn race in Wengen. Together with the editorial teams, the young people report on the preparations and the atmosphere in Wengen shortly before the Lauberhorn race. The young people can act as presenters in front of the camera and interview professional skiers or up-and-coming talent.

With 10vor10, Bieler Tagblatt, Engadine Post, FrutigländerRadio 4 TNG - "The Next Generation", PCtipp, Schaffhausen News as well as the Südostschweiz media family and the SRF Club, numerous new partners have been acquired for the third implementation of the project. The founding partners, namely SRF Tagesschau, Tages-Anzeiger/Sunday newspaperSwiss School of Journalism MAZ, Radio Argovia, Radio SRF 3, SRF Virus and Watson, are once again taking part. Since the second edition View, NZZ, NZZ on SundayRadio 24, Virgin Radio Switzerland, Radio SRF News and Arena YouNews.  

Interested school classes and young people between the ages of 13 and 20 can register from now until November 8, 2019 at YouNews.ch apply to take part. The young people are given the opportunity to work directly in the editorial offices. The resulting contributions are published in the respective partner medium.  

The YouNews project was initiated by Viviane Manz, editor and producer at SRF Tagesschau, Michael Marti, member of the Tamedia editorial team, Franz Fischlin, SRF Tagesschau and Media Club, and representatives of the "Quality in Journalism" association, which supports the project. YouNews 2020 is being organized for the first time by the Swiss Media Association. Around 250 young people took part in each of the first two events.

In order for companies to master the associated challenges, they need data. However, in times of GDPR and increasing awareness of the topic of data protection, this is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Consumers now know that their personal data is extremely valuable to brands. And if you want this data from them, you have to provide good arguments.

Digital marketing today

Consumers today are confronted with digital marketing around the clock, and brands that fail to deliver relevant, personalized content at just the right time will quickly fall by the wayside. Although traditional channels are still important, mobile customer engagement in particular is one of the most important tasks for marketers today. Consumers spend an average of three and a half hours a day on their smartphones and tablets. Email notifications or follow-up emails after a purchase still play an important role alongside social media and the web.

In order to deliver the personalized customer experience that is the be-all and end-all of customer engagement today, data-based customer profiles are required. Marketers are facing a challenge here, because while on the one hand consumers are demanding that advertising messages are tailored precisely to their individual needs, on the other hand they are becoming increasingly skeptical when it comes to providing brands with their data. 

Build trust

Since the GDPR came into force in May 2018, brands have had to earn a consumer's opt-in before they can provide them with personalized content in the digital space. However, numerous media reports about devastating data breaches have made consumers increasingly cautious when it comes to providing their data. It is therefore important to ensure a high level of transparency regarding the use of data and the issue of security. But even if you already have access to a customer's data, you need to continually earn the necessary trust to use the data - if customers feel that their data is not secure or that sharing it will not give them the personalized content they expect, they will quickly withdraw their consent to use the data. 

For example, in order to gain long-term access to a customer's location data, which offers many opportunities for personalized marketing, brands need to secure the customer's trust. If customers receive too many location-based messages, they quickly feel harassed or, in the worst case, even stalked. It is therefore important to find a reasonable level for the number of contacts with the customer. 

Although AI-based marketing solutions are now very powerful, they are not yet able to calibrate the type and number of automated advertising messages in such a way that they always offer the customer added value. Marketers are responsible for defining rules and limits based on a customer's engagement history, for example.

Technology and empathy

New developments in digital marketing are currently happening so quickly that it is difficult to keep track of them all. AI, voice control, chatbots - all of these will be indispensable in the digital customer approach in the near future. The first step in making sensible use of the new technologies is a powerful tool for collecting, analyzing and processing customer data for an optimal customer experience. Every marketing expert should always be aware that consumer trust is always the top priority - without trust there is no data, without data there is no trust.

The campaign features a variety of subjects tailored to the coming fall, which are intended to emphasize the brand's promise to look good anytime, anywhere.

The campaign includes classic media, social platforms, CRM measures and POS. 

The program booklet, imagery, visuals and logo of the Casinotheater have a fresh new look. The latter playfully symbolizes the three pillars of stage, events and restaurant.

The restaurant belonging to the hotel reopened at the beginning of August. After a short renovation break, it now has its own name and a new website. Fredi stands for the strengthening of the gastronomic part of the house and wants to retain regular guests and attract new customers as an uncomplicated cultural pub for any time of day.

"Our new image also supports the independent positioning of gastronomy with our Fredi and shows the creativity that we live every day, both in the kitchen and on stage," says Steffi Hug, Head of Marketing and Communication.

With the conception and implementation of the new appearance, the agency Art.i.schock has added another pearl to its broad portfolio in the Winterthur cultural scene. The next step will be to relaunch the theater's website in the following year. 
 

The new logo in a flat 2D look is clearer and reduced to its essential components. The brand identity and logo are aimed above all at high flexibility and digital applications. The realignment of Volkswagen's appearance is one of the world's largest brand rebrandings. The changeover is scheduled to be completed by mid-2020.

"The new brand identity marks the start of a new era for Volkswagen," says Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Brand Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. "With the formulation of new content claims and new products, the brand is undergoing a profound transformation toward a balance-sheet emission-free future for all. Now is the right time to make our brand's new attitude visible to the outside world."

"New Volkswagen" is thus to become visible and tangible in the design of the vehicles, in customer contact and in the corporate image as a whole. The new image applies to both Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Volkswagen Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff was instrumental in developing the new corporate identity: "With the new brand design, we have created an authentic communication platform to emotionalize electromobility. Under the motto 'digital first' and 'without filters', we are showing the Volkswagen of the future."

Jochen Sengpiehl, Chief Marketing Officer at Volkswagen, explains: "We have created a new, globally holistic brand experience on all channels and across all touchpoints. Basically, in the future it will no longer be about showing a perfect advertising world. We want to become more human and lively in our appearance, take the customer's perspective more strongly and tell authentic stories."

Volkswagen's symbol and trademark is the new logo. According to VW, it is intended to be more modern, clearer and simpler. Reduced to its essential components and in a new flat 2D look, it can be used flexibly and is excellently recognizable in digital media, according to a statement. Previously blue and white, the color palette will be expanded to include another shade of blue, allowing additional color variations in the future. As the digital application with simple and user-friendly interfaces has become enormously important, the logo will be flexibly positionable in the future with the new "moving frame".

The evolution of the Volkswagen logo since 1937.

Instead of a brand claim, Volkswagen is getting a sound logo for the first time, which will make the brand acoustically unmistakable in the vehicle and in communication in the future. The new brand image language is also very different from the way Volkswagen has presented itself to date - it will be bolder and more colorful. People are to move into the foreground. According to the relaunch announcement, the company wants to move away from perfectionism in vehicle photography. In the future, the focus will be on depicting realistic situations in which customers can see themselves.

Light is becoming the central element in communication, just as it is in vehicles. Light is the new chrome. The logo will shine in the future - on the vehicle, at the brand's locations, and at the dealerships.

The logo, "moving frame" and lighting will also play an important role at the trading stations to create a pleasant atmosphere. Overall, the effort for the dealers will be kept as low as possible. Thus, the interior of the dealerships will not be changed architecturally.

After decades of Volkswagen using a male voice in vehicles and advertising, the brand is now becoming female. In almost all markets, a woman will speak for Volkswagen with a warm, sympathetic and confident voice.

The strategic foundations of the new brand identity were not developed by external agencies, but by a joint team from Volkswagen Design and Marketing. Implementation involved all areas of the company - in a record time of nine months in a power house concept that Volkswagen developed specifically for this purpose. A total of 19 internal teams and 17 external agencies were involved.