Remy Fabrikant's new agency Team Cosmo focuses on customized teams

Remy Fabrikant has seen them all, and comes to the conclusion: large agencies are paralyzing apparatuses that make you tired and dull the fun of work. "Agency has virtually become a dirty word". He puts an end to this "outdated agency model." And is fully committed to team spirit. "Team Cosmo" is designed for the 2020s: agile, "lean" and, in principle, virtual, according to a statement. Depending on the customer's order, freelance experts are put together to fit the project exactly and recruited by hand.

Because if there's one thing you can do as an advertiser after 40 years, it's cultivate relationships, Fabrikant says. "I know the best in each field - and bring them onto our team." Depending on the project, this brings together a wide variety of experts: Advertisers, journalists, techies, designers, multimedia specialists, bloggers, analysts, media professionals, directors - in short, the right team for every job. Not just locally, but internationally. For this, Fabrikant has been given carte blanche by WPP - under whose umbrella "Team Cosmo" is directly affiliated. Once the task has been completed, the team of experts disbands again. Fresh impulses are guaranteed. A virtual, agile agency, led by Fabrikant and its five partners, customized on a temporary basis.

"Utilization of teams goes to vice of quality"

"The customized team model has finally established itself over the past year," adds Daniel Brüngger, former Huawei CMO. Due to cost pressure, established agencies are constantly concerned with how to get even more orders from their customers in order to utilize departments and teams to full capacity. This is at the expense of quality. Distrust is growing, which is why clients are more open than ever to alternatives. At Team Cosmo, he says, the marketeers are always involved in the creation process. And that seems to positively surprise all sides. "Our principle generates the highest motivation on both sides. Clients feel understood and we work profitably." The focus: "solving problems," Fabrikant says.

Clients need to work closely with creatives, silo thinking is passé. When clients break down their own silos, they need agencies that can get involved. "Freedom of thought instead of agency apparatus, customer consulting instead of account management, brainwork instead of bureaucracy," no standard processes, no co-financing of established structures, leap of faith through close collaboration with the customer, consumer-centric, solution-oriented work with the best of the best. This saves time and money.

Expensive, but fast and efficient

Freelance creatives and strategists are expensive. But everyone is faster and more agile. Decisions replace debates, everyone takes responsibility. The creative output of such project teams is enormous. However, this requires a core team that ensures the permanent transfer of know-how, guarantees a high degree of continuity in brand management and is well versed in project management. "Because clients need reliability, and we can do that best with a permanent consulting team," says Marie Theres Ott, most recently Client Service Director at FCB Zurich, who knows a lot about processes, structures and the challenges in companies.

"In the age of the gig economy, we have an outstanding creative collective of freelance experts from all communication disciplines at our disposal," Ralph Halder knows. "Outstanding creation comes not least from the surprising combination of these specialist skills." Orchestrating such teams, however, requires experience and sensitivity. The former Publicis Executive Creative Director - who learned his trade in countless agencies - not only knows proven specialists and hungry newcomers, but also knows how to use them profitably.

"A solid core of freelance creatives can focus optimally on the good work." Says Scarlett Steiner, a blogger herself and a social media expert for Team Cosmo. Everyone wants social media today - and no one knows how to do it. "The field is very dynamic. We stay on the ball by being active in the channels ourselves and additionally bringing professionals like influencers, digital creatives and bloggers directly into the team. We model the campaigns along our clients' user journeys to increase the effectiveness of the campaigns and adapt the structures to the client's specific circumstances."

"This type of communication leadership is based on the two most important success factors for increasing customer orientation," says David Burst. Decisions are more data-driven, helping to make individualization and personalization relevant to the customer. Of course, this can't happen without meticulous analytics. Communication is not limited to paid channels. The former MGB media specialist ensures comprehensive analytics and control of all measures. Despite many analyses and reports, too many customers are still flying blind. "We want to know exactly what is happening and why, so that we can optimize.

Free and unbound, also concerning the location

And so the campaigns are always fresh, new, efficient as well as measurable and successful, like currently the campaign "#feellimitless" by Valser or #mymagicroadtrip by Mazda. According to their virtual credo, Team Cosmo has moved to a friendly agency, to the listed warehouse 62, which is an important witness of industrialization in Zurich. "We'll stay there for six months and then move on," Fabrikant says. "We're free and unfettered, and we're looking for pop-up locations. The only thing we need is a strong Internet line."

Team:

• Remy Fabrikant, CEO
• Marie-Theres Ott, Client Service Director
• Daniel Brüngger, Business Development
• Ralph Halder, Creative Director
• Scarlett Steiner, Digital Storytelling
• David Burst, Media Director