Sponsoring Schweiz has now presented the awards for the third time. Eighteen projects were submitted, and the nine nominated teams presented their work to the jury. On March 25, Raiffeisen Switzerland was awarded the Sponsoring Excellence Award for welovesnow.ch. For the first time, three special prizes were also awarded to Axa Switzerland, Swisscom, and UBS. We spoke with the winners, who revealed the secret to their success.

1. Raiffeisen Switzerland: André Stöckli, Head of Sponsorship & Events

m&k: André Stöckli, what was the reaction to winning the award?

It was a great joy and source of satisfaction for the entire team, and we were very pleased with the many responses we received from both inside and outside the company. It’s a wonderful honor to receive such an award from the industry.

How did the sponsorship initiative—or rather, the idea—come about?

Raiffeisen has been a sponsor of Swiss-Ski since 2005 and is actively involved in snow sports at both the national and regional levels. As a sponsor, we’re always asking ourselves how we can reach our target audience—in our case, snow sports fans—on a long-term basis and throughout the entire year. It was clear to us that simply displaying our logo was no longer enough. Taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital world over the past few years, we therefore decided in 2017 to launch our own editorial content platform, welovesnow.ch, to engage with fans year-round.

Were there any difficulties, obstacles, or resistance?

Launching such an innovative project involved a great deal of uncertainty, as well as resistance and obstacles. Since we deliberately chose an off-brand approach for welovesnow.ch based on the fan perspective, a great deal of internal persuasion was required to omit «Raiffeisen.» On the other hand, there were challenging—but also valuable—discussions with the athletes and the association regarding the distinction between promotional and editorial content. The fact that a sponsor was operating an editorial portal was completely uncharted territory for everyone.

How will the project develop in the future?

Welovesnow.ch is the core of Raiffeisen’s snow sports initiative. Through this platform, we maintain a year-round presence and engage with snow sports fans. We will therefore continue to develop the platform both in terms of content and technology and introduce new features. For example, we recently launched the Welovesnow app and will increasingly feature content on the other Swiss-Ski disciplines in addition to alpine skiing.

What lessons have you learned?

Nothing is impossible, and when working to bring an idea to life, you have to be open to changing direction and making adjustments along the way. Thanks to today’s technical and digital capabilities, it’s even possible for a sponsor to build and run a large, thriving community from scratch. However, the path to getting there isn’t clearly defined.

André Stöckli is the Head of Sponsorship & Events at Raiffeisen Switzerland.

2. Special "Responsibility" Award for UBS Helpetica: Sonja Kingsley-Curry and Rita Vozarova

m&k: What was the result of winning the award?

We were absolutely thrilled to receive the Special Award for Responsibility at the Sponsoring Excellence Award Night. It is a great honor for our passion project, UBS Helpetica, and for the team effort behind it. The additional publicity gives the platform and its various projects even greater visibility, which ultimately benefits sustainability in Switzerland.

How did the sponsorship partnership come about?

For over 15 years, UBS—one of the first companies in Switzerland to do so—has been promoting employee volunteerism. Each year, up to 5,000 UBS employees contribute more than 50,000 hours of volunteer work. With our new volunteer matching platform, ubs-helpetica.ch, we wanted to build on this long-standing tradition and, under the motto «Doing good feels good,» mobilize the entire Swiss population to support greater sustainability. UBS Helpetica is thus a «sponsorship» initiative for the common good of Switzerland—one that benefits us all.

What were the difficulties, obstacles, and resistance?

The launch was certainly made more difficult by the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, which for a long time made group-based volunteer assignments impossible. On the other hand, this made it all the more possible to place volunteers in recurring mentoring and integration projects. This was particularly well-received during this time and had a very positive impact.

How will the project develop in the future?

Our goal is for the majority of the Swiss population to know, value, and use UBS Helpetica as a volunteer platform. That’s why we’re putting a lot of passion and dedication into raising awareness and expanding our user base even further. To this end, we are constantly seeking new NGOs to help make their projects more visible and provide them with access to new volunteers. We are specifically expanding our offerings for companies and larger groups to simplify their volunteer coordination. Here, too, we hope to benefit greatly from our extensive network of UBS corporate clients.

What lessons have you learned?

UBS Helpetica sees itself as a complementary offering that supplements the many active players in Switzerland’s volunteer market. After all, we must work together to achieve the sustainability goals of the UN and Switzerland. To this end, nonprofit organizations and private initiative-takers have the opportunity to post sustainable volunteer projects in the areas of the environment, social issues, education, and entrepreneurship, and to find people who want to get involved. After all, doing good is good for everyone.

Sonja Kingsley-Curry is Head of Strategic Initiatives & Brand Management, and Rita Vozarova is Senior Marketing Manager for Strategic Initiatives at UBS Switzerland.

3. Special Prize for Activation of the Swisscom Fan Screen: Manuela Kiener and Dominik Hauert

m&k: What was the result of winning the award?

The feedback from the high-caliber panel of experts is a wonderful sign of appreciation for the energy and passion that the project team poured into the Swisscom Fan Screen. The effort required was enormous, especially in the early stages of the project, since we were breaking new ground. We couldn’t draw on any existing concept. That makes it all the more gratifying that the project has now been honored with the Activation Special Award.

How did this sponsorship partnership come about?

Switzerland is a nation passionate about skiing. Tens of thousands of people watch the races in person, and hundreds of thousands on TV. But due to the pandemic, no spectators were allowed last year. Swisscom wanted to show that it remains closely connected to Switzerland and winter sports even during these unusual times. The goal was to connect fans live to the finish area of the ski races, thereby bringing excitement back to the finish area and to television.

What were the difficulties, obstacles, and resistance?

The tight timeline and the novelty of the idea—since there were few comparable activations at that time. For us, the Swisscom Fan Screen was a completely new way to engage with a sponsored event. The idea had to take shape and come to life in a very short time. It was only thanks to our strong partners and a highly motivated project team that we were able to bring the Fan Screen to life in such a short time.

How will the project develop in the future? What are the plans?

The Swisscom Fan Screen far exceeded our expectations and was a hit both internally and externally. We were delighted to receive a great deal of positive feedback, which was a huge morale booster after the difficult year of 2020 and underscored the power of our sponsorship efforts. In our view, the success stemmed primarily from the fact that our campaign struck a chord with the spirit of the times. Going forward, we intend to increasingly focus on new digital formats that are closely aligned with our core business.

What lessons have you learned?

It’s important to embrace challenges even in difficult times and remain open to different approaches. The pandemic forced us to embark on a new path without really knowing what lay ahead. Another key factor in the success of the initiative was certainly that we brought stakeholders on board early on and discussed the project openly. This allowed all parties involved to contribute their strengths, and we were able to avoid additional rounds of coordination.

Manuela Kiener is Deputy Head of Partnership & Live Experiences at Swisscom, and Dominik Hauert is the project manager for the Swisscom Fan Screen.

4. Pioneership Special Award for AXA Switzerland: Vera Hager and Sandro Singer

m&k: What was the result of winning the award?

For us, this award is a wonderful endorsement from a panel of experts that our commitment to women’s soccer is in tune with the spirit of the times, and that our courage in becoming the first partner in the history of Switzerland’s top women’s soccer league has paid off. Both internally and externally, acceptance of the partnership has already been very high. This award recognizes and further validates what we have already achieved in the first two years for Swiss women’s soccer and for our AXA brand.

How did this sponsorship partnership come about?

With AXA’s brand promise, «Know You Can,» we place the focus on self-belief and position ourselves as a supportive partner in challenging situations. We were looking for a partnership that would allow us to contribute to positive change in society. With this commitment, we’ve found the «perfect match.» We want to take women’s soccer to the next level and encourage the players to believe in themselves.

What were the difficulties, obstacles, and resistance?

Launching a sports sponsorship campaign during a pandemic requires a high degree of flexibility. The first external activation was planned for the Cup Final in May 2020, but it was canceled due to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, numerous games unfortunately had to be played without spectators. To compensate, SRG broadcast some live games, sometimes on short notice, because, for example, a men’s Super League match had to be postponed due to COVID-19.

How will the project develop in the future?

We will continue to go full steam ahead and pursue our long-term goal of professionalizing and advancing Swiss women’s soccer in collaboration with the Swiss Football Association and the clubs. One major initiative this year will be turning a giant poster into bags and backpacks, which we will then auction off on a fundraising platform to benefit young women’s soccer players.

What lessons have you learned?

Taking a stand pays off: As the first female partner in the league’s history, we’ve already achieved a great deal and played an active role in shaping the rise of Swiss women’s soccer. And taking a stand pays off, too: Through our commitment, we bring our brand promise, «Know You Can,» to life and sharpen our brand profile. In addition, we make a lasting contribution to women’s soccer and, in doing so, address social issues such as diversity and equality.

Vera Hager and Sandro Singer, both project managers for sponsorship of the AXA Women’s Super League.

Advertisers want to achieve specific, measurable goals—clicks, leads, or conversions. Self-service tools are available. It’s quite simple, but there are pitfalls to watch out for. Here are four of the most common ones.

Automation

Google, in particular, is trying to convince its customers of the benefits of automated campaign management. This goes as far as automatically setting up a Google Ads account—all Google needs is a URL. The key point to consider here is whether the machine is truly better than a human. Therefore, larger advertisers in particular—whether they have a professional in-house team or work with a specialized external agency—should first have a human optimize the Google account to the point where they can’t take it any further—and then let the machine take over. If the machine produces even better results, so much the better. But if not, then it’s probably better to have a human continue managing the account.

In our personal lives, we would never pay ten times the price for a bowl of strawberries or a flight to Mallorca, but with Google Ads, we do that every day.

Automated campaigns are generally best suited for small businesses with limited expertise in this area, or for companies with a large number of products (e.g., e-commerce stores), but are less suitable for insurance companies with few products.

No optimization during the campaign

One of the key factors for success in performance marketing is certainly continuous optimization—daily, weekly, or at least monthly, depending on the campaign budget. However, if you look at the reports for many campaigns, you’ll quickly see that little to no optimization is taking place. To check this, you should always look at the average cost per click or the average cost per lead or conversion. What’s particularly interesting here is how much the most expensive cost per click, lead, or conversion deviates from the average. Often, you’ll find that you’re paying up to ten times more than the average. In our personal lives, we’d never pay ten times the price for a bowl of strawberries or a flight to Mallorca, but with Google Ads, we do that every day. Deviations of up to double the average are acceptable—after all, it’s in the nature of averages that we sometimes pay more. But certainly not ten times as much.

Bidding Strategies

Let’s assume that an advertiser wants to receive as many contact requests as possible during a four-week campaign. First, all self-service tools ask about the campaign’s goal. The customer therefore selects «Leads.» While this is understandable, it doesn’t make much sense. This is because, in practice, it means the platform’s algorithm will now try to optimize for leads. However, there probably won’t be enough contact form submissions for the algorithm to learn effectively—and even if there were, we’d end the campaign right at that moment and wouldn’t be able to benefit from it. In this case, it would be better to focus on clicks, since there are significantly more of them than leads. Another point to consider here is that you should always set a maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a click, lead, or conversion. By default, the algorithm optimizes solely for as many clicks, leads, or conversions as possible—regardless of their cost. Just as in our personal lives, where we often have clear ideas about price limits, we should set these limits with Google and other platforms as well.

Targeting and Targeting Expansions

One of the major advantages of online marketing and social media is the wide range of targeting options. However, these need to be used correctly. Agencies, in particular, sometimes take a overly stereotypical approach: When it comes to a campaign for a bank, we target people interested in finance. For a retirement planning campaign—which concerns us all—that makes little sense. For a complex investment product, however, it does. An argument you hear time and again in this context is: «My target audience tends to be very young, so Facebook is the wrong channel.» And even if it’s true that fewer and fewer young people are using Facebook, Facebook still has more than 300,000 users between the ages of 13 and 18, and these can be reached through age-based targeting. So the statement should really be: «Facebook doesn’t have enough young users from my target audience that I can target, so I’m choosing a different platform.»

Another potential pitfall here is «targeting expansions.» With this feature, the platforms attempt to find users who are similar to your criteria but don’t quite match them exactly. This should be used with caution, as it essentially gives the networks a “free pass” to target users outside your specified criteria. This could include users from other countries, such as Switzerland—despite targeting Switzerland—or users of a different age, despite age-based targeting.

Conclusion

As is always the case in online marketing, «operational excellence» is particularly important in performance marketing—whether handled in-house by experienced staff or by external specialized agencies. In both cases, meaningful reporting and regular analysis are essential.

* Daniel Hünebeck is a digital marketing expert, project manager for Digital Ad Trust Switzerland, and a freelancer for the SWA.

m&k: Moíses Naím, you were editor-in-chief of *Foreign Policy* magazine for fourteen years. Can you recall a time when the world ever seemed as unstable and uncertain as it does now?

Moíses Naím: The world is a very … anarchic place. It is constantly in turmoil, highly unstable, and dangerous. Only rarely are we able to work together for the common good. Nevertheless, you are right when you say that there is no precedent for what we are going through now. And the reason there is no precedent is that we are currently facing a convergence of problems that no single country can tackle on its own—problems that extend far beyond national borders. Consider, for example, the dangers of climate change. Added to this is the pandemic. We are confronted with a war in Europe. And we are witnessing the birth of new technologies, many of which are a «double-edged sword»—they can be fantastic for humanity, but also very dangerous. I’m thinking, for example, of genetic engineering, which is suitable for curing complex diseases but can be enormously problematic from an ethical standpoint. Such an accumulation of phenomena—ones that not even the so-called superpowers can solve on their own—is something I’ve never experienced before.

There is no precedent for what we are going through right now.

We’re having this conversation in early May; the interview will be published two weeks later. Despite the fact that many things can change in that time: How do you view the war in Ukraine? Is it a struggle between democracy and dictatorship? Between the idea of state sovereignty and the idea of imperial spheres of influence? Is it the old struggle between «East» and «West»?

It’s certainly a bit of everything you mentioned—but there’s another, key factor: it’s an attempt by a weakened dictator to cling to power. That’s the root of the matter. Vladimir Putin is the dictator of a country whose population is shrinking, whose economy is stagnating, and which is growing poorer despite rising prices for its most important export commodities. As you know, Russia relies primarily on the sale of oil, gas, weapons, and certain minerals. The economy is depleted, and there is a large middle class that has become restless, is dissatisfied, and views the future with pessimism. Putin had to try to divert their attention from these problems and thereby regain popularity and legitimacy.

Many people did not expect Russia to wage an open war against Ukraine. As an expert on international politics, were you also surprised?

For a long time, I didn’t believe that Putin would invade Ukraine—and certainly not in such an explicit way: the kind of tank battles we know from the world wars… Of course, we all saw what happened in Crimea in 2014, when it was taken over by «little green men.» They were, after all, Russian soldiers… but they didn’t invade as such. It appeared to be an «NGO invasion,» if you will. Russia and Ukraine have been at war for some time now, but until recently, Putin had avoided openly demonstrating Russia’s involvement in it. Of course, we then reached a point where Joe Biden appeared on television—I think two weeks before the attack—and was asked by a journalist about Putin’s ambitions. And he said, »I don’t see how he could back down now; he’s already gone too far.» The head of the CIA said something similar in public. And when the head of the CIA and the President of the United States make such predictions, it’s best to take them seriously. That was the moment when I thought—now it’s about Putin’s legitimacy in his own country. After all the fuss he made about deploying his troops to the Ukrainian border, could he really afford to say there: «Well, that was a mistake. Let’s go home!»?

Of the 195 countries in the world, only 34 can still be described as liberal democracies today.

Many commentators in Europe believe that Vladimir Putin has achieved exactly what he sought to prevent: NATO expansion, a strong transatlantic front, and Ukrainian resistance that is virtually unbreakable. But if his sole concern was his legitimacy in the eyes of the Russian people—perhaps he has achieved his goal, and we are mistaken?

It’s important not to forget that his initial assumptions and expectations regarding the invasion were wrong and that he made a major mistake. If he wanted to gain legitimacy, he failed—in fact, he lost it because of the inappropriateness of his actions. That said, I don’t want to speculate about his ambitions and thoughts, but rather focus on what he is doing.

Even without speculating, however, it’s safe to say that—to quote Winston Churchill—«great forces are at work in the world.» You’ve written two books about these forces: first, *The End of Power* in 2013, and then *The Revenge of Power*, which has just been published. What has happened in the decade «between the books»?

This decade was … very eventful. China’s GDP rose from six trillion U.S. dollars to fourteen—almost fifteen—trillion dollars. As a result, China became a major player in the global economy and world politics. Social media gained enormous significance, both in terms of its value as a media platform and in terms of the wealth of its owners and their political influence. We witnessed the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. We experienced a financial crisis, and social inequality became an increasingly pressing issue in industrialized nations—and thus a major political topic. Donald Trump emerged on the scene and became president. Putin went to war several times—in Syria and Ukraine, and last year in Southeast Asia. The man was at war practically the entire decade …

Did these major events distract us from more subtle developments?

Yes. Because while all of that was happening, something else was taking place—something no less important, yet almost unnoticed: Democracy was faltering in many places. The figures are quite shocking. Take a look at the world in 2011: At that time, 49 percent of the world’s population lived in autocracies; by 2021, that figure had already risen to 70 percent of humanity. Of the 195 nations in the world today, only 34 are liberal democracies. While *The End of Power* focuses on a shift in power from «megapowers» to «micropowers» in the first decade of the new millennium, what I have just described is the central theme of *The Revenge of Power* —and of the second decade of the new millennium, which we just discussed. So, to come back to what «happened between the books»: The era of the «Three-P Leaders»—the autocrats who rely on populism, post-truth, and polarization—has dawned.

So, on the one hand, we have witnessed the decline of various major political and social powers—but the fragments of their power have not only fallen into the hands of smaller actors; in some cases, they have also been seized by autocrats and dictators around the world to consolidate their rule. All at once and with mutual influence?

Your question is based on a very astute insight that few people arrive at. When journalists ask me about my books, they usually want to know which is «more important»: Will we see a greater concentration of power among autocrats or a greater diffusion of power among small, agile actors? What you’re implying with your question—and what I believe—is that both are happening at the same time! Yes, it’s entirely possible that the forces that have fragmented great powers—mobility, a shift in mentality, and the masses of people competing for resources—coexist alongside populism, post-truth, and polarization. And all the components of this complex system interact with one another.

In the early 1990s, historian Francis Fukuyama became very popular with his theory of «the end of history.» The Iron Curtain had fallen, and Fukuyama believed that, in the medium term, we would enter a global era of political and economic liberalism. Did you believe that back then, too?

I met Frank Fukuyama in 1990, and we’ve been good friends ever since. I believe he has been misunderstood and that some of his statements have been distorted. That doesn’t mean, however, that he himself wouldn’t acknowledge that he failed to take certain important factors into account in his analyses. On the whole, I still believe that liberal dreams and ideals will prevail—or that people will at least continue to strive for them.

Many people are even willing to sacrifice their lives for it—as we are seeing right now in Ukraine. We Europeans had almost forgotten that.

And that is one of the great lessons to be learned from this conflict: The forces of—and I want to use this term in a completely neutral way—nationalism, of patriotism; the forces unleashed in the defense of one’s homeland, one’s own people, and one’s own family are incredibly strong; to the point of being willing to die for them. The idea people have of their nation can, of course, be imbued with a variety of meanings: with the hope for a free, liberal future, or with the desire for supremacy and dominance over its «smaller» neighboring countries. Either way, nationalism must never be underestimated: The United States, in my view one of the most nationalistic countries in the world, has lost wars because of it—for example, in Vietnam. The goal was to combat the abstract idea of communism in its practical manifestation. The Vietnamese, however, didn’t care about that: they were primarily just defending their homeland, just like the people in Iraq or Afghanistan. The United States has always been very nationalistic in terms of its self-image and its role in the world; yet all too often, it has failed to realize that other countries can be just as nationalistic—or even more so.

The era of autocrats who rely on populism, post-truth, and polarization has begun.

This brings us back to the war between Ukraine and a nationalist Russia that is intensely focused on its own identity and has underestimated Ukrainians’ notions of their national identity. I wonder how this conflict will end—and, even more so, what kind of world order might emerge afterward.

I would feel confident making a few simple predictions. For example, I think we can predict that Russia’s economic situation will worsen in the coming years, even if a peace treaty or a ceasefire agreement is signed and the sanctions are lifted. Russia will face economic hardship; Russia will be a poorer country, and Russians will be poorer. Some of them will try to take to the streets to protest, and they will be brutally suppressed. That’s one thing. Second, it is easy to foresee that not all 44 million Ukrainians will become Russian citizens. Putin may be able to capture parts of the Donbas and southern Ukraine, but the vast majority of the country will remain under the control of the democratically elected government. Third, we know that a miracle has already happened: Europe has discovered that, through unity, it can be a superpower! But if unity is the way forward, then Europeans must absolutely preserve it; they must work together with less bureaucracy and put an end to some of the harmful excesses seen in the political machinery in Brussels. Europeans must be courageous and defend their principles. Let me emphasize once again: Europe is a superpower to a far greater extent than the people—and the politicians—there would ever have imagined. And we owe that realization to none other than Vladimir Putin.

Where will Switzerland stand in the emerging world order? We are part of Europe and have joined the sanctions against Russia, but we operate outside the European Union and NATO. Will we be able to maintain our neutrality?

We haven’t seen Switzerland act so explicitly against the principle of its neutrality in centuries as it has in recent months. And that’s a good thing! Because, quite frankly, we can no longer afford neutrality today. Even if you’re doing something right now that may seem risky to you, remember: Doing nothing doesn’t mean you’re not taking risks! Sometimes, doing nothing is actually the most dangerous thing you can do. If you’re trapped in a kind of strategic sclerosis, if you’re politically and morally paralyzed, if you always just do what you’ve always done—then that can be fatal.

What advice would you give to business leaders who are trying to navigate their companies through these uncertain times?

First—and I may be repeating myself—it is very important to recognize that neutrality can be risky; doing nothing can be risky. Second, in our highly competitive world, you naturally have to focus on your core issues and your fundamental business strategy if you want to be successful. But that sometimes leads to tunnel vision, which impairs your peripheral vision. The current situation shows that it is particularly important for CEOs and policymakers to sharpen their peripheral vision: Make sure you don’t just focus on what you do best in order to remain competitive. Then you may discover unconventional ways of thinking and acting. Third, we must realize that business plans, business models, institutions, and ideologies we thought were permanent have proven to be fleeting. At the same time, things we thought were temporary—such as working from home during the pandemic—are proving to be permanent.

Switzerland is taking the right approach. We can no longer afford absolute neutrality today.

… which sounds quite positive in this example …

That may be less of a problem, yes, but when you apply it to the political sphere, you see what we’re dealing with: We used to have the impression, for example, that the United States of America had a long-standing, strong, and well-established democracy. But now, every day in the newspapers, in debates, and on television, there’s discussion that the United States could one day face a civil war; that the country is deeply divided. Democracy is no longer «a given»—it’s in grave danger! Returning to your question: When you lead an organization, you must be very cautious; very precise in defining what is temporary and what is permanent. Then you’ll also see that you can no longer afford to ignore «non-traditional» stakeholders: The idea that you work solely for your shareholders, your customers, and your employees is outdated. Other factors are coming into play that will influence your strategy and your actions.

I'm a realist. I'm neither pessimistic nor optimistic when it comes to the future of the world.

A rather personal question: After everything you've experienced in your career—do you view the world from an optimistic or a pessimistic perspective?

I’m a realist. I’m neither pessimistic nor optimistic. Here’s what that means: On the one hand, I could list a whole host of wonderful things that have happened and that should make us feel positive. We developed vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic in no time at all, even though most experts had told us it would take years. But it took us only a year—actually, a little less. A miracle of science. The list of things we should appreciate also includes achievements in the field of genetic engineering and advances in artificial intelligence. And there’s more: Who would have predicted that Europe would become so united, so important in geopolitics? That it would be so committed to defending democracy, dignity, and freedom?

We must free the truth from the clutches of those who have taken it hostage.

And what's on the less cheerful list?

Well, in my opinion, the biggest problem we face is the international community’s inability to cooperate effectively. While the number and severity of problems that no single country can solve on its own are increasing, the idea of «going it alone» is all the rage. Paradoxical, isn’t it? Yet that is, in fact, the greatest threat to life on our planet.

So does realism mean finding a balance between the positive and negative aspects?

What's more: It's about being aware of these aspects and, based on that awareness, trying to work toward positive developments—with all our might.

The war in Ukraine is an attempt by a weakened dictator to hold on to power.

What you’re saying reminds me of a speech Ronald Reagan gave in 1964. Back then, he told the American people: «You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.» That’s quite dramatic; yet I can’t help but wonder which forces, which powers will ultimately prevail …

It might be interesting here to draw a conclusion from what I just said about vaccines: The miracles of our time are achieved by science. The populists, the demagogues, the protectionists, the xenophobes—they give us absolutely nothing; they contribute nothing of substance! Let’s hope this realization can take hold—as a message about how important it is to rely on critical thinking and facts. We need nothing less than a renaissance of truth, which is in danger of being lost in populist discourse. We must raise the cost of lying for political and economic leaders so high that it will never again be worth their while to tell untruths. Those caught lying must be held accountable! Boris Johnson lied during the Brexit campaign, yet he is still in office. Putin lied when he said he would not invade Ukraine. Donald Trump lied about his defeat in the 2020 election. There are powerful figures who lie constantly… and nothing happens. For us, for humanity, it is essential that we free the truth from the clutches of those who have taken it hostage.

Dr. Moíses Naím is a Venezuelan journalist and author. He is a former Minister of Commerce and Industry of Venezuela and served as Managing Director of the World Bank from 1992 to 1994. Naím is a Distinguished Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In 2013, the British magazine *Prospect* listed him as «one of the world’s most important thinkers»; in 2014 and 2015, Naím was ranked among the «100 most influential global thought leaders» by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI). Naím served as editor-in-chief of *Foreign Policy* magazine for 14 years (1996–2010) and now hosts his own television show, which airs throughout Latin America.

Micro and small enterprises form an overwhelming majority in the economy. In Switzerland alone, their share of the total number of companies is a good 99% (according to bfs.admin.ch), in Germany 96.8% (destatis.de) and in Austria 98% (bmdw.gv.at). However, it is not just the quantity, but the diversity and innovative strength that makes this movement so exciting. Their products range from sustainable all-purpose cleaners, fruit spreads from the tube or vegan instant soups, to food-saving trade or sustainable micro-farms. The ideas are geared towards social challenges and are tailored to real customer needs in a contemporary way. They often reassemble or optimize existing products and transfer the benefits to the sustainable or digital world.

From Tiny House to Tiny Start-up

Tiny houses" are the pioneers of the tiny house movement. The idea of living a self-determined and self-sufficient life according to your own ideas in the smallest of spaces comes from the USA. It has since evolved and spread worldwide. In the spirit of the circular economy, offers today range from used shipping containers that are returned to the cycle of use to customized, energy-efficient tiny houses with a minimalist design. The providers themselves are micro or small companies. The Stuttgart-based founding duo of "TechTinyHouse", for example, work with one employee. Everything that goes beyond the development, construction and planning of the high-tech tiny houses, such as metal and timber construction as well as the building envelope and installations, is carried out by complementary partners, most of whom are micro-enterprises. This results in private homes, mini-offices, hostels or hairdressing salons, such as the "Tiny Hairhouse" in the canton of Zug.

Tiny start-ups are adapting

Small-scale entrepreneurship can be realized in a wide variety of life situations. Parallel to studying, for example. The Berlin franchise system "Fitbox" focuses on this and appeals directly to students. The Tiny-Startupper:innen from the Swiss Glühweinwerk are also students: "We experience entrepreneurship first-hand and can demonstrate our innovative strength. Of course, our start-up is also a source of income alongside our studies." For others, it is an ideal model for combining family and career, as is the case for the founders of "Stadtlandkind", who score highly with their Swiss online concept store: "As parents of three children, free time management is worth more than a top salary. We are flexible and can work from anywhere in the world," say Roberta and Tobias Zingg.

The later phase of life, for example after retirement, can also be a good time to get started. Elke Jensen has invented her "CityCaddy", which is a shopper, trolley and modern walking aid all in one. The 71-year-old founded her "CityCaddy UG" in Hamburg. She was denied financial assistance from the bank, but was able to realize her modern business idea with a loan from Family & Friends. The proportion of older founders is increasing, partly because they finally want to realize something that has been dormant for a long time.

Tiny Impact Start-ups

Small companies can achieve big things - as demonstrated by Arbofino AG from Männedorf. The family business was founded in 2014 by ecopreneur Dominic Ziegler. Arbofino offers impact investments with the planting of teak trees in Ecuador and parallel natural forest reforestation. To date, 52 local employees have already planted around 30,000 trees and established over 124 hectares of nature reserve. Let's stay with CO2 storage, more precisely with bamboo. In China, around 80 million chopsticks are produced from it every year and flown around 9,000 km to us before they end up in the bin after a single use. This gave the founders of the Canadian environmental impact start-up "Chop Value" an exciting idea in 2016. The now B-certified start-up collects them from restaurants, cleans, disinfects and shreds them and uses an eco-friendly, mechanical process to produce wooden tiles from the wood pulp, which it then processes into sustainable items for the home. To date, the start-up has recycled over 55 million chopsticks and produced 32 million wooden tiles from them, saving 76,764.54 kg of CO2. Chop Value is expanding via franchising in Asia, Canada, Mexico and Europe, where franchise partners are setting up micro-factories for the production processes.

Résumé

Tiny start-ups are as individual as the market as a whole. They differ in their founding motivations, goals, business concepts, management and success. They are a huge experimental laboratory that quickly tries out new trends and tests them for market compatibility. They are valuable innovative drivers for sustainable developments and indispensable for our economy.

• Microenterprises: up to three employees
• Microenterprises: up to nine employees and turnover of less than EUR 2 million per year
• Small companies: up to 49 employees and sales revenue of less than 10 million euros per year

* Prof. Veronika Bellone has been in the franchise business since 1986. She founded her own franchise consultancy in 1991. She is a professor at the FHNW in the Marketing and Entrepreneurship department and at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, where she teaches franchising in the CAS Services Marketing program.

When deciding between a push or pull strategy, one question is key: Is my goal to create a need in the customer? Or does the customer already have a need and is looking for the right product to fulfill it? In short, push marketing relies on active measures to encourage customers to buy a product. Classic examples include sending out flyers or catalogs, discount promotions, telemarketing calls, and TV commercials. With the pull strategy, the company aims to create a need among customers through targeted and regular information. The goal here is to draw potential customers into the company’s own ecosystem and generate a «pull effect,» thanks to which customers seek out the product on their own. Classic pull measures include all methods that strengthen branding, such as content marketing, white papers, or sponsorships.

Push or pull?

The question remains: Which strategy should a company use, and when? Even in 2022, the answer isn’t all that simple and depends on short- and long-term goals, the market niche, and numerous other factors. What’s more, the world of online marketing is changing rapidly. New laws and regulations, new algorithms and terms of service on social media channels, as well as the digital transformation spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, require constant reassessment. However, some basic principles still apply. Push marketing requires spending money on advertising and can be perceived as aggressive. If the goal is to establish a foothold in the market, launch new products, or generate quick sales, push strategies are still the most promising choice. Here’s an example: A technology company has developed a new solar panel that even residents of rental apartments can easily install on their balconies. However, a tenant is unlikely to think of searching for balcony solar panels on their own—they probably don’t even know such products exist. In this case, it’s worth it for the company to invest in push measures: it can distribute flyers in the mailboxes of apartment buildings, produce TV commercials, or run targeted online ads.

From Advertising to Content

When customers are already actively searching for products and services, however, pull strategies are essential. Before buying a new laptop, for example, most customers first conduct extensive research online, comparing product details, reviews, and rankings. It is therefore crucial for the provider to ensure that customers can easily access the relevant information. A website must therefore not only be attractive but also informative. Search engine optimization (SEO), positive reviews from existing customers, and a presence on social media are additional direct measures to motivate customers to make a purchase. The goal of a pull strategy is usually broader than simply assisting customers in their active search. It’s about establishing the brand for the long term, strengthening customer loyalty, increasing traffic, or establishing oneself as an expert in a niche. How to achieve this? Good content—or content marketing. It’s a promising concept: instead of nothing but advertising, high-quality content and creative social media posts attract consumers to the website. Talkwalker, a provider of social media tools, for example, runs a successful blog for its target audience. With an informative mix of tutorials, trends, examples, and best practices—focusing on consumer insights, brand monitoring, and marketing strategies—the company has established itself as a valuable resource for anyone involved in social media marketing.

When Content Becomes a Cult …

But content marketing doesn’t necessarily have to be all serious. One entertaining example is the viral YouTube campaign «Will It Blend?» by BlendTec, a U.S. manufacturer of high-end blenders, in which unusual objects—from iPhones to lighters—were blended to pieces. The videos still enjoy cult status today—and at the same time prove that the brand’s blender can indeed handle almost any challenge. There are numerous success stories of content marketing strategies. Consequently, more and more funds are being channeled into content creation: According to the Content Marketing Forum’s baseline study, investments in content marketing in the DACH region increased by 111 percent from 2010 to 2020. However, there are increasingly more voices of warning announcing the end of the golden age of content marketing—and this also highlights one of the major drawbacks of a pure pull strategy.

… or else it goes under

The problem with good content: Standing out is becoming increasingly challenging. A social media presence, a well-designed website, explanatory videos, and an informative blog—these are standard in many industries. But even high-quality content, created with a great deal of effort, doesn’t necessarily lead to high traffic or sales figures. The problem: When more content is produced than people can consume, it loses value—and its reach declines. This phenomenon, known as “Content Shock,” was predicted as early as 2014 by U.S. marketing expert Mark Schaefer and is now a reality.

When customers are already actively searching for products and services, pull strategies are essential.

So how do you stand out from the crowd online? One option is to invest more resources in creating content—or to pay Google and Instagram to boost that content. Here, the lines between push and pull marketing are becoming increasingly blurred: While I’m paying to ensure potential customers see my content, to the customer it looks as though they’re coming across my Instagram content by chance. A second option is to return to push strategies. Newsletters, once declared dead, have experienced a renaissance, for example, while paid search and personalized advertising enable precise targeting and higher conversion rates.

The Conclusion

As is so often the case, there is no «one-size-fits-all» solution. The target audience, budget, industry, product or service offering, and marketing objective are all factors that must be taken into account when deciding on the right marketing strategy. However, putting all your eggs in one basket is not the right solution in most cases. The key is to seamlessly combine various channels—both push and pull—in the right balance—thereby creating a customer journey that culminates in a long-term customer relationship.

«My clear call to action: More push!»

Prof. Thomas Helbling is a professor of B2B marketing at the FHNW.

So there's a new race for attention?

Exactly. To stand out, it’s no longer enough to simply produce good content—everyone does that these days. You have to be louder and more colorful. A great example is the 3D ad that Nike recently debuted in Tokyo. You’re also seeing growth in push ads on social media. YouTube, for instance, now shows at least one commercial before every video.

… but as a consumer, it’s something that tends to annoy you.

Sure, proactive outreach is often disruptive, and that can be uncomfortable. At the same time, experience has shown me that an old-fashioned phone call is still hard to beat when it comes to lead generation, especially in the B2B sector. The key is to do my homework beforehand: Can my solution actually help the company? Am I speaking with the right contact person? Ideally, this can lead to a respectful conversation that benefits both sides—and possibly a long-term customer relationship.

What is the ideal balance between push and pull?

Of course, pull is important, too. Long-term customer loyalty, in particular, is achieved through a good product and a strong brand. But today, many companies are at 90 percent pull and 10 percent push—that’s certainly not the ideal balance. There’s no such thing as an ideal percentage—but my clear message is: More push!

This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 5/2022.

Anyone entering the Lego flagship store on New York's 5th Avenue comes out with more than just a few colorful bricks. Namely with something that doesn't fit into any shopping bag: a shopping experience that combines the advantages of a physical store with those of digital technologies in such an innovative way that customers are catapulted into another world for a short time: a brand world made of Lego bricks. Whether it's interactive displays that mimic every movement and even the facial expressions of visitors, minifigures that are personalized via a screen and printed in front of the customer's eyes, a Lego set made of 4,000 bricks with their own likeness or an interactive world in which their own buildings are brought to life: Digital technologies ensure a customer experience that not only amazes young customers. The store is now considered a real sightseeing highlight ("SO COOL", according to Trip Advisor) - but what visitors are offered there is increasingly becoming the norm.

In Switzerland, too, digital technologies are finding their way into bricks-and-mortar retail, which is becoming increasingly networked. DOOH panels, digital sales consultants, smart changing rooms, Bluetooth transmitters that know where customers are, product configurators, cashless payment options, shopping and brochure apps, digital shop windows and access to the online range in-store - the boundaries between analog and digital shopping are becoming increasingly blurred, and the opportunities this offers retailers and consumers are becoming more diverse.

World of experience with digital elements

And that is important, because "brands today want and need to be ever closer to their customers," says Damian Schärli. And according to the CEO of digital signage specialist JLS Digital, brands can achieve this above all by using technology to build a bridge from the analog to the digital world. One example of how this works is the Loeb department store in Bern, which has been around since 1881. JLS Digital has implemented almost 100 digital communication and interaction solutions for this traditional store to improve the customer experience and strengthen its public image at numerous touchpoints. For example, customers can request advice or order products at the touch of a button, the shop windows change depending on the time of day and the amount of merchandise on the sales floor is significantly reduced. This is because visitors can browse the entire range of brands on a digital screen and order directly, including items that are not available on site.

Added value for everyone involved: "Consumers can have an experience tailored to their needs, and retailers also have a wide range of options," explains Damian Schärli. "In addition to the classic reduction in floor space thanks to increased digital elements, the depth of the product range can be increased and product availability can be improved. For brands, this means that existing space can be used differently. The focus is on a world of experience with digital elements rather than product diversity."

Epoch change

The "E-Commerce Report Switzerland 2021" calls this an "epochal change". According to the study (commerce-report.ch) by payment service provider Datatrans and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), there is no longer a meaningful distinction between bricks-and-mortar and online retail. "Today's customers want to shop in-store and online, even in combination, spontaneously and with maximum flexibility," explains study author Prof. Ralf Wölfle from the FHNW. According to the expert, the coronavirus pandemic has "reset" shopping habits, so to speak. "Consumers were forced to familiarize themselves with the range of online offers and accompanying services during the first lockdown, but now they no longer want to do without them," says Wölfle.

For retailers, this means rethinking in order not to miss the boat. "Retailers need to see their stores as a touchpoint in the networked world of supply," says the professor - but we are still at the very beginning. "In the networked world of supply, all information and processes are digitally mapped and available at various points for different stakeholder groups at any time in line with requirements" - but this, the expert adds, is currently a vision.

"The boundaries are merging and the opportunities this offers retailers and consumers are becoming more diverse."

At least for now. Retailers and service providers have no shortage of ideas on how to improve the shopping experience for consumers. Customers still value local shopping, but it must be able to compete with the convenience offered by e-commerce. "The pandemic has shown us one thing," says Damian Schärli. "Even though online retail has grown very strongly, it's clear that customers are now happy to go to the POS (point of sale) again. At the same time, technological development is advancing rapidly and the market needs to adapt to this." In the future, he estimates that the shopping experience will be "a highly digitized environment that will create an even more customer-centric shopping experience, especially with automation, data and analytics."

Networking along the customer journey

And this doesn't just take place in-store or in the online store, but along the entire customer journey - even when customers are planning their weekend menu on the sofa and scrolling through recipes on their smartphone. For example, anyone searching for a pasta recipe in the Bring! shopping app and being shown a new type of pasta can add it directly to their shopping list - and check the Profital leaflet app to see where they can get the pasta at the best price. Marco Cerqui, CEO of Bring! Labs, the company behind the Bring! and Profital app, calls it the "perfect match between supply and demand" (see interview below)and this match pays off for all sides. If the customer then sees the right pasta sauce on a digital screen at the POS while shopping at the weekend or receives a push message on her cell phone in the store when she is standing in front of the wine rack, the hybrid shopping experience is perfect. Without having to travel to New York.

REQUESTED

"The perfect match between supply and demand"

m&k: Shopping is becoming increasingly networked. What opportunities does this offer brands, retailers and consumers?

Marco Cerqui: The digitalization of shopping and our everyday lives in general enables consumers to experience services in an increasingly individual and personal way. They are shown information that is tailored to their needs and relevant to them at the current time. For brands and retailers, this means that they can address their customers in a very targeted manner. The result is the perfect match between supply and demand.

Bring! is the most-used shopping app in Europe and Profital is the market leader in Switzerland - what's the secret?

Our vision is to provide consumers with the best shopping companions to simplify and improve their everyday shopping. We want to support them in all aspects of shopping - from inspiration to planning to purchasing. One thing is particularly important to us: we consistently focus on the needs of our users and respect the context in which they find themselves.

Why are consumers so open to advertising in a format like Bring! and Profital?

Because we place advertising in the right context and at the right time: precisely when consumers are planning and shopping. And: the native advertising formats accompany consumers all the way to the POS.

Will digital technologies change shopping behavior in the long term?

We are convinced of this. Driven by digital technologies and the underlying data, our shopping behavior will continue to change. Today, new formats or services such as Quick Commerce, shoppable ads or native ads such as the advertising formats at Bring! and Profital define the everyday shopping lives of many people.

m&k You've been CFO of the Ringier Group since 2012, so this is your tenth anniversary. How would you begin a speech you would give in this context?

Annabella Bassler: I would start by saying that, on the one hand, these ten years are a long time, but at the same time, they have also flown by. As CFO of the Ringier Group - a modern Swiss media company, active in 18 countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa - I was able to gather an incredible amount of experience that has influenced me professionally and from which I have also grown personally.

What does money mean to you?

As CFO, responsible for over 6,000 employees worldwide, you take on a lot of responsibility. You are constantly dealing with financial issues, the security and future viability of the company. Money means trust. That's why it is and always has been a great pleasure and honor for me to assume this responsibility for a large family-owned company like Ringier.

As CFO, you spend most of your time outside your comfort zone. You have to like that, don't you?

As a leader, you are challenged in a completely different way. I love challenges and always have. I believe that challenge is the best way to develop, because you have to step out of your comfort zone.

"As CFO, you take on a lot of responsibility. You're constantly dealing with financial issues, the security and future viability of the company."

If we continue the thought experiment with the anniversary speech, how would it end?

I would end my speech on my 10-year anniversary by saying that after these years I have realized how important and valuable interpersonal relationships are in the work environment. I realized how much I value this basic trust and openness between my employees and me. And how grateful I am to have such a great and committed team. It impresses me anew every time to see what can be achieved when we work together as a team to achieve a goal. After these 10 years, I am convinced that anything is possible as a team. In addition to the processes, facts, figures and systems that the financial sector entails, one thing is crucial for me: "People are key. And this will certainly always be my top priority.

You were responsible for Ringier's Romanian business for a long time. At the moment, this region is the focus of international interest - but otherwise a rather dark spot for some in the DACH region. What is the state of the media industry in these countries?

Eastern Europe is an extremely exciting area from a media perspective, with many exciting characters and very talented employees who are committed to neutral and high-quality journalism.

How much development work has Ringier done here?

Ringier has been active in Eastern Europe since 1989, long before my time. By acquiring the shares of our joint venture partner Axel Springer in Hungary, the Baltic States, Slovakia and Serbia last year, we have once again confirmed our long-term commitment. We see a great future for Eastern Europe. We look forward to staying on the ball and continuing to move in this exciting market.

How is Ringier experiencing the current situation?

At the moment, of course, the situation is very tense. We are in close contact with our local CEOs and employees and try to support them and their families wherever possible. Their safety is our top priority.

How does the "Eastern Europe market" relate to the other important "Africa market"?

Our activities in Africa are very different from those in Eastern Europe or Switzerland. Whereas in Europe we rely not only on digital media but also on print products, in Africa we are purely digital. This is also an exciting market and brings with it new challenges, which we are tackling with courage and verve.

Whoever is responsible for Ringier's finances must also make sure that the diversification strategies work. How does GL decide which ventures to add to the entrepreneurial portfolio - who to "bring on board" and who not to?

As a matter of principle, we discuss investment ideas very openly and take time to assess whether a company fits into our media/marketplaces strategy. The goal is always to build an ecosystem. This openness makes every working day exciting and also makes us rethink many things and look at them again from new perspectives. Ringier started its digital transformation in 2007. Whereby I also have to say that today - 15 years later - we still can't say where we stand - but since we describe ourselves as paranoid, we are also cautious here and say that this was just the beginning. But we can say with pride that we have already invested two billion francs in over 60 M&A transactions in the transformation of Ringier.

Can large media companies still make a living from journalism alone, or will there always be further rationalization and cost-cutting measures as well as diversification?

We are convinced that journalism will also be a business model of the future. The Corona crisis in particular has shown how important independent, trustworthy and reliable media offerings with their information and classification are for citizens. However, journalism must also continue to develop and move forward in order to better satisfy the needs of readers and users. One important keyword here is data journalism.

"I am convinced after these ten years: as a team, anything is possible."

Is that why Ringier invests in the further training of journalists?

Of course. We are making this clear with the new Ringier Media LAB, among other things. The Ringier Media LAB strengthens the further training and development of employees in the editorial offices. An important innovation driver for our media brands.

Do you feel like you're working in a male domain?

Yes and no. On the one hand, there are very few female CFOs in Switzerland. For example, the "Handelszeitung" published an article in October 2020 showing that only ten out of 192 CFOs in listed Swiss companies are female. It is of course desirable and would also please me personally if more women were to increasingly take on management positions in the financial sector as well. But finance has long since ceased to be a "boys' thing"! For example, in our Ringier finance team, the gender ratio is balanced.

Would you like to see more women making it in finance and controlling?

Of course. I would like to see a balanced proportion of women and men in all areas - including finance and controlling. That would be the ideal situation, of course. An important point here is breaking down gender stereotypes and becoming aware of the unconscious bias that we all carry within us. I sometimes have the impression that, despite everything, it is still ingrained in our society that men would be better suited to topics such as finance and controlling. Which of course is not true at all.

"When you have to step out of your comfort zone, that's when you develop the most."

How do you address this gender gap?

It is a matter of great concern to me that neither women nor men set themselves limits on the basis of their gender and do not make full use of their potential. Gender equality goes far beyond the economic aspect. There are also gender gaps in many other areas that need to be addressed. Whether in business, the media, politics or society, this topic should be a priority everywhere. True to the motto "It is time to make gender equality a reality!".

What benefits do you see in promoting diversity in companies?

Diversity - not only in terms of gender - is a great advantage for a company. It promotes innovation and offers new business opportunities. Studies show that women and men are more innovative and resourceful together than separately. More diversity opens doors and increases employee engagement and motivation. We can only realize the potential of all employees if we put aside prejudices and recognize the uniqueness of each person. More diversity is not only beneficial for a company's efficiency, but also for employee satisfaction in general. This has a positive effect on the entire working atmosphere and thus on cooperation and mutual trust. This also gives a great boost in the finance and controlling area.

"Unfortunately, there are very few female CFOs in Switzerland."

What can you do for it?

I am convinced that diversity is a leadership issue. It is essential to give this topic the same importance as other business strategies. It is important to become aware of the biases, stereotypes and structures you carry within yourself: "It always starts with yourself." Self-reflection is the first step to change. Only if you know your own habits, which are mostly subconscious, can you consciously change and overcome them over time. Good leadership is increasingly based on inclusion. Every leader should therefore be committed to this topic.

In 2019, you launched the EqualVoice initiative, which aims to make women more visible in reporting. How satisfied are you with the measures taken so far?

EqualVoice is a project close to my heart and I would never have expected it to come so far in such a short time. The first successes have already become apparent: The Handelszeitung, for example, has increased its EqualVoice Factor from 17% to 32%. This shows that women are increasingly present in the articles in our editorial offices. Another big step is EqualVoice United. Together with nine leading Swiss companies, we were able to launch EqualVoice United in January 2022. Our common goal is to promote gender equality in the Swiss economy. We know equality goes beyond the media world. It takes all of us - whether in politics, business, sports or society. It's time for equality to become a matter of course in our society.

The EqualVoice Initiative was launched in November 2019. The aim is to make women more visible in media coverage and to give women and men the same voice. 82% of all articles worldwide are about men - in Switzerland we are slightly better with 72% of all articles being about men. We want to make more Role Models visible and break gender stereotypes - of women and men. EqualVoice can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn.