m&k: Enuma Okoro, when I read your weekly "The Art of Life" column in the Financial Times, I often have the feeling of gaining a new perspective: on culture, on society, on life. The "different view" you offer - is it driven by an "intention"?

Enuma Okoro: There is actually something of an ... an implicit goal or question that I approach a lot of my writing with: "How can I get us to think about how we see?" All too often we humans think that we understand everything immediately; we jump to conclusions about the people around us or about the human condition in general. I try to motivate the readers of my column to meet their bias with the skepticism it deserves. If you tell me now that I am achieving this goal in your case, then I am very pleased. Because that's how I move through life myself: with curiosity about the stories of the people I meet and a constant willingness to question myself. Because I question myself, I am a better listener - I am more humble, more open. This in turn ensures that wonderful stories find their way to me ... it's a great cycle.

"How can I get us to think about how we see?"

 

Your interest in people and their stories is imperative to your work - as a curator, as an author, as a philosopher. You think about how storytelling connects us; not only within our species, but also with other animals; with the rest of nature. Do you remember when the topos "connection" first became the focus of your attention?

An exciting question - but one that is difficult to answer. I can't say exactly when I started thinking the way I do today, and there are probably several factors that play a role. One of them is that - since I was a little girl - I have had a deep fascination with the world around us. It's just who I am, it's how I was born. I grew up in a Catholic family and still remember very clearly the Sundays when my parents took me to church. The stained glass windows, the magical surrealism of the imagery, my imagination that couldn't be contained ... I not only believed that holy water was de facto sacred - and that touching the water would "do something to me" - but also that God lived at the back of the church! Whenever the altar boys in their white vestments stepped out of the back room into the nave to prepare for the service, I tried to catch a glimpse behind the door: was he sitting there, peering back? (laughs) But I wasn't just interested in Catholicism - I read everything I could get my hands on. Roman and Greek mythology, fairy tales and fables, legends from all over the world ... that still influences me today. The second factor, which has certainly played an important role in the genesis of my thinking, is that I grew up in different countries, on different continents. And as children do, I absorbed everything as a matter of course: When we moved, I had to find my place in each new place - which made me very aware of my respective surroundings. I saw differences, but looked even harder for similarities ... and found them. The third factor is a combination of the above: When I lived in Nigeria, on the Ivory Coast, in Tunisia, I always had the feeling that the people and the rest of nature actually belonged together. Some of the houses my family lived in over the years had large verandas with doors leading out into spacious gardens. And if we forgot to close these doors, animals would come in; lizards or monkeys. That didn't bother anyone - it was normal. All in all, I was a child with a vivid imagination, which my parents encouraged rather than curbed. I saw a lot of the world early on - and I grew up, as much as this may sound like pathos, in "harmony" with nature. That's how I became who I am. I experienced connectedness before I could think about it. And, to be honest, I wish more children had this opportunity.

 

Aristotle always said that you shouldn't try to diminish the power of imagination or the childlike questioning of everything - then you would practically create a society of philosophers without further ado.

Exactly.

 

But many people lose the ability to devote themselves to the "big questions" in their lives, to wonder - and then they long for them, often without being able to name what they are missing. They have forgotten how to pause. Should your texts also serve as a reminder to transcend everyday life; to an experience that you had forgotten ... or to a world that once existed?

Allow me to address the second part of your statement first: I do not believe in idealizing the past. There was never an "Eden" at any point in history. Every era had its own problems, challenges and dramas. But I do believe - and this brings us to the first part of your question - that there were times when our assessment of the natural sciences and humanities was more balanced than in the present. Don't get me wrong: it was only thanks to the natural sciences that we were able to solve some of the major crises that our species has faced over the centuries. But I still take a critical view of the fact that we now often regard logic and rationality as the "royal road" to knowledge - while we diminish the value of the poetic, beauty, the spiritual ... and the value of feelings in discourse! The idea of "feeling something" and expressing it is downright frowned upon. I want my lyrics to be a memento ... not of a romanticized past that never really existed, no. But a reminder that it's okay - and valid - and wonderful - to feel. We lie and deceive ourselves when we claim that empirical research is more valuable than art ... and vice versa! What good is this sham dialectic anyway? I don't see what good it does us. Empiricism and emotion can coexist without any problems; and they have to if we want to understand life in all its fullness. Oh, now ... I'm sounding a bit esoteric, aren't I? Be honest! (laughs)

"We are lying to ourselves when we claim that empirical research is more valuable than art ... and vice versa!"

 

On the contrary, I agreed with your assessment. When I wanted to study philosophy and literature back then, friends advised me against it - I should study economics or law instead, that would be "safer". Some arguments were so forceful, as if the subject areas were on different planets ...

That's why I like "Poetry on the Subway" so much: posters with poems hang in the New York subway as a temporary bridge between "everyday life" and "art" - I deliberately put that in quotation marks, because you shouldn't have to build bridges a priori; you should never have separated the two. Be that as it may, when you get on the subway in New York City and a poem pops up between all the dirt and the hustle and bustle ... that's always something special for me.

 

... and something I can imagine as the subject of one of your columns!

Yes, because in such a moment many of the things we have already alluded to come together: Individual and community, filth and beauty, all at the same time. A great metaphor for life, isn't it? There's a lot of ugliness in the world, literally and figuratively, and that's why we need to orient ourselves towards the traces of beauty - not just aesthetic beauty, but a very broad idea of the term. And we have to learn to play again.

 

To play?

Yes, I was just thinking about that because we were talking earlier about children's ability to philosophize on their own. You know, children are not only born philosophers, they also play completely carefree - for most adults, that's unthinkable! You can play until you're ten or eleven years old, after that it gets serious (laughs). That's unfortunate, because in play we create space for discovery - space to discover new things about ourselves, but also to explore the world in a way we've perhaps never explored it before. As long as we see play, in whatever form, as something ... almost frivolous, as a waste of time, we deprive ourselves of the chance to make creative discoveries and breakthroughs. Some of my favorite artists - some of the most successful artists in the world - show a strong, playful sensibility in their work: I'm thinking of Olafur Eliasson, for example, who synthesizes nature, science and creativity in his installations ... and thus invites us to that very change of perspective we talked about at the very beginning.

 

Now, readers are less interested in what I have to say - but allow me to make two comments anyway: What you said about the flashes of beauty in everyday life reminds me of the final monologue of Paolo Sorrentino's film "La Grande Bellezza" - you can watch it if you want to understand you better. And what you say about "playful" art makes me think of Damien Hirst's "Spots": I always liked them far better than his depictions of death and decay, but I never dared to admit it. Thanks to you ... I now confess (laughs).

You have my permission to enjoy the "spots" (laughs). But ... you know, it's really worth thinking about the value of play. We need a childlike - not childish - approach to the world around us. That makes a big difference. I'm sure you have young parents in your family or circle of friends who describe how they rediscover life through the eyes of their children? This has to do with the fact that children make us aware of phenomena that we no longer consciously deal with: feeling the skin of a tomato between your fingers - peeling it - followed by the feeling that the inside of the fruit is completely different ... when was the last time you actively thought about something like this? You probably cook something that contains tomatoes every week or two, but you're not ... "in the moment" when you prepare it. Children are.

 

Yes, and ...

... Sorry, just a second. You mentioned Damien Hirst's "Spots" - I would like to follow on from that and express another thought. I assume you are familiar with the work of Yayoi Kusama? We know a lot about her life, her complex biography, her ongoing battle with mental illness. But Kusama turns the struggle into something that brings joy to other people - precisely because her art does not take itself too seriously, but forms a counterpoint to the seriousness of everyday life.

 

I am fascinated by how Kusama transforms pain into beauty - showing "pain as pain" would, I think, be less demanding.

I agree with you on that. Transforming pain - no matter into what - is an enormous challenge. But the step before transformation is just as important: first we have to accept that we are suffering and that we cannot escape the feeling. We've said it before ... the relationship with our emotional world is often less healthy than it should be; many people downplay what they carry with them. Either because they're afraid of it - or because they see the news and say, "What's my problem compared to the problems someone in a war zone is having?" But pain is pain. We have to accept that it is there, welcome it as a guest, deal with it - and then try to figure out what to do with it. I am convinced that we would be doing humanity as a whole a great favor if we were more open and honest about the pain we carry within us. We don't have to pour our hearts out to every person we meet. But we could change the discourse - and say: pain, suffering and grief are constants. They are part of us. They also connect us.

Anyone familiar with your texts will be reminded of the numerous columns in which you talk about the fragility and weaknesses of human nature. You often find your way in via visually accessible art - less often via literature or music. Why is that?

Visual art has an "immediate quality": we don't see something first, then think about it and finally feel something. Instead, we see something, feel something, and only then do we begin to think. Do you recognize the difference? Images are very, very powerful, whether they are paintings, photographs or the view of a sculpture. And I say that as a woman who has made writing and storytelling her profession! (laughs) However, pictures also tell stories. With the bonus that they can open up spaces within us to which language does not give us access - because language has its very own limits. A picture needs no translation. You don't have to speak French to visit an exhibition by a French painter. Art should not be elitist, and visual art is low-threshold art ... you just go and look at it! (laughs) If you want to write a clever book or become a critic, you may need to know history and symbolism, but otherwise - your eyes are enough.

 

Let's conclude by looking at a painting together: "Human Castle", a work by the contemporary artist Wonder Buhle Mbambo. I quote your description of the painting: "In the middle of a lush landscape, a totem of people can be seen, all together holding a child aloft. The child's hair suggests that it is a young girl - the face is unrecognizable, but the arm is stretched towards the sky. For me, the child embodies the hope of all those who carry it: the hope of perhaps not having made it themselves, but of being a step for the next generation." We haven't talked about politics today - but how do you keep hope alive in such divided times?

Did we really not talk about politics? We didn't talk about politicians or political parties. But we have talked about what it means to be human - and being human usually means, among many other things, living in a society as a citizen. Whether we vote, do community service or anything else ... we all have the power to influence the outcome of everything. We all have a place in the orchestra of life. It would be wise not to think only about the power to rule nations when we talk about politics. Rather, we should remember that we are important as individuals and that we can have a lasting impact within our environment. That's part of my recipe for staying optimistic. It gives me hope.

 

And the other part?

I am a believer. I believe that there are forces at work that are greater than what we are capable of understanding. I had mentioned my Catholic upbringing, but I wouldn't call these forces the "holy trinity". I don't have a definition for what I perceive as "divine" - but it's there, it's omnipresent. Billions of people have billions of personal belief systems that ultimately all refer to the same thing. This is also why - please excuse the somewhat worn-out comparison - I consider us to be one big family. A messed-up, dysfunctional family that sometimes simply forgets some of its members. But in an emergency ... we remember. Where else can I find optimism, where can I find hope? Beauty gives me hope. Poetry gives me hope. Kindness gives me hope. Generosity gives me hope. Seeing flowers bloom gives me hope - having plants in the house that turn towards the rising sun gives me hope. I like that they communicate with me in this way; that they tell me: "Get up from your desk, I want to be moved!" They need the light because they are growing and alive. And where there is life, there must be hope.

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Enuma Okoro is a Nigerian-American journalist, writer, lecturer, curator and art and culture critic. Her weekly Financial Times column "The Art of Life" reflects her wide-ranging research and writing interests, such as how the intersection of art, philosophy, spirituality, ecology and culture can address and question the human condition, how we live with ourselves and each other, and how we integrate spirituality into our everyday lives.

 

This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 6-7/2024.

The first story written about David+Martin—the first narrative that spread—was that of two guys who, for a handful of euros and a little creative leeway, could bring to life just about anything a client in the advertising world could desire. That story has come to an end.

The second story written about David+Martin—the second narrative that spread—was that of two guys who, at some point, were able to charge more than a handful of euros for their expertise, but in return had more than both hands full to do. They worked day and night, hired other (positive!) advertising fanatics… and knew how to celebrate: every pitch win, every success, and sometimes, it seems, just the fact that it was Tuesday. This story, too, has come to an end.

«At heart, we're still a creative agency. And we'll always be one.»

It’s now time for the third story, the third narrative—not one neatly laid out on these pages, because even that would imply a sense of finality, and David+Martin is far from that. No, what follows is merely a snapshot, a fragment of a story unfolding right now. One of Germany’s perhaps most exciting creative agencies is undergoing a growth spurt and what is likely its biggest transformation to date—it wants to, but at the same time must remain true to itself. Can that work?

«… actually a pretty serious business»

Let’s lay our cards on the table: At the beginning of this year, I really wanted to write a blend of the first and second stories—to retell them, just as a few journalists before me had done. The narrative’s appeal was just too strong (utter nonconformity, a bar at the heart of a labyrinthine old agency building, a healthy dose of eccentricity…), and it seemed too tempting to meet someone who kept the «golden age» of our industry alive. I imagined them as veritable «Munich Mad Men»—without suits, perhaps, but with a coolness and self-confidence every bit as impressive as Don Draper’s. Armed with these preconceptions, I drove to the Bavarian capital, met the agency’s namesakes, David Stephan and Martin Eggert, saw Mark Niedzballa—the former CEO of The Game, who was still operating «undercover» at the time—standing at a whiteboard, and (unintentionally) crashed a brainstorming session. And I traveled on to Bonn, feeling completely inspired, for my next appointment.

The train ride took four and a half hours, during which time I typed up an article on my MacBook, which I—still feeling quite euphoric—immediately sent to Munich that same evening. Martin Eggert’s response to my draft was clear. I can’t recall all of his passages exactly today (thanks to a formatted email inbox), but one sentence has stuck with me: «What’s often overlooked is that this is actually a damn serious business here.» Point taken. I asked if I could come back—to write about what actually goes on at David+Martin. I got that second chance.

Young, wild? Yeah… but!

When we meet again at the end of May—David, Martin, and I—there’s a thunderstorm brewing. We’ve swapped the bar-office where we sat last time for a new location and are now touring the second office, decorated in rich wood tones, near Sendlinger Tor. It’s a prestigious branch office for meetings with clients, but also a place where additional employees can work—and where the founders can retreat to reflect. All of this has both symbolic and practical significance.

David+Martin’s portfolio includes an increasing number of «traditional» clients (insurance, beauty, and, most recently, ING Germany, one of the top financial institutions in Germany); more and more talent is needed to fill the ranks and manage mega-accounts (the relatively new Seat and Cupra account alone will require more than 30 full-time positions); more and more often, the founders must learn to take a step back—and delegate. Letting others take the lead today in order to make strategic decisions for tomorrow.

«You know,» David Stephan begins, «that reputation we had… the one you mentioned in your first article… it got a little too far ahead of us, for our liking.» He recalls that there was a phase when David+Martin was already representing brands of (inter)national renown; however, new inquiries were coming primarily from companies that wanted to see «something cool and crazy.» The agency’s teams were expected to «audition»—to «just be radically different and crazy.» Did the potential clients also want to know what they thought, what principles they followed, and what insights their ideas were based on? «Less often than you might think,» adds Martin Eggert. I can imagine how frustrating that must be. «Suffering from success» is one might scoff, but then you haven’t experienced—and, above all, haven’t understood—what they mean.

Creative at Heart

After all, what the two of them describe is certainly partly related to the «Party Hard» myths that have surrounded the agency, but it is undoubtedly also a side effect of consistently living out creativity: When Sir John Hegarty tells me about his first BBH pitches—about the black sheep at Levi’s and naked men in laundromats—he also talks about the enormous difference between the final result and the process of achieving it. Clients see the result—and conclude that a few eccentric characters are conjuring up brilliant ideas out of thin air while sipping one drink after another in the dim light. «Hard work is overshadowed by the perception of creative excellence,» Sir John is convinced, «and although your ideas help you grow at the beginning, they can later hinder your growth.» After all, the really big clients no longer come just for good ideas—they need trust, reliability, and compliance. Without creativity drying up.

And because David+Martin wants to win these clients (the fact that they’re counting on scaling up is evident from the multi-stage win of the previously mentioned Seat and Cupra account—their largest to date), they need to move beyond the image to which they’ve been reduced for some time—even in the media. «Don’t get me wrong,‘ says David Stephan, »we’re still a creative agency, and we’ll stay that way.« But at the same time, they’re taking essential steps that lead into the future.

Partnerships and Young Talent

To that end, they’re turning to new partners, such as the previously mentioned former The Game CEO Mark Niedzballa. He graces our Gewitter Lounge with his presence for a quick chat, coming across as a calming influence next to the effervescent strategist Eggert, who, according to colleagues, «easily makes 20 30 people a day,» because he prefers that to constant email back-and-forth. Niedzballa says many wise things, but above all, he emphasizes the importance of «leveraged mandates»: «If you win over car manufacturer X and perform excellently, manufacturer Y will invite you.» It’s similar in the insurance sector and the financial world: clients are seen not only as a valued asset «in and of themselves,» but also as «stepping stones.» In the Operations division, Niedzballa will be responsible for ensuring that the David+Martin machine is well-oiled as soon as it’s time to pull the levers.

Even long-time employees are taking on more responsibility: Thuy Hällmayer, a team member from the very beginning and an authorized signatory for the past two years, now oversees human resources, the offices, and infrastructure at the group level. David, Martin, Mark, and Thuy—this setup is designed to keep the company on the path that made David+Martin great. Even the promised freedom—which attracts some of the best young talent in Germany—is structured rather than chaotic. «When you join us,» says Martin Eggert, «we expect a lot from you. We set goals. And then you find your own way to achieve them.» Are he and his co-founder good bosses? «If you can handle the fact that we both always tell the truth—yes!» The low employee turnover rate seems to confirm this.

Failed again?

As we step out together into the Munich evening—the lightning and thunder have stopped, and it’s just drizzling lightly—a thought occurs to me: I probably won’t be able to describe this agency adequately again. The blend of a spirit of optimism and structure, «laissez-faire» and discipline, creativity and hard work—crowned by founders who still love what they do—I’d need to observe that for longer. But: It’s probably irrelevant whether anyone captures more than a snapshot of the «third story.» We’ll probably all be watching it unfold.

m&k Kersti Kaljulaid, you stepped down as President of Estonia in 2021 - but by no means retired into private life afterwards: With your foundation, you are committed to democracy, free media and equality. Let's start with democracy: why does the term need to be at the center of our attention in 2024?

Kersti Kaljulaid: There are many reasons for this, which is a reason in itself (laughs). There is no longer just one or two crises to worry about, we are experiencing a so-called perma-crisis fueled by many factors. There are elections taking place all over the world that are highly threatened by Russian interference - with artificial intelligence, fake news and deep fakes, the public is made suspicious; people don't know what to believe in anymore. We Eastern Europeans have long been used to Russian interference, we know the game, only the means are new - but other European countries are now also aware of the dangers; fortunately! I still remember reading the sentence "German freedom is also defended on the Internet" on a banner on the outside wall of the German Ministry of Defense and thinking: "Yes, that's right!" But will this realization come in time? Let's hope so.

 

We are now in the middle of the topic of "disinformation and democracy": when I spoke to think tank founder Sasha Havlicek about Russian propaganda for the last issue of m&k, she said that there was certainly an awareness of the dangers of Russian propaganda - but that there was a lack of effective countermeasures.

The best way to counter misinformation is to strengthen established media outlets that do reputable work. If the public can always access trustworthy state or private media sources in print, radio, television or online, then at least many people are more likely to get their information from there - and not from other, dubious sources. I know how difficult it has become to finance serious journalism ... but that should not be a reason to continue to weaken the genre. To be honest, I see an additional "environment problem": there are apps or online platforms that place in-depth reports right next to tabloid journalism. I am always available to talk to the media, but I don't want to find my own statements in the context of clickbait stories. The dividing lines need to become sharper again; there need to be media outlets that say: "This may be heavy fare, but you should watch it!"

"We Eastern Europeans have long been used to Russian influence, only the means are new."

 

You mentioned earlier that countries in Eastern Europe have been exposed to Russian disinformation campaigns for a long time - and that Western Europe has been slow to understand what systematic disinformation actually means. Was it difficult to sensitize your colleagues in politics to the phenomenon?

In Estonia, we experienced first Soviet and then Russian propaganda within the same generation. I grew up knowing that everything in the newspaper was controlled by the Soviet propaganda machine - as Estonian president, I had to deal with the fact that sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly pro-Russian channels, social media platforms and Twitter bots were used to stir up sentiment against democratic institutions. That's why I also say: I welcome the fact that Google and Microsoft declared at the Munich Security Conference this year that they want to take stronger action against fake news and deep fakes - but let's not forget that these are just modern symptoms of an old, serious problem. The view of colleagues in Western Europe, who had a different view of the world due to their background and upbringing, had to be sharpened - but, as I said, this has now been achieved quite well. Incidentally, it's not just about politicians internalizing the danger posed by Russia. It's also about them exercising great caution in their own use of the media and the distribution of messages. It can be very tempting to spread a rumor about political opponents before it is even clear whether there is any basis for it. However, this may feed disinformation into the discourse.

 

As a former head of state, are you primarily concerned about conflicts in the digital space - or do you also see Estonia as being exposed to a physical, military threat?

The only safe place - by which I mean a conceptual place, not a geographical one - is currently NATO. It guarantees its members common defense, and since Estonia is a member of NATO, we do not fear open aggression from Russia at the moment. However, Putin has indicated that he is planning to expand and diversify his attempts at intimidation, and we must be prepared for this. He will try to hinder our quest for progress, play our various population groups off against each other or harm us in some other way. We Estonians have no illusions about who or what he is. There used to be a persistent rumor that Putin was a master strategist who calculated his every move - and every possible move of his opponents - in advance. Well, what has he shown? He has bombed cities in which people live that he supposedly wants to protect because they are "historically Russian" - and thus ensured that practically the whole of Ukraine has turned away from Russia. He has fast-tracked Finland and Sweden into NATO. And he has encouraged the deepening of European integration. All of this is contrary to his goals, which either means that he is less strategically savvy than expected - or that there is also an irrational moment in his personality structure. And this brings us back to the beginning of your question: even though we feel secure in NATO, we have increased our defense spending; not just to two, but more than three percent of our economic output. Because ... we can never predict exactly what will happen.

"The only safe place ... conceptually, not physically ... is currently NATO."

 

Do you never doubt NATO's promise of support? There is always a discussion in the media about whether foreign soldiers would "die for Narwa" in an emergency ...

If NATO breaks its promise of support just once, it is immediately finished. Everyone involved in the alliance knows that. I am convinced that the members would fulfill their duty to help.

 

It's quite exciting for me that we're having this conversation in Austria - like the country where I live, Switzerland, the Republic is in favor of political neutrality and non-alignment. But this is only possible for both countries because they are surrounded by NATO states, isn't it?

Exactly. You know, the idea of neutrality stems - unfortunately - from an idealistic mindset that is no longer in keeping with the times: "We'll stay out of it, but people are welcome to meet and negotiate with us!" Please, you can do that if the other side is prepared to negotiate. But Russia has long since crossed the Rubicon of diplomacy. And every voice - whether it comes from Switzerland, Austria or certain interest groups within the NATO states - that calls for restraint, that demands that we should talk to Putin again, slows us down. Ultimately, only Russia benefits from this. Once again: I am glad that Chancellor Scholz and President Macron are now setting a good example. But for us Est:innen, that wasn't fast enough, and we made that clear (laughs).

 

You are a relatively small country, but enormously committed to supporting Ukraine. Right from the start.

Yes, because we understand. And because we look. Just to give you an example, I have traveled to Ukraine at least twice a year since the start of the war and have personally reported on the situation. It is terrible how many people are dying because other countries are reluctant to release aid. How much suffering could be avoided! The world could have been faster; it could still be faster. Then again, there is momentum, and in the end we will prevail - as we did during the Cold War. There is also something good about having experienced all this before: the confidence that the forces of freedom are ultimately stronger. In the 1970s, my father was conscripted as a soldier in the Soviet army to serve in Kaliningrad, and he watched Western planes patrolling the USSR's borders. The first Munich Security Conference 61 years ago was held to respond to the threat from Moscow. Nothing is new, and we know how it ended last time for those who wanted to oppress other peoples. Putin must feel that. He must not think for a second that he can end the war in Ukraine on his terms. We must not allow him to do that.

"Women affected by domestic violence are not helped if politicians keep their mouths shut."

 

I would like to talk about your social commitment, President Kaljulaid. Your foundation is not only committed to Ukraine, democracy and freedom of the press, but also to equal opportunities in Estonian society. Why is this issue so close to your heart?

Estonia has experienced a kind of turbo capitalism over the past three decades - due to the fact that there was no capitalism at all before. Of course, this did not automatically result in a social market economy - because we had too few resources and too little experience with the distribution of state funds for such an economy. That had been managed by others for decades. We first had to learn how to help alleviate the suffering of the weakest in society - how to support people with special needs ... to be honest, we weren't very good at that in the early 1990s. And even later, when I became president, I realized that we needed to catch up. I wanted us to engage in a collective discourse about how people with disabilities can feel like full members of the population. I wanted us to start seriously tackling domestic violence - to give the LGBTQI+ community a platform - to be tireless advocates for women's equality. As I said, I wanted to make the media even more independent. When I left office in 2021, some of the people and organizations I had worked with on all these issues expressed regret. So I said: "Instead of just regretting that I'm no longer president - let's just get on with it!" (laughs) And that's what we did.

 

The initiatives that you finance via the foundation start with children, right?

Yes, because - as much as this may sound like a phrase - they are the future of our society. We go into kindergartens and explain what "My body, my choice" means; in other words, that no one has the right to touch or even hurt children against their will - and that they have the right to defend themselves. We want the upcoming generation of Est:innen to have a positive self-image, that the children of today will refuse to accept things like domestic violence tomorrow. If you do a survey of adult Estonian women now, 40 percent of them say that they have been abused at home at least once in their lives - this has to stop! But we also explain in kindergartens and schools how to talk to each other without banging heads (laughs), how to express different points of view without simply breaking off the conversation because of differences. Because we understand what domestic political dynamics might otherwise develop in ten or twenty years' time. For me, Sweden's education policy is always an inspiration - that's the benchmark we use as a guide.

 

I like this approach: that you help Ukraine, raise money, "put out fires" and prepare your nation for possible conflicts, but that you also think in the medium and long term.

Everything is interconnected: By teaching our children values, we are shaping a generation that will be able to meet the challenges of the future. A generation that acts responsibly and thinks independently. This can only strengthen democracy - as can the reduction of social differences.

 

At the beginning of our conversation, we talked about the "perma-crisis" we are facing. Despite this, you seem surprisingly optimistic and full of energy. Doesn't the world situation sometimes make you frustrated and, yes, resigned?

If I were to claim that I am never frustrated, then that would be an outright lie. Of course, I'm not immune to worries, frustration and the occasional bout of resignation. But I've always been someone who likes to call a spade a spade instead of dwelling on problems. That helps. And as an active politician, it has sometimes earned me ... headlines.

 

For example?

In the first speech I gave as President on Estonian Independence Day, I said: "Today is a public holiday. That means that statistically more women are beaten than usual." Some people in the audience were piqued - but it's the truth. The women affected are not helped if politicians keep their mouths shut. We must always talk about the difficult issues when we know we can generate the greatest possible attention. Let's put our cards on the table - and then let's see what we can do.

Is your tendency towards positive actionism also culturally influenced?

You have to remember the history of my generation: When Estonia regained its independence, the median wage was 25 US dollars per month. Today we are at 1,800 US dollars. People have fought for this, bit by bit, and politicians have helped. We have worked tirelessly to be accepted into the European Union; to join NATO. Without the unconditional will to change, without pragmatism and without perseverance, none of this would have worked. I still maintain that we had to learn certain things in the 1990s - but at the same time I would say that we were very lucky back then, because the first leaders of free Estonia immediately showed the right instinct on key issues, such as national security.

 

Now we've talked about democracy, propaganda, NATO - and various elections that are due in 2024. In November, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are likely to run against each other again. How are we preparing for the fact that Trump could win this election?

I think it is wise and right that Europe is thinking more about its own defense and that concrete steps are being taken to strengthen the armies on the continent. At the same time, however, I am not known for seeing Donald Trump as a major risk to the continued existence of NATO - at least if you take his first term in office as an indicator. Well, he has repeatedly emphasized that some countries need to invest more in their protection, but so did Barack Obama. The latter, however ... there was no real fear that he would draw any consequences, let's put it that way. Trump kept his European colleagues in the dark about what he would do. But de facto, he was very consistent about protecting NATO's eastern flank: he visited Poland several times; considered establishing a permanent US base in the country. His vice president, Michael Pence, was extremely committed to strengthening US relations with Eastern Europe. Trump and Putin have - whether consciously or unconsciously, planned or unplanned - initiated a new European security architecture.

 

And ensured that Europe becomes less dependent on Russian gas.

That is true. Incidentally, some of the EU's sustainability goals are also linked to this - the expansion of renewable energies would probably never have been pushed to such an extent if the situation in Ukraine had not arisen. The tragedy that war brings with it - the unnecessary deaths - are unfortunately unaffected by this. But Putin has also achieved everything he didn't want to achieve in the energy sector. A master strategist, after all.

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Kersti Kaljulaid is an Estonian economist and politician. From 2016 to 2021, she was President of the Republic of Estonia - the fourth head of government since Estonian independence from the USSR and the first woman to hold the office since the state was founded in 1918. Today, she and her President Kaljulaid Foundation are committed to various social issues, including freedom of the press and freedom of expression, the promotion of democracy and education policy.

 

This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 6-7/2024.

m&k: In the lead-in to this article, I’ll be presenting you as representatives across the entire value chain in marketing and communications. That sounds a bit dry—so let me start by asking: How do you view one another?

Christoph Pietsch: Phew (laughs). So—typologically? Or on a human level?

 

You can choose whichever you prefer.

Although I’m probably the «end of the chain» in your metaphor, perhaps I should start? I think that if we didn’t understand each other on a human level, we wouldn’t be here together today. I have tremendous respect for both of my colleagues. In terms of our business model, I work within an agency group; an agency has a consulting role and, by extension, a business management mandate. We want to deliver outstanding work for our clients, but we also need to make money in the process. And because we need the trust of brands and CMOs to do that, we strive to earn it. But we also strive to earn the trust of Oliver, who can make recommendations during selection processes and helps bring the right partners together. Those are the practical realities, to start with.

«The agency brings something to the table that we, as a company, cannot provide ourselves—or can only do so with great difficulty.»

Susan C. Schramm: As a CMO, I don’t see myself as diametrically opposed to agencies—after all, I’ve worked in the agency business myself and have very fond memories of that time. But if you ask me about the dynamics between the agency, pitch consultants, and the Chief Marketing Officer, I’d say: The agency brings something to the table that a company can’t—or can only with great difficulty—achieve on its own. A different perspective on things, challenging the status quo… bringing new perspectives to the discussion. However, this only works if the people—the partners at the agency—are actually willing to dive deep into the specific business they’re serving. How do I find someone who can do that—and who’s eager to do it? Someone who’s willing to present more than just the typical three standard case studies? If the chemistry isn’t right, then no matter how ambitious and innovative your plans and strategies may be, the collaboration will never become a success story. So if in doubt, I’d call Oliver and ask, «We have this or that issue. Who’s a good fit for us?» Agencies are our external sparring partners, and someone like Oliver is the person who can connect and facilitate.

Oliver Klein: You’re bringing up a very important point there, Susan. The idea—sorry, that doesn’t really fit with the setup of your article (laughs)—that the agency represents the «end» of the process and the client, with their challenge, represents the «beginning»… that really rubs me the wrong way. If the chemistry is right, it’s more of a cycle—or a mutual exchange. In the best-case scenario: a symbiosis. To the best of my knowledge, there are at most one or two successful marketing departments in German companies that would stand up and say: «Nope, we do it all ourselves; we don’t need any outside support.» As a rule, companies occasionally look for people from outside who can use their creativity to «take it to the next level»; people who ask: How can we do this differently than before? How can we create something new? But here’s the thing—symbiosis only works when the chemistry is just right. And because the agency industry moves at breakneck speed, while most CMOs don’t hold pitches every few months, that’s where I come in. I’m in daily contact with the industry, and I’m confident I can offer a well-informed opinion: «You should have X or Y pitch—Z is great, but not a good fit.» You can call me a «pitch consultant,» but when I think about my work, I’m primarily focused on the time after the pitch… on the success of the collaboration, on the success for the company and the brand.

 

I’m tempted to stray from my script already—because you all place such a strong emphasis on «chemistry.» What’s more important for a successful collaboration with clients: the agency brand or the individual people who work there?

CP: We might have to cross that out later, but I want to be completely honest: agencies are always made up of people. If Susan has five major networks pitch to her, with Oliver moderating, I can totally imagine her saying to him at the end: «What exactly was the fundamental difference between Vendor Number One and Vendor Number Two?»—because maybe both were excellent from a technical standpoint. That doesn’t—for heaven’s sake—call into question the fact that we all work hard to develop unique skills and actually possess them; but in the end, Susan must above all decide whether the people she’ll be working with are a good fit for her on a personal level. The principle often holds true: «Good work is done by good people.» I believe the human factor is a key differentiator.

OK: Exactly. In an agency’s self-promotion, we always hear slogans highlighting this or that strength of an agency—but that’s mostly theory. In practice, the human factor comes into play very quickly, and that’s when things get interesting. I just said that I’m confident in my ability to make a judgment, but even for me, it’s not always easy. Although I believe I know the market better than any marketing manager. I ask myself, for example: «Here we have a setup in the overarching infrastructure that’s a certain way—and then we have Person A or Person B on board.» When the framework and the team work well together and also fit the potential clients very well, that’s the «sweet spot.».

SCS: I’d add: You can tell if there’s a personal connection even «remotely.» During the COVID-19 pandemic, we held a pitch—not an easy time for anyone, to begin with—and our first meeting took place via small tiles on Teams. We communicated with the agencies exclusively remotely, and yet you still get a sense that there’s some friction—for better or for worse—and you can tell whether it’s worth continuing down this path together or whether it’s better to stop right away.

OK: And that can’t always be perfectly captured in words or evaluation systems! You have to turn people down, too, and when you’re asked for reasons, it can sometimes be really hard to explain exactly why. The pitch was good, everything was fine, but… somehow things just didn’t quite click. Those are the subtle nuances of what we do. That’s what makes it challenging, but also incredibly satisfying when it works out.

«How can we do things differently than we have in the past? How can we create something new?»

 

Now we’ve not only deconstructed my initial metaphor, but we’ve also gained an understanding of how the three of you—and the roles you play—are positioned within the marketing and communications industry. So let’s talk about that industry now. What is the «state of German marketing»?

Can I start right off with a strong thesis?

 

Absolutely.

We’ve lost that sense of lightness… and we desperately need it back. In the marketing and communications industry, we’re stuck in some kind of transitional phase; we’re stuck because we no longer highlight the value of what we do—because we no longer emphasize, with enthusiasm, passion, and joy, what we’re all capable of! I believe that marketing, communication, and advertising… are fundamental drivers of economic growth. But that’s not how we see ourselves—or at least, that’s not how we present ourselves. Instead, we whine, grumble, and lament about compensation models; we complain that marketing has a hard time in companies, that it’s just the «implementation arm for colorful images,» and that CEOs are all mean number-crunchers. Plus: We bemoan the fact that no one can find good staff anymore. Maybe this gloomy mood is also due to the political situation, the wars, the recession—but: Does that mean we’re forbidden from looking ahead? We’re making ourselves out to be much, much worse than we really are. We’re talking ourselves to death. So—that was the setup for you.

SCS: I largely agree. When I entered the industry—what feels like centuries ago (laughs)—the agency business and the marketing world were somehow laid-back and—unfortunately, I can’t think of a suitable German word right now—«aspirational.» Everyone wanted to be part of it. Now there’s this… heaviness hanging over everything. Of course, our tasks have become more complex, but we find ourselves too often in discursive arenas that don’t reduce that complexity but rather artificially amplify it. Does it really have to be this way? If we say we want to inspire our target audiences—shouldn’t we also be inspired ourselves by what we do and how we do it? We conjure up a rainbow for our clients, and as for ourselves… we wallow in shades of gray. Even in our conversations. And that’s problematic in the long run.

 

How did this situation come about?

CP: Before we answer this question: You asked about the «State of German Marketing,» but you, too, have been around the German-speaking world for far too long. You can tell because you’re even asking questions like this. Because this whole discourse is, above all, one thing: «German.» Sure, there’s some truth to the sweeping portrayals of gloom and shades of gray. But—why don’t we push past that and look at where things are going well? More optimism. More optimism. There’s fantastic work out there. Progressive leaders and innovators. Loud and quiet rebels. A multitude of agencies are still being founded. There are entrepreneurs who can tell extraordinary stories. And about that… we don’t talk about it enough.

 

Isn't the nature of the discourse itself the problem—rather than the industry's situation as such?

OK: Well, if that were the case—then you'd have at least as much responsibility as we do.

 

But our magazine only expanded into Germany a few months ago, so …

… that may be true, Mr. Hapig, but that is now the role you must assume as deputy. After all, we, too, must serve as deputies for certain roles—simply because we are sitting here together now. Let me tell you, as a «typical journalist»: I believe the media in our industry have been writing us off for years, instead of highlighting the positive aspects and the great results. The consequence is that media outlets that have been in Germany for decades have now practically written themselves into oblivion. CP Oliver has a point: «We» would rather read the headline «Agency X loses long-standing client» than «Agency Y wins substantial business»—and I find that terrible. Just like the endless self-flagellation. This comes to the surface when we engage in «reason-for-existence debates» every four months or take offense when clients don’t compensate us as generously as we’d like. Again: «Good work is done by good people.» And they can expect a fair price. Above all, people with ideas and a knack for communication are needed everywhere. Now I’m already starting to justify myself… I’m going to stop now. (laughs).

SCS: But the industry itself also bears some responsibility for this. There’s no doubt that competition is fierce, and there are some agencies and agency managers whose approach to the market can be described as impressive and exemplary. Nevertheless, let me put it this way: treating one another with more respect and appreciation would certainly not hurt the industry’s overall reputation.

CP: Do you think so? I think there’s a healthy competitive spirit among the players at the market. Sure, there’s the occasional sliding tackle or yellow card, but on the whole, it’s all healthy ambition. It would be terrible if it weren’t.

OK: Well, Christoph, there’s definitely cutthroat competition out there. When I hear the rumors that agency heads sometimes pass on to me about colleagues… I have to ask myself: Can that really be true, or are they just trying to stir things up? I read recently that there are 30,000 agencies in Germany—and around 10,000 each in Austria and Switzerland—which adds up to 50,000 agencies in the DACH region alone! It stands to reason that some are elbowing their way through; that there are battles for market niches.

CP: I’m not saying I don’t get frustrated when we lose a pitch or even a client. Sometimes we even get really frustrated—but that just shows how passionate we are about what we do. We simply care about what we do. But I have to be able to look the winners in the eye afterward and congratulate them with dignity. Just like on a soccer field.

OK: But on the soccer field, you actually see the game! With pitches, as an agency, you often only see your own performance and the result, think you’re brilliant … and when you lose, you ask yourself: How could this have happened? Was there some underhanded scheming? Secret deals made over five bottles of champagne in a restaurant? You know the stories that get spun—and you know that envy is an issue that plagues the industry.

SCS: … and perhaps that is precisely what is preventing the agencies from joining forces and cultivating a positive narrative? From working together to once again speak proudly and confidently about their craft?

CP: Pride is a good thing. And maybe we even need… envy? I’d love it if talented people were envious of the things we get to do every day. And if we were happy to acknowledge—even with a touch of envy—when our competitors have done excellent work. That should encourage us to do even better next time. That’s how new magnetism is created.

 

So we need a positive, optimistic discourse—and new industry media outlets are welcome to take on that responsibility; I can’t take responsibility for my established colleagues (laughs). But we need even more than that, don’t we?

OK: Yes. Courage! We need courage. We need CMOs who take a strong stance within their companies—who, as you put it in our preliminary discussion, I believe, aren’t just worried about financing their semi-detached house and end up having to stay out of board meetings—but who say: «We’re taking the lead; we’re demanding courage from our CEOs—and we’re tasking our agencies with delivering bold ideas.» The more courage is demanded, the more of it emerges. I find it so baffling when CMOs tell me they’re proud to have «squeezed» a large sum out of their agency—usually with the help of the procurement department. I mean, what do they expect then (laughs)? That the agency will jump for joy and work twice as hard? I’d like to see CMOs who stand up to this cost-cutting frenzy and say: «I don’t need fewer resources; I need more money, because we generate new business, we generate success, and we drive the company’s growth!» A campaign is always an investment—a bet on the future. I want to see betting happen again—in an informed, well-founded, and serious way.

SCS: (laughs) And I want to emphasize that I don’t pressure anyone through purchasing. In that regard—incidentally—I don’t even have a purchasing department. OK, yeah, and that’s why you’re a role model in so many ways. That would have been my second point anyway. We urgently need new role models—in all areas of the industry. I mean, Susan, you’re sitting here at the table as «CMO of the Year,» a title you’ve earned in spades—there should be more of this. More awards, more honors, more celebrations—not because we’re engaging in navel-gazing and want to pat each other on the back… but so that young talent will say, «I want that, too.» I completely agree with you there, Christoph. That appeal… it only comes about that way. SCS Can we talk briefly about courage again? I totally get your point, Oliver, but I always find myself wondering: Isn’t that a kind of conceptual exaggeration that isn’t really necessary? And what does «courage» even mean in this context? If I were to say, using my specific example: «Tomorrow we’re painting the chairs in the lobbies red—they won’t be turquoise anymore»—that’s not courageous; that’s just silly or—to put it more elegantly—not particularly smart (laughs). My job as CMO is to shape success in harmony with the DNA of the brand I work for. New approaches and unconventional solutions are good if I take them at the right time and use them strategically; otherwise, they harm the brand. For me, all of this is part of my job—it goes without saying. I don’t feel «courageous»; I’m consistent. If I have one wish, it’s that we reconnect with people, create great moments with our customers, and offer them added value. The rest is philosophy that appeals to me intellectually, but it won’t free us from the “transitional phase” you mentioned.

 

We can replace the term “courage” with “commitment”—a commitment that may seem self-evident to you, Ms. Schramm, but that many of your colleagues do not demonstrate to the same degree. If we can incentivize them to do so—and, conversely, free the agencies from their shackles—will we then get to where we need to be?

CP: I definitely like what Susan and Oliver said much better than the domestic political discussions mentioned earlier. We want to change the perception of the marketing and communications industry—across the entire economy and society. Let’s get out of the bubble. Now that’s a great briefing. Sir John Hegarty says that «marketing» and «agencies» need a new brand, a new idea, and a new identity. That hits the nail on the head. In other countries, the cultural significance of advertising really does come through. Let’s take a look at our British friends—everyone there is waiting for the John Lewis Christmas ad. It’s a social event when it airs. Or take the U.S. and the Super Bowl commercial breaks, which are celebrated by millions of people… no one goes to the bathroom or grabs popcorn—it’s a major spectacle. Bottom line: I’m talking about the cultural significance of communication. We need to bring that back to the forefront.

 

In everything you say, you keep coming back to the next generation—the talented young people you want to get excited about marketing and the agency business. So I find myself wondering, somewhat provocatively: Are there currently too few good young employees at all your companies?

SCS: That really depends on your point of view. I think there are a lot of good, young, and talented employees, but it’s also about managing expectations and how the industry is portrayed. If we were to say right now, «Watch out, here come the role models! The world is full of award winners and monumental campaigns, so become one or at least create the other!»—that’s unrealistic and tends to be off-putting. It’s also true that it’s not always just glitz and glamour (laughs), sometimes you sit at the computer for days on end and … nothing happens—at least nothing beyond normal office work. And that’s totally okay. Every job has many facets, and that’s exactly what makes it so appealing. If I were to promise young talent that things are constantly going to be explosive and thrilling, the potential for frustration would be high. But maybe there’s a middle ground—namely, to state what’s also a fact: We work in an incredibly vibrant, exciting, and dynamic industry. We’re expected to deliver results, but we don’t just get up in the morning to boost the quarterly results by another 2.5 percent—we do it because we have a vision, a North Star that we follow. We get to exchange ideas with impressive and exciting people and see the effects of our work pretty quickly. And: We have the chance to inspire others. When we say that, isn’t that perhaps enough? CP But what’s really great—and this applies even more to agency work than to careers on the client side—is that if you’re hardworking, you’ll advance faster than in other industries. And you don’t always have to be that one great creative genius—there are so many ways to make a committed impression. If you listen, if you take care of things, if you take action—in the past, people would have said you’re going the extra mile—then that stands out. On the corporate side, things are more bureaucratic and hierarchical. If you’re ambitious and want to skip a step now and then, you’re in good hands in the agency business. I’d advise anyone to work at an agency for a few years anyway. A very smart woman—my trainer back then, now a client—once told me: «Anyone who’s learned the ropes at an agency is thoroughly trained. Resilient and confident in crises. Nothing shocks you anymore. Not even a board presentation the very next day.»

OK: I’d like to bring these two ideas together: As Christoph always so aptly puts it, both in corporate marketing and in agencies, you have the chance to do «great work with great people.» You need a goal—Susan called it a North Star—and then you’ll find those great people, too. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about chiefs or Native Americans. Ultimately, we need people who want to «make a splash.» People who want to leave a legacy after holding four or five major CMO positions; who want to found an agency or help drive an agency startup forward. People who are at least happy to open their laptops every morning. They don’t all have to be eccentrics, nor do they all have to sweep the awards—I agree: the «day-to-day» is important. But if we view marketers as the ones responsible for innovation, then we need a dash of «something more»; then we need a passion for creation in every role—and at the very least, the right steps toward that magical extra mile. And then you’ll have far more opportunities in our industry than anywhere else—then you can really hit the gas, both today and in the future—and that’s the message we should be focusing on.

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Susan C. Schramm is the CMO of the Motel One Group. A business administration graduate, she previously held senior marketing positions at McDonald’s and at renowned agencies, among other roles. In 2020, she was named Germany’s «CMO of the Year.».

Oliver Klein He is the founder and owner of Cherrypicker, Germany’s leading marketing consultancy for agency selection processes and agency management. Since 2001, he and his team have been helping companies and institutions achieve more successful communication with the support of agencies. He is also responsible for the well-known industry award «The Best Agency.».

Christoph Pietsch is Chief Growth Officer of Publicis Groupe DACH. Previously, he served as CMO of DDB and held various leadership positions at GREY Germany, among other roles. Pietsch is one of only a few individuals from the global marketing and communications industry to have been inducted into the World Economic Forum’s «Young Global Leaders» circle.

 

This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 6-7/2024.

m&k Christian Rätsch, Boris Terwey, we’re meeting here in Düsseldorf at a special moment: You’ve just rebranded the BBDO Group Germany as TEAMBBDO, initiated a restructuring, and adopted the slogan «Neue Nähe» as your guiding principle. Why?

Christian Rätsch: I’d like to elaborate on this a bit. We’ve taken a close look at how recent developments and trends have impacted brands, companies, agencies, and the entire field of communication. Let me illustrate this with an example: You may know that one of the most frequently used terms in Germany in recent years has been «alienation.» What effect does it have on us when people are constantly talking about alienation? What does this mean for our work? To find out, we dissected the term in a large-scale study; we learned that, on the one hand, alienation is often a «distancing oneself from,» a «no longer wanting to be part of everything.» People are narrowing their circles; loyalty that goes beyond reason and against one’s own feelings is a thing of the past. We no longer buy every supposed trendy product, and we no longer go to every party. We’ve become more selective. In our field in particular, alienation also means that the gap between people and brands has widened. Agencies aren’t entirely blameless here, but companies have also made their share of «alienating» missteps.

 

Could you give me an example?

Let’s take a bank that proudly presents a «super app» that allows customers to conduct all their banking transactions digitally—while simultaneously closing a significant number of its branches. Who is most affected by the latter? The customers with the lowest affinity for digital technology—people aged 55 and older. But statistically, these are the ones with the highest deposits and the largest assets. How do they react when «their bank» acts this way? With alienation, with distance. Look: 60 percent of the people surveyed in the study we conducted said they «no longer trust brands.» That’s dramatic when you consider the implications this has for the business as a whole. The premise—the promise—of «New Closeness» must therefore be twofold: That we enable our clients both to remain part of people’s increasingly tight-knit personal circles and to counteract skepticism, indifference, and the loss of brand credibility—indeed, to strive for a reversal of this trend.

«60 percent of the people we surveyed said they »no longer trust brands.'"

 

And do you need new group structures for that?

Absolutely. They’re necessary to fulfill the dual promise that stems from our philosophy. We’re not restructuring because someone on the board got bored and wanted to reshuffle the deck (laughs); rather, we’ve wrestled with this extensively—but we see the measures we’ve taken and are taking as having no alternative, in a positive sense. «New Proximity» commits us to being able to deliver the right service to our clients at all times, so that they can offer their end customers perfect experiences in real time. To achieve this, the group had to grow much closer together; for this, we need a TEAMBBDO, in the truest sense of the name. Our competitors advertise the «Power of One»; we channel the «Power of Many» into a seamless process.

 

That sounds exciting, but—mea culpa—I don't quite understand what that means in concrete terms yet.

Boris Terwey: When networks claim that they offer clients services across the entire communications spectrum, this usually means: We have X agencies under our umbrella, each with specialized expertise, and we deploy them using a modular approach. In the end, of course, all the agencies in the group have their own leadership, their own processes, and issue their own invoices. With TEAMBBDO, we’re doing two important things fundamentally differently: We’re implementing a horizontal infrastructure that manages accounting, processes, and resources across all agencies. And we’re freeing ourselves from the self-imposed constraint that collaboration takes place primarily within agencies, but much less frequently between them. For TEAMBBDO projects—that is, whenever the expertise of several of our agencies is needed simultaneously—we create a new team for each project. There’s no set rule about who fills which role. If the Creative Lead from the digital agency Interone is the ideal fit, then she or he works in an integrated team with, for example, a Client Lead from the advertising agency. And, of course, the same applies the other way around. You could say: We don’t simply add agencies together; we integrate them into project setups. And we do this in practice, not just as an empty phrase. CR The team is, in every situation, exactly as the task requires—and not as a typical network setup would dictate. «New closeness» requires being so connected to clients that you align the organization with them in an agile way… rather than bending them to fit the organization’s rules. Total «client-centricity,» but with professional pride rather than subservience—because, it must be said, we as an industry have become far too submissive overall. We’ve worn ourselves down, allowed ourselves to be worn down. I want us to view clients as clients and advise them with confidence in our abilities. Just as lawyers do with their clients. They vow to do what’s best for those who place their trust in them, but they don’t let their clients appear in court with their own interpretation of the criminal code (laughs). They say, «We know what needs to be done.» That’s what I want for us, too.

«As you may know, one of the most frequently used terms in Germany in recent years has been »alienation.'"

 

During our preliminary discussion, you both explicitly mentioned that I could ask you not only about the outcome but also about the journey that led to TEAMBBDO. You hinted that it wasn’t an easy journey. I’d like to explore this in more depth. Please tell me about the process.

CR: When I took office about a year ago, the agencies in the network were experiencing varying degrees of success. BBDO for advertising, Batten & Company for consulting, Interone for digital, and the Peter Schmidt Group for design—I mean, the latter alone has grown by an average of 15 percent per year! Boris, you’ve also posted outstanding results with Interone. And then someone like me comes along and immediately starts talking about cohesion, family, and working together. We have to look at this realistically, from the perspective of the leaders at the individual agencies, who have each achieved great things on their own: Were they waiting for someone like me? And do they perhaps fear that I’ll exploit their strengths to compensate for shortcomings in other areas and disguise the whole thing as a «community»? Today, it’s very clear to me why we had to engage in a serious debate with one another. At the beginning, however, I had underestimated how much resistance I would encounter in planning and implementing the TEAMBBDO synthesis—I must honestly admit that to you. BT I’d be happy to share my perspective with you—completely openly. When Christian presented his vision to us, my first reaction was… how should I put this? I had a reaction that people in digital agencies can surely relate to. I thought: «Great, now we’re forcing Interone into a marriage of convenience with the folks at BBDO, and we’ll be stuck building banners and polishing visuals, but none of them will take us seriously.» I expressed that exactly as I just said. CR (laughs) Very clearly. BT Very clearly. There were one or two situations where we sat across from each other, both red-faced. But that’s probably also because we operate in fundamentally different ways—and trust in one another always has to grow first.

 

In what ways do you operate differently?

BT: We both believe in solidarity; today, we believe in TEAMBBDO with equal conviction and full commitment. But Christian is a visionary—I think I need to put this into a metaphor: If Christian’s visions were to manifest as media, they would probably always be films. He’s incredibly good at evoking emotions and conjuring up images. He’s convinced that the power of an idea can be so inspiring that it changes reality. When he became the new Group CEO, I asked myself, «Gosh, is he the kind of person who can actually build a system—or does he just tell a story that gets stuck in some PowerPoint slides but never comes to fruition?» In my professional life, I tend to take the opposite approach: I work less with visions and more with concrete, tangible models. When I do something, I do it in a way that anyone can immediately understand logically: «It has to be this way; there’s no other way.» For me, an idea doesn’t manifest itself in a video, but mostly in boxes and processes on a whiteboard. But logic without emotion isn’t always appealing or inspiring. Not everyone shares my penchant for strong rationality; it doesn’t win over all my colleagues. At the same time, however, this structure and rationality are necessary to turn a PowerPoint vision into a new reality. And that’s exactly why it’s good that, after a year, we know: We’re very different, but we complement each other perfectly. CR I just mentioned this: If you have outstanding leaders who report on Group finances quarterly and provide the Group CEO with an update every few months—if you’re used to that modus operandi—then there’s always the fear that something will be «taken away» from them when there’s a stronger focus on synergies. I said earlier that I was surprised by the initial headwinds; but that wasn’t because I don’t understand the psychology of leadership and entrepreneurship. Rather, it was because I had never even remotely considered using someone as a stopgap, or that I lacked respect for individual achievements. I was simply convinced that in a holding company like TEAMBBDO, it’s imperative that all agencies work together as equals, that they exchange ideas, and that the interests of one are always the interests of all—and vice versa. This is the only way we can grow in the current market environment: by solving the problems of existing and potential clients better than other providers. And we’ll only be able to solve them better with a team-based approach.

«We don't just combine agencies; we integrate them into project setups.»

 

I really appreciate that you speak openly about friction and conflicts—because you often hear that everything was completely harmonious; that all stakeholders immediately and enthusiastically followed the CEO’s plans. But «growing pains» are perfectly normal; so we shouldn’t gloss over them.

CR: Looking back, I’m glad that ideas weren’t just rubber-stamped without question, but that they were put through a rigorous test. In the end, that only made them better. I do sometimes get carried away by good stories, and then it can happen that you think problems are solvable, only to realize upon second thought that they’re actually huge complications. Thanks to the constructive criticism from my colleagues, I was spared that in this case (laughs). BT And it’s nice to see how the process unfolds: how you feel a certain skepticism within yourself that gives way to interest—and eventually turns into passion. That’s how you grow as a person, if you ask me.

 

TEAMBBDO is a vision that hasn't yet been fully realized. You've changed the ship's course while it was in full sail, and now—as I gather from your previous remarks—you have to complete a reorganization alongside your day-to-day business. What still needs to be done?

In my opinion, TEAMBBDO has proven itself with E.ON and its new brand identity. But the setup is new and fresh, so we still need more case studies to make adjustments where necessary. We’re in the running for several major accounts, and I’m pretty optimistic about that—but internally, there’s still plenty of room for improvement, of course. BT The leadership team and the concept are in place; you can see that right away from our organizational chart. But we need to make sure the market understands even better how we now operate—and we need to integrate all employees into the new structures and ensure they put the TEAMBBDO philosophy and our close collaboration into practice. People can only advocate for and sell what they understand, so we need to identify employees across all agencies who, beyond their specialization, are capable of providing broad-based advice. And who, when things get technical, immediately know whom to bring in from which partner agencies. We officially launched TEAMBBDO in early May—as you say, at full speed—and there’s still a lot that needs to be done, including on the technology front. For example, I’m wondering how we can set up a CRM platform that immediately shows us: «Client X has an inquiry. One of the TEAM agencies dealt with their team five years ago. Let’s draw on that experience and use it to reach out to them.»

«I believe that the separation of marketing and technology, which still exists in many companies, is fundamentally wrong.»

 

Now, if I understand correctly, the concept of teamwork also expresses an implicit conviction: that marketing—that the success of your clients—can no longer be reduced to individual silos. A creatively excellent campaign alone is no longer enough; digital pioneering alone is no longer enough; design alone is no longer enough. You need it all—perhaps at different points along the timeline. But this is the only way to stop the alienation between brands and people. Am I interpreting this correctly—and have marketers already internalized this sufficiently?

If marketing professionals focus their work on just one area—say, creative communication—and neglect everything else, they cannot be successful. Today more than ever, they must see themselves as value drivers and market makers, and as TEAMBBDO, we must never tire of emphasizing this and supporting them in doing so. When a CMO says, «Oh, here’s the first draft of the brand strategy—let’s get started right away!» we may need to slow things down a bit and say: We also need to make sure there are levers to drive change in sales, to boost sales, to target individual country markets… We heard from Boris earlier that I’m a fan of visions (laughs), but that doesn’t mean I’d support half-baked ideas. I know from experience that KPIs are always measured at the end of the year—and that we, as an agency, are judged by KPIs just as much as our CMO clients are. So I want to know from the outset: What are the goals, and how will we prove that we’ve achieved them? We need to define that in dialogue with the marketers. BT I also consider the separation of marketing and technology—which still exists in many companies—to be fundamentally wrong. I’d like to see more «new closeness» there. Marketing leaders must have a deep understanding of tools, systems, and digitalization itself. If they don’t, they’ll fall behind. I recently read that in the U.S., 70 percent of all purchasing decisions are already considered «digitally influenced.» 70 percent! So at some point, more than two-thirds of end customers have had a touchpoint with targeted advertising, programmatic advertising, or social media advertising… if I’m a CMO and I’m not constantly aware of this, I’ll soon be out of a job. I don’t want this to sound like self-promotion, but that’s also why we do TEAMBBDO. We know that many different components need to work together even more seamlessly for marketing to succeed ideally. And we can offer all of those components.

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Christian Rätsch has been CEO of the German BBDO Group since April 2023. Since May 2024, the group has operated under the name TEAMBBDO The Marketing Group and, through its agencies, works with major clients such as Allianz, Beiersdorf, E.ON, Porsche, Meta, Lidl, and Steiff. Before joining BBDO, Christian Rätsch spent many years shaping the success of the Publicis agencies Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi as CEO in Germany and held various leadership positions at Deutsche Telekom.

Boris Terwey Since May 2024, he has held a dual role within the group: as the new Chief Operating Officer of TEAMBBDO and, continuing in his role as CEO of the digital agency Interone, which he has successfully led since 2020—achieving double-digit growth rates and propelling it into the top 20 of German digital providers. Interone works for clients such as BMW, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and numerous government agencies, among others. Previously, the renowned digital expert was part of the leadership team at Publicis Sapient for Germany and Switzerland.

m&k: Jude Kelly, you’ve been very successful on many levels—as the founder of the «Women of the World» (WoW) festival and the WoW Foundation, but also as a director. You’ve been honored by the Queen for your services to the arts and hold the title of Commander of the British Empire. Before we talk about the WoW Festival, let’s talk about your passion for theater. When did that develop?

Jude Kelly: Very early on. Even before I started school, I was constantly making up plays with the neighborhood kids in the backyard. By the time I was 12, it was clear that I wanted to be a director. It’s crazy, because I’d never even seen the inside of a theater before then. But I knew I wanted to tell stories, move people with them, and above all, guide actors and actresses in conveying those stories emotionally. That’s what directing is all about. (laughs).

«It was a difficult time for me. I knew what I wanted, but like everyone else, I had my doubts and was vulnerable to outside influences.»

 

Without ever having seen the inside of a theater—unbelievable.

Children have a strong sense of what and who they could be. Society can either nurture that sense or not. In my circle, people shook their heads and made it clear to me that women don’t become directors; at best, they become actresses—well, if they’re pretty enough.

 

But you did stick to your plan, didn't you?

Yes. I studied film directing at the university. And I prevailed against all the resistance from society. Directing has to do with power, with leadership, with having your own perspective on things. No one—especially men—wanted to leave that to a woman. So it was a difficult time for me. I knew what I wanted, but like everyone else, I had my doubts and was vulnerable to outside influences. But my family always supported me. And look where I am today: 70 years old, successful, curious, and full of energy (laughs).

 

You mentioned your family's support. What was your upbringing like?

I grew up in Liverpool as one of four daughters. My father played an important role in my upbringing. He himself was one of 14 children and had eight sisters. He was the youngest and was raised by his sisters. He saw that girls are bright, smart, funny, and strong. But he also saw how his sisters made unwise choices when it came to choosing partners, and ultimately ended up being heavily dominated and having to put up with their partners’ bad behavior. He wanted to prevent that from happening to his daughters. And so we were raised to be strong, empathetic women.

«Men need to be brought on board. Otherwise, there can be no meeting of equals.»

 

So you were shaped by a wise father.

Exactly. Fathers play an incredibly important role in raising children—both boys and girls. My father's support gave me a lot of self-confidence. He made me feel that it's possible to make a difference.

 

What role did your mother play?

My parents had a traditional relationship. He went to work and she stayed at home. We girls were encouraged to get a college education and have careers—something my mother and her sister hadn’t been able to do. She herself, however, was content with her role as a mother and homemaker. I found it frustrating at the time and often questioned that role. Today, I feel guilty. She gave us so much stability.

 

They also have a daughter …

We have a fantastic relationship. She is a well-known poet and lives a self-determined life with her wife. As early as age 13, she told us that she loves girls.

 

What was that like for you as parents?

It came as no surprise. Even at age 13, she was already a very dedicated and talented poet. I’d always had the feeling that she was gay. So when she told us, we just said, “Okay.” But we admired her courage, because coming out as a teenager can still be tricky, especially at school. She’s a mother herself now, so I’m a grandmother.

 

You also have a son. How different are the two of them?

He is four years younger than Caroline. From an early age, he reflected on growing up in a family where a woman and mother was deeply committed not only to her career but also to the debate over women’s rights. As a teenager, he found it confusing. Should he have a say? Or rebel? And this question, which young men ask themselves, continues to this day. We haven’t really found a way yet to view gender equality as something that concerns everyone.

«The stories women share at the WoW Festival encourage others to shed light on their own.»

 

Was that one of the reasons why you founded the «Women of the World» festival in 2010?

Well, in 2010, International Women’s Day marked its 100th anniversary in the United Kingdom. There were a lot of articles circulating that claimed women were now equal, and the question arose as to whether we even needed feminism anymore. I noticed that women wanted to believe that, too, and would say things like, «I’m not a feminist.» But then they’d go on to talk about so many things that weren’t going well—situations where they didn’t feel seen, were treated poorly, and didn’t feel adequately valued. It didn’t add up. But I sensed that women didn’t want to be victims; they didn’t want to be sad. There’s no energy in sadness. There’s much more in anger, and even more—much, much more—in a celebratory mood. So I wanted to celebrate women and their stories—everything they’ve achieved. In this space of optimism, women can then also talk about what still needs to be done—and they can do so with everyone. Not just with women; men are warmly and always welcome. Fourteen years ago, I never would have thought that this would turn into a festival celebrated in over 30 countries across six continents.

 

What criteria do you use to invite women to participate in the panel discussions and keynote speeches?

We curate the invitations so that we have a great mix of people of all ages who would normally never meet. People who have a voice, and people who are often made invisible. It’s not about status, but about stories. All the stories stem from truly deep-rooted, deeply felt experiences. And we’ve also made it clear that we want the focus to be on women speaking about themselves, not on women speaking on behalf of other women. Of course, we have experts who talk about research, but we’re determined to have women themselves describe how they’ve experienced things.

 

How do you view the honor bestowed by the Queen? Does it give you strength and visibility for the causes you champion?

There is certainly a certain power in the fact that the Queen is using this honor to bring issues such as menopause, gender equality, and sexual and domestic violence into the spotlight. There is also a certain legitimacy to bringing about change, and if powerful institutions support that, so much the better.

 

Have the topics changed after 14 years?

No, the topics haven't changed that much. But the courage to talk about them in a more nuanced and open way has changed. That's a good thing.

 

Men are expressly welcome—will they come?

Of course, there are fewer men than women at the festivals. But they come, they talk, they listen. That’s the only way we can truly build relationships on equal footing.

 

So both men and women can benefit from the WoW meetups?

Of course, there’s so much to learn. If you think about it, we women have spent most of our lives watching movies and reading novels that explain men—what they’re like, how they think. We know a great deal about men. Men haven’t had that opportunity; women have been—and still are—far less represented in literature and the film industry. And when they are, it’s usually in the form of stereotypes of femininity that have nothing to do with reality. Men don’t have enough practice in understanding women. Many men are deeply committed to their daughters, wives, and sisters. They simply don’t necessarily know how to decipher the structures of oppression—any more than we do. That’s why it takes both men and women to crack this code together.

 

What are your biggest takeaways after 14 years of WoW?

I think we still haven’t reached a point where society as a whole says, «For thousands of years, men and women have not been equal. Let’s do something about it. This is a systemic injustice. And we want society to change.» To bring about change, we need to reach a tipping point where society as a whole feels that something has to happen. And that requires both men and women to want this to happen together; otherwise, it will never happen. Men need to be brought on board.

 

Aside from the men, how does WoW empower women?

The stories women tell encourage them to shed light on their own experiences. To question them. For example, when it comes to finances. Women need to see and understand that, historically speaking, they have found themselves in a situation where they weren’t really allowed to own money because they weren’t really allowed to hold power. And so, with few exceptions, they didn’t really participate in conversations about money—it was considered a man’s business. And that was passed down from generation to generation. This makes them more insecure; they’re more financially vulnerable; statistically speaking, they’re poorer. And there’s nothing feminine about poverty. But you know, femininity is a very, very toxic stereotype. What is femininity? It’s a perspective—nothing more.

 

Do you believe that art has the power to change these perspectives?

I think art can reveal stories that move people and inspire them to take action. Art has the power to set things in motion, to expose divisions, and to bring to the surface feelings that are buried in everyday life—or suppressed.

 

What are you working on right now?

I've just started writing a book about what it's like to be a woman in the arts. And how that feels. I've been doing quite a bit of research on female characters in Shakespeare's plays—how they're portrayed and what stories lie within Shakespeare's stories.

«I've been very successful in my career. And so people assume it must have been easy. It wasn't.»

 

Do you feel like you're a role model for young women?

I’ve been very successful in my career. And so people assume that, in a way, it must have been quite easy. But it wasn’t—and it isn’t. To be a role model, I want to show the path—the struggle—it takes to be taken seriously as both a mother and an artist. It’s complicated, and by no means a linear path to the top. With this book about women in art, it’s as if I’m putting together a puzzle.

 

Do you have a positive outlook on the future?

I’m still very enthusiastic about ideas—not just my own, but other people’s as well. Things like artificial intelligence have a certain fascination, even for art. I want to know and understand. I want to stay on board for a long time to come. Many people might think that the 70 years I’ve already lived mean it’s time for me to retire. But I’m far from that. What I find meaningful is that I have a wealth of experience and wisdom. That’s fantastic. I want to put that to good use.

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Jude Kelly CBE is the CEO and founder of the WoW Festival. She founded WoW to celebrate the achievements of women and girls and to combat global gender inequality. It began in 2010 as a three-day festival at London’s Southbank Centre, where Jude served as artistic director for twelve years. Today, the festival takes place at 30 venues across six continents. The director has directed over 200 theater and opera productions and is the recipient of two Olivier Awards, a BASCA Gold Badge Award for her contribution to music, a Southbank Award for opera, and an RPO Award for her festival «The Rest is Noise.» In 2013, she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the United Kingdom, was named «Red Magazine» named her Creative Woman of the Year in 2014, the CBI honored her with the First Woman Award for Tourism and Leisure in 2016, and in 2017 she was the first recipient of the Veuve Clicquot Woman of the Year Social Purpose Award.

We live in remarkable times. On May 11, Nemo became the first openly non-binary person in history to win the Eurovision Song Contest; the winning anthem "The Code" anticipated what millions of Europeans confirmed with their vote: "I broke the code (...). I just gave it some time, now I found paradise." Nemo's triumph: a sign of progressiveness, of progress, of tolerance. And I say that as someone who has deliberately avoided the spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest until now.

On June 9, another European vote took place - the election of the EU Parliament, with depressing successes for right-wing to far-right forces; for border closers, deportees, populists. Their success: a sign of dark conservatism, of regression, of intolerance.

Polarization to the point of implosion?

Remarkable times. Because - albeit from Switzerland, but as a convinced European - I can't help but ask myself: How can these "two Europes" continue to coexist without the Union perishing from its polarization (you can also transfer the question to the USA, with slightly different variables in the equation)? While there are countless people who cheer Nemo, there are apparently a similar number who say: "We do not recognize the freedom of self-determination. We vote for parties that fight against it." Anyone who contradicts the intolerant, however, is promptly declared intolerant themselves: "You're still allowed to say that, aren't you?" No, you can't. Freedom of opinion ends where the freedom of others is attacked. The standard-bearers of intolerance only demand freedom of opinion for themselves until they take over the discourse - then it's all over very quickly; there are plenty of historical examples.

On the front line

That's why we have to take responsibility now. As agencies, we are at the forefront of social change. We not only accompany trends - we also set trends. At least if we see ourselves not just as vicarious agents, but as agents of our clients. When we say to them: "Something is just starting on our doorstep. But you have the power to influence how it ends." In doing so, we are making a statement: that advertising should be political. This may evoke rejection from some colleagues, but I ask them: What is not political today? Unlike journalists, it is not only our job to say what is - but also to say what should be. We have to offer everyone - especially those who are considered "minorities" - visibility in our activities. We have to make claims and campaigns inclusive; demonstrate how colorful and diverse society is until no one wonders why we show families with a migration background having a barbecue or same-sex couples buying a car. Otherwise, plurality and openness will soon be little more than a memory - a memory of remarkable times.

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* Dr. Alexander Haldemann is CEO of Publicis Groupe Switzerland.

 

This column first appeared in the m&k print edition 6-7/2024.

Markus Büchele couldn’t turn down the offer. He had just started his job as head of marketing at the University of St. Gallen to oversee part-time continuing education programs such as the «Business Engineering» MBA program. Shortly thereafter, his new employer suggested that he participate in this one-year program himself. «A wonderful opportunity,» he thought. And even though he had just become a father at the time, he accepted.

The Austrian-born executive has not regretted his decision. Together with other middle-aged participants from various industries, he learned, for example, how agile work functions and how to adapt corporate communications to the new digital era. To that end, the study group even traveled to Singapore and Silicon Valley. Super-technologies like artificial intelligence and automation are all the rage there, along with how they’re turning business models upside down. «Because many sectors are becoming increasingly digitized, companies need to act quickly and build up their knowledge to prepare for the future,» explains Büchele. Take freight forwarding as an example: If trucks will soon be driving autonomously, a freight forwarder who employs a few dozen drivers should already be thinking today about how they might organize their business then.

«Am I ready for the top position? What has been holding me back so far?»

While pursuing his MBA, Büchele began implementing intelligent software in his marketing department. «This helps me make our communication much more efficient,» says the recent business engineering graduate. To him, it’s obvious that companies themselves benefit the most when they invest in their employees« continuing education. He sums up the most important reason for this in a few simple words: »It ensures their survival.”

Managers are hesitant

It seems that the vast majority of employers are still turning a blind eye to this scenario. According to the digital industry association Bitkom, only a few employers have so far enabled their employees to pursue further training in sustainability and digitalization. According to the report, 44 percent of employees rate their company’s training opportunities in these areas as poor or even very poor. The more specific and innovative the topics, the more often there is a lack of relevant offerings or communication about them. Bitkom emphasizes the importance of offering employees as broad a range of additional qualifications as possible and involving them in the selection process, citing the «2023 Continuing Education Study» conducted in collaboration with HRpepper Management Consultants. To this end, 1,137 people in Germany—including those with and without personnel responsibility—who work in various corporate departments and industries were surveyed between last May and July.

Show initiative

Anna Wacker, who worked at the AI startup Westphalia Datalab in Munich from 2020 to 2022, took the initiative at the time and sought out a path on her own. Having worked for many years as a consultant on data science projects, she wanted to be well-prepared for her new position as COO. In this role, she was responsible not only for corporate development but also for human resources—an area in which she had previously gained little experience. «I made it a point to delve deeper into the subject,» she emphasizes.

«You have to reflect on yourself: Who am I? What do I need? Where do I want to go? What does the market have to offer?»

During her research, she came across the «Systemic Organizational Development» continuing education program at Quadriga University in Berlin. The state covered 100 percent of the costs for the two-year program. Every month, Wacker attended the program for two days. «The program fit well into my daily work routine, but it also required a lot of willpower,» she explains. The rewards came immediately. «In the course, I quickly gained the right tools to shape our talent development.» During her time at Westphalia Datalab, she brought 21 employees on board. The program helped her select the right talent.

In addition, Anna Wacker laid the foundation for her own future career: In July 2022, she joined the leadership team at Innovation Park AI (IPAI) in Heilbronn, which focuses on generative AI in research, business, and public institutions. «I’ve come to greatly appreciate the benefits of continuing education and have been using it purposefully ever since—for myself and my employees.» She is currently focusing on her next career move. To that end, she has booked business coaching for herself—once again on her own initiative. After working in the second-in-command role behind the CEO in recent years, she now wants to find out: Am I ready for the top position? What has been holding me back so far?

Completely new options?

Gabriele Euchner also advises you on what your next career steps should be—whether completely new options are on the table or perhaps even a fresh start in a different field. As an executive coach, speaker, and author of career guidebooks such as *Back in the Game: The Guide to Your Dream Job*, she helps executives in the DACH region and the U.S. develop their skills. However, among her clients are also some who feel they’ve reached a dead end. «Many employees are burned out from their jobs and want to reorient themselves,» she reports. Step by step, she works with them to chart a path back to a fulfilling professional life. «To get back in the game after losing a job, taking a career break, or experiencing burnout, I first recommend taking some time for self-reflection: Who am I? What do I need? Where do I want to go? And what does the job market have to offer?»

«If you don't support your employees, you risk losing them.»

Based on these considerations, she then works with each client to develop a profile that is as distinctive as possible. Gabriele Euchner advises presenting this positioning on career platforms like LinkedIn and Xing—but in a strategic way. «Many resumes are just lists of job duties and all look alike,» she points out. On the other hand, those who present their professional history in a well-thought-out way and clearly highlight their strengths make themselves more attractive. «Every recruitment consultant and every hiring manager who looks at a profile wants to immediately understand what sets a leader apart in detail, how they work, and what results they’ve achieved,» she explains. Including the right keywords in your resume for the algorithm is the key to online visibility. «Otherwise, you won’t be found or you’ll fall through the cracks right from the start.» Through LinkedIn and similar platforms, you can then continuously build a network and gather references that credibly demonstrate your skills.

Cleanup is a must

Euchner recommends that this «cleanup» is necessary in order to find the right continuing education opportunities that will support your career. Instead of rushing to pursue trendy additional qualifications like «Scrum Master»—which might be out of fashion by tomorrow or do nothing to advance your career—it’s important to first become aware of your existing skills. “Personal development is also key to professional success,” says the career expert.

This also includes well-developed communication skills—whether you’re a newcomer to the workforce or a top manager. Markus Büchele learned during his training in St. Gallen that this is still a challenge: «Most transformation projects fail because of the human factor.» Those who involve their employees can win them over. «Managers need to provide updates on the latest developments at regular intervals—even when nothing new has happened,» says Büchele, who holds a degree in communication studies.

In his view, more and more companies are gradually realizing that they need to provide targeted support for their employees. This is also suggested by Bitkom’s «2023 Continuing Education Study»: The study identifies employee continuing education as a key lever for keeping pace with and shaping technological change. Not least because such training contributes to many aspects of employee retention. It not only imparts knowledge but also demonstrates appreciation (87 percent) and provides a sense of security (86 percent). Age is irrelevant here: for one in four working adults over the age of 60, this is actually extremely important. Gabriele Euchner wholeheartedly agrees: «Anyone who neglects their employees—including by failing to support their careers—risks losing them.»

Sweaty crowds, hot superstars, thunderous applause, endless lines for the restrooms, and at least two days of hangovers: No, this isn’t about Wacken, Nova Rock, or the Greenfield Festival. It’s about an event that’s actually all about business—the OMR Festival, an event for digital marketing and technology. OMR stands for «Online Marketing Rockstars,» and the name alone gives away that this is about more than just professional development or dry statistics.

«For many companies, resting on their »hidden champion' status is no longer an option."

Once again this year, OMR recently brought the marketing and digital scene to Hamburg and kept the party going for two days. Instead of suits and ties, people here wear denim shirts and sneakers; instead of dry presentations, there are lively talks and boisterous parties; and instead of CEOs and decision-makers on the guest list, anyone with a ticket is welcome. And yet, it’s still all about digital marketing and business—just a little more colorful.

A strong brand, not just a strong product

Since 2011, the OMR Festival has been showcasing—live and in color—the direction in which B2B marketing is heading: it’s becoming more experiential, more human, and more emotional. And this isn’t limited to events and gatherings, but extends to all forms of communication. Any B2B brand that wants to stand out needs to tap into emotions. After all, emotions are what make a strong brand—not just the product anymore. This was also recently demonstrated by the «Liquid x Avasta Challenger Index,» a report by the U.S. brand consulting firm Liquid. According to the report, a robust brand presence is particularly crucial for the growth and profitability of B2B brands. According to the report, brand awareness and trust often have a greater influence on purchasing decisions in the B2B sector than the product itself—and emotions are also playing an increasingly important role.

Is B2B now becoming B2H—Business-to-Human? And where does this trend come from? «We live in an increasingly digital world,» says Georgina Bott, Director of Corporate Communications at the Vogel Communications Group. «The way people gather information and make purchases has completely changed: decisions are made faster, companies have shorter go-to-market timelines, and the one with the best Google ranking wins. Relying on »hidden champion’ status is no longer an option for many companies, because competitive pressure is increasing even in B2B markets.”

The Stone Monster from Thyssenkrupp Polysius

And with that comes growing pressure to stand out and make an impression. Last year, the world’s largest advertising stage—the Super Bowl—showed how a B2B provider can achieve this. In a spot lasting just under a minute, the software provider Workday celebrated all its employees in the finance and HR departments. For Workday, they’re true rock stars—the unsung heroes who keep the organization running. Pete Schlampp, Chief Marketing Officer, wrote on the Workday blog that the Super Bowl is «a tremendous opportunity to engage and entertain new and diverse audiences.» Real rock icons, including Billy Idol, Ozzy Osbourne, and Paul Stanley, shared their personal thoughts on the term “rock star” as it relates to employees. It’s compelling proof that B2B can be cool, has stories to tell, and can definitely rock the big stage.

«Our customers want facts and figures. But if everyone presents themselves that way—how can we set ourselves apart?»

This is also demonstrated by a recent campaign from Thyssenkrupp Polysius, in which the industrial company promotes its crushing systems for the cement industry with an emotional story: In cinematic style, a massive stone monster awakens in the quarry and furiously and recklessly destroys everything in its path—until it stands before the Thyssenkrupp machine and crumbles to stone itself. Complete with a cute meerkat and rich sound design, this spot offers everything needed for top-notch entertainment. And that’s exactly what the company wanted to achieve with this ad: «As a plant manufacturer in the cement and lime industries, our communication is dominated by machinery. Our customers want facts and details. But if everyone presents themselves that way—how do we manage to stand out?» That’s the question the Thyssenkrupp Polysius team asked itself beforehand, explains Marketing Director Brigitta Pieper. «Of course, through technically sound arguments. But a good dash of emotion and compelling storytelling also play a key role in creating a campaign that stands out.» Her target audience, says Pieper, isn’t just a «string of companies—but the people who work there every day. People with feelings.»

People with Feelings

At first, not everyone was on board—but by having everyone involved voice their concerns, the campaign was refined so that the message ultimately fit perfectly. «The campaign and its imaginative storytelling are being praised all over the world,» says Brigitta Pieper. «It’s worth being bold and breaking out of your usual communication framework—in the truest sense of the word.»

The channels used for B2B campaigns are also changing. The study «Social Media in B2B Communication» by the «First B2B Social Media Working Group» shows that nearly 94 percent of the companies surveyed in the DACH region use social media, with LinkedIn leading the way (91.7 percent). This is followed by Facebook (71.2 percent), Instagram (67.7 percent), and YouTube (55.7 percent). The relevance of TikTok is also growing; according to the study, its usage has nearly doubled compared to the previous year. «In line with the B2H approach, these channels are relevant for reaching the target audience in their private lives as well,» explains Dominic Scheppelmann, Managing Director of 2do GmbH, which is part of the Grow Digital Group (see interview). The challenge: «Many B2B companies still lack clear brand positioning and a brand promise, which are the foundation of branding. The priority now is to do the groundwork and lay this foundation.»

But even though branding is becoming more important in the B2B sector, that doesn’t mean the two disciplines are merging here. There are differences: «The biggest difference is the speed of the decision-making process. While B2C targets a consumer who often makes purchasing decisions on an emotional level, in the B2B sector, entire buying centers are usually involved in a purchasing decision. No wonder, since purchasing often involves larger investment sums,» says Georgina Bott. The only thing that doesn’t differ is the way the audience is addressed, since the recipients are, after all, people in every case.”.

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INTERVIEW

«B2B marketing can, should, and must be fun and stand out.»

m&k: Dominic Scheppelmann, what trends in B2B marketing are important right now?

Dominic Scheppelmann: While in the B2C sector, the topic of marketing automation is often defined down to the last decimal place, many B2B companies have barely tapped into its potential and have automated few, if any, communication processes. This is where one of the biggest opportunities lies. On a human level, account-based marketing—often associated with the concept of “customer centricity”—is becoming increasingly relevant. Traditional cold calling is becoming less and less effective; instead, the focus is on delving deeper into the needs of the target audience and building trust.

 

The product is no longer the most important factor when it comes to delighting business customers. What does this mean for companies?

For decades, it was common sense that outstanding offerings paved the way to new customers. However, this was back when product development cycles were very long and extremely expensive. As technology continues to advance at an exponential rate and competition intensifies as a result, B2B brands must invest more in branding.

 

B2B is becoming B2H. What differences still remain compared to B2C?

However, B2B and B2C marketing have, to some extent, lost their original meaning because, these days, all companies are focused on attracting attention. The company that attracts attention wins. Whether in B2B or B2C marketing, it’s ultimately people who decide whether or not to take notice of a message. So B2B can learn from B2C here and make greater use of proven attention-grabbing techniques like humor and emotion. Or to put it simply: B2B marketing can, should, and must be fun and eye-catching these days!

m&k: I like to ask people like you—who are well-known both within and beyond the communications industry—a question that’s almost heretically simple. It goes like this: What exactly is your job?

Ulrich Klenke: I actually get asked that more often than you’d think! Or, let’s put it this way: I have a title—it’s called Chief Brand Officer—and I have to explain it over and over again. People want to know: «Why does Telekom need a Chief Brand Officer?» And right after that: «Why aren’t you a ‚real‘ Chief Marketing Officer?» (laughs) My answer to the first question is: Because our brand is currently worth 73 billion US dollars. There has to be someone who develops it further and protects it. That’s my job. And the answer to the second question is: «Our Chief Marketing Officer is, strictly speaking, our CEO. Together with him—or rather, on his behalf—I shape the brand.»

«Our brand is currently worth 73 billion U.S. dollars. There has to be someone who can develop it further and protect it.»

 

Brands play a crucial role in the telecommunications sector. Why?

Because it’s incredibly difficult to stand out in this industry. All providers can offer more or less the same infrastructure, the same backend, and the same devices. Of course, we strive—and to be honest, we go above and beyond!—to make our infrastructure just a tad better than the competition’s, to offer better service, and to provide our employees with excellent training. But where we have the most leverage is with our brand. That’s where we have the greatest freedom. We can shape it so that it stands out more than others, so that it comes across as a «premium brand,» and so that it conveys values that are part of our corporate DNA …

 

… and that’s why you’re not just designers, but—as you just said—also «protectors.».

Yes. When you have an asset as valuable as the «Telekom brand,» you have to manage it centrally and take care of it. That said, the aspects of «protection» and «development» always overlap. We could debate exactly where to draw the lines—but, for example, we make sure that all national markets reproduce Telekom’s protected shade of magenta identically, from the U.S. all the way to North Macedonia. A world in magenta, with as few deviations as possible. At first glance, this might sound like a minor detail—just specify the color once and you’re done—but it’s a massive undertaking. Trade show booths, posters, signs, commercials, banners… Ten thousand different materials; ten thousand opportunities to misjudge it if no one is looking closely. Note: Precisely because we place so much emphasis on magenta, we also have to make sure that no one else rides our coattails—that no company creates a visual association with us by using a similar color, even though we don’t want that. I mean, I can understand the temptation; magenta is just—sorry—an awesome color: loud, striking, positive. That’s exactly why it’s our color. (laughs) If someone wants to ride our wave, our legal team steps in—there’s no other way around it.

 

And how do you develop the brand—in other words, how do you carry out the second, important part of your job?

Where should I start? (laughs) You immediately pinned on one of the pins we’re handing out in the lobby (points to a «T» on the journalist’s sweater); Of course, we don’t do this just for fun, but so that employees outside HQ can carry a little reminder with them and represent the company a bit. That’s where it starts. But it goes much further than that: If we assume that the technological aspect of our work isn’t an ideal unique selling point, then we have to ask ourselves: What makes us special? How do we elevate what we do to a meta-level through branding? That’s where the word «Connection» comes in—it simply sounds best in English, so we’ll leave it at that; this is where we say: We don’t sell phone plans; we sell—«Connection.» Connection. We make human connection possible, even across the greatest distances, reliably and affordably. Everything we do—and this is the «bottom line»—serves the goal of bringing people closer together. Whether it’s families during the pandemic who needed stable internet to video call their grandmother, or continuous investments in network quality so that a married couple can say «good night» to each other even when they’re on two different continents.

 

All of this, in turn, points to the values you mentioned earlier. If a brand champions the narrative of «connection,» it must openly reject anything that divides people.

Exactly. Racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism… none of that has a place in our company, nor in our brand or our communications. This isn’t some sales gimmick where we make claims that we don’t ultimately live up to—we actually live by these principles. In a few days, the entire executive board is heading to Krakow; of course, we’re not going on a «management retreat» at a resort hotel—we’re visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp. Tim Höttges has said—and I agree with him completely—that it’s more important than ever not to lose sight of history. So we’re making sure that doesn’t happen.

 

Speaking of homophobia: Even though you’ve been quite reserved in expressing your values, you’ve already become the target of political smear campaigns. But you continue to stand up for them. Why?

Well, I’d be happy to tell you that story. From it, I’ve learned a great deal about our presence in different cultural contexts, about steadfastly holding onto our convictions, and about the sometimes surprising dynamics in the markets. We made a Christmas movie that was shown in every country where Telekom operates. The film was the same everywhere; we simply dubbed it appropriately for each country. A young man comes home to his family; they talk about what’s been going on in his life, and one might—note: might!—interpret that he is gay. But this isn’t emphasized in an offensive way; it’s not even the focus of the film. There are no religious offenses, no supposed boundary violations—nothing.

«Then there were two or three people who said, »Klenke has really lost it now.’”

 

Some viewers in Eastern Europe saw it differently.

Yes. In one of our markets, a right-wing government had just been confirmed in office, so there was already tension in the air, and then an ugly narrative took hold in certain circles—and I’ll quote it here, though the wording is terrible and I would never use it under any circumstances: «Telekom is showing gay propaganda!» 20,000 people signed a petition to stop the commercial from airing on TV. Our country management wasn’t intimidated by this; they gave interviews and said, «This is our commercial, and it’s staying exactly as it is.» But of course, we’re not an NGO—which means we didn’t «double down,» but simply let things be and risked losing some customers. In return, the ad went over really well with young target audiences, and in Germany—because the market accepts it—we actually ramped up the equality message even more, since we saw that this interpretation works. What I’m trying to say is: We stand by our brand and our values—especially in times of crisis—but we don’t provoke just for the sake of provoking. We believe in the power of nuance.

 

But a little creative provocation is okay, right? Their «Wacken shirts» with slogans like «Connected Til Death» were a huge success, a bestseller, and a rare example of how a large corporation can effectively extend the impact of event sponsorship in a truly entertaining way.

Thank you very much for the compliment! But I have to temper your enthusiasm a bit: We’ve sold about 6,000 of these T-shirts, so I wouldn’t go so far as to say that everyone in Germany has one in their closet. But those are good numbers for a corporate sponsorship campaign; and our employees love the shirts, too—I noticed that when I was recently invited to give a presentation to the works council of the technical field service. At events like that, you often hear criticism of headquarters, but once it became clear that I was the guy behind the Wacken merchandise, the mood was great. (laughs) Of course, you can only do something like that if the executive board is willing to let the brand venture into those kinds of spheres. You’ll recall that I referred to Tim Höttges earlier as our de facto CMO, and when it came to the shirts I mentioned, he was the first person I presented the idea to. After two minutes, he said, «Brilliant. I want that.» That’s when I knew, okay, the boss is on board. Then there were two or three people who said, «Now Klenke has lost his mind,» but in the end, the whole thing was a complete success. That does put pressure on you, though—when you pull off something that amazing, the people who thought it was cool will say after a month, «Okay, so what’s next?»

 

Success requires continuous replication … or rather, continuous improvement, right?

That’s exactly it. I can tell you exactly how many creative awards we won in 2023: 251, to be precise! These include major awards like the «Grand Effie,» which are truly significant for the German marketing and communications industry. If we don’t win them in 2024, people will ask, «So, what’s going on at Telekom now?» But for many juries, it wouldn’t make any sense to award major prizes to the same company two years in a row. But try explaining that to someone who isn’t familiar with the intricacies of the awards business. All they’ll understand is: «This year… we didn’t win anything.» (laughs)

 

Let’s briefly return to those who, when it comes to Wacken, said, «Klenke is losing his mind»: Even with the backing of the CEO, it can be complex to reform a traditional brand—one that many people have associated with certain things for decades. How do you strike a balance between the familiar and the new?

The theory of innovation I follow is pretty clear on this: People look especially to societal «innovation leaders.» If these «thought leaders» approve of what’s happening, then the rest of the people follow their lead. That’s it. Demographically speaking, younger people are naturally in the lead, so we’re rejuvenating our target audience—tailoring our content and tone to people who haven’t been Telekom customers for ages—and making sure that those who’ve known the brand for a long time are «brought along» too. After all, they also want a brand that doesn’t bore them, one that fits into the present… and maybe they want to feel young again. (laughs) At the same time, we’re not stopping our outreach to more traditional target groups: As the jersey sponsor of FC Bayern, we’re in every newspaper and on every sports news program every weekend—in the classic way—and that’s not going to change. Nor are we changing certain product campaigns where we deliberately take a back seat to cater to the preferences of older people. But in general, as I said, we’re strategically moving our communication «forward.».

 

What’s actually more important: one-off campaigns and scoops that attract a lot of attention—or consistent brand visibility?

Definitely the latter. People—and I’m no different, nor are you—don’t think about a new device or a new mobile carrier every day. They only do so at very specific moments in their lives. And when those moments—those turning points—arrive, we need to be «top of mind» with our brand. I want someone whose cell phone breaks to immediately think, «I should go to a Telekom store.» Without a certain «background noise» that we create in everyday life, that’s not possible. I always say that the CFO is the brand manager’s best friend—because he provides the fuel for it. Of course, you can also operate under the assumption that investing in long-term advertising campaigns and consistent brand maintenance is too expensive, but then you’ll get caught in a downward spiral where you’ll have to compete with rivals through discounts because you lack other tools… and as a company—as a brand—you’ll hardly ever recover from that. That’s why: it’s better not to make this mistake at all!

«We take responsibility, and we talk about it.»

 

Where is the «Telekom brand» headed in the future?

There’s even more of that spirit, even more of it… to show the world out there who we really are. We take responsibility, and we talk about it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we gave away data packages to make social distancing a little more bearable. In Poland, we supported Ukrainian refugees; during the flood disaster in Germany a few years ago, we made our technology available. I could give dozens more examples, but I just want to say this: We’re aware of our size, and we know what kind of responsibility that size entails. Our employees are enthusiastic about our initiatives outside our «core business» and are already actively sharing what we do with the world… we will follow their lead and set corresponding communication priorities.

 

And as for your position in the—as you yourself said—highly competitive telecommunications market, are you also optimistic?

Yes. But I find it almost more exciting to start looking at who we could take as a model outside of this market. Who should our peers be when it comes to purpose and customer experience? Can we expand in different directions? Who can we learn from, and who do we need to keep an eye on? Speaking of which: Of course, that doesn’t mean we aren’t keeping an eye on our competitors. (laughs) We’re in a tough market—you’re right about that—and we need to leverage the strength of our brand to become increasingly successful commercially. We want to project confidence in every country where we operate—and there’s still a lot of work to be done there. If only because the competition varies from market to market and is embedded to varying degrees in consumers« awareness. We also don’t have an identical product portfolio everywhere—sometimes we offer only landline solutions, sometimes »mobile-only,« and sometimes a combination of both… and so on. Add to that the purchasing power of the respective populations, the general prevailing mood, and the economic climate, and you’re constantly faced with new challenges. However—if we didn’t like challenges, we wouldn’t be doing any of this, would we? (laughs) And I’m deliberately saying »we” now, because in this interview we’ve talked a lot about me and my work: Without the people who do outstanding work in our various markets, nothing would work at all. I really want to mention that here.

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Ulrich Klenke has been Chief Brand Officer at Deutsche Telekom AG since April 1, 2020. In this role, he is responsible for the national and international brand management of Europe’s leading telecommunications group. Ulrich Klenke is a proven expert in marketing communications and is regarded as a thought leader in both content and strategy. Before joining Telekom, he served as CEO at various advertising agencies, was CMO at Deutsche Bahn, and worked in the automotive industry—including stints at Volkswagen and Daimler. 

When the Serviceplan Group hosted the Best Brands festival in Munich this spring, there was one main attraction: Barbie. The slender blonde, who has been smiling from Mattel’s bright pink boxes for 65 years, has enchanted the world since the Hollywood film’s debut just under a year ago. Ana von Hutten, Head of Marketing for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH) at Mattel, accepted compliments for the success of «Barbie» at the event. She then revealed the formula for glamour: «Find your voice and don’t shy away from criticism.» A powerful message for all brands—whether they’re Barbies or Kens.

Rock Bottom and a Turnaround

But it was a long journey to reach this realization. For many years, the toy manufacturer had shied away from the debate. Its Barbie doll was criticized for making teenage girls feel insecure with her perfect curves and long legs, serving as a canvas for harmful beauty ideals. Reality on one side, and on the other, the rigid demand for perfection—the two simply didn’t mix. Barbie’s image plummeted. «2009 was rock bottom,» von Hutten reported. But then came the turnaround. Mattel demonstrated what a company should do to pull its brand out of a crisis and get it back in the game: listen. And laugh at itself.

In its cinematic tribute to all women, the company also revealed its weaknesses and admitted that it doesn’t know the right answer to the question of ideal gender identity. Thus, on her journey of discovery in the film, Mattel’s blonde doll discovers that the best of all worlds does not exist. It is neither the real world, where men still predominantly hold the top positions, nor the pink toy universe, where Ken can only exist in the context of Barbie. In the search for a new, contemporary role for women, Mattel gave director Greta Gerwig free rein. «Giving up control over our brand took a great deal of courage on our part,» said Chief Marketing Officer Ana von Hutten in Munich.

«Barbie's image hit rock bottom. But then things took a turn for the better.»

But that courage paid off. Letting go brought a sense of lightness to the screen. The otherwise serious subject matter—the simmering gender conflict, false ideals of beauty, and rigid gender roles—took on a relaxed tone. «The film succeeded in communicating, in a creative and accessible way, that beauty is diverse and that women can take on strong and independent roles in all areas of life,» confirms Carolin Tewes, professor of marketing and digital media at FOM University and head of marketing at the Zukunftsinstitut. Her assessment: «With the ‚Barbie‘ movie, Mattel has achieved a new, strong positioning for Barbie in the market. After years of weakness, the Barbie brand has succeeded in solidifying its status as a cult brand.»

The numbers confirm the strategy

The numbers speak for themselves: «Barbie» grossed more than 1.4 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, making it the most successful film of 2023. At the same time, toy manufacturer Mattel’s revenue climbed to 1.09 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter of 2023. This represents a 34 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. In addition, Mattel has expanded its brand presence through numerous collaborations and licensing agreements with other companies. «Customers have the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of Barbie-related products, including lemonade, burgers with pink sauce, ice cream, as well as clothing and accessories from well-known brands such as Gap, Zara, and Crocs. Items such as Barbie toothbrushes, candles, cosmetics, and suitcases are also available,» Tewes lists. This not only boosts the brand’s image but also contributes to the company’s bottom line: Partners either pay a flat-rate licensing fee for the use of the Barbie brand or up to 15 percent of their sales revenue.

Tewes attributes the fact that so many brands wanted to be part of the Barbie movement to the skillful use of social media and digital platforms. It all started well before the movie’s July 2023 debut. During a shoot with Margot Robbie (as Barbie) and Ryan Gosling (as Ken) in Santa Monica in the spring of 2022, the filmmakers counted on passersby to take snapshots of Barbie and Ken in their colorful outfits and share them on social media—which they did. For Josh Goldstein, who serves as president of global marketing at Warner Bros., this was the breakthrough, as he explained in an interview with the entertainment magazine *Variety*: «We were able to watch as the footage became part of the culture.» In his 35 years as an advertising expert, this was the «most special experience» he’d ever had.

«Globally, »Barbie’ grossed more than 1.4 billion dollars (…)—the most successful film of 2023.”

The teaser trailer released in late 2022 further fueled interest. In April 2023, Mattel launched a viral Barbie selfie generator. The film was already making waves before it even hit theaters, Tewes notes. «No matter which platform you were on, it was almost impossible to avoid Barbie.» The fashion trend in pink—known as «Barbiecore»—spread throughout society, led by many celebrities sporting pink outfits. “Mattel exemplifies how to successfully engage the public and thereby increase reach,” says Tewes. This includes hashtag campaigns and interactive content that strengthen the personal connection to the brand and allow viewers to become part of the brand’s story. The accompanying marketing campaigns have shown that this approach resonates, particularly with younger generations who increasingly value diversity and representation in the media. In fact, the number of Barbie mentions on TikTok rose by 191 percent last year.

Even male brand consultants pay her their respects. Frank Dopheide, founder of the Unlimited agency in Düsseldorf, compares Mattel’s pink icon to characters like Batman, Sherlock Holmes, or James Bond. Unlike Barbie, however, they never enjoyed any further development. «Mattel found the strength to hold on to Barbie’s boundless artificiality in color, appeal, and music, to reinterpret it, and to create space for people to participate,» he says. Nostalgic women, their daughters, and granddaughters went to the movies together—all around the globe. «For a few weeks, the world was pink—no matter where we looked. In dark times like these, surrounded by depressing movies, ‚Barbie‘ felt like a breath of fresh air with the taste of cotton candy.»

The Barbie movement continues. It’s no longer just slender blondes—the stereotypical Barbies—smiling out from the boxes in toy stores. They come in all shapes and sizes—tall, short, curvy, slim, light-skinned, dark-skinned—and in a variety of social roles: from mother to veterinarian to astronaut. The toy manufacturer calls this «Girl Empowerment.» Through the «Barbie Dream Gap Project,» in partnership with Inspiring Girls International, the company organizes career workshops for girls. Mattel has rediscovered Barbie’s voice.

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«Harmonious unity is neglected»

Romy Campe is an artist and the founder of the art magazine «Kunstleben Berlin.» She also advises companies and institutions on topics such as visibility, community, and marketing.

m&k: Romy Campe, you grew up with your mother and two sisters, so you grew up in a sort of «Barbie world»—surely you can relate to the movie quite well?

Romy Campe: Aside from the fact that I have a different understanding of aesthetics, I can relate to this in that I’ve hardly ever experienced oppression from men. Not even to this day: I handle a lot on my own; I’m not used to it any other way. In one of my paintings, «Appearance and Reality,» however, I also depict a woman who appears radiantly beautiful and strong on the outside, while on the inside, a whole machinery is at work to maintain her perfect facade. This shows that it takes a great deal of strength to live a strong and independent life.

 

In this image of the woman, how do you see the role of Ken, or rather, the role of the man?

In the movie, Ken is portrayed as very weak and oppressed in the Barbie world. This also reflects current social trends: While women continue to emancipate themselves and want—and are expected—to be able to do everything—which is exhausting and also conveys a problematic image—men are increasingly unsure of their place. A strong shoulder to lean on is, after all, something very beautiful. Ideally, the feminine and masculine principles should complement each other, creating a harmonious unity. For me, this aspect is underemphasized in the film.

 

That's right: The movie ends when Ken realizes he has his own personality, separate from Barbie's, but doesn't yet know which path to take.

For me, therefore, the film remains quite mired in clichés. I find the glimpse behind these preconceived role models fascinating. With my fictional characters «ROMS,» I am currently developing a series that depicts beings in their deepest essence, detached from such gender stereotypes.

It all began exactly 425 years ago with the «Hochobrigkeitliche Druckerei,» which was founded by the Canton of Bern on Brunngasse in Bern. The Stämpfli family took over the printing house exactly 200 years later. It was Gottlieb Stämpfli who purchased the business in 1799. Peter Stämpfli, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stämpfli AG, has very little information about his ancestor Gottlieb: «We know that Gottlieb Stämpfli had already been working at the printing house for many years before he took it over.» This resulted in what we would today call a management buyout. At the age of 29, Gottlieb bought the company during a time of great uncertainty. Following the invasion by French troops, the legal conditions were anything but stable by today’s standards. «Despite difficult ownership rights, he took the risk,» says Peter Stämpfli with respect.

«The company has undergone many changes throughout its history.»

Following the untimely death of Gottlieb Stämpfli in 1807, his wife, Marie Abertine Stämpfli-Ernst, took over the printing business. In the two subsequent generations as well, women once again played an important—if not essential—role in the printing business. Nevertheless, Peter Stämpfli, who took over the management of the family business in 1988 together with his brother Rudolf, does not wish to boast that his company has been exemplifying gender equality for centuries. Even at Stämpfli, women did not have the same rights as men well into the 20th century. The women took over the company at that time because their husbands had all died young. However, the fact that the three women took the reins of the business so early on shaped the family and their view of society and social responsibility, explains Stämpfli.

The communications firm has undergone numerous changes since 1599. Today, the Stämpfli Group, with 300 employees, generates annual revenue of approximately 60 million Swiss francs. The group consists of Stämpfli Kommunikation and Stämpfli Verlag. The group is 100 percent family-owned, with Rudolf and Peter Stämpfli each holding a 50 percent stake. Whether the next generation of Stämpfli will eventually take the helm of the company again remains to be seen (see the separate interview with Peter Stämpfli).

Move with the times

«Today, we are a communications company that offers services across the entire communications chain,» says Caspar Lösche, Head of Communications. The goal, he says, is always to enhance our clients« communications success. »We can only do that by keeping up with the times.« The first electronic data processing system went into operation in 1967. Today, according to Lösche, Stämpfli Kommunikation has been exploring the topic of artificial intelligence for several years. First came the developers, then the designers, and for over a year now, the entire company has been involved. »Right now, we’re constantly exploring what’s possible and what isn’t, and what can—and can’t—add value for our clients.”

«Person-to-person communication is at the heart of our brand.»

To demonstrate to the outside world that AI can be approached in a playful way, the Bern-based communications company has organized two «Prompt Battles» so far. At each event, two people compete against each other to solve a task by giving an image-generating AI various instructions, known as «prompts.» The result is an image, which the audience then votes on. The winner advances to the next round. «AI can actually be fun,» says Lösche. At the same time, the company used the promotion of the events to test potential applications for AI. «In the first battle, we generated 700 different images of an astronaut bear—each in a different artistic style and from a different artistic era.» These bears were then featured on posters and flyers throughout the city of Bern and the surrounding area.

A wide variety of disciplines

In Bern, Stämpfli is known as a printing company, while in the rest of Switzerland, Stämpfli Publishing—with its many legal publications—is a household name, especially among lawyers. Yet since 2011, this Bern-based family-owned business has also operated as a communications agency, offering consulting, design, implementation, and marketing services. Clients in this sector include, for example, Mobiliar, Kuoni, and Inselspital. «We’re probably the only communications company in the Bern area—and likely in all of Switzerland—that brings together such a wide range of disciplines under one roof,» explains the 43-year-old head of communications. «Not only do we have the largest prepress facility in Switzerland, but we also have our own developers, a graphics department, our own image department, and, of course, a print shop.» With «nextgen,» Stämpfli also operates a training center that functions as a separate company within the company. «nextgen» is a small, independent company made up of a young team consisting of polygraphers, media technicians, and commercial apprentices in their third and fourth years of training. The young team is supported by two coaches.

The «nextgen» stamping startup has a good understanding of Gen Z and aims to make the training of apprentices as practical as possible. What is it like for this generation to work for a company with such a long tradition? Siyar Bilgic is a polygraph apprentice and a team member at «nextgen.» For Bilgic, who was born in 2006, it’s inspiring to see how Stämpfli has evolved over time: «It gives you the feeling of being part of a story that spans generations.» Many of his friends’ training companies don’t have such a rich tradition.

Centuries of Cooperation

In fact, there are clients who have relied on Stämpfli’s services for 425 years, such as the Canton of Bern. Stämpfli has also been working with the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) and the Swiss Firefighters Association for over 125 years each. Despite this momentous anniversary, the Bern-based company will not be holding a large celebration; instead, it will mark the occasion throughout the rest of the year with various initiatives and by incorporating it into events with customers.

The focus is not only on the past, but also on what has been built over more than four hundred years: «A corporate culture in which everyone can work together as equals.» Caspar Lösche, Stämpfli’s head of communications, adds that it is above all Stämpfli’s corporate values that set the company apart from others in the industry: «Person-to-person communication is at the heart of our brand.» And they truly live by that. At Stämpfli, for example, everyone is on a first-name basis, and the company operates in an agile, networked structure. Everyone has the opportunity to get involved in broader circles. «I’m personally active in the sustainability and artificial intelligence group,» explains the dual German-Swiss citizen. Others get involved in the health group or in organizing hikes or innovation initiatives.

To wrap things up, we’d like to ask entrepreneur Peter Stämpfli what the next 425 years hold for Stämpfli Kommunikation. «We’re just happy if we can see as far ahead as the next two years,» says the chairman of the board quite candidly. What’s more important, he adds, is understanding that we need to think in terms of decades, not quarters. «But when it comes to knowing what’s ahead, the past 425 years don’t help us there.» Still, he isn’t afraid, even though all entrepreneurs have their worries. That’s part of the job. «But the joys outweigh the worries.»

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INTERVIEW

«The next generation is showing interest.»

m&k: Peter Stämpfli, you have been with the family business since 1988, when you and your brother Rudolf took over management at Stämpfli; you have served as Chairman of the Board since 2014. How often are you still seen at the company these days?

Peter Stämpfli: Still almost every day.

 

In your opinion, what has changed the most in recent years?

The technologies and associated processes are obvious, as are the implications for communication. The interplay between digital and print channels and media is indispensable today and is still evolving.

 

Are these all positive changes, or are some of them less positive?

New opportunities are emerging that we can take advantage of and that work in our favor, precisely because we offer integrated communication solutions. There are some uncertainties due to global political developments, which have a direct impact on the Swiss economy, and the changing use of print media.

 

What are you celebrating most today, 425 years later?

It’s a blessing that so many generations have been able to carry on the business. There have been many times when it would have taken very little for the business to no longer remain in the family.

 

Daniel Sinn is currently the CEO of Stämpfli Kommunikation. Will your company ever again be led by someone with the last name Stämpfli? Or has the name never even been an issue internally?

Yes, that is an issue. The next generation is showing interest, but doesn't have to make a decision just yet. Therefore, the outcome of this question is still up in the air.

 

The Stämpfli family is well known in the federal capital. Do people in Bern still address you by name everywhere?

Prices are high everywhere—after all, 300,000 people live in the greater Bern area. But Bern is known for the fact that people know each other and can make connections quickly. After 36 years as an entrepreneur, I know a lot of people.