Career changer
Urs Benz, Stephan Brunner and Javier Gonzalez are BBG Werbung in Thalwil and are increasingly becoming high-flyers from the provinces. But this has little to do with their shared past in the tourism industry.
Two is a company. Three's a crowd," the film comedian Groucho Marx once quipped. This wisdom even made it into the title of an American sitcom. But what may be true in an amorous relationship is by no means necessarily true in business life. BBG Werbung, at least, has been proving the opposite since 1999. The trio of Urs Benz, Stephan Brunner and Javier Gonzalez find it ideal that the three creatives in their agency discuss all plans, problems and projects not just in pairs, but in a "crowd". "This can sometimes bring social discord into the working day. Decisions have to be discussed. Which is not easy with three alpha males - but all the more exciting," say the three owners of BBG.
Corporate identity and design, classic advertising, marketing, public relations, internet solutions, trade fair appearances and events make BBG a full-service agency. In addition to the three partners, there are currently three employees in Thalwil. These are soon to be joined by a web programmer. "So far, we have outsourced this. However, we are convinced that in-house online expertise is an essential part of a classic agency today, just like graphics," says Javier Gonzalez. BBG has an otherwise broad network of freelancers: "We don't claim to be able to do everything. But we know who can do what best."
Even though many projects are launched jointly, the areas of responsibility are clearly structured. Javier Gonzalez is the managing partner or MD. Urs Benz continues the visual design as AD. As CD, Stephan Brunner coordinates the complex processes and is responsible for new business. "However, everyone has an overview at all times and stays in contact with the customers themselves," says the well-coordinated team and jokes: "As we are all born in the same year, 63, no one has the right to take the lead as the oldest."
Another thing the three partners have in common is their professional past in the tourism industry. "It was a coincidence that brought us together. Today, however, this industry is no longer a cluster risk at BBG," says "company spokesman" Stephan Brunner. The portfolio and therefore also the expertise have expanded in a wide variety of directions with customers such as Meteo Switzerland, Swiss Caution, the Federation of the Deaf, Olympus, Bernina, ZyXEL and Docu Media. One core competence can be found in the B2B sector. That is why the company remains open to projects from a wide range of sectors. "The mechanisms of marketing are basically similar for all communication tasks," says Javier Gonzalez.
The actual founder of BBG started his career at the counter of Traveller Reisen. From there, the journey continued at Jelmoli and TUI. However, Gonzalez realized that selling travel was not getting him very far, so he switched to management consulting with Roland Bischofberger. He continued his training in test psychology and also completed a degree in business administration. With these diplomas and his tourism experience under his belt, the opportunity arose to set up a new marketing department at Travac Fernreisen. Gonzalez was able to organize promotional campaigns with funds from various destinations such as the USA. He also launched new ideas for trade marketing involving hotels, airlines and other service providers. "We designed all the advertising in-house," says Gonzalez, explaining the smooth transition into his current job. Before that, however, he was appointed to the management of Imholz. After the takeover by TUI, he became Head of Marketing there. During this time, he worked with various advertising agencies. Because he soon found their tasks more exciting than his own, he finally asked himself: Why do we have to outsource the jobs? Gonzalez created a concept for an in-house advertising agency with 15 people. When TUI was reorganized during the further expansion with Kuoni, the idea fell through. However, Gonzalez did not want to give up on his dream goal and ventured into self-employment in 1999. At the beginning, the advertising agency was still called Emch, Gonzalez & Partner. Urs Benz joined as Art Director in the very first year.
Urs Benz started out with a technical bend in a small print shop. As a reprographer, he soon discovered his flair for graphic work. "This was strongly encouraged by my boss at the time," he recalls. As a result, the creative talent was able to switch to the then Swiss Student Travel Service (SSR) as a career changer. There, he was able to learn a lot from very experienced graphic designers in the advertising department. "That was all in a time before computerization," smiles Benz. But as this technology became more and more visible, Benz was one of the first to want to swap his desk for a desktop. He also trained as a technical color designer. After the takeover of SSR by STA Travel, Benz was able to land a major contract for the new brand's destination advertising. Because he couldn't do the job alone, he went to Gonzalez. This is how the two became partners.
Stephan Brunner, the third member of the trio, joined after five years. As befits a BBG partner, he also started out in tourism as a Product Manager at Hotelplan. This was followed by five years in publishing marketing at IVA and Senger Annoncen. Then, back in the 1990s, the business economist also set up his own business as a "one-man advertising agency". The move to a new office on Seestrasse in Thalwil brought Brunner together with Gonzalez and Benz, first physically thanks to the same address and soon also organizationally. Since then, the advertisers have been traveling as a trio.
In order to continue to be equipped for the future, BBG Werbung is going on a retreat these days and is hiring an external consultant for this purpose. "You can't just tell your customers that you need external advice - and then want to do everything yourself."
Thanks to the "privileged and ingenious location" directly on Lake Zurich, a change of location to Zurich will not be an issue despite the strategy review. After all, creativity can also flourish in the "Zurich Park Side" region. Such an insight seems doubly logical for three creatives, none of whom were allowed to or had to earn their spurs in a large agency. They all made their way up from BBG as career changers.
Andreas Panzeri
> Work
Corporate identity and design, classic advertising, marketing, public relations, internet solutions, trade fair appearances and events make BBG a full-service agency. In addition to the three partners, there are currently three employees in Thalwil. These are soon to be joined by a web programmer. "So far, we have outsourced this. However, we are convinced that in-house online expertise is an essential part of a classic agency today, just like graphics," says Javier Gonzalez. BBG has an otherwise broad network of freelancers: "We don't claim to be able to do everything. But we know who can do what best."
Even though many projects are launched jointly, the areas of responsibility are clearly structured. Javier Gonzalez is the managing partner or MD. Urs Benz continues the visual design as AD. As CD, Stephan Brunner coordinates the complex processes and is responsible for new business. "However, everyone has an overview at all times and stays in contact with the customers themselves," says the well-coordinated team and jokes: "As we are all born in the same year, 63, no one has the right to take the lead as the oldest."
Another thing the three partners have in common is their professional past in the tourism industry. "It was a coincidence that brought us together. Today, however, this industry is no longer a cluster risk at BBG," says "company spokesman" Stephan Brunner. The portfolio and therefore also the expertise have expanded in a wide variety of directions with customers such as Meteo Switzerland, Swiss Caution, the Federation of the Deaf, Olympus, Bernina, ZyXEL and Docu Media. One core competence can be found in the B2B sector. That is why the company remains open to projects from a wide range of sectors. "The mechanisms of marketing are basically similar for all communication tasks," says Javier Gonzalez.
The actual founder of BBG started his career at the counter of Traveller Reisen. From there, the journey continued at Jelmoli and TUI. However, Gonzalez realized that selling travel was not getting him very far, so he switched to management consulting with Roland Bischofberger. He continued his training in test psychology and also completed a degree in business administration. With these diplomas and his tourism experience under his belt, the opportunity arose to set up a new marketing department at Travac Fernreisen. Gonzalez was able to organize promotional campaigns with funds from various destinations such as the USA. He also launched new ideas for trade marketing involving hotels, airlines and other service providers. "We designed all the advertising in-house," says Gonzalez, explaining the smooth transition into his current job. Before that, however, he was appointed to the management of Imholz. After the takeover by TUI, he became Head of Marketing there. During this time, he worked with various advertising agencies. Because he soon found their tasks more exciting than his own, he finally asked himself: Why do we have to outsource the jobs? Gonzalez created a concept for an in-house advertising agency with 15 people. When TUI was reorganized during the further expansion with Kuoni, the idea fell through. However, Gonzalez did not want to give up on his dream goal and ventured into self-employment in 1999. At the beginning, the advertising agency was still called Emch, Gonzalez & Partner. Urs Benz joined as Art Director in the very first year.
Urs Benz started out with a technical bend in a small print shop. As a reprographer, he soon discovered his flair for graphic work. "This was strongly encouraged by my boss at the time," he recalls. As a result, the creative talent was able to switch to the then Swiss Student Travel Service (SSR) as a career changer. There, he was able to learn a lot from very experienced graphic designers in the advertising department. "That was all in a time before computerization," smiles Benz. But as this technology became more and more visible, Benz was one of the first to want to swap his desk for a desktop. He also trained as a technical color designer. After the takeover of SSR by STA Travel, Benz was able to land a major contract for the new brand's destination advertising. Because he couldn't do the job alone, he went to Gonzalez. This is how the two became partners.
Stephan Brunner, the third member of the trio, joined after five years. As befits a BBG partner, he also started out in tourism as a Product Manager at Hotelplan. This was followed by five years in publishing marketing at IVA and Senger Annoncen. Then, back in the 1990s, the business economist also set up his own business as a "one-man advertising agency". The move to a new office on Seestrasse in Thalwil brought Brunner together with Gonzalez and Benz, first physically thanks to the same address and soon also organizationally. Since then, the advertisers have been traveling as a trio.
In order to continue to be equipped for the future, BBG Werbung is going on a retreat these days and is hiring an external consultant for this purpose. "You can't just tell your customers that you need external advice - and then want to do everything yourself."
Thanks to the "privileged and ingenious location" directly on Lake Zurich, a change of location to Zurich will not be an issue despite the strategy review. After all, creativity can also flourish in the "Zurich Park Side" region. Such an insight seems doubly logical for three creatives, none of whom were allowed to or had to earn their spurs in a large agency. They all made their way up from BBG as career changers.
Andreas Panzeri
> Work
Urs Benz, Javier Gonzalez, Stephan Brunner (from left).
