PR presses classical advertising
BPRA increases fee income by a quarter, also at the expense of BSW agencies
The communications industry in Switzerland continues to record above-average growth. This is particularly positive in the public relations sector. BPRA members are growing "faster than the market", stated BPRA President Ulrich Bollmann from Burson-Marsteller at a media conference.
The statistics for the year 2000 also show that the large members are growing faster than the average. The gap between the "big five" - which also includes non-BPRA member Peter Bütikofer - is widening towards the bottom.
The statistics are considered to be extremely reliable thanks to a sophisticated system. All known non-BPRA members were also asked about their turnover figures. The sales of agencies that did not wish to participate were nevertheless included in the ranking in an estimated correction item. Hardly recordable "individual masks" are not included. As in the past, no figures were provided by Klaus J. Stöhlker's office.
Three new agencies admitted to the association
If these factors are taken into account, in addition to the growth of 25.1% for BPRA members, the increase for the industry as a whole must be corrected to 18%. Nevertheless, spending on PR is growing faster than budgets for traditional advertising.
By comparison, the 21 members of the BSW were able to report an increase of "only" eleven percent last year. PR is therefore growing "significantly faster than the advertising industry", said the PR people, promoting their own cause. However, it must be taken into account that today "a lot of things are seen as integrated communication", explained BPRA board member Christian König from Farner PR.
The association has welcomed three new agencies as new members.
Mediapolis AG, St. Gallen, with a net fee of CHF 4.25 million in 2000 and 20 employees (PR department only). Mach Communications AG, Baden, with a net fee of CHF 1.6 million and six employees. Loepfe & Partner AG, Zug, with CHF 0.9 million and five employees.
Lauffer, Hensch & Partner was dropped from the list because this agency was integrated into Farner PR. The number of BPRA members thus rose to 21 in 2000. Anyone who has been active in the market for at least five years and has at least five employees can be accepted.
The increase in turnover among BPRA members has grown from an average of CHF 227,000 to CHF 249,000 per head. Extrapolated to the industry as a whole, a turnover of CHF 234,000 per employee can be assumed today with around 32 mandates per agency.
Name Member Head office Net fee income Diff. employees
* BPRA in CHF million in %
2000 1999 2000 1999
1 Trimedia Communications Suisse * GE / ZH 14,321 11,109 +28.9 60 49
2 Farner PR und Consulting AG * Zurich 12,300 9,163 +34.2 53 42
3 Wirz Corporate Communications * Zurich 11,800 8,864 +33.1 48 45
4 Peter Bütikofer & Company AG Zurich 11,351 10,654 +6.5 40 39
5 Burson-Marsteller AG * Zurich 9,870 6,983 +41,3 40 33
6 Mediapolis AG * St. Gallen 4,250 3,600 +18.1 20 15
7 c-matrix group ag * Baar 4,013 3,153 +27.3 18 13
8 F&P Frei & Partner Communication * Zurich 3,220 3,086 +4,3 11 10
9 apr AG für Public Relations * Zurich 3,160 2,080 +51.9 8 6
10 cr Kommunikation AG * Zurich 3,129 2,658 +17.7 11 10
11 pi.ar. AG für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit * Zurich 2,799 1,819 +53,9 16 8
12 Dr. Peter P. Knobel AG * Zug 2,594 1,999 +29.8 12 9
13 Hugo Schmidt AG * Lucerne 2,367 2,404 -1,5 18 13
14 Wenger Kommunikations AG * Berne 2.265 2.274 -0.4 12 11
15 Rochat & Partners SA Geneva 2,117 1,387 +52.6 10 7
16 L&W MarCom AG Zurich 1,955 1,382 +41,5 6 5
17 MACH AG COMMUNICATIONS * Baden 1.642 1.465 +12.1 6 6
18 BPR Communications AG * St. Gallen 1.575 1.871 -15.8 10 10
19 Senarclens, Leu + Partner AG Zurich 1,479 1,282 +15.4 5 5
20 GCI Switzerland Zurich 1.400 0.880 +59.1 6 4
21 PRW Public Relations + Werbe AG * Zurich 1,274 1,201 +6,1 5 5
22 Jenni Kommunikation Zurich 1,180 0,931 +26,7 5 4
23 INT/TEX Communications AG * Basel 1.157 0.902 +28.3 5 5
24 Marcel Bernet Public Relations Zurich 1,100 1,048 +5,0 5 5
25 Pielken & Partner SA * Gland 1,096 1,095 +0,1 5 5
26 Loepfe & Partner AG * Zug 0.950 0.720 +31.9 5 4
27 Linder Kommunikation AG Zurich 0.890 0.780 +14.1 4 4
28 vector communications Zurich 0.835 0.820 +1.8 4 4
29 Zoebeli Communications AG Berne 0.800 0.687 +16.4 4 4
30 pr-kfs Karl F. Schneider AG * Schlieren 0.660 0.774 -14.7 4 5
31 KLK Public Relations Basel 0.615 0.489 +25.8 3 2
32 Toby E. Rodes Consultants AG * Basel 0.400 0.594 -32.7 3 5
Various agencies 0.115 3.658 1 12
TOTAL 108,679 91,812 +18.4 463 404
Total BPRA 84,842 67,814 +25.1 370 309
BPRA share 78.1% 73.9% 79.9% 76.5%
