Farner PR overtakes Wirz PR
Ulrich Bollmann is the new president of the Association of PR Agencies, and 1999 was a year of growth
"With the new media, a new way of thinking is also entering PR work. Information preparation, timing, feedback and updating are taking on a completely new look." This is how the new BPRA President Ulrich Bollmann commented on the development of his industry.
The CEO of Burson-Marsteller moderated the discussion at the traditional Media Day for the first time in place of Hugo Schmidt, who stepped down after two years. Also new to the board is Peter Felber, INT/EXT Communication AG, Basel, who replaces Jean-Marc Hensch, who will move with his people to Farner PR in July. Remaining members of the board are Christian König, responsible ICO delegate, and Hugo Schmidt as Past-President.
"1999 was a year of growth for most Swiss PR agencies," was the other major headline of the talk. The average increase in turnover in 1999 was calculated at 8.82 percent for the agencies of the association. Per employee, a turnover of 227000 Swiss francs was achieved.
Trimedia Groupe Suisse continues to lead the association agencies, newly followed by Farner PR, which overtook the Wirz PR Group in 1999. "Unofficially" in second place, as a non-member of the BPRA, would be Peter Bütikofer & Company AG.
According to statistics, the five largest agencies account for half of the fee revenues of 36 agencies in Switzerland recorded by the BPRA survey. These figures reflect a structure that has been evident for years: PR agencies are either large and have more than 30 employees, or they are small and have fewer than 15 employees. "The midfield is missing," said Ulrich Bollmann, explaining this as a result of increased specialization. "Agencies with a comprehensive range of services must have a certain business size."
Agencies must have been in existence for at least five years and have five employees in order to be accepted into the BPRA. Currently, 19 agencies are organized in the association. They cover 70 percent of the fee volume.
New media require new PR job profiles
In line with this insight, the BPRA has long supported efforts to promote both in-service and university education. Good relations exist with the SPRG and the SPRI, within the framework of which a first master's course in public relations is currently being completed at the University of Lugano.
PR Agency Market Switzerland 1999
An industry survey commissioned by the Association of PR Agencies in Switzerland (BPRA) and PR-Week
Name Member Headquarters Net fee tr. diff. with-
in SFr. million 1999 in % employees
1 Trimedia Groupe Suisse BPRA Berne/Geneva/ 11.109 15.33 49
Lugano/Zurich
2 Peter Bütikofer & Company AG Zurich 10,654 26,83 39
3 Farner PR (incl. FTC) BPRA Zurich/Bern/ 9.163 6.55 42
Lausanne/Geneva
4 Wirz PR Group 1) BPRA Zurich 8.884 2.47 45
5 Burson-Marsteller AG BPRA Berne/Zurich 6.982 12.63 33
(formerly Jäggi Burson Marsteller AG)
6 Mediapolis AG St.Gallen 3,600 24,14 15
7 Lauffer, Hensch & Partner (LHP) AG BPRA Zurich 3.386 12.87 7
8 Aloha Communications AG 2) BPRA Baar/Lausanne 3,153 5,10 13
9 F&P Frei & Partner Communications AG BPRA Zurich 3.085 14.29 10
10 cR Kommunikation AG BPRA Zurich 2.658 32.91 10
11 Hugo Schmidt AG BPRA Lucerne 2,404 4,52 13
12 Wenger Kommunikations AG BPRA Bern 2.274 3.36 11
13 apr AG für Public Relations BPRA Zurich 2.080 - 16.80 6
14 Dr. Peter P. Knobel AG BPRA Zug 1.999 15.63 9
15 Rubeli Häusermann Public Relations AG Zurich 1.900 11.76 7
16 BPR Communications AG BPRA St.Gallen 1,871 10,07 10
17 pl.ar. AG für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit BPRA Zurich 1.819 29.93 8
18 MACH AG Communication Baden 1.465 - 22.88 6
19 Rochat & Partners Geneva 1.386 1.62 7.5
20 Business Forum Bern 1,308 9,00 7
21 Senarclens, Leu + Partner AG Zurich 1.281 - 1.40 5
22 PRW Public Relations + Werbe AG BPRA Zurich 1.201 - 14.19 5
23 Pleiken & Partners SA/AG BPRA Gland 1.094 9.49 5
24 Marcel Bernet Public Relations Zurich 1.048 - 12.64 5
25 INT/EXT Communications AG BPRA Basel 0.901 28.79 5
26 Linder Kommunikation AG Zurich 0.780 - 2.50 4
27 pr-kfs Karl F. Schneider AG BPRA Schlieren 0.774 - 3.21 5
28 Loepfe & Partner AG Zug 0.720 20.00 4
29 Zoebeli Communications AG Berne 0.686 14.43 4
30 Toby E. Rodes Consultants AG BPRA Basel 0.593 - 1.04 5
31 KLK Public Relations Basel 0.489 - 13.92 2
32 Mediata SA Berne 0.181 - 21.65 2
33 3 Agencies (do not want to name Various 0.896 - 15.87 5.5
be called)
TOTAL 91.812 9.38 404
Total BPRA 65,415 8,82 291
BPRA share 71.2 % 72.0 %
1) Wirz PR Group - Wirz Public Relations, Investor Relations, Frontpage, Homepage, Target
2) Sales Aloha Communications AG incl. Western Switzerland branch: Rohner Communications
