New Arc Collective: "The strength to make a difference comes from working together"

How did ARC Collective come about?

Olivier Mächler: I have worked in communications for an agency for the last six years. The client base was diverse. My goal has always been to implement interesting projects with people I like or find exciting, projects that are based on meaningfulness. The first two points were fulfilled, but the last one was missing. That's why I was looking for a way to combine all three points with my own agency.

Karin Zürcher: For years, I have been pursuing the goal of tackling profound challenges with my work and developing solutions with an impact. It is important to me to design in a needs-oriented way. After my experience in the Innovation Unit of Doctors Without Borders and Raise Now, I have dedicated myself at Climeworks to the general understanding of and access to climate change. There are many approaches to leaving the world a better place than when you entered it. People also need to hear about it and relate to it. I want to inspire people to move from uncertainty to action - so now Arc. We will be a mouthpiece for all the great ideas. Creating a stage and bringing the right people together to support each other.

What does meaningfulness mean to you?

Mächler: For us, this means ecological and social sustainability. A society that makes it possible for the generation of today and the generation of tomorrow to have a fair life.

Zurich: The big question here is fairness. Just being born in Switzerland already means that we have one of the highest footprints in the world. I can do without animal products or flying. Nevertheless, as a Swiss person, I contribute to the fact that I consume over 2.5 earth resources in my lifetime. But we only have one world.

What previous professional experience will flow into the new agency? 

Mächler: Our collective brings together a wide range of experience. A team of freelancers is selected for each project. We firmly believe that different people need to work on solutions. Both in society and in our collective, or when we are looking for solutions together with our customers: New perspectives and skills are essential in order to make progress.

What does the name "Arc Collective" mean? What is your mission? 

"Arc" symbolizes the arc of change. The "Collective" stands for togetherness. Working together develops the strength to make a difference. Our mission is to promote innovative solutions with this collective. We want to work with creative minds and sustainability pioneers who want to actively drive change. We develop sustainable projects and holistic communication for them.

So are you targeting companies that already live sustainability?

Yes, that is very important to us. We want to provide holistic communication support to companies that have made these values their mission. We don't want to greenwash companies. Sustainability must be at the heart of the customers for whom we communicate.

Zurich: We are working at full speed to involve a committed network of experts in the field of sustainability. We are happy to advise companies that want to take their first steps towards sustainability with workshops and sustainability inputs. Our discussions with companies have shown that many want to make changes, but don't know where to start. Or do not have the resources to devote to this important topic.

Many companies now claim to be sustainable. Can you verify this?

An important question that we discuss a lot. We therefore always have an initial meeting with potential customers. At the beginning, we may not yet have the resources to examine an entire supply chain in detail, for example. Nevertheless, it is crucial for us to find out what the company's core concerns are.

Mächler: If we recognize that a company's principles are not in line with our vision, we will refrain from working together or act as a bridge builder between the right people. In the future, we will focus on taking on an advisory role to make companies more sustainable.

What services do you offer? How do you differ from other agencies?

We have three focus areas: on the one hand, classic communication, i.e. on/off communication for already sustainable and progressive companies. The second focus is creation and interaction - where we create customized brand experiences via websites and storytelling, for example. The third focus is sustainability input. Here we are committed to providing companies with an introduction to the topic in the form of workshops.

Who would you like to create concepts for?

I would like to see creative minds, for example at the ETH or in their own garage, working on future-proof inventions that will take us forward in many areas of ecological sustainability. In other words, specialists who now want to bring their product to the people. Or established sustainability pioneers who are already marketing products or services that can support them with creative ideas. A concrete example would be Luya, for example, which produces plant-based meat alternatives from whole organic pulses in Bern.

The agency starts on Tuesday. How do you want to generate attention at the beginning?

To get off to a good start, we use the "Arc Sprint" for a short period of time. Within just five days, we develop creative concepts and solutions for specific challenges. This approach not only accelerates the development of ideas, but also strengthens our presence and establishes valuable relationships.

Zurich: The "Arc Sprint" is intended to create a tangible and solution-oriented approach to the topic. In just five days, many ideas can be generated and the course set. Whether in a fast-track or long-term commitment: we are very happy to take on the challenge so that we can make progress together.