"The whole industry should be united on the pitch topic"
Michael Kamm, CEO of Agence Trio, is the first «Publicitaire de l’Année» from French-speaking Switzerland. In our year-end series, he looks back on 2018 and offers a glimpse into the coming year, 2019.
Since 2018, the advertising industry has also had a strong voice in French-speaking Switzerland: The "Publicitaire de l'Année" represents the concerns of the French-speaking advertising industry - supported by the KS/CS, SWA and LSA associations. Michael Kamm, CEO of the agency Agence Trio, was chosen as the first winner at the end of May on the occasion of the third Night of Communication at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Various criteria led to Kamm being chosen: his role as an advocate and spokesman for advertising in the media; his commitment against anti-advertising initiatives such as "Genève Zéro Pub" or "No Billag"; his fight for fair conditions in tenders for all agencies and in the interests of advertising clients; his involvement in professional industry associations; his commitment to education and training - and last, but not least, his role as a representative of advertising in French-speaking Switzerland vis-à-vis German-speaking Switzerland. The CEO of Switzerland's oldest advertising agency fights tirelessly for the interests of the industry and builds bridges across the Röstigraben to German-speaking Switzerland. The Advertising Week visited the "Publicitaire de l'Année" in Lausanne in November - the first Swiss-German medium ever to do so, as Kamm later tweeted.
Advertising Week: Your personal highlight of 2018?
Michael Kamm: Being named the first "Publicitaire de l'année" was a great honor for me, a recognition of the industry and at the same time a great responsibility. I took on this position with a great deal of commitment and energy because it is very important to me to give our industry a stronger presence on the market and in the public eye.
Which Swiss campaign did you particularly remember in 2018?
Agence Trio's "NON à No Billag" campaign was clearly a huge amount of hard work in a short space of time. And certainly also the brand campaign for Vacherin Fri- bourgeois. And "Chapeau!" to Bern: the Valais/Wallis brand was very well promoted.
Contexta promotes Valais/Wallis - among other things with viral films such as "The proof: Valais is addictive".
What has been bothering you this year?
Unpaid strategies and ideas! We agencies should not simply give away our "valeur ajoutée", even in pitches. Progress is being made, but the entire industry should be united on this topic and join forces. "Respect your work, respect yourself." We at Trio are true to this guiding principle and defend it every day in order to defend the interests of ALL agencies and the entire industry.
What do you think was the most influential theme in the advertising industry in 2018?
"No Billag!" We really have managed to avoid the collapse of the radio and TV media in Switzerland. The ever-increasing proportion of advertising francs spent on important web platforms is also food for thought; advertising budgets should be better invested with a view to quality and an opinion-forming content environment.
A key trend for 2019?
Voice. How do I entice Alexa to prioritize my brand? And storytelling. A trend at Trio since 1931. Even more powerful in 2019 thanks to innovative cross-channel strategies with relevant content and clever use of data.
What is the biggest challenge facing the advertising industry in the coming year?
Advertising must bring its relevance to the fore in order to improve the public's acceptance of our work. A first important approach to winning the fight against abusive advertising bans.
What makes you confident that 2019 will be a good year?
Firstly, satisfaction and long-term partnership on an equal footing with our clients have always been the best prospects for the coming year since 1931. Secondly, interesting collaborations and the integration of new skills that will strengthen the Trio agency and enable us to acquire new national clients in 2019. Thirdly: increasing contact from clients and the media and recommendations of the agency by current clients: "Le fruit d'un travail bien fait"!
2018 is drawing to a close. Time to look back once again - and to venture an outlook for the coming year. Werbewoche asked representatives of the Swiss advertising industry. They have all left their mark on the creative industry in one form or another. All interviews can be found in the current Werbewoche 20/21 of December 18, 2018.
Interviews and text: Thomas Häusermann.
