Greetings from the home office - Episode 10: Michael Kamm, Agence Trio

Michael Kamm began his career in communications over 30 years ago as a creative. The electromand, entrepreneur and man of practice from Glarus took over the management of Switzerland's oldest advertising agency in 2003 before becoming its owner two years later and the first "Publicitaire de l'année" in Western Switzerland in 2018. Now 52, the father of five children, he tenaciously defends the values and interests of the industry in his day-to-day work as agency boss as well as in his roles in various professional associations.

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in a home office?

Michael Kamm: The whole Agence Trio is since Monday, March 16, and until further notice in the home office. Already before, every Thursday was already possible "Jour de télétravail".

Is your entire agency located in a home office?

Our twenty employees took all the necessary material home with them. The members of the management are currently still taking turns in the office to ensure a minimum presence.

Did you face any technical issues while setting up your workstation?

We had no problems. The adaptation to this way of working was done in the best conditions and was set up very quickly thanks to the good cooperation of the entire agency. We delivered computers, monitors and even offices to the homes of our employees to improve the comfort of work and, above all, to continue to serve our customers as well as possible. We just have to make sure that we regularly make backups of often large files on our central server to ensure data security and the correct transfer of documents.

Where have you set up?

I already had a set up office at home, so I was already "plug & play". Since I live in an old wooden house in Gruyères, the participants in a video conference have the feeling that I am sitting with my computer in a Finnish sauna...

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

It's important for me to be able to stay permanently connected with employees and customers. So a simple computer with Wi-Fi access and my cell phone are more than enough. Not to mention a strategic and creative brain that I always have with me.

Is it difficult to separate yourself enough when the children are at home?

I have five children... yes, you can combine private and professional life (laughs). All of them are "out of the nest" so to speak and the youngest is very independent. Our house in the country is big enough to give them all their own space. What might be more difficult is working closely with my wife. She works as CFO at the agency, but has her own office (laughs).

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

I've always worked remotely and on the road on an ad hoc basis. Home office was already the order of the day for some employees at Trio, but in this unforeseen phase - and on a larger scale - we will be able to learn a lot from it.

Based on initial experience: Which processes are difficult compared to the normal daily routine at the agency?

The personal meetings - among each other or with customers - are now even more cordial and efficient in terms of cooperation. We are fortunate to have very pleasant premises in a listed house and just a few steps from Lake Geneva.

Which jobs go smoothly?

After a few days, the exchange between the agency, customers and suppliers is intact again and the mandates that have not been put on hold for the moment continue without any problems.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

Even though our agency is not housed in an openspace but has separate offices, working at home allows us to be interrupted less often and therefore concentrate better on our daily tasks. Of course, we are not cut off from the outside world. Various tools allow us to respond quickly to requests from colleagues or to manage our various ongoing projects operationally. In addition, we save time because we no longer travel around.

Should the home office phase last longer: What do they do to prevent the ceiling from falling on your head?

While still possible, I jog my head clear every morning.

What do you miss most about the physical workday?

Daily humor, small talks and aperitifs after work on Fridays at the agency! After a week of home office, I especially miss these personal contacts very much.

Do you think your agency will come out of the crisis unscathed?

Since its foundation in 1931, Trio has experienced several periods of glory, but also times of shortage during the Second World War, fire and flames in a fire that devastated its offices in the 1960s, or the massive recession in the 1990s. History has taught us that every crisis is temporary. The current crisis will certainly change the agency and accelerate its ongoing development, but we will do everything we can to remain the oldest advertising agency in Switzerland for a long time to come!

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

In the creative professions, people are constantly reinventing themselves, and I am convinced that we can learn from this temporary situation, especially in terms of flexibility in the forms of our collaboration. If we weren't in a pandemic, we could discuss this topic over a coffee, a beer or a glass of wine. But postponed is not canceled....

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

Our daily job is to make our customers' messages heard. It's important to make the industry's voice heard in unison, too. Solidarity is a buzzword throughout the year in our businesses, and more than ever, agencies, advertisers and media need to stay united in these difficult times. I simply want to tell my colleagues to use these destabilizing moments to adjust their strategy, rethink their business model, and get back to work as quickly as possible in preparation for the recovery ahead.