The aim is to give clients and their brands relevance despite the increasingly fragmented communication channels that are often no longer perceived by the target group. The approach is based on the scientific model of context-based communication. Kontx Kommunikation starts with a three-person team in Zurich. In addition, a Frankfurt branch ensures that clients and media professionals also have a local point of contact in Germany. Founder Bettina Gebhardt has 16 years of consulting experience from leading communications consultancies in Germany and Switzerland. From 2010 to 2015, she managed the Swiss branch of the international communications network Grayling (formerly Trimedia) in Zurich.

Context-based corporate and brand communication

Whether and how people perceive an advertising communication message depends on three elementary contextual factors: Brand or brand image, the specific circumstances at the time of reception, and finally the reality of the addressee's life. While advertising investments in the brand are currently on the rise, the factors "reception situation" and "individual living environment" are only inadequately taken into account in most communication strategies. This is where context-based corporate and brand communication comes in. Kontx Kommunikation uses the results of current scientific research and empirically based planning concepts from communication science to open up new ways for companies and brands to enter into dialog with their target groups. Be it through increased information, entertainment, interaction and/or monetary value, always depending on what is momentarily important to the recipients in the interaction context. Sounds simple, but requires a move away from the instrumental perspective often still encountered at present to a context-oriented view.

Context factors determine the success of communication

Bettina Gebhardt and the team at Kontx Kommunikation are committed to systematically opening up this new field of action in communications practice for their clients. "In numerous of my discussions with communication managers in Switzerland and Germany, it became clear that communication has maneuvered itself into a dead end. Increasing the advertising pressure further does not lead anywhere. By constantly introducing new tools that are technically good, but increasingly fragmented and less and less sustainable, you confuse the consumer," explains Bettina Gebhardt. She used this to develop a new way of looking at things, she says. "We strive to align our clients' communication messages with all relevant contextual factors of the target groups. These are brand, reception situation and lifeworld," says the founder. This is first and foremost a strategic task that has to be solved together with those responsible on the corporate side, she adds.

Support offer for large companies and SMEs

Kontx Kommunikation is entering the market with a focused service portfolio. The company wants to be successful with strategic consulting as well as with the implementation of innovative concepts for large international companies and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a national focus. The company also offers communications coaching and training for management. "Communication concepts are being scrutinized more and more critically by those responsible on the corporate side. In particular it showed up that these strategies did not want to order simply, but compile together, in order to ensure the coherence in the entire appearance and the conformity with the enterprise strategy," say Bettina Gebhardt. We want to do justice to this. The motto is therefore "Consult - Achieve - Enable. Behind this is a cooperative working method that enables those responsible for communications on the corporate side to find the right answers to the current challenges of increasingly competitive sales markets.

Gut was elected to the Board of Directors of Zürichsee Medien in 1971. After completing his studies at the ETH and HSG, he worked for six years as assistant to the general manager and head of IT at Orell Füssli Werbe AG. In 1981, Gut joined Zürichsee Medien. In 1983 he became delegate, and in 1991 chairman of the board of directors. Under Gut's leadership, the Zürichsee-Zeitung built up split editions on the left bank of Lake Zurich and in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. In 1989/90, Zürichsee Medien established the DZO newspaper printing center, which it subsequently expanded with Zürcher Oberländer and Zürcher Unterländer and operated jointly until 2010. Radio Zürisee was founded in 1983 and built up into a strong company and leading private radio station.

After it became clear in 2009 that no one from the Gut family of owners wanted to succeed Gut as Chairman of the Board of Directors or Executive Board, the shareholders and the Board of Directors decided to refocus and concentrate on the three smaller areas of radio, magazine marketing and real estate. Gut implemented the process with determination and foresight by selling the Zürichsee-Zeitung to Tamedia and the Zürichsee Druckereien to Fotorotar. Radio Bern 1 was acquired in 2012 and very successfully built up into the leading private radio station in the Bern region. The advertising marketer Zürichsee Werbe AG increased its sales from seven to 20 million Swiss francs in the past five years. In 2011, Zürichsee Medien expanded its real estate portfolio and in 2014 launched a project for a new replacement building for the main building in Stäfen.

The Annual General Meeting of Zürichsee Medien elected Beat Lauber to succeed Theodor Gut as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He has also been Chairman of the Group Management of the company since the beginning of the year. Beat Lauber held leading positions in the publishing business for 25 years and was a member of the management boards of NZZ and Ringier.

Zürichsee Medien AG is the parent company of Radio Zürisee, Radio Bern 1, the advertising marketer Zürichsee Werbe AG and a real estate company. In 2014, it generated sales of CHF 32.5 million and is rock solidly financed with an equity ratio of over 80 percent. The company employs 102 people (77 full-time positions). It is 96 percent owned by the Gut family.
 

Demont led the company as a partner since its launch seven years ago and built it into a leading Swiss provider in the content marketing sector.

Before joining Ipmedia, Matthias M. Mattenberger worked for Swiss radio and television SRF for around ten years; among other things, as the head of output for the talk show "Aeschbacher". Prior to his employment at SRF, he was involved in entrepreneurial activities, founded his own online music magazine "Music-News", produced corporate films for Swiss companies, wrote a book and published radio plays. With this change in management, Ipmedia is consistently focusing on the topic of video content marketing. Matthias M. Mattenberger will further expand the successful positioning with new ideas and impulses. Marco Demont remains a member of the board of directors and will keep his stake in the company. In addition, he will support the establishment of an Ipmedia spin-off and advise companies and institutions on digital strategies.

In wireless bungee jumping, the jumper wears a magnetic suit that is "caught" by a counter-magnetic field on the ground. It's a bit like trying to press two magnets together, but they repel each other. Only bigger - and more dangerous.

The three-minute documentary tells the story behind the daring project:

And - unsurprisingly - turns out to be a click magnet. With moderate ratings: Almost half of the viewers who rated the movie gave it a thumbs down. And many outraged comments, who felt they had been duped and abandoned the movie prematurely. The resolution - fake or not? - is served up on a silver platter at the end. And you don't have to be called Sherlock Holmes to be suspicious when the sender of the movie is called Ikea. And the production company is DDB Brussels. (hae)

He replaces Raphael Wermuth, who successfully held this position for five years and is now taking on the newly created role of Head of Digital Communications within the Corporate Communications department. Born in 1973, Björn Emde was Senior Media Relations Manager and Spokesperson at Zurich Insurance Group from April 2013 to the end of June 2015. Prior to that, he worked as Communications Manager Europe at Suntech Power International in Schaffhausen from 2010- 2013. From 2007-2010, Björn Emde worked as a consultant for strategic communications and public affairs at Hering Schuppener Consulting in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. He studied German and International Law at the University of Regensburg and the Free University of Berlin and passed the state law examinations in Berlin and Hamburg. He also earned a part-time MBA in Public Affairs & Leadership from Quadriga University in Berlin. Björn Emde is a dual German and U.S. citizen.

With sales of about CHF 5.9 billion for fiscal 2013/14, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world's largest manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, according to a statement.

They are the youngest commentary team at SRF Sport: Patrick Schmid, 33, and Mario Gehrer, 34, are now accompanying the athletics competitions for Swiss radio and television together. Schmid has been working as a live commentator since 2009. Mario Gehrer will be making his debut in Lausanne. "I'm really looking forward to my new task. I am highly motivated for this challenge, especially as the performances of the Swiss athletes have been impressive in the past," says Gehrer.

The native of eastern Switzerland has been working for SRF since 2006. He studied journalism and organizational communication at the former Zurich University of Applied Sciences Winterthur (ZHW). He then completed the two-year SRF sports stage from 2009 to 2011 and has been working as an editor in the sports department since 2011.

The previous Managing Director, Matteo Schuerch, founded the Swiss subsidiary in October 2012 and significantly expanded the business, as detailed in a press release. He is now leaving Affilinet to take on a new management and development role in the Swiss digital industry.

Account Management and Business Development in Zurich will be strengthened in order to continue to ensure personal and local customer support. In addition, the position of sales manager for the Zurich office is being created. The sales manager will be responsible for the operational management of the Swiss business, the support of existing customers and the further development of the up-and-coming performance marketing market in Switzerland.

Ulrich Bartholomäus has successfully managed the German and Austrian national companies since 2011 and is also very familiar with the Swiss market, according to the press release. "I am looking forward to working with Swiss advertisers, agencies and publishers as well as the Swiss Affilinet team and am convinced that together we will continue our successful course in affiliate marketing. We will also open up new market segments in the area of performance display and offer our customers a wide range of innovative solutions," says Bartholomäus on Affilinet's strategic direction in the Swiss online business.
 

Erdmannpeisker: Hatex new in the portfolio

Erdmannpeisker is now also at home in the construction industry. Hatex is a leading Swiss producer of functional work and safety clothing. As part of an agency evaluation, the third-generation family business from Murgenthal decided to work with Erdmannpeisker. As a first step, a positioning was jointly developed, which is expressed in the claim "Intelligent Workwear". A new logo with a fox head has also already been realized. Further work will follow this year.

Walker becomes Fisherman's Friend

In a multi-stage agency selection process, "The World's Smallest Advertising Agency" prevailed over the competition. The first joint catch of the traditional British brand in collaboration with the Swiss creatives will be released in the fall.

Scholtysik & Partner new branding agency for Basler Kantonalbank

The branding and design agency Scholtysik & Partner will henceforth support Basler Kantonalbank in strategic brand management as well as in the design and implementation of its brand identity. Scholtysik & Partner prevailed in a multi-stage agency evaluation. At Basler Kantonalbank, no stone is left unturned. Since 2013, the bank has been consistently adapting its strategic orientation to the changing economic and regulatory environment. On this basis, Scholtysik & Partner is developing the new brand strategy as well as the design and implementation of Basler Kantonalbank's brand identity. Mathias von Wartburg, Head of Marketing at BKB: "The agency's straightforward approach, its professional expertise - including in digital branding - and its vast experience in the financial sector tipped the scales in favor of Scholtysik & Partner."

New media mandates at Media Satellite

New in the portfolio of Mediensatellit, the Zurich-based agency for target media: Südwestpresse from neighboring Baden-Württemberg. The offer is aimed at brands that want to communicate sustainably in this important economic region with content marketing and storytelling, i.e. strategic, modern and individual cooperation formats.

Since the soft relaunch at the end of May, Zuri.net has been a new addition to Mediensatellit's portfolio. On the portal, people from Zurich's millions search for ideas and places for their quality time in the city, and quickly find up-to-date addresses, rated by Zurichers for Zurichers. The newly developed advertising offers are exclusive and efficient. With around six million annual address queries, zuri.net is an ideal dialog partner for information that is placed where consumer decisions are made.

APG|SGA Traffic wins two important mandates

On June 12, 2015, the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV) awarded three mandates (so-called "lots") for commercial advertising space in and on public transportation. This was subject to the condition that the three lots must be awarded to at least two different providers. APG|SGA Traffic will receive two lots and thus continue to have the right to market and develop all products in and on the buses. These concessions concern all the transport companies included in the tender: Postauto Region Zürich, Sihltal Uetliberg Bahn, Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal, Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland, and Stadtbus Winterthur.

APG|SGA Traffic had initially prevailed in a two-stage process in the ZVV prequalification for the second round and submitted its definitive bid in mid-May. On June 12, 2015, APG|SGA Traffic was awarded two of three lots. These now include the exclusive marketing and handling of the TrafficBoards as well as the marketing and handling of all other advertising spaces in and on the buses of the ZVV transport companies with Postauto Region Zürich, Sihltal Uetliberg Bahn, Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal, Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland, and Stadtbus Winterthur.

Anyone who has taken a walk on the beach in recent years has seen it with their own eyes: plastic waste is everywhere and it is virtually impossible to find a cubic meter of seawater that is not contaminated with plastic - from plastic bags floating in the water to microscopic floating particles. For marine life, this is a deadly threat as the waste poisons them or clogs their stomachs. Oceancare is working in national and international projects to protect marine animals from plastic waste.

To raise public awareness of this issue, Spina's Civil Voices is supporting the organization with the creation and realization of a new print campaign. In a striking encounter between garbage and sea creatures, the ads show why plastic waste in the oceans is so disastrous: It takes centuries for it to decompose.

Responsible at Oceancare: Sigrid Lüber (President), Sylvia Frey (Head of Science &Education), Manuela Barrera (Communication/Marketing). Responsible at Spina's Civil Voices: Lorenz Spinas (overall responsibility), Stephan Huwiler (concept/AD), Tom Malecha (concept/text), Nadin Runne/ Conny Geibel (consulting), Staudinger & Franke (photographer), Sergio Beti (digital image editing)

You are traveling in a foreign city and want to know where the nearest ATM is? Which restaurants and bars are nearby? Or how far it is to the next streetcar stop? Live Search" displays all this and much more quickly and easily on your cell phone. Anyone who uses the new function receives all the important information around them directly on their mobile phone, depending on time and location. Thanks to "Live Search," the big, wide world becomes a little smaller and Switzerland moves closer together. This benefit is illustrated in an "all-round" sympathetic way by the visual guiding idea of the new campaign, which Notch Interactive conceived and realized. The current claim "For everything around you" additionally strengthens the central idea.

The two new campaign subjects show well-known buildings and landmarks of the various Swiss regions and position the Search.ch brand as well as the app even closer to the Swiss population: The online service provider Search.ch is part of the Swiss common property, just like the castles of Bellinzona, the Federal Palace or the Château de Gruyères. The aim of the communication is to make the innovative and versatile tool even more human and tangible. It also aims to generate more app downloads. The campaign includes posters, advertisements, online and mobile banners, e-boards and e-panels and is now visible throughout Switzerland.

Responsible at Search.ch: Matthias Adolf (Head of Marketing), Jasna Smojvir (Senior Marketing Specialist) and Lara Wyss (Art Director). Responsible at Notch Interactive: Peter A. van der Touw (Overall Responsibility), Roger Oberholzer (Strategy Director), Jeff Gerber (Creative Director), Martin Stauch (Art Director), Marco Klein (Art Director), David Elmiger (Copywriter), Heike Gross (Copywriter), Paola D'Ambrosio (Consultant/Project Manager) and Alain Gantner (Consultant/Project Manager). Realization campaign visuals: Croci & du Fresne Photography & Compositing.
 

It's time to leave the ad generation of boring or annoying online advertising behind. With the innovative methods that personalized marketing provides today, advertisers can build much more individualized relationships with their customers. In our digital advertising age, advertisers have the opportunity to work with advertising technology companies to improve their targeting and increasingly personalize advertising messages. By evaluating online user behavior, relevant and personalized marketing messages can be delivered that speak to the user individually. However, many advertisers still follow the watering can principle, which means that users often find the advertising messages uninteresting or feel annoyed by them.

Counterproductive retargeting

Almost every online user knows the feeling of being followed across the web by a product ad. This is poorly implemented retargeting. Of course, the consumer has shown interest in this product at some point. But instead of repeatedly showing them ads for exactly this product, the user can be won back more effectively by reminding them of the online store or the brand. Bestselling products in the same category or useful additions to the item originally searched for can also more easily arouse buying interest instead of weariness.

By working with a technology provider that works with predictive modeling, more relevant and personalized ads can be displayed. The technology evaluates data and insights about the online behavior of existing buyers to determine how to reach potential new users and which products, offers or advertising material should ideally be displayed. With this data-based approach, advertisements can be personalized much better than would be possible manually. To this end, the media channels in which users are online and the various devices they use for this as well as the times when they are active are evaluated. Not only the usage behavior is relevant, but also the right context in which the advertising is then displayed.

Beware of arbitrary frequency capping

It makes little sense to expose the user to an "overdose" of ads. It has been shown that there is a frequency curve for each campaign, which can be used to determine the ideal frequency for advertising placement for each individual user. If the peak of the curve is exceeded, further ad impressions reduce the probability of a purchase. Frequency capping, which treats every user equally, is therefore not a solution. Although the frequency curves for most users have a similar average, they are different for each individual. Today, the shape of these curves and the optimal ad frequency for each individual user can be determined by analyzing large amounts of data.

Increased efficiency through individual approach

Dynamic, personalized ads offer an almost unlimited number of individual ad variations that are created automatically. Previous ways of personalizing ads have relied on manual methods and simple rules. An artificially intelligent and data-driven platform can learn from past response data on products and ad texts using specially developed, self-learning algorithms. This includes surfing behavior on the Internet, previous purchases and the user's location. Dynamic, personalized ads combine ad elements such as title, image, price and call to action. They also offer personalized product recommendations and ad texts for the individual user. This individual selection of the optimal products and advertising messages enables advertisers to significantly increase their sales.

Oliver Hülse is responsible for Rocket Fuel's business activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He is responsible for customer relations with leading advertisers and agencies. He is also building up the Hamburg team and is currently recruiting for the areas of sales and account management. Oliver Hülse comes from the Adconion Media Group, where he was most recently Managing Director of the German GmbH. The 41-year-old from Hamburg began his career in digital media sales thirteen years ago at the Milchstrasse publishing group and Tomorrow Internet AG, before working for several years as VP International Operations at Interactive Media CCSP.

All eight Instagrammers are known for extraordinary images with their own visual language, according to the release.

From June 26 to 28, 2015, Zürich Tourism showed eight Instagrammers the diverse Zürich. The social media stars were able to get to know and capture the city as well as the region from different perspectives. On the first day, the photography excursion took them to urban Zurich West with the Viaduct, the Prime Tower and Frau Gerold's garden. Saturday began with the sunrise on the Uetliberg and a subsequent boat trip to the rose city of Rapperswil. The focus was on natural Zurich. Finally, on Sunday, the backdrop of the summer festival Aufsehen! took center stage. The enthusiasm of Instagrammers manifested itself in extraordinary pictures, which were shared and commented on by followers in large numbers. The pictures tagged with #VisitZurich can be found at. Instagram.com/visitzurich/

The invitation to these eight Instagrammers is part of Zürich Tourism's marketing strategy. Every year, Zürich Tourism accompanies around 600 media professionals from 35 countries on more than 200 media trips to Zürich and the region. In addition to this classic international media work, new forms - social media - are becoming central to marketing a destination. Zürich Tourism is breaking new ground in this respect. Since last year, Zürich Tourism has been supporting hotel businesses with an online marketing offer that is unique in Europe, in order to reduce dependence on large international booking portals. Zurich hoteliers can advertise their business with professional support in the Google search engine and thereby increase the number of direct bookings via their own hotel website. In January of this year, Zürich Tourism also launched a globally unique service that offers added value for all tourists: A digital concierge will soon be available in the more than 10,000 hotel rooms in the region and city of Zürich (Werbewoche.ch reported). The digital concierge is a tablet that replaces the conventional hotel folder with content that can be customized and digitally prepared at any time.