Agency check: Skipp Communications

• Agency address: Wiesentalstrasse 7b, Chur
• Date of foundation: November 19, 2002
• Founder: FiFi Free
• Current agency heads: FiFi Frei & Marielle Hunger
• Number of employees: 10
• Current clients: Andreas Caminada, Arosa Lenzerheide, Ascona Locarno, Big Green Egg, Graubündner Kantonalbank, Hallenstadion Zurich, Liemont, Loco Escrito, Nino Niederreiter, Porsche
• Skipp.ch

Which campaign from the past twelve months are you particularly proud of?

When everything stood still, we were allowed to move. With the TV production "Alles wird gut" we filled the empty hall station with a lot of emotion and brought courage and great music into homes in over 80 countries. With this project we could really show how we control our regattas: with brain and heart.

But our campaigns for Ascona-Locarno are also something for the soul. Let's be honest: Who wouldn't be a little proud to have a charming Ticinese woman and a stubborn Frenchman together in front of the lens?

 

The most important campaign in agency history to date - and why?

2020 was a wild year - also for us. Together with Graubündner Kantonalbank, we were able to sail through an exciting anniversary year and, for example, create the first digital summit book, launch a virtual reality project, or even the music platform Graubuendenmusik.ch into being. We are not only at home on the water. We are also at home in the mountains.

 

The most unusual place where your creatives retreat to be creative?

Even though there are some places in our agency that boost creativity, the most creative places are the heads of our employees. They are everywhere and continue to spin. Malicious tongues claim that one or the other concept has already been scribbled on a napkin...

 

What do you do when you have thought blocks?

Those who have a thinking block only think with their head. We also switch on the heart.

 

What is your agency philosophy?

Details are not details. We work with heart and soul and are convinced, there is always a little better.

 

Why should talented people definitely come to work for you?

With Skipp, you get the tailwind and the sails to successfully navigate to your destination.

 

How long do employees stay with you on average?

Our crew is constantly optimizing itself, logically. But our turnover is unsexy, because several crew members have been working together for over ten years.

How old is your youngest employee, and how old is your oldest?

Our oldest employee is twice as old as our youngest employee. Both are under 50 and both have a schnapps number on their cake. Well, how old are they?

 

How high are the wages you pay compared to the industry average?

We are a boutique agency with professionals. If we were a watch, it would be a Rolex rather than a Flik Flak. And if you want to deliver above-average quality, you also have to invest in resources.

 

What is the ratio between the best and the worst paid employee?

We are a sworn crew. We share the glory. Occasionally also the rum.

 

Do employees know among themselves who earns how much?

We don't keep a ranking list and there are probably more exciting topics at the crew events. Everyone is a professional in their field and we can say that our salary level is clearly above the industry average.

 

How much overtime do you work on average per week?

We don't work off hours, we love our regattas. There are certainly evenings when the after-work beer becomes a good-night tea, but there are also days now and then when we can't keep to the "no beer before four" rule.

 

With which benefits do you compensate your employees for said overtime?

We don't know any actual overtime. We work when it makes sense and compensate when it is smart to do so.

Is home office allowed - and if so, how often?

This question is reminiscent of the time before the pandemic. Of course, home office is allowed, but through regular Covid operational tests - since January 2021, we test the crew at least weekly - we also try to enable our crew to work on site.

 

What is the current quota of women?

We sail ahead by example: 60 percent of the crew are women, 40 percent men.

 

Do you employ interns?

Because we are a small crew, we generally refrain from hiring interns. But the exception proves the rule: currently, an intern is raising her sails with us.

 

Do you organize team events?

There are many crew events and parties. At least once a week, bouldering trips over lunch or barbecues are on our list. We explore the waters of the Mediterranean, like the year before last in Ibiza. Last year, we even set sail for the first beach party at the "Playa del skipp" and greeted our customers in flip-flops and everything that belongs to a good beach party.

Do you have an agency dog or other mascot?

Our mascot is firmly anchored in our agency: on our walls and even on our snacks - in fact, everywhere he has a place.

 

Where do you drink your after-work beer?

The question for us is not where, but with whom: The main thing is with our great customers and friends - and of course with the crew.