New currency for advertising effectiveness planned
The Competition Commission (Weko) will be reviewing the joint venture between Swisscom, SRG, and Ringier until early 2016. According to information from *Schweiz am Sonntag*, preparations are already underway to create a new metric designed to measure the effectiveness of an advertising medium more accurately.
The current standard measure for measuring the reach of a medium is soon to be replaced by a more precise measure of digital media. According to Schweiz am Sonntag, the joint venture considers the "total audience" to be insufficient. They believe they are big enough to be able to remedy the situation, as Schweiz am Sonntag writes. This is also the view of private competitors, according to complaints received by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). Apparently, agencies, private TV stations and radios, advertising marketers and publishing houses fear that the joint venture could decisively strengthen its market power with its own currency. According to a complaint filed by Schweiz am Sonntag, the joint venture is in a position to establish its own currency for the part of the advertising market it dominates. "Other market participants would not have access to a currency for this market or only under the conditions set by the joint venture." Competitors would possibly have to provide the joint venture with their own data in order to be able to show the value of their offers in the new currency.
When asked by Schweiz am Sontag, the Swisscom spokesperson said: "Various initiatives are underway in the market to develop the existing currencies and to consider possible future currencies." The companies involved in the joint venture are active in various committees and are talking to the initiators of the various initiatives.
Weko examines advertising alliance between Swisscom, SRG and Ringier in greater depth
