Dialog between people and brand

We live in a digital world. But the more virtual gaming options we have, the greater the desire for more real encounters in communication again. The "Event Climate Switzerland" study sees annual growth rates for event budgets of 10 percent, with a total market of CHF 1.23 billion. "A live activity can be processed more effectively in the communication mix. Brands are looking for independent indicators to emotionally bind their target audience," Carole Ramuz is convinced. She runs the Brandsoul agency in Zurich together with Andrej Isler. A company that has been dedicated to "emotion management" for almost twenty years. Brandsoul skilfully covers all areas of live communication such as events, trade fairs, exhibitions, conferences, employee and customer zones. In order to place the messages in a dramaturgically effective way, cross-media means such as social media, digital, film, PR and print are used, whether for campaigns or individual measures. Brandsoul's clients include SIX, Swatch, various banks and Swiss Life. For Swiss International Air Lines, the agency accompanied the launch of the new website. In addition to the conception and implementation of the media conferences, the main focus was on employee motivation. In experience zones, Swiss employees were familiarized with the relaunch of the brand.

Making content tangible

UBS commissioned Brandsoul to anchor a new leadership management system. This was to be emotionally understood and made comprehensible by the international senior management. To this end, Brandsoul invited the executives to build an entire city with 42,000 cardboard bricks in an empty hangar hall, analogous to the new leadership approach. The individual functions, interfaces and cultural backgrounds of the participants were integrated in a goal-oriented manner. In the evening, the specially built city was the scene of a "city festival". Andrej Isler is Head of Consulting and CD. He is thus "responsible for the content". The creative started with an education in advertising. In addition, Isler has important roots in the cultural scene. In the nineties, he founded the cultural-political association "Flying Fish". This launched, for example, the World Street Cultural Spectacle. "From the very first moment, it was about making content tangible and transporting it effectively." "Even then, I was enthusiastic about communicating through stories." So this communicative side and "storytelling" soon became event marketing. "The experienceability of communication" was the idea. The passion to "look at something in a completely different way" finally led him to found his own company in 1996: x-act. Live communication was still a relatively new tool for Switzerland at that time. People were mainly familiar with sports events, from Red Bull, for example. Sponsoring was also a topic here. Over time, "experiential communication" as an instrument in the communication mix has become more and more complex with the new possibilities.

Carole Ramuz also joined Andrej Isler's agency during this phase. The bilingual economist grew up in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Her professional background is in organizational development. She completed an MAS degree in Business Excellence at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. For her work in the field of quality management, Ramuz has also acquired the EFQM Assessor. As an independent management consultant for a long time, she focused on the development of software landscapes, organizational development, processes, structures. Clients included UBS and Credit Suisse. Today, Carole Ramuz is responsible for management, she looks after marketing and takes care of HR issues as well as business development. The merging of different disciplines in communication also demanded a reorientation from event agencies. Therefore, Carole Ramuz and Andrej Isler decided to rebrand in 2012. After 15 successful years, x-act became Brandsoul. "We have evolved from a classic event marketing agency in the direction of a communications agency and wanted to emphasize this communicative claim more. " The new name is also intended to emphasize the strengths in the area of content development. "Brandsoul wants to show the soul of the brand." Brandsoul's core competencies today include "generating content and telling a brand story." Transporting the brand, breaking it down and "bringing it to life." Implementing and integrating a company's strategy. "In marketing we talk about touchpoints, we talk about communication spaces. We create spaces, real and digital.

The real encounter is a central element for us. This can also be an event. But our work only begins with such an event. Our task is to create an emotional bond," explains Andrej Isler. Brandsoul therefore also creates the accompanying communication measures and works out a strategy for the communication campaign. To this end, 14 people are employed at the company's offices in Zurich's Oberdorf. Among them are specialists from event management with the appropriate background, but also experts from branding, employees who have experience with intercultural communication. For the implementation, Brandsoul can count on its own department for design and creation. The growth of the event industry was very strong, especially in the nineties and noughties. In the meantime, the development is no longer as obvious as it was with social media, for example. But: "The digital component has boosted our business. People want to have a direct exchange," says Carole Ramuz. This understanding is only now really taking off. And she is convinced: "What you haven't experienced, you haven't understood. A vision or strategy on a piece of paper can convey little."

Commitment to the industry association

In order to be able to promote such professionalization of the industry, Carole Ramuz had herself elected president of the Expo Live Communication association this spring. "There are advantages to being actively in dialogue with the industry and being able to help shape something." The new president wants to implement "positioning the industry more strongly in the entire communication environment." Against growing competition, Brandsoul wants to set itself apart with content, creativity and a well-thought-out strategy. Logistics is not the main focus. "We develop the brand story and logistics and technology follow suit," Andrej Isler specifies. For its own development, Brandsoul sees "continuous growth," because "in a larger category, you also have more leeway to be able to use the resources you need." There are also concrete plans in the Zurich Oberdorf for increased expansion abroad.

Carole Ramuz and Andrej Isler are already very active with their second company, Momo Entertainment and Events. Here, events are realized at the highest level and international top acts are engaged, such as Anna Netrebko for a castle festival in Lyon. For such productions, Momo relies on collaboration with the best professionals, such as stage designers or choreographers, worldwide. The motto is "achieving the perfect, magical moment." Brandsoul has implemented over 1000 projects since its inception. Now they want to share this knowledge with others. On the last Thursday of every month, the agency opens its doors for an impulse workshop. "Anniversary as effective communication motive ", stands for example at the end of June on the program. The participation fee for this "Academy" is voluntary - and goes as a donation to 100 percent to the "Women in the World Foundation" for the education of women in disadvantaged regions worldwide, for which Carole Ramuz is particularly committed. Brandsoul's motto is "People first". With such and other activities, the slogan is ultimately made tangible.

Andreas Panzeri