How does the message reach my target group? And with an idea that is as appealing as possible? Many consumers, especially in a young target group, can hardly be reached using traditional instruments. In addition, most media are also in a fierce competition with each other.
Cards For Free is a channel that has been reliably transporting such messages to customers for years. In Switzerland, this form of advertising is offered by Masani's Ambient Media. The trendy company has been serving the urban scene for over 15 years with its appealing collectibles. The company was taken over by Livio Fazio at the beginning of 2009. In the wake of a generational change, "new momentum is now being generated once again", as Fazio promises. The young entrepreneur, who runs the business himself, used to score points as a professional ice hockey player, then got his first opportunity in marketing and made the most of it.
Masani's Ambient Media employs three permanent staff in its new office in Cham/Zug.
To this end, the card publisher works closely with Mediabox for marketing purposes. The cards are distributed, refilled and maintained in Masani's stand according to professional criteria by bicycle couriers every week in the fine tradition. Professional printing has been carried out on the same machines for years. The advertising agency therefore only needs to deliver the idea and the motif. However, the specialists at Masani's can also act as consultants when it comes to brainstorming and design. "From our experience with hundreds of successful card projects, we know which elements and at what volume a message needs to be placed to create the greatest impact," promises Livio Fazio. The most popular are, of course, cheeky sayings that can be used by card collectors for their own purposes outside of advertising. Cards that link to other channels in a cross-media network are also useful.
Cards For Free generates 1,200,000 contacts per month with a national campaign. The network currently has over 900 locations in all parts of Switzerland. The Masani's stands are present at tested locations with high footfall. The targeted lifestyle ambience takes place in trendy restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas and spots in an exclusively urban environment. Taking into account modern leisure behavior, around 70% of the target group between the ages of 18 and 35 are reached. This urban target group shows a pronounced interest in trends, which reflects a high level of brand awareness. For example, 74% of Cards For Free fans buy designer clothes. A trendy 73% regularly store online. In addition to fashion and trends, people also have an affinity for sport, travel and all pleasures. Cards For Free are a legal and accepted medium in this area when it comes to creative advertising for alcoholic beverages. Political advertising is not permitted, despite the great interest shown by political parties.
More about this in the Print edition.

Livio Fazio manages Masani's.

How does the message reach my target group? And with an idea that is as appealing as possible? Many consumers, especially in a young target group, can hardly be reached using traditional instruments. In addition, most media are also in a fierce competition with each other.
Cards For Free is a channel that has been reliably transporting such messages to customers for years. In Switzerland, this form of advertising is offered by Masani's Ambient Media. The trendy company has been serving the urban scene for over 15 years with its appealing collectibles. The company was taken over by Livio Fazio at the beginning of 2009. In the wake of a generational change, "new momentum is now being generated once again", as Fazio promises. The young entrepreneur, who runs the business himself, used to score points as a professional ice hockey player, then got his first opportunity in marketing and made the most of it.
Masani's Ambient Media employs three permanent staff in its new office in Cham/Zug.
To this end, the card publisher works closely with Mediabox for marketing purposes. The cards are distributed, refilled and maintained in Masani's stand according to professional criteria by bicycle couriers every week in the fine tradition. Professional printing has been carried out on the same machines for years. The advertising agency therefore only needs to deliver the idea and the motif. However, the specialists at Masani's can also act as consultants when it comes to brainstorming and design. "From our experience with hundreds of successful card projects, we know which elements and at what volume a message needs to be placed to create the greatest impact," promises Livio Fazio. The most popular are, of course, cheeky sayings that can be used by card collectors for their own purposes outside of advertising. Cards that link to other channels in a cross-media network are also useful.
Cards For Free generates 1,200,000 contacts per month with a national campaign. The network currently has over 900 locations in all parts of Switzerland. The Masani's stands are present at tested locations with high footfall. The targeted lifestyle ambience takes place in trendy restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas and spots in an exclusively urban environment. Taking into account modern leisure behavior, around 70% of the target group between the ages of 18 and 35 are reached. This urban target group shows a pronounced interest in trends, which reflects a high level of brand awareness. For example, 74% of Cards For Free fans buy designer clothes. A trendy 73% regularly store online. In addition to fashion and trends, people also have an affinity for sport, travel and all pleasures. Cards For Free are a legal and accepted medium in this area when it comes to creative advertising for alcoholic beverages. Political advertising is not permitted, despite the great interest shown by political parties.
The advertising actively promotes art. Masani's approached leading art schools early on to offer students an attractive platform for their ideas. Thanks to cards, art students often find a broad public for the first time. This "art promotion" is supported by Livio Fazio through active competition. Every two months, a new theme is launched at the major art schools in Switzerland. The best works are then rewarded with a free print with generous distribution. Promoting culture also means attractive discounts for theaters or concerts. Cards For Free is the ideal meeting place, as it takes place during leisure time in an attractive environment. In addition, the target groups are precisely targeted. As "early adopters", the collectors of these cards are also a particularly interesting audience. Cards For Free therefore achieve a high level of consumer acceptance. They usually initiate an interactive engagement with the message. And "last but not least": the consumer is left with a small feeling of happiness because they have received something for free.
It is often the case that a whole pile of flyers can be found in the vicinity of the cards in demand. However, the experience of those in charge of the specially marked distribution stands shows that party flyers are increasingly ending up on the floor. "Cards for free, on the other hand, are collected," says Fazio. An estimated 34 percent of the cards are actually sent on. The rest end up at home on the pinboard or on the fridge. There, the card often spreads its message every day for months. All this data is backed up by market research. The high level of user acceptance and the intensive engagement with the message are the decisive arguments. The success is based on the fact that users take, send or collect the cards of their own free will. In addition, information inflation through text messages and e-mails has made sending cards with handwritten messages particularly valuable. The cards often achieve cult status. Conversely, the pubs and restaurants that post them can offer their guests and visitors an additional attraction free of charge. Art and culture to go.
The cards were introduced in Switzerland by Walter Hügli. One of the first locations was the Helvti Bar. Nowadays, the free cards can be found from neighborhood cafés to the opera house. The creativity on the cards never ceases to amaze with some crazy ideas. When advertising a Ford convertible, a sample with sun protection was welded into the card for potential test drivers. For the 15th anniversary, which also marked the 100 million Cards For Free mark, 15,000 exclusive cards were decorated with Swarovski crystals at selected locations in 2008.
Livio Fazio now wants to launch a special campaign for the World Cup in South Africa. "An important part of the World Cup is taking place in the bars in Zurich. We naturally want to take advantage of this for our customers."
Andreas Panzeri

Cards for Free scrapbook
Masani's Ambient Media and Herzglut Verlag are breaking new ground. For the first time, an exclusive limited Cards-For-Free collector's album is being published for the Football Heroes Card Edition. 7 postcards of football legends from the history of the World Cup and a mini-album specially designed by Jerzovskaja revive the great era of postcard albums from the 1950s. The footballers will soon be available in all Masani's dispensers until the final match.

Livio Fazio manages Masani's.