The innovator
As managing director of m&m media agentur in Zurich, Rolf Suter aims to ensure a smooth generational transition.
As Managing Director of the m&m media agency in Zurich, Rolf Suter wants to ensure a generational change. It would have gone on well. Both at the m&m media agency in Glattbrugg and for Rolf Suter at the Goldbach Media subsidiary in Vienna. But sometimes change beckons. Wolfgang Mecklenburg, a veteran of the media scene, wants to retire in Switzerland. The founder and long-standing general manager of the two agencies m&m and mm&b in Switzerland wants to concentrate primarily on the European business of m&m media holding ag in future. He has appointed Rolf Suter, who is in his late thirties, as his successor. This is intended to be a generational change. "I'm half his age," says Suter. Suter, who has grown up with online advertising, TV, radio and screen marketing, would therefore also like to implement ideas that are newer. "Do something about the lethargy," he says. Claudia Mühlebach, whose tasks and area of responsibility at mm&b media agency in Glattbrugg will remain unchanged, will be pulling in the same direction as the new Managing Director.
Rolf Suter made a name for himself with the success of his Goldbach subsidiary in Vienna. He was actually only supposed to spend three months there to bring a floundering company back into the profit zone. In the end, this turned into three years and a prospering "Swiss Miniature" of Goldbach Media.
When Suter came to Vienna, his "problem case" only worked as an online marketer. Goldbach now also markets a television station in Vienna, MTV. "We used the momentum of this brand and also entered the radio sector," says Suter, explaining how the scene combination with two city radios came about. Finally, Telecom Austria also entrusted him with the marketing of almost 1500 new multimedia cells. So he had everything: TV, radio, online and screen market. "The same as Goldbach in Switzerland," he says proudly.
Suter liked it in Vienna. "A very young media landscape. The dusty image isn't true at all. It was also fun to be invited to all the trendy parties as an MTV marketer."
However, Suter was less happy that he could only see his two children as a commuting father. "My wife didn't like the idea of moving to Vienna and I wanted a real family life again." These circumstances also came to Mecklenburg's attention one day, whereupon things took their course.
At m&m, Suter found "very well-trained employees". What he lacked was new business. "We now want to send a sign of life to the market." Doing something for the image is necessary, because "anyone can place an advertisement". The secretary used to book a few ads, then the media departments developed, became independent and are now earning money. "Today, much more media money comes in than is spent on implementation in the creative department," Suter calculates. And where the placement of a campaign is around ten times more expensive than the production, the question inevitably arises: Is the person who plans the media still just the executor, or is he also allowed to contribute his own ideas? For Suter, one thing is clear: media agencies are thinking more and more strategically and in future will offer the vessels and channels that need to be filled by the creatives.
He has no problems with his switch from marketer to buyer. "It really appeals to me. I know what buyers want." He will also continue to sell, namely "the services of our company".
Rolf Suter got his start in advertising as a pen at the former Mosse Annoncen. There he learned the print trade from scratch. He later spent four years selling cinema advertising at Central Film. He got to know the TV business at Eden TV. During the start-up phase of Swiss private television, Suter made funny little films together with the Eden trio. He did not pursue this potential career as a comedian. But: "If you sell, you don't put on a show, but you have to appear in front of people in a similarly profitable way in order to present something."
After the integration of Eden TV into Star TV, Suter organized the competitions and promotional shows for Paul Grau in the background. He also oversaw the launch of ProSieben for Klaus Kappeler's IP for four years and "contributed a lot to the fact that people started to think about TV advertising in terms of more than just boxes". That was the time when television power was increasingly bundled with the advent of advertising windows.
Another important experience for Suter was his time as managing director of Suchtreffer. This search engine marketing company was later merged with the online division at IP Multimedia. Suter managed the new business unit before accepting the challenge in Vienna.
Always something new, says the new Managing Director at m&m media, even in his free time. He has recently started training in swimming, running and cycling. Suter also wants to test his performance in a triathlon.
Rolf Suter, Managing Director of m&m media agency, always needs something new.
Andreas Panzeri
Rolf Suter made a name for himself with the success of his Goldbach subsidiary in Vienna. He was actually only supposed to spend three months there to bring a floundering company back into the profit zone. In the end, this turned into three years and a prospering "Swiss Miniature" of Goldbach Media.
When Suter came to Vienna, his "problem case" only worked as an online marketer. Goldbach now also markets a television station in Vienna, MTV. "We used the momentum of this brand and also entered the radio sector," says Suter, explaining how the scene combination with two city radios came about. Finally, Telecom Austria also entrusted him with the marketing of almost 1500 new multimedia cells. So he had everything: TV, radio, online and screen market. "The same as Goldbach in Switzerland," he says proudly.
Suter liked it in Vienna. "A very young media landscape. The dusty image isn't true at all. It was also fun to be invited to all the trendy parties as an MTV marketer."
However, Suter was less happy that he could only see his two children as a commuting father. "My wife didn't like the idea of moving to Vienna and I wanted a real family life again." These circumstances also came to Mecklenburg's attention one day, whereupon things took their course.
At m&m, Suter found "very well-trained employees". What he lacked was new business. "We now want to send a sign of life to the market." Doing something for the image is necessary, because "anyone can place an advertisement". The secretary used to book a few ads, then the media departments developed, became independent and are now earning money. "Today, much more media money comes in than is spent on implementation in the creative department," Suter calculates. And where the placement of a campaign is around ten times more expensive than the production, the question inevitably arises: Is the person who plans the media still just the executor, or is he also allowed to contribute his own ideas? For Suter, one thing is clear: media agencies are thinking more and more strategically and in future will offer the vessels and channels that need to be filled by the creatives.
He has no problems with his switch from marketer to buyer. "It really appeals to me. I know what buyers want." He will also continue to sell, namely "the services of our company".
Rolf Suter got his start in advertising as a pen at the former Mosse Annoncen. There he learned the print trade from scratch. He later spent four years selling cinema advertising at Central Film. He got to know the TV business at Eden TV. During the start-up phase of Swiss private television, Suter made funny little films together with the Eden trio. He did not pursue this potential career as a comedian. But: "If you sell, you don't put on a show, but you have to appear in front of people in a similarly profitable way in order to present something."
After the integration of Eden TV into Star TV, Suter organized the competitions and promotional shows for Paul Grau in the background. He also oversaw the launch of ProSieben for Klaus Kappeler's IP for four years and "contributed a lot to the fact that people started to think about TV advertising in terms of more than just boxes". That was the time when television power was increasingly bundled with the advent of advertising windows.
Another important experience for Suter was his time as managing director of Suchtreffer. This search engine marketing company was later merged with the online division at IP Multimedia. Suter managed the new business unit before accepting the challenge in Vienna.
Always something new, says the new Managing Director at m&m media, even in his free time. He has recently started training in swimming, running and cycling. Suter also wants to test his performance in a triathlon.
Rolf Suter, Managing Director of m&m media agency, always needs something new.
Andreas Panzeri
