Webrepublic and Wirz are now available as a double pack

Many a competitor's weekend breakfast must have got stuck in their throats: As the Sonntagszeitung reported on September 13 and an official media release confirmed a little later, the digital agency Webrepublic and the communications agency Wirz will be doing business together with immediate effect. The name of the synergy project: "Best of Both" or "BoB" for short.

While both companies are to remain formally independent in the new construct, clients will de facto be able to benefit from a "virtual large agency with more than 400 employees" in the future, according to the newspaper report and media release. Webrepublic, founded more than ten years ago by ex-Googler Tom Hanan, brings digital expertise to the table; Wirz - led by Advertisers of the Year Petra Dreyfus (2019) and Livio Dainese (2018) - creative expertise.

Initial informal discussions had already revealed that both parties share a common understanding of effective communication: "When creativity and technology, emotion and data interact perfectly, advertising not only reaches people in the heart, but also picks them up on their needs and makes an impact," they say.

The practically complementary performance profile of Wirz and Webrepublic made the cooperation possible in the first place. Livio Dainese, Co-CEO and co-owner of Wirz, says: "It was clear to us from the outset that we would only be taking the field with the best players. Webrepublic is unbeatable when it comes to designing and playing out communications using data and technology." And Webrepublic is also delighted with the joint move: "The handshake with Wirz fills us with pride. Their creative expertise is legendary. Together, we can increase the impact of campaigns and brands on the web," says Tobias Zehnder, Co-Founder and Partner Webrepublic.

BoB" is thus also a sign (albeit a rather unconventional one) of further consolidation in the Swiss advertising and agency market: After Farner's recent acquisition of Rod and expansion of its internal digital expertise, Wirz and Webrepublic are now following suit. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for independents to compete with the "full service" approach and pricing of the mega-agencies.

The management team of "BoB" (from left to right): Wirz Co-CEO Livio Dainese, Webrepublic Partner Tobias Zehnder, Wirz Co-CEO Petra Dreyfus and Webrepublic CEO Tom Hanan. 

In an interview with werbewoche.ch, Wirz co-CEO Livio Dainese and Webrepublic partner Tobias Zehnder explain how their companies' partnership came about. 

werbewoche.ch: Congratulations on the "virtual big agency". Tell us: How did you get the idea to start the Synergy Project "BoB" to start? 

Livio Dainese: Merci, gäll! There are various ways to expand one's own competencies. We too were faced with the decision of buying an agency or building our own unit. In our opinion, neither is an ideal way. I knew Tobias from various jury meetings, where we realized that we like the same cases - ones with substance, smart thinking and excellently done. So first we had a coffee at the HB and then many coffees, teas and soft drinks. With the management of both companies and the whole team. And so it finally came to "BoB". Cute little guy - isn't he? (laughs)

What can Webrepublic do that Wirz can't - and vice versa?

Dainese: Webrepublic is, in our opinion, the best digital marketing agency in Switzerland. It is constantly developing and evolving, and is just as constantly where the ball is about to go rather than where it is at the moment.

Tobias Zehnder: Wirz's creative expertise is legendary; their campaigns have shaped the Swiss advertising industry for decades. This experience, the quality of craftsmanship and the agency's creative network are unmatched. In addition to the differences, however, what unites us as partners is also important: the conviction that communication must deliver tangible added value for our clients. Reach and awards are great, but what really counts are sales and market share.

How can one imagine the concrete cooperation? Will only customers who explicitly book "BoB" receive the combined offer - or will both agencies proactively offer each other's services in the future?

Zehnder: There are roughly three dimensions to how our clients will benefit. First, we can offer complex mandates together and thus complement each other in the specific project. In this way, we can reduce the complexity of the entire coordination of creation and media and relieve our clients. Secondly, we can provide each other with the necessary competencies in individual mandates without a lot of overhead - like substitutes who already know the new team well. And third, this cooperation brings the two agencies and their teams closer together. We train each other's employees and thus help all our disciplines become more compatible. Even without a specific mandate, our clients will benefit from this mindset and mutual inspiration. We believe that the best communication of the future will not take place in the current silos, but in the spaces in between. In addition, we naturally remain open to continuing to work very constructively in other constellations according to the needs of our clients.

Publicis works with "The Power of One", Farner buys new competencies, Serviceplan unites sub-agencies under one umbrella brand. Is "BoB" simply the logical consequence of the strategic actions of other major Swiss agencies?

Dainese: As already indicated at the beginning, there are many ways to reach the goal. We have observed worldwide that the more or less voluntary integration of other agencies can be difficult. And that building non-core services often ends up in units that neither attract the best talent nor are big enough to build momentum. So came our decision to work directly with the best.

At the end of the article in the Sonntagszeitung, it says that a formal merger of Wirz and Webrepublic is not currently an issue. But you have already thought about it, haven't you?

Dainese: Of course, you think through many scenarios. But it feels right, just as it is now.