Head of the Week: The Swiss Maker
As the new CEO of Scholz & Friends Zurich, Erich Baumgartner has ushered in a new phase of market presence. This phase aims to establish a more distinct Swiss profile and, soon, to achieve further growth.
Scholz & Friends Zurich has "incredible potential that has yet to be awakened," analyzes Erich Baumgartner after 100 days in his new position of responsibility. The newly appointed CEO is convinced: "The Scholz & Friends network also works in Zurich. We live 'The Orchestra of Ideas' and have already achieved a very good basis with our clients after five years in Switzerland." But there is more to come. With Erich Baumgartner, Scholz & Friends wants to initiate a new phase of market presence in Zurich, in which the branch of the top German agency is to gain an independent Swiss profile. To this end, the aim is to achieve growth "in line with the importance and economic strength of the country," Frank-Michael Schmidt, CEO of the Scholz & Friends Group, also explained when Baumgartner was appointed.
After an initial offshoot in 2003, Scholz & Friends Zurich was relaunched in 2006 as a "proper and independent agency" and currently has over 20 employees developing holistic communications solutions for brands such as Balisto, Blick and UBS. Katrin Seegers, who built up Scholz & Friends in Zurich as Managing Director, became a mother in July and therefore returned to Berlin. CD Jan Leube also wanted to return to Germany. He took over the creative leadership of an agency in Berlin as Chief Creative Officer at the beginning of 2008.
In this ideal phase for a second take-off, the network once again sought contact with Erich Baumgartner, having already held advanced talks with him in 2006 about a commitment. For the network with 1200 coworkers predominantly in Europe it was "a central thought" that after the first structure now a Swiss is to lead the agency into a further future. With Erich Baumgartner, Scholz & Friends Zurich is to gain "an independent profile" and still reflect the "family values" of the parent company. In order to expand its position, the network plans to make further substantial investments in its Zurich location. Soon, the agency will move to new premises on Förrlibuckstrasse. "At Konradstrasse, with only one and a half floors, we have reached the limit. You have to give air to be able to grow further," Baumgartner is pleased to say. He also likes the modern spirit of optimism in Zurich West.
Growth - also through acquisitions
Scholz & Friends wants to grow in Switzerland not only with new mandates and new people: "We are also looking to expand with acquisitions. The strategy reflects the image that Scholz & Friends cultivates throughout Europe with its various agencies and offshoots, each with its own special discipline, such as Scholz & Friends Dialog, Interactive or the PR unit Agenda. With this in mind, Baumgartner is on the lookout "for good teams and interesting companies." The acquisitions are also intended to make the location policy a bit more fragmented. "We want to secure our presence beyond Zurich," explains the CEO, who knows the Swiss communications scene inside out.
Like many of his generation, Erich Baumgartner slipped into the world of advertising "without any great ideas about this industry. As fate would have it, however, he was able to join one of the best addresses right away. In 1981, he found his first job at the DDB agency run by advertising legends Max Wiener and Rodolphe Deville. Here, Baumgartner learned his trade in the classic way with media and consulting. After five years, he moved onto the merry-go-round of further experience at various agencies such as McCann Erickson, GGK Zurich and Advico Young & Rubicam, and also once on the client side at Philips Switzerland as Head of Marketing Communications. At Publicis, Baumgartner later headed a consulting group as a colleague of Beat Mühlemann, who later became head of Migros advertising. That was at the end of the 1990s "in the great days of Farner Publicis" with international budgets such as Coca-Cola or British Airways. Baumgartner's masterpiece, however, became Swiss Post's Yellow Youth Account. "This weighty financial campaign for Swiss Post made a real splash for years back then." Baumgartner therefore dared to take the step into self-employment. He took a stake in Matter & Partner, together with Wirz Partner Holding. "That was an interesting maneuver, moving into completely different dimensions in a smaller agency," the current CEO recalls of the exciting time. "In a large agency, you work as a consulting group leader embedded in a made nest. You do have to work a lot and develop with the client. But the entrepreneurial challenge in a small agency is more exciting. You simply learn more because everyone has to do everything."
Not the last to close the door
He then wanted to bring his entrepreneurial experience back into a large network. Baumgartner headed the Lowe Lintas GGK advertising agency in Zurich for four years, with clients such as Orange, Volkswagen and Credit Suisse. The bank's mandate then became a stumbling block for the agency. For Baumgartner, however, it wasn't actually the loss of that budget, but "our inability to react very quickly to the new situation" that led to the bad end. "I had agitating discussions with my supervisor about strategy, and then that was also the reason why I left. Because I didn't want to be the last one to close the door."
Among various options and also offers from clients, including from the financial business, Baumgartner decided once again to go into business for himself. The small boutique Glamour Engineering specialized in cultural events. Baumgartner was to help turn Glamour World into a proper communications agency with a focus on cultural marketing. He discovered: "This is a very interesting and also lucrative business, but you have to be part of this very special world. But I wasn't. I'm a specialist in marketing and communications, and I'm particularly comfortable in this field."
So the offer from Scholz & Friends in ¬Baumgartner's biography also came at just the right moment. Here he can now do everything again. "I'm really excited about our integrated interaction, because for me the orchestrated thinking and acting of all disciplines is not only the future of a successful agency, but has been actively lived in the Scholz & Friends network for years."
Strong reputation built
With clients such as UBS Key Club and Blick am Abend, Scholz & Friends Zurich has succeeded in building a strong reputation in Switzerland over the past two years. In the ADC ranking, the agency made it into the top 10. In the biography of a creative, the agency name has long been an illustrious address. In a survey of 500 advertisers by the Handelszeitung, Scholz & Friends also scores very positively. And this name recognition is an "extremely important factor for business success in Switzerland," Baumgartner is convinced. The better known and bigger you are, the easier it is to get onto the shortlist for pitches. Once you're in that loop, you attract more customers and interesting employees.
In addition to his commitment to the agency, it has always been important for Erich Baumgartner to be involved in the field of education. He served on the board of Sawi and was a member of the SW examination board. After completing an executive MBA in business administration at the University of Zurich in 2005, he also lectured himself. In the years of self-employment, however, he had to cut back on some of these commitments. Embedded in a functioning structure at Scholz & Friends, the new CEO now hopes to ramp up these "extra-occupational commitments" again somewhat. "You can't just consume, you have to give something back."
In his free time, Baumgartner does moderate sports, enjoys cooking and eating, and is interested in many areas from politics to music. His private and professional curiosity keeps him open to culture of all kinds. He also enjoys this together with his wife Lisa. He met the former advertiser during his time at Advico. "In this sense, this station has also been clearly and sustainably worthwhile for me, for which I am still grateful to Bruno Widmer today," he laughs.
Andreas Panzeri
After an initial offshoot in 2003, Scholz & Friends Zurich was relaunched in 2006 as a "proper and independent agency" and currently has over 20 employees developing holistic communications solutions for brands such as Balisto, Blick and UBS. Katrin Seegers, who built up Scholz & Friends in Zurich as Managing Director, became a mother in July and therefore returned to Berlin. CD Jan Leube also wanted to return to Germany. He took over the creative leadership of an agency in Berlin as Chief Creative Officer at the beginning of 2008.
In this ideal phase for a second take-off, the network once again sought contact with Erich Baumgartner, having already held advanced talks with him in 2006 about a commitment. For the network with 1200 coworkers predominantly in Europe it was "a central thought" that after the first structure now a Swiss is to lead the agency into a further future. With Erich Baumgartner, Scholz & Friends Zurich is to gain "an independent profile" and still reflect the "family values" of the parent company. In order to expand its position, the network plans to make further substantial investments in its Zurich location. Soon, the agency will move to new premises on Förrlibuckstrasse. "At Konradstrasse, with only one and a half floors, we have reached the limit. You have to give air to be able to grow further," Baumgartner is pleased to say. He also likes the modern spirit of optimism in Zurich West.
Growth - also through acquisitions
Scholz & Friends wants to grow in Switzerland not only with new mandates and new people: "We are also looking to expand with acquisitions. The strategy reflects the image that Scholz & Friends cultivates throughout Europe with its various agencies and offshoots, each with its own special discipline, such as Scholz & Friends Dialog, Interactive or the PR unit Agenda. With this in mind, Baumgartner is on the lookout "for good teams and interesting companies." The acquisitions are also intended to make the location policy a bit more fragmented. "We want to secure our presence beyond Zurich," explains the CEO, who knows the Swiss communications scene inside out.
Like many of his generation, Erich Baumgartner slipped into the world of advertising "without any great ideas about this industry. As fate would have it, however, he was able to join one of the best addresses right away. In 1981, he found his first job at the DDB agency run by advertising legends Max Wiener and Rodolphe Deville. Here, Baumgartner learned his trade in the classic way with media and consulting. After five years, he moved onto the merry-go-round of further experience at various agencies such as McCann Erickson, GGK Zurich and Advico Young & Rubicam, and also once on the client side at Philips Switzerland as Head of Marketing Communications. At Publicis, Baumgartner later headed a consulting group as a colleague of Beat Mühlemann, who later became head of Migros advertising. That was at the end of the 1990s "in the great days of Farner Publicis" with international budgets such as Coca-Cola or British Airways. Baumgartner's masterpiece, however, became Swiss Post's Yellow Youth Account. "This weighty financial campaign for Swiss Post made a real splash for years back then." Baumgartner therefore dared to take the step into self-employment. He took a stake in Matter & Partner, together with Wirz Partner Holding. "That was an interesting maneuver, moving into completely different dimensions in a smaller agency," the current CEO recalls of the exciting time. "In a large agency, you work as a consulting group leader embedded in a made nest. You do have to work a lot and develop with the client. But the entrepreneurial challenge in a small agency is more exciting. You simply learn more because everyone has to do everything."
Not the last to close the door
He then wanted to bring his entrepreneurial experience back into a large network. Baumgartner headed the Lowe Lintas GGK advertising agency in Zurich for four years, with clients such as Orange, Volkswagen and Credit Suisse. The bank's mandate then became a stumbling block for the agency. For Baumgartner, however, it wasn't actually the loss of that budget, but "our inability to react very quickly to the new situation" that led to the bad end. "I had agitating discussions with my supervisor about strategy, and then that was also the reason why I left. Because I didn't want to be the last one to close the door."
Among various options and also offers from clients, including from the financial business, Baumgartner decided once again to go into business for himself. The small boutique Glamour Engineering specialized in cultural events. Baumgartner was to help turn Glamour World into a proper communications agency with a focus on cultural marketing. He discovered: "This is a very interesting and also lucrative business, but you have to be part of this very special world. But I wasn't. I'm a specialist in marketing and communications, and I'm particularly comfortable in this field."
So the offer from Scholz & Friends in ¬Baumgartner's biography also came at just the right moment. Here he can now do everything again. "I'm really excited about our integrated interaction, because for me the orchestrated thinking and acting of all disciplines is not only the future of a successful agency, but has been actively lived in the Scholz & Friends network for years."
Strong reputation built
With clients such as UBS Key Club and Blick am Abend, Scholz & Friends Zurich has succeeded in building a strong reputation in Switzerland over the past two years. In the ADC ranking, the agency made it into the top 10. In the biography of a creative, the agency name has long been an illustrious address. In a survey of 500 advertisers by the Handelszeitung, Scholz & Friends also scores very positively. And this name recognition is an "extremely important factor for business success in Switzerland," Baumgartner is convinced. The better known and bigger you are, the easier it is to get onto the shortlist for pitches. Once you're in that loop, you attract more customers and interesting employees.
In addition to his commitment to the agency, it has always been important for Erich Baumgartner to be involved in the field of education. He served on the board of Sawi and was a member of the SW examination board. After completing an executive MBA in business administration at the University of Zurich in 2005, he also lectured himself. In the years of self-employment, however, he had to cut back on some of these commitments. Embedded in a functioning structure at Scholz & Friends, the new CEO now hopes to ramp up these "extra-occupational commitments" again somewhat. "You can't just consume, you have to give something back."
In his free time, Baumgartner does moderate sports, enjoys cooking and eating, and is interested in many areas from politics to music. His private and professional curiosity keeps him open to culture of all kinds. He also enjoys this together with his wife Lisa. He met the former advertiser during his time at Advico. "In this sense, this station has also been clearly and sustainably worthwhile for me, for which I am still grateful to Bruno Widmer today," he laughs.
Andreas Panzeri
With the mandate for Blick am Abend, Scholz & Friends has made a name for itself beyond the advertising industry.
