Digital billboard advertising in Zurich: Marketers are fighting back against the advertising screen debate
by Matthew Ackeret
The triumph of digital advertising space could soon be stopped in Switzerland’s largest city. Last week, the majority of the left-green municipal council asked the executive with a surprisingly narrow result of 62 to 57 votes in a postulate to examine the waiver of the expansion of further digital advertising on public land. Not only to save electricity, as AL local councilor Michael Schmid explains, but also to limit advertising. According to Schmid, the goal of advertising is to manipulate people.
Freedom of Information
The industry is now up in arms against the planned ban. Not least because a negative decision in Zurich could have a signal effect on the whole country. KS/CS Communications Switzerland is disappointed with this decision, according to its President Jürg Bachmann to persoenlich.com. “Many people appreciate poster advertising. They perceive them as informative and personable. The poster economy is important for the national economy, democracy and culture. Restricting YOU only means restricting the freedom of information. That is economically, culturally and politically considered,” says Bachmann.
Letter to the Zurich municipal council
The major poster companies APG, Clear Channel and Neo Advertising all agree and refer to a letter that Christoph Marty, CEO of Clear Channel Switzerland and Vice President of the Association of Outdoor Advertising, sent to the Zurich municipal council in the run-up to the vote. This letter was also signed by KS/CS Kommunikation Switzerland and the ADC.
Marty made it clear in the letter that both APG and Clear Channel pay CHF 1.5 million in taxes in the city of Zurich, with APG even being one of the 100 largest taxpayers in Zurich according to Mayor Corine Mauch. Together they 520 workers, 150 in the city of Zurich. The postulate is aimed at a general ban on advertising in the city of Zurich, i.e. writing. Around half of the billboard advertising would be used by local and regional businesses for their needs.
Marty also referred to the French city of Grenoble, which waived 150,000 euros by removing 300 of around 3,000 billboard sites. In his letter, Marty pointed out that “false allegations” were made in the postulate. Marty is preparing for lengthy discussions about digital advertising in the public space, he confirmed to persoenlich.com. Further parliamentary initiatives are already planned.
“GDR sends its regards”
Jürg Knecht, whose company City Lights has been setting up screens on private property since 1985, on which advertising can be seen, would also be indirectly affected by a ban. Knecht has been working in advertising for around 50 years.
Knecht believes that the Zurich municipal council is “following Zurich’s envious citizens into unreason” with this decision, because the political wind direction is right at the moment. This decision was “completely absurd”, the GDR sends its regards. Nevertheless, Knecht is optimistic that nothing has been eaten yet. The Zurich public transport company (VBZ), which has constantly expanded its range of services in recent years, would also suffer from a negative decision.