Grandhotel GiessbachNumerous conference rooms, elegant salons and stucco-decorated ballrooms set the scene for your company at the Grandhotel Giessbach. Unique architecture, natural daylight and modern technical equipment guarantee a high-quality setting. The team of the Grandhotel Giessbach will ensure that your conference is implemented individually and runs smoothly. And with culinary delights from the kitchen, your event will be a complete success.

A magnificent residence in a unique location: the funicular railroad makes even the journey there a nostalgic experience.Grimsel HospiceIn winter, the Historic Alpinhotel Grimsel Hospiz probably the most exclusive hotel in the Alps. Sunk deep in the snow, the historic hotel is enthroned in the middle of an untouched natural landscape. The extraordinary journey by cable car and through deep tunnels allows guests to leave the everyday world behind them.

A special kind of winter oasis of peace in the Grimselwelt.Hotel Landgasthof Kemmeriboden-Bad***supStrength lies in tranquillity. Spend your seminar in a relaxing environment far away from noise and stress. Spirit and creativity are stimulated and conferences become an experience. Hospitality has the Hotel Kemmeriboden-Bad long tradition. With its 45 charming rooms and suites and eight seminar rooms for up to 90 people, the Kemmeribiden-Bad offers you relaxation, peace and culinary delights in a lovingly restored Emmental house.

Tradition with contemporary comfort in the heart of the Emmental.Hotel BlauseeEasily accessible and yet far away from everyday life, the Blue lake the right place for creative days. In the middle of the small nature park and with the best service from the adjacent restaurant, seminar visitors have access to rooms with modern infrastructure. The fresh mountain air and the breathtaking surrounding mountain scenery with endless space to create new ideas and visions await right outside the door.

Nature in its most beautiful facets for unique conferences.Hotel SpitzhornDem Hotel Spitzhorn it is important that the quality of service is just as good as the seminar content. The discreet and generous support helps to ensure that the bullet points of the presentations stick; and that is the higher purpose of the matter. Anyone who gives a presentation in the face of majestic mountains is guaranteed to excel.

With posters against cancer: Republica fights with a campaign against the disease.The creative agency Republica has already been involved for the fourth time in the charity event for the benefit of people affected by cancer. Last Sunday, September 11, 2016, the Race for Life took place in Bern for the first time. In a bicycle marathon, participants could generate donations per kilometer ridden, which flowed into research or aid projects. There was a choice of two routes; the hard route led over Bern's local mountain Gurten and the easy one along the Aare river. Republica supported the organization of the event, realized the communication concept and a concise campaign that directly addressed cancer and declared war on it. The various measures such as posters, radio spots and posts on Facebook were used from the beginning of September.Republica would like to express its sincere thanks to its partners Form AG (production), Clear Channel Switzerland (poster display) and Promoton (radio spot), who also contributed to the Race for Life on a gratuitous basis.

What does successful affiliate marketing look like? Löwenstark Onine-Marketing GmbH provides ten tips.Affiliate marketing offers a more effective return on investment (ROI) than any other online advertising measure, measured against the capital invested. The greatest advantage of this Internet-based commission system between a merchant and a website operator (affiliate/publisher) lies in its performance-based structure: only valid success is remunerated, whether it is a generated sale or another profitable action, e.g. a lead.However, many merchants make a number of mistakes, especially when starting out in affiliate marketing, which cost a lot of potential. Elena Korovyakova, Head of Affiliate Marketing at the online marketing agency Löwenstark, explains where affiliate marketing newbies have the greatest reserves and how best to avoid the typical mistakes.Success brake 1: Approve publishers in the affiliate network without prior verificationTo get started in affiliate marketing, it is advisable to use affiliate marketing networks. These act as intermediaries between registered merchants and publishers and provide the necessary infrastructure, including for commission brokerage or tracking website visitors. If the online merchant decides to put an affiliate program live on the network, potential partners can apply for it. "However, inexperienced entrepreneurs in particular often make the mistake of releasing all applicants. It is essential to check whether the website is of high enough quality and actually fits the theme before approving it," explains expert Korovyakova from Löwenstark.Success brake 2: Never release publishers once rejected againAnother stumbling block: Many affiliate marketing newcomers are not aware that they can approve a once rejected publisher again. "But especially in the affiliate networks, this can be done in a jiffy and is even recommended in some cases after the publisher has been rechecked," Korovyakova knows. This applies both to partners who have been rejected by mistake and to publishers who have developed in the meantime and could be considered for cooperation at a later date.Success brake 3: Not keeping an eye on competitors' affiliate commissionsIt is important to think outside the box. The store operator sets the commission level - often between three and ten percent of the net merchandise value - for his publishers himself. But this is not purely a matter of choice, as Elena Korovyakova explains: "Most affiliate newcomers try to keep the commission level low in order to save money. But this is the wrong approach. A look at the competitors shows what the usual commissions are on the affiliate market. This is what you should orientate yourself on. If they pay a higher commission, then you will have to follow suit yourself. Otherwise, you won't find a publisher.Success brake 4: Set equal remuneration for all partnersAffiliate marketers often pay the same commission to all publishers. But they are not obliged to do so - the entrepreneur can determine the commissions differently for each publisher group. "For example, there can be five percent for all coupon publishers, and eight percent for all content publishers. In addition, staggered commissions can be offered," says Korovyakova. If a partner generates an above-average number of sales, he or she receives a higher payment, depending on the agreement.Success brake 5: Ignoring the market situation when setting the commission levelWhat many do not know: The fixed commissions are not set in stone and can be adjusted to the respective market situation. For example, in the booming Christmas business, the commission can be increased to ten percent, as sales increase accordingly. From January, the commission should then be lowered again. "Even if there is a small lull in sales, the remuneration of publishers can be adjusted. It is important here, however, to ask the affected partners whether they agree to the reduction. From experience, however, publishers prefer to accept a lower remuneration than to terminate the cooperation," explains the affiliate marketing expert.Success brake 6: Pay commission for cancelled ordersIf you're not vigilant, you pay the price: if an order is canceled by the customer, the store operator must also reject the canceled purchases in the networks. Korovyakova says: "If the order is not cancelled in the affiliate networks, the entrepreneur pays a commission for nothing. This is very annoying and also completely unnecessary. Therefore, it is important to regularly check the sales in the affiliate networks and reject any cancelled purchases there."Brake on success 7: Use outdated advertising mediaFor successful affiliate marketing, the store owner must provide the publisher with suitable advertising materials. "A big beginner's mistake is to believe that you don't need to update the advertising materials. When a store operator adds a new product group to its range or launches a new store promotion, this should also be accompanied by suitable advertising materials," explains Korovyakova. New sales partners and customers can only be acquired if the advertising materials are well-maintained and always up to date.Success brake 8: Promote store promotions only one-sidedlyGet rid of tunnel vision: The affiliate network is not only used to place programs and find publishers. The network is another channel that should be actively used for self-promotion, as the affiliate marketing expert knows: "It's wasted potential if you run a promotion via your homepage but don't additionally promote and push it on the network. Because that strengthens brand awareness and increases the attention of affiliate partners."Success brake 9: Do not check statisticsIs analysis the be-all and end-all? Not in the eyes of most affiliate newcomers. They often underestimate the statistical analysis options that the affiliate network offers them. "It is very important to regularly look at the statistics per affiliate, per advertising medium and the overall statistics in order to analyze developments and react accordingly," says Korovyakova. Especially at the beginning, it can be determined in this way where there is a need for optimization.Success brake 10: Do not actively pursue affiliate marketingIf you think affiliate marketing is a no-brainer, you're sorely mistaken. "Unfortunately, affiliate marketing is much more time-consuming than most store owners think at the beginning. To achieve the best results, the affiliate program needs to be looked after. Ideally, you approach publishers proactively and always agree on new promotions," Korovyakova recommends. It's simple: the more an online entrepreneur does for affiliate marketing, the more sales he can generate.

Which company's website makes you cheer? We want to know!Hardly any company can afford to do without an online presence these days. A website is a company's flagship and an important marketing tool. But what does it take for a website to make a lasting impression on users? And which Swiss companies have the best websites? Take part now in our Survey (duration: about five minutes). The best comments will be published in the next issue of MK and online: https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/QW8B3GS

1. the best testimonial ever?
Nespresso with George Clooney.

2. what do you never want to have to hear about yourself?
That I did not promote young talent.

3. is the opinion true that you can't grow old in agencies, or is that a prejudice?
For many young talents, the advertising agency is a springboard for a further career. But those who are infected by the advertising virus stay in the agency world for a long time.

4. what are you sorry for?
That I did not start my own business earlier.

5. was there a moment in your life when you thought: Wow. This is awesome. And it's from me!
The Helvetia Klötzli campaign was already really fun.

6. What inspired you to enter the advertising/communications industry?
Among others, the book by Jacques Séguéla: "Ne dites pas à ma mère que je suis dans la publicité... elle me croit pianiste dans un bordel."

7. name a campaign that has recently caught your eye in a positive way - but did not originate with you.
Suvaliv football spot from Ruf Lanz.

10. a buzz word that gets on your nerves?
Content Marketing.

What role do awards play in the advertising industry?
The effies make sense because the advertising impact is taken into account.

12. which professional colleague would you take with you to a desert island?
Jan Maurer, Deputy CEO at Ammarkt, a top recruiter and long-time friend.

13. why don't you conform to the usual clichés of an advertiser?
Because I'm not at every advertiser event.

Renzen Communications was founded in 1988 as a two-man agency in the old town of Aarau. Today, the BSW agency employs 23 people. Renzen offers clients a full range of communications services. Customers include Die Post CH, KWC Armaturen, Athleticum, Salvation Army Switzerland, Lyreco Switzerland, Reha Rheinfelden, Rimuss, Spross, Swiss Red Cross and many others.

The "13 Questions" appear both online and in the print edition of Werbewoche.

Implementation 13 Questions: Thomas Häusermann

In 2014, the top 750 Swiss advertising clients had budgeted a communication volume of CHF 5.887 billion. For 2016/17, these investments have fallen by more than half a billion to CHF 5.323 billion. And this is just in the last three years.

The Media.Research.Group surveys the top 750 advertising clients twice a year about their communication behavior over the next twelve months. The data collected at the beginning of the year is valid for the current year, while the data collected in the middle of the year is valid for the second half of the current year and the first half of the following year. The decline in the volume of communication by around 10 percent over the last three years is largely due to the fact that the once high-priced print media have had to adjust their advertising prices to the new market conditions, i.e. they have had to make significant downward adjustments and have lost a massive amount of market share despite this measure. Added to this is the fact that print media are being replaced by online media, which claim a significantly higher communication performance and at much lower prices.

Clients have benefited from this development. They receive the desired communication services for around half a billion less than three years ago and do not have to compromise on their communication goals and advertising investments, despite falling communication budgets in some cases. According to mediafocus, the advertising pressure they achieve with their advertising investments has even increased over the same period.In addition to the amount of the available communication budgets, this study also asks about their distribution across the individual media and communication genres.

A look at this list only brings joy to direct advertising. For almost all others, it is quite sobering. In fact, direct advertising is the only media and communication category that has been able to grow in the last three years (+50 million francs). The non-traditional communication categories as a whole have lost CHF 100 million, while all traditional categories have lost CHF 465 million. As a result, the share of traditional advertising fell below 50% for the first time in a long time in 2016, which is not at all surprising. If the changes in the media market are too hectic, confusing and difficult to understand, some clients even tend to opt for simpler solutions and increasingly rely on direct advertising, for example. Then you know what you have.

Author: Walter Weder, Media.Research.GroupWebsite: http://www.mediaresearchgroup.ch

Today's youth has an affinity for brand content on social media platforms such as Tumblr.If you want to increase your sales, you have to be creative on social media, according to a Yahoo study at Dmexco 2016, which found that two thirds of all daily Tumblr users in the UK and Germany (68%) are more likely to buy a product if they like the content a brand shares on social media. Digital natives in particular appreciate brand content: Around three quarters of them (74 percent), agree with the statement that brands sometimes provide the most entertaining content for their streams. For a further 70 percent, the source of the content does not matter as long as they enjoy reading or watching the content and it provides added value.The study results show that good online content can lead to more and better user engagement in various ways:- Opinion formation - 73 percent of Tumblr users find social media content helpful in forming an opinion about a brand. Brands as friends - 74 percent even consider a brand a friend if they like its content on social media. Brand loyalty - 73 percent say they are more likely to be loyal to a brand if it has a strong personality on social media, and the key to success lies in working with a creative community: three out of four Tumblr users feel more connected to a brand when it works with influencers. Whether graphic designers, photographers, authors, video specialists or other creatives - influencers have a community that shares their passion and taste.The good news is: Tumblr creators love working for brands. According to the study, 76 percent are open to a commercial collaboration with a brand. Two thirds of them even consider themselves to be influential; 70 percent specifically use social networks to advise other users. Brands can therefore benefit concretely from the reach of these influencers - and at the same time continue to act as a prominent and authentic voice online. "The best content often comes from brands working with creators - and we're incredibly proud of that. Tumblr is home to a community that absolutely loves what they do," says Michael Pennington, EMEA Director at Tumblr. "We're at a point where brands are becoming people and people are becoming brands. This means that working together to create content has to be a symbiotic partnership - it has to be a good fit for both sides. The best content is created when brands are open to more creative approaches and creatives bring themselves to the table. "Yahoo has developed five principles for successful collaboration between brands and creatives on Tumblr:1. Understanding that consumers love brands - two-thirds of all daily Tumblr users like brands that engage with them personally on social media. Users are open to activity from brands - so offering them the best and most creative content is the most promising strategy.2. Choosing the right partner - not every Tumblr creator is a good fit. Before working together, you should have done extensive research on the creator's previous work, attitude and visual aesthetic. All of this must fit the respective brand. After all, both advertisers and influencers should benefit from the collaboration. Advertisers help influencers to develop their brand and gain fans, while influencers help brands to create and distribute effective content. It's a symbiotic relationship.3. Cooperation is not a one-way street - every relationship must be balanced. Communication between brands and creators should work both ways. It is essential to be transparent with Tumblr creators and work with them as equals.4. Appreciating creativity - Creatives need creative freedom. Yes, they develop content for a specific brand. But for the content to resonate with the target group, it has to fit. Creatives should create their own content, with a brand in mind. This works much better than branded content that doesn't fit the creative's style. You have to trust that the creatives know their fans and know what works in the community.5. Never forget: it's all about business - the creatives choose brands they like to work with and believe in. However, it is still a business relationship. Brands should provide creatives with tools and resources. And they should never forget: Publicity alone is not adequate compensation.Methodology:To learn how important creativity is to online content, Yahoo conducted qualitative and quantitative research. Marketeers and social media experts were interviewed and selected Tumblr creators in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany were surveyed. In addition, an online survey was conducted with more than 1500 Tumblr users in the UK and Germany.

The term is composed of link and juice and refers to all the properties that are transferred with a link from one website to another. These properties include PageRank, TrustRank and the linked text. Both the number and the quality of the links determine how the link juice is composed. While individual algorithms such as PageRank, TrustRank or AuthorRank represent concrete evaluation factors for web pages and web content, Link Juice is rather a metaphor that allows for several evaluation factors. The quality of an incoming link, the number of all incoming links and the way in which these links are distributed on a web page are all part of the concept of link strength, Link Juice, which was introduced by Greg Boser, but other criteria are also conceivable and possible: content, awards, metadata or the ranking in SERPs. Figuratively, one can imagine a river with branches: The main artery, a strong website, has the most linkjuice, the side arms, subpages, only benefit from the linkjuice of the main artery. It is important to ensure the even flow, through distribution of link power and internal linking.Even if link juice is an abstract concept, it says a lot about the structure of a website and its linking with other websites. On the one hand, you should try to get as good links as possible from other sites. On the other hand, the own page structure must result in an optimal usability. What at first only refers to the user then comes into play when this user is a user agent, i.e. a crawler or bot that parses and reads out the complete page. Search engines recognize the structure of a page and evaluate the quality of links. Since Link Juice includes both of these and other aspects, it is an effective means of optimizing a website.Sources: OnPageWiki, www.onlinemarketing-praxis.de

An Ifolor sticky note can be found on 30 daily newspapers today.Over two million copies of newspapers throughout Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein now carry a bright red, removable MemoStick on the front page, based on the Ifolor company logo, which - with a promo code on the back - elegantly builds the bridge from print to ifolor's Internet offering. In close cooperation with the client Ifolor, Valecom AG - a specialist in this field with its full-service offering for the MemoStick advertising format - achieved a coup in several respects: this is the largest campaign of its kind in the world, which, in addition to clear measurability, also highlights the ifolor brand in a unique way.Clever advertising format - for cross-media useThe special thing about MemoStick is that its placement on page one of the newspaper means that it is highly visible to the reader. It can be removed without leaving any residue and without damaging the newspaper, and stuck wherever you want to be reminded of the offer. As a supplement to traditional advertising channels, as part of cross-media campaigns or as a stand-alone advertising measure, more and more advertisers, creative and advertising agencies are taking a liking to this new form of advertising developed by Valecom, which can be booked on hundreds of print titles worldwide.Ifolor relies on creative advertising with impactFilip Schwarz, Managing Director of ifolor, is investing in print advertising again thanks to the new format: "We are delighted to be the first company in the world to implement a MemoStick campaign of this complexity in a single day. In 2014, we were on the lookout for new forms of advertising in combination with print, whereby measurability and a unique position were important to us. After extensive testing, we are now certain that with MemoStick we have found a form of advertising that delivers what we expect from it. "Patrick Rudolph, Team Leader Marketing Acquisition at ifolor, is convinced by the combination of branding and performance: "With MemoStick, we can combine a branding campaign with couponing in a wonderful way and achieve excellent results. MemoStick can be easily removed and stuck to the fridge, desk or wallet, for example. This way, our customers always have the offer to hand and the ifolor brand gains presence."High response rates, growing demandThe always exclusive placement - there is a maximum of one MemoStick per issue on the front page, the most prominent place in the newspaper - regularly brings advertisers above-average success. "If the creation and offer are right, a response rate of three to over ten percent is definitely possible," emphasizes Valecom Managing Director Bernhard Leicht. The newspaper publishers also welcome this: "Valecom's new advertising format demonstrates the advantages of the newspaper as an advertising medium. The attractive positioning on our front pages and the innovative format stand out and are remembered by our readers. And our printers know that it works smoothly and that they will receive competent support from Valecom during implementation," says Thierry Furrer, Head of Advertising Market Tamedia Publications romandes SA.Competent full-service partnerThe NZZ Media Group also praises the complete service that Valecom provided with all parties involved in the ifolor campaign: "Valecom is a competent partner for us because it deals with the needs of advertising customers. With the Luzerner Zeitung and the St. Galler Tagblatt, we contribute to the coverage of two very important large areas in Switzerland. The fact that two million newspapers now carry advertising on the front page is evidence of forward-looking coordination and perfect handling," says Merlinde Della Valle, Key Account Manager for Central Switzerland at NZZ Media Solutions AG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-yjj3FtTkcRingier, SRF and Swisscom launch a web video prizeAdmeira partners Ringier, SRF and Swisscom are jointly launching the Swiss Web Video Prize. From now until September 30, talented Swiss video makers can submit their projects on the new website webvideopreis.ch. The "Oscar of Generation YouTube" will be awarded in eight categories to videos that have caused a sensation on the web: Best Video of the Year, Person of the Year, 360-degree Video, Lifestyle, Comedy, Music, Sports and Gaming.A ten-member Swiss Academy will then evaluate the videos and announce the three nominees per category on October 25. The three nominees in each category will be announced on October 25: Screenwriter and director Patrick "Karpi" Karpiczenko, the Youtubers "Typhoon Cinema", "Beautyproofi" Nathalie Céline, "HipsterGnogg", "Fashionpupa" Nicole Mureddu, Fabian Dörig, Iris Reeves, "Ask Switzerland", "Die Lifehackerin" Nadia Holdener, August Schram and Andreas Pepouni Fraefel from "Swiss Beatbox" regularly publish videos on YouTube or other portals on the web.In the subsequent voting phase, the nominees are dependent on the support of users before the first Swiss Web Video Award is presented at StageOne in Zurich Oerlikon on December 10. Radio SRF 3 presenter Rosanna Grüter and newcomer Stefan "Büssi" Büsser will accompany the awards party. The award ceremony will be broadcast live on the online channels of Swiss Television, Ringier and Swisscom, as well as on YouTube and Facebook.Pascal Schaub, Head of Umbrella Brand at presenting partner and voting sponsor Migros: "Migros is known for entertaining and popular films that people enjoy watching and sharing. That's why Migros supports the Swiss Web Video Award and the public voting. We are already looking forward to all the views and clicks."

Digitalization is changing how customers and retailers interact with each other. Shoppers are responding positively to the new solutions and they also promise additional sales potential for retailers. Supermarkets, for example, are in first place when it comes to the perception of digital price information systems. In contrast, public WLAN connections leave a lot to be desired. These are the findings of the German study "Digitalization of the stationary sales area" conducted by the market research company POSpulse on behalf of the Location Based Marketing Association (LBMA). The survey of around 1,100 consumers reveals not only how consumers feel about various digital solutions, but also where they are being used and which retail sectors are falling behind in terms of digitalization.Supermarkets rely on digital solutionsDigital solutions are already widely used in price labeling. More than half of the respondents in the study are already familiar with digital price tags. Two thirds have even seen digital price information systems such as displays that can be used to scan the price. In supermarkets, 75 percent of respondents have already seen both variants. Digital price tags are also used in some electronics stores. Information systems, on the other hand, are mainly used in furniture stores and drugstores. A good 72% of consumers who have noticed a digital price information system have also used it. "This high willingness to use them is due to the intuitive way shoppers act, who are already actively familiar with their smartphones and the digital possibilities," says Carsten Szameitat, DACH CEO of the internationally organized LBMA. Digital wayfinding systems such as digital display boards and interactive information displays are also popular. One in three respondents use them and around half want to test them - if the stores offer them. Here too, supermarkets are demonstrating their innovative edge: over 70 percent of survey participants have already noticed them.Push messages with great potentialSo far, only 13% of respondents have received push notifications on their smartphone when shopping, the majority of them in the supermarket. Carsten Szameitat explains the background: "One of the reasons for this is probably the technical requirements: the user not only has to have the corresponding function, such as GPS or Bluetooth, activated on their smartphone. Many push systems work with an app - and of course this must also be installed. However, future systems and data regulations will pave the way for growth. "However, consumers' general skepticism towards push notifications is clearly not the reason for the low level of penetration. "In an earlier study, we already saw that consumers are open to this form of communication. However, the push messages must offer consumers in-store relevant added value, for example in the form of discounts and sales promotions. However, this offer must then be exclusive to the recipients of the push messages and must not be offered elsewhere in the store. Otherwise, push messages could be perceived as an unnecessary disruption."Public Wi-Fi - popular, but with poor qualityUnsurprisingly, public Wi-Fi access is particularly popular: Two out of three respondents have already noticed a public WLAN when shopping, and eight out of ten have then used it. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of quality. A third of respondents rated the network used as satisfactory, a quarter even rated it as sufficient to unsatisfactory. Electronics retailers in particular are ahead of the game here and already offer free Wi-Fi access. "Years ago, everything was done to ensure that consumers could not compare offline and online prices in-store via smartphone, but electronics retailers have now adapted to the omni-channel approach," says Dominic Blank, founder and Managing Director of POSpulse.Not very widespread: Virtual reality (VR) and digital changing roomsVirtual reality applications are becoming increasingly popular in the media, but have not yet been widely used in retail. Just under six percent of respondents have only seen such technologies at the point of sale (POS). A total of 94% have tested VR directly or would like to try it out. Sports stores are now playing a pioneering role here: a quarter of respondents have seen VR solutions in such a store. 23 percent of consumers have also noticed these technologies in furniture stores and 20 percent in electronics stores. Digital fitting rooms are another system that is still not very widespread. They were only noticed by three percent of respondents. Of these, 46% had even tried them out. "Our POS surveys show that German consumers are generally very open to new digital technologies and trends," summarizes Dominic Blank. "Retailers need to use field tests to validate which tools are right for them and offer their customers relevant added value. While some trends such as VR are only gradually arriving in retail, freely available Wi-Fi is becoming a must."