Around 10,000 representatives of the communications industry have been in Cannes in recent days. Every day, there is a party somewhere on the program for the "World Cup" of advertisers. So Switzerland has to stand out with some action - and not only with the seven lions that "we" won in Cannes. "I'm pleased that we can take up the old tradition again and continue it successfully," said Peter Beck happily as the initiator. The president of the Swissfilm-Association was also very pleased with the reliability of his guests. Hardly any of the 148 registered creative pilgrims from Switzerland skipped the party at the Plage Miramar. And exuberant was also the mood while dancing until after midnight. Massive-Music provided the sound. Beforehand, one was allowed to feast on seafood and real French gourmet cuisine at the buffet. (pan)

After the very successful result so far (7 lions, one of them gold), Switzerland will now not be able to win any more lions: After the announcement of the last shortlists, no more Swiss agencies are in the running.

To the complete Swiss Shortlist Placement and the Cannes Lions for Switzerland

The hosts: Christian Wittwer and Sibylle Widmer from Publicitas, with Peter Beck (President Swissfilm-Association).

Diana Rossi (Alpha 245), Martin Spillmann (Leo Burnett)

Frank Bodin (Havas) with partner Emel

Nora and Diego Baldenweg (Great Garbo)

Remy Fabrikant (JWT /Fabrikant), Heinrich Reinacher (Markenfilm)

Barbara Hartmann, Hanspeter Schweizer (Wirz)

Gabi Benz, Mia Zumsteg (Wirz Fraefel Paal)

Danced to the sound of Massive-Music

Swiss Party at Plage Miramar

Seafood and the best French cuisine

Had a lion in their luggage: Roman Hirsbrunner and his team from Maxomedia.

Director Rainer Binz and Rudi Haller (Solid & Hallerfilm)

Johannes Raggio and Pablo Schencke (Leo Burnett)

Nadia Rosasco (Rosas), Girtanner, Thomas Winiger from the Rosas and Südlicht

Tufan Tuna (Tuna Film) and Derya Deriyok (Publicis)

Lionel Baldenweg (Great Garbo), Director Luzian Schlatter

Stefan Bircher (Shing Piuctures), Surido Bossoni, Dieter Hofmann

 

The Laughmobile transports the favorite jokes of Swiss sports stars (with contributions from gold medal winners Giulia Steingruber, Nicola Spirig, Max Heinzer, Fabian Kauter and others). The aim is to provide laughter and amusement. Roll-ups and posters are used for this purpose.

Next up is a tour with the Laughmobile across Germany to Berlin with stopovers with some of the authors of the latest book "Die Lieblingswitze deutscher Politiker" (The favorite jokes of German politicians) - published for the 13th German election.

Responsible at Brugger Text/Concept: Hans Peter Brugger (concept), Pascal Rehmann (design), Martina Fedra (consulting).

It is also designed to enable the quick and easy implementation of professional Word Press websites. The focus is on "Uncomplicated to the new website. Transparent prices, personal support, simple editing of site content," said DWB in a press release on Friday.

Users can choose between 100 different design templates. These are suitable for medical practices, agencies, law firms, consulting firms, restaurants, construction projects or individual websites. The templates offer state-of-the-art web technology: content management system, optimization for mobile devices using responsive design, best integration of online marketing tools, analytics for tracking traffic, social media integration and the highest security standards.

DWB - Developing Web Business

Web King Kong is a DWB brand. The Zurich-based online agency supports companies and brands in the online world (Werbewoche.ch reported).

 

Seasonal products from local suppliers prepared à la minute: You can't eat fresher than at the new Annexx restaurant in Winterthur. Unless you want to have a problem, as the humorous opening campaign by Matter & Gretener makes clear. The Nudge agency also designed the look of the new gourmet temple: from the logo to the stationery and the menus.

The agency is also responsible for the Online presence of Annexx responsible.

Responsible at Restaurant Annexx: Rosy Schifferle for SISKA Heuberger Holding. Responsible at Matter & Gretener: Daniel Matter (Creative Direction), Dominik Imseng (Text), Caroline Jordan (Art Direction), Victor Rosser (Consulting). Web: Deep Impact.Photography: Jonas Kuhn.

After a steady rise last year, Adscreen has been a big loser since the beginning of 2013, losing 13 index points in May to 606 (619). Teletext closed only slightly down on the previous month with 72 (74) and a loss of two index points, while Internet lost five index points with 762 (767). This is shown by the May edition of the Goldbach Index for advertising pressure in the overall market and the electronic media.

TV and radio recorded constant growth. At 633 index points, TV is up four index points on the previous month, while radio closes with an increase of three index points to 633. Electronic media as a whole is up four index points and closes at 638, while the overall market is also positive and closes with an additional index point at 237.

The offer is communicated with the message "Luzern surft jetzt mit EWL" (Lucerne surfs now with EWL) on posters, in direct mails, online, and with other accompanying measures. Inspired by the surfing lifestyle in California in the 1970s, the agency has created a campaign with a Lucerne connection. Theme and tonality form the communication platform, which can be implemented on all channels without restrictions.

Responsible at EWL: Florine Schmidt (Marketing Communications), Petra Zimmermann (Head of Marketing), Samuel Schnyder (Head of Business Unit Development). Responsible at Reach: Dominik Gasser (Strategy, Concept, Creative Direction), Andreas Bangerter (Strategy, Concept), Christina Zvecevac (Project Management, Consulting), Stefan Zinkl (Art Direction), Mimoza Paloka (DTP, Realization). Photography: Jesco Tscholitsch. Casting and production: Dhondup Tersey (All In Production). Styling: Damaris Eigenheer. Hair and makeup: Chantal René. Image retouch, litho: Detail.

Lürzer's Archive «200 Best Digital Artists Worldwide» Done.

Schneider’s enthusiasm for computer-generated imagery (CGI) was sparked during his earlier work as a creative retoucher. Why go to the trouble of crafting a model by hand when the subject can be created directly on a computer? Why let photography or craftsmanship limit the imagination when 3-D technology can create incredible worlds? Schneider began to delve deeply into CGI. After training at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles, he began specializing in 3-D stills in 2008.

In the early years, he still had to do some convincing with clients. Many agencies were skeptical: «It looks like plastic anyway.» Given the computer games of that era, those concerns seem understandable.

This issue has since been resolved. Today, the more pressing question is whether a piece is created entirely on the computer or whether individual parts are captured with a camera. For example, the background against which the bicycle with the angular wheels stands (see below) was photographed—the bicycle itself, however, was designed on a computer. It’s different with the «Salamander,» which is getting a good thrashing on the cutting board in the kitchen. Here, everything was created on the computer—«full CGI.» If the scenes are well-crafted, photographed and computer-generated objects blend seamlessly together. Then even a professional can no longer tell what’s real and what’s computer-generated.

Will CGI soon make photographers obsolete? No, says Schneider. «Computer-based design is still very labor-intensive. In my opinion, anything that can be photographed should be photographed.» However, if the effort required for model building becomes too great, the dimensions are too large, or the demands for precision and detail are too high, the team quickly switches to CGI.

While Schneider, as a creative retoucher, was primarily at home in Photoshop, he now has to be familiar with countless computer programs. He needs four standard software programs just to do his job, plus a number of other tools. One program is suitable for fabrics; for trees, the CG specialist uses a different program; and hair and organic shapes, in turn, are easier to recreate with a third program.

Schneider is, in a sense, a model maker, designer, photographer, and retoucher all rolled into one. The virtual clay ball is slowly shaped on the screen as its geometry is defined. Then the process continues in other programs. Camera, textures, colors, structures, surface texture, light, shadows, reflections, rendering, post-production, mood, depth of field. This is how the object slowly takes shape. Just like a photographer in a studio, Schneider positions the camera, sets the key light, fill light, accent light, and background light, and experiments with spotlights and softboxes. In doing so, he must also mimic the physical effects that normally occur «on their own.» Where is the light reflected, how intensely, and how sharply? What are the properties of a material? What about its surface? What do objects look like when hidden behind glass? Where do glare effects occur?

Whenever possible, Schneider draws on real-life references. When he placed a flat-screen TV in the middle of a pile of gold bars for «Panasonic Gold,» he climbed into a bank vault and photographed the chunks of precious metal from every possible angle, using various lighting effects. For Ruf Lanz’s VBZ project, he photographed the area around the Prime Tower in Zurich West. At other times, the digital artist has no choice but to experiment on the computer. How do you create a flower meadow? Up to what slope do which flowers and which grasses grow, and at what angle? The digital artist has to work his way toward the result step by step until it looks natural. Where is the salamander hairy, and where isn’t it? What might its skin look like? Sometimes even a lamb loin ends up on Schneider’s scanner.

Perfection is a must. While inaccuracies in films can be masked by low resolution and motion, precision is essential in stills. The subject must also stand up to the scrutiny of a critical viewer who stares at it for minutes on end. To achieve this, stills offer the possibility of «faking» certain details using retouching and photographed elements.

The deeper Schneider delves into the world of CGI, the more demanding the technical requirements become. That’s why he’s never stopped learning. In his spare time, he explores new techniques and tries out new software. Right now, he’s focusing on «character stories.» Organic elements are far more difficult to create than technical objects. What does skin look like naturally? How and where do skin wrinkles form? How does clothing drape over the body? Schneider is currently testing a clothing simulation tool that dresses the pre-modeled body layer by layer.

The digital artist isn’t satisfied with the tried and true. He’s constantly on the lookout for new worlds and new possibilities. Through his personal projects, he shows clients what’s technically possible. Fantasy beings, eerie creatures, monsters—he’s happy to push the boundaries a bit. Schneider is certain that Swiss advertising could use a bit of that, too. There are no limits to creativity anyway. Pixelprinz makes sure it takes shape on the computer.

Isabel Imper

Advico Young & Rubicam, Zurich: Martin Stulz (Creative Director), Sandro Tissi (Art Director). Client: Japan Tobacco International. Photography: Felix Streuli.

Ammarkt, St. Gallen: Sascha Fanetti (CD), Severino Clerici (AD). Client: Monstein Processing.

WW: You just spoke to a distinguished audience at the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken. talked. How has your message been received?
Kevin Roberts: I enjoyed it. The response was very uplifting, very spontaneous and emotional. I felt very motivated during the talk. You have to imagine: When you speak in front of 1200 people, you need an audience to "feed" you. And they fed me. After the presentation, I was able to experience very positive feedback. They wanted to change certain things and were now "stimulated". With their program, the organizers of the Swiss Economic Forum deliberately wanted to provoke a juxtaposition between my views from the world of creation and those of Larry Fink, the CEO & Chairman of Black Rock, with his observations from the world of finance. This was a very cleverly orchestrated speech and counter-speech.

What did you explain to people?
That I have a very high regard from Switzerland. My daughter was born here and a son is studying in Neuchâtel. I have lived in Switzerland and Switzerland is a success story. But: there is a future. And it is taking place in a world that is changing from a scientific and technological system to a world of creative ideas. Ideas are the currency of today. Advertising, marketing, branding, management: these are all disciplines of the past decade. The future "is about" ideas and creativity. So I asked the audience if Switzerland is equipped enough "to move into this brave new world"?

What is the role of advertising in this society?
Advertising is a reflection of popular culture, it is a mixture of communication, information transfer and stimulation. Today, advertising has somehow been replaced by - "let's call it content". We live in a world where power has been shifted. Media has no power anymore. Me or the advertising agency: "no power ". Brands: "no power". All power comes from the people. The consumer is the boss. And so advertising has to change its role - away from information and towards inspiration. We have to become part of the consumer's everyday life. Wherever that takes place.

Do you know the series "Mad Men"?
(laughs) Yes.

Do you like the movies?
Eh? I like the costumes - but I find the show somehow too predictable.

What has changed about the image of the advertiser since the era in which this series is set?
Well, look at Pascal Schaub next to us and the characters in "Mad Men". They seem pretty different. Pascal is not Don Draper. But that's what advertisers look like today, like Schaub: young, a little crazy, a lot more emotional. In those days, advertisers were driven. Today, they're inspired.

Why did advertisers have such a bad reputation or "funny image" back then?
I think they had a much better image than lawyers and bankers.

In front of the people in the U.S. Pentagon, you once lectured that one should not make "war against terrorism", but "fight for a better world". What do you think about this statement today?
Exactly the same. I am convinced: revolution begins with language. And "war on terror" is a terrible language. Nobody wants to go to war. A war is something terrible, Switzerland knows that too. Switzerland has the largest army in the world and has never had to go to war. "Very smart, okay?" We don't like the word "terror." Why? It's "terrifying." So I said to the military people in the Pentagon: approach the problem from a different angle for once! Make it a "fight for a better world." Because we are all ready for that commitment. We want to stand up and fight. And we all want a better world - whether someone acts as a Christian, thinks as a Buddhist, belongs to Hinduism or Islam. As long as someone is not radically extreme, they want a better world. The American president at that time took my words and quoted them in one of his speeches three weeks later.

The right "branding" of world peace: Do today's advertisers get involved enough in this business of politics?
Forget advertising and think more in terms of communication. We are in the communication business. For politics, communication is everything. In a democracy, you have to inspire people to vote for me. It's like: Do you want to wash with this soap or that one? This car or another? This smartphone or another? This political leader or another? Communication is the most important element we work with here, and paid advertising plays a role in this. In the U.S., for example, in the last election between Obama and Mc- Cain, advertising and marketing worked with shocking and threatening means. But there was a much stronger movement among the population that brought Obama to victory. This was based on a dream of hope and "change." The ads were poor, but a movement was created. And I think that's what the future of our industry will be: not building a brand - but creating a movement.

Saatchi & Saatchi has already won several awards for its socially committed campaigns. How important is social responsibility for an advertising agency?
It's crucial for Saatchi & Saatchi. I've been running the network for 16 years. Before me, it was only Maurice Saatchi. Such consistency is very rare for a global network of this size. Our company has always been passionate about making the world a better place - for everyone. Throughout our company's history, we've been associated with big campaigns that have tried to make a small change in the world, whether it's political or social. We do a lot of education around drugs and against violence. We're involved in Down syndrome, violence against children. That makes us slightly "different." That's also what attracts a lot of young people. They want to work for us. I made the rule: Everyone who works for me can spend ten percent of their time completely freely on something that seems important to them personally.

You must have already given 1,000 interviews about your book "Lovemarks. Is there anything to add to that in today's age of digital advertising?
We don't live in a digital era. That was five years ago. We're over that today. My grandchildren, the five-year-old, wants to use her hand to move the images on the TV, just like she saw on the iPhone. We are all "screenagers." We all work with our mobiles, tablets and computers and TV: the whole family of screens. And we want them all connected and interactive. Unless you visit the Switzerland Tourism office here in Interlaken. You can still find paper there.

Your second book is called "Sisomo: The Future on Screen". Is that the summary?
Right. There are three keys to the consumer's heart: "Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy". Sisomo explains how these are brought to life: with "Sight, Sound and Motion".

But once again on the subject of "Lovemarks": You were International New Products Manager at Gillette for a few years from 1969. Do you still shave with this brand?
Yes, but certainly. And you should shave with it more often, too. But I see you're growing a beard.

You have spent your whole life in advertising. Your son also works at Saatchi & Saatchi. Are you happy about that?
Enthusiastic. And my daughter worked for Ogilvy. I would have been happier if she had chosen Saatchi. My son is responsible for "global talent" at Saatchi & Saatchi and I'm very proud of that.

Your second son launched a business with you in the field of music.
That was once. He is now studying in Neuchâtel and doing his Master's in Sports Management. The Fifa Masters program. He'll graduate next month and hopefully take a job in sports marketing at Manchester City, my football team.

You are also involved with a rugby team in New Zealand. Why is sport so important to you?
I also played rugby in Switzerland and acted as a coach there. Sport is a passion for me, a way of life. For a man it is the best substitute to go to war without dying. I think the greatest feeling for a man is when he plays sports and at the end of the game he is beside himself, exhausted, bleeding and exhausted - but victorious side by side with his best friends. There is no better feeling. I'm convinced that you can learn a lot from sports about teamwork, sacrifice. You learn to make decisions under often unpredictable circumstances. Something that is very much needed in today's business world.

On Saatchi & Saatchi: What is your company doing to support young people?
The average age of our employees is 27. I obviously push that average up a bit. We hire very young people and we find them in the local offices. In their countries, they have all kinds of backgrounds and sometimes no opportunities for education. But talent is everything and the most important thing we do thus: We create jobs for young people. For me, that's a crucial role for any company. Creating jobs for the people of tomorrow.

What advice do you have for young people to succeed in advertising?
They should be driven by ideas. Which is very difficult, because ideas are very easy to kill. We all kill very good ideas all the time. That's why you have to be convinced of your idea. To do that, you have to be a very good team player at Saatchi. Collaborative, so able to work together, because that's indispensable in the world we live in today. You need to be creative and good at networking. You also need to be a dreamer and very courageous.

They grew up in poor circumstances and now own four houses in different parts of the world. Other people remain poor. What was your stratagem for this success?
I started my life poor and today I am rich. And being rich is better. It gives you more choices. It allows me to help others. And it gives you power, wealth, celebrity. You can approach life in a correspondingly differentiated way. If you're poor, you have to take what comes. How do you become successful? You have to follow your heart, your passion, and you have to work "really fucking hard." And you have to take responsibility for your own happiness.

You were also once in marketing at Procter & Gamble or Pepsi. Have you ever regretted going into advertising in your life?
I've loved every day of my life in advertising and at Saatchi & Saatchi because it gives me permission "to misbehave". Do you know how many honorary doctorates you've been awarded with so far? I have four honorary degrees and two days ago I was honored by the Queen as a "Companion" in her "Order of Service" for my contribution to the social life of New Zealand. This Order of Merit makes me very proud, this honor from a country that I have virtually "adopted" as my adopted country.

We know that they travel 200 days a year. What are your next destinations?
In the last two weeks I've been to Mexico City, Panama City, Salvador da Bahia, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Florence. Tonight I'm off to Tuscany and then London and Paris.

Is it possible to see something in this city hopping and be able to make an impact in the agencies, or is it just skimming?
It's the people. In Interlaken, for example, I've met 15 Swiss executives in the last twelve hours. I travel more to people than to places.

Back to Switzerland: How happy are you with Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland?
I'm happy that we have a "burning platform of creativity" that spurs us on to create something new. Until now, we didn't have a big presence in Zurich and saw ourselves more as a global agency. With Pascal Schaub as Managing & Strategy Director, we have "a dream". There is the necessary fire in the agency and I see the opening to bring creativity to the market here in a very "boutique way". The Zurich agency functions almost like a start-up. I hope we can prove to Switzerland what I pointed out to the audience at the forum earlier, namely: Let's have an entrepreneurial start-up that also has the right to make a few mistakes. We learn from it, fix the mistakes and then have as much fun as possible. "It's quite an exiting time for us in Zurich."

Interview: Andreas Panzeri
  

Kevin Roberts (r.) with Pascal Schaub of Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland during an interview at the Hotel Viktoria Jungfrau in Interlaken. Photo: Andreas Panzeri

Peter Bronhofer most recently served as Key Account Manager at Südostschweiz Medien. The previous holder of the position, Irmgard Ritz, will take over as head of the new Customer Service department. In this role, Irmgard Ritz is responsible for back-office operations and marketing services at Südostschweiz Publicitas.

In a press release issued Thursday, Südostschweiz Publicitas stated that with Peter Bronhofer, the company is relying on an experienced specialist in marketing and sales. He brings with him many years of professional and leadership experience as a marketer and representative for various newspapers, as well as radio and TV stations. Furthermore, he is well-equipped for the future of cross-media.

Among the key responsibilities of Peter Bronhofer and his team is the marketing of the *Südostschweiz* comprehensive edition, *Schweiz am Sonntag*, and other products from *Südostschweiz Medien* and its partners.

Südostschweiz Publicitas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Südostschweiz Medien, which also owns Werbewoche, and is headquartered in Chur. It employs approximately 70 people and markets numerous newspapers, magazines, advertising packages, and the digital offerings of Südostschweiz Medien.

 

The contract was concluded by Sportsemotion, which acquired the naming rights to the Challenge League from Infront Ringier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland - the official marketer of the Swiss Football League (SFL).

One season after Raiffeisen became the title sponsor of the Super League, a title sponsor can now also be presented for the second-highest league. Claudius Schäfer, CEO of the Swiss Football League, comments on the commitment as follows: "The collaboration with Brack.ch is another important step in the efforts to professionalize the Challenge League to an ever greater extent. We are convinced that, together with the new title sponsor, we will succeed in providing a further boost to the marketing and positioning of the league with additional campaigns at league level, but especially at club level."

"For us, our involvement in the Brack.ch Challenge League is an important step in our brand communication," explains Markus Mahler, CEO of Brack Electronics. Sportsemotion is delighted to have convinced Brack.ch, a brand that has not yet actively used sport as a communication platform, of its title sponsorship package. Managing directors Matthias Berger and Jens Keel, who have now marketed the fourth major naming right in Switzerland alongside the Axpo Super League, the Dosenbach Challenge League and the AFG Arena, are convinced of the effectiveness of the new league naming.

Brack.ch will receive an extensive rights package, which includes the naming rights, the integration of the company name in the Challenge League composite logo, the presence of the company logo on every player jersey, a prominent appearance on the perimeter advertising in all Challenge League stadiums and an extensive ticket contingent.

 

Every June, the jury in Cannes selects the most creative advertising campaigns. The best chances of winning a «Cannes Lion» go to campaigns that push boundaries and thereby break into new spheres of influence. One such approach is transmedia real-time storytelling. In other words: Advertisers devise stories that transcend media boundaries and seem irresistible to people thanks to their plausible connection to current events. Let’s take a closer look at the most important creative game-changers. 

Transmedia:
According to Horizont.at, 53 percent of all European internet users describe themselves as «media multitaskers» who use TV and digital media simultaneously. Other studies confirm this trend, particularly when it comes to the simultaneous use of TV programs and social media platforms via smartphones and tablets. People clearly have a growing interest in discussing the content of TV shows with friends and like-minded individuals via social media platforms. The topics most frequently discussed are news, sporting events, and reality shows. Twitter was the first of the major social networks to recognize its transmedia potential years ago. In collaboration with market research firm Nielsen, the microblogging service has been publishing “The Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings” since the beginning of the year. It is the first rating system to track the number of conversations that TV programs and TV commercials spark on Twitter. For the first time, TV producers and advertising agencies have a metric at their disposal that allows them to measure the reception of their content among the social TV audience in real time. More transmedia metrics are set to follow—perhaps soon in Switzerland as well?

Hashtags:
In the past, during the Cold War, the world was divided by the Iron Curtain. Since then, the world has become a little more peaceful, and its inhabitants are coming together around garden fences. The symbol for the garden fence, known in English as the hashmark—#—has evolved into the hashtag, becoming the most important point of reference and gathering place within the social media universe. Who will win the Golden Film Lion? Under the hashtag #Canneslions, thousands of advertisers around the globe are currently following live tweets from their colleagues in attendance on their screens. Under the hashtag #Occupygezi, Turkish protesters called for an occupation of the park of the same name in the heart of Istanbul. The hashtag is also a driving force in the transmedia cycle from TV to social media to TV when it comes to breaking down barriers across media platforms. Following Twitter, Instagram, and Google+, social media users can now finally «customize» their news feeds on Facebook for specific topic discussions or live events thanks to the newly launched hashtag feature. Now, the three million Swiss Facebook users can also be integrated into advertising campaigns through hashtag-based social TV campaigns. A quantum leap!

Storytelling:
A glance at local TV commercial blocks and social media news feeds reveals that transmedia opportunities are still barely being utilized in this country. Yet there are some exciting approaches. Rivella, for example, tells us stories about quenching thirst. It even sends its own «thirst-quenching trains» on tour and, in my opinion, hits the nail on the head: users prefer stories featuring fire trucks to facts about milk serum. Unique stories with an authentic brand connection that are easy to share are particularly in vogue. Rivella meets the requirement for brand relevance, as «on tour» is a campaign born out of its positioning as «Switzerland’s Official Thirst-Quencher.» Another example with great potential for social media spots without borders is the current Coca-Cola campaign. The way Coca-Cola is using storytelling to communicate its new «Shared Formula» strategy—focused on openness and dialogue—to the public is impressive. Under the title «Shared Happiness,» various campaign stories with a local approach are currently emerging around the globe. Especially for brands with global appeal, stories that signal a sense of belonging are important drivers of identification. Here in Switzerland, a personalized brand campaign called “Share a Coca-Cola” is currently underway. The bottles feature the 150 most common Swiss first names. “David” can take a photo of his bottle and post it on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Shareacocacola.ch using the hashtag #Shareacocacola. A particularly original and product-focused interpretation of “Shared Happiness” is the story behind the #Socialscan. It’s a two-part can design—you’ve got to see it to believe it.

Real-time:
Both approaches—the thirst-quenching vehicle and the personalized bottle—unlock only a small amount of transmedia social power, despite their exemplary storytelling. Why is that? Over the past few months, I’ve taken a close look at user engagement (likes, shares, retweets, comments, views) from well over a thousand Facebook posts, tweets, and YouTube videos. In the article «Talking Ads,» published in March, I shared my initial findings, including those from my analysis of Super Bowl commercials. One finding stood out above all others: stories with a connection to current events—ideally an original one—show significantly higher engagement rates. There are two forms of topical relevance: Planned Content includes stories produced in advance for specific events. For example, in the run-up to the Switzerland-Brazil soccer showdown, Coca-Cola could release bottles featuring the names of the national team players. Bottles and soccer players—it’s a perfect fit. A TV commercial during the game could then call on viewers to vote for the biggest bottle via #Shareaswissplayer. Responsive content, also known as newsjacking, includes stories that are produced and published in real time during an event. Same scenario. Mario Gavranovic scores the consolation goal. Coca-Cola immediately releases a bottle labeled «Supermario.» Stocker dribbles through the penalty area—label: “Valenthinio.” At the end, a commercial airs asking viewers to vote for the best “bottle moment” of the game.

Beat Hürlimann

Break down barriers and check out my blog while you're at it www.huerlimanncc.com. There you'll find the text along with additional links. I look forward to your visit!

 

Beat Muttenzer (l.) and Lukas Stuber (photo: pan)

Millions of "first movers" around the world would even sell their grandmother for it. The "Google Addicts" from Yourposition got the hot deal completely free of charge. "Do you want to use it?" the boys from Mountain View would have asked. The surprising call from Silicon Valley came via Skype. Then everything had to happen very quickly, Lukas Stuber and Beat Muttenzer remember. A dozen pairs of glasses were shipped by DHL from Google's headquarters in California to Yourposition's headquarters in Oerlikon. 

"Okay Glass!" was the most heard sentence for five days in the Zurich agency for search engine marketing. For almost a week, the crew from Yourposition was allowed to test the most talked-about and most hotly sought-after gadget of the year: Google Glass. "The fact that the search engine market leader found us, of all people, was the most beautiful recognition in our ten-year career with our search engine marketing agency," the two managing directors are pleased to say, and the triumph of the proud trendsetter is still written all over Stuber and Muttenzer's faces.

What the employees of Yourposition experienced during the following week while testing the Google Glasses can be followed in an exciting video on Youtube by typing in the title "Yourposition: Google Glass Hands-on Test in Switzerland".

"It works fine," Yourposition's testers there can confirm. In the supermarket, the glasses provided valuable information about the nutritional value of a mayonnaise at a glance. Family photos could be called up via Google Glass. When riding the streetcar through the city, the wearers of the glasses knew at every turn that they were now in Zurich and not in California. The only thing the U.S. prototype didn't quite respond to without an accent was commands in German.

The results of the first test of Google Glass in Switzerland were also worth a major story in the SonntagsZeitung. The only flaw in wearing these glasses: the test run was a fake. At the same time, however, it was a more than successful guerrilla campaign by Yourposition to draw attention to the search engine marketing specialist's 10th anniversary.

At that time still "search engine stuff

The Yourposition agency is one of the pioneers in search engine advertising in Switzerland. "When we started in 2003, this discipline was still a niche affair. Only a few companies had anything to do with search engine marketing," Lukas Stuber recalls. Today, the situation is completely different. "Search engine marketing has clearly established itself as a central pillar of online marketing. You can also see it in the growth figures," analyzes Beat Muttenzer. There is still "double-digit growth per year".

In addition to the growth, a strong professionalization in search engine marketing can also be identified. "In our ten years with Yourposition, we've already seen a number of competitors join the agency world. With clients, marketing people who know what's at stake can now make decisions. And the media agencies are moving with it, too." Stuber would therefore like to sum up as the biggest change in the last ten years: The exotic specialty discipline has become one of the central online marketing disciplines. He himself has been in the business since 2000.

It all started with playing ping pong. Lukas Stuber was in the same table tennis club as Markus Gabriel from Angelink. The historian and political scientist, who was still studying, had a job at Orell Füssli at the time and worked for Books.ch, "with a very pleasant supervisor. His name was Beat Muttenzer and he was responsible for building up the online book trade at Orell Füssli. But Stuber was more drawn to advertising.

"I had the idea I could earn my living as a copywriter," said the author of an award-winning novel - "Sechs Fussbreit über dem Boden" - as well as an ambitious licentiate thesis on "Schimpfwörter". That's how Lukas Stuber ended up at Markus Gabriel and his Angelink. Here one had relatively early the nose for the "search engine stuff ". This could become important and Stuber should "take a look at it," Gabriel said.

That was at the very beginning of the new millennium. Three years later, the business was already so big that Angelink could no longer handle search engine marketing on its own. "We looked for solutions and also sat down with Yourposition.ch, a competitor, for this purpose. " Since both agencies saw themselves as an ideal complement, one linked without further ado to the new company Angelink Yourposition. Since then, this company has grown rapidly.

In 2005, Beat Muttenzer also "got involved for the first time", as a freelancer for 18 months. Later, the trained bookseller, who also studied change management and interaction management at the Basel University of Applied Sciences, wanted to get involved in fair trade because of his specialized knowledge. Muttenzer has worked for the Fair Wear Foundation in the Third World to promote social working conditions in the clothing industry as well as in the production of carpets. "But I had to realize that I was less a human rights activist than an entrepreneur," Muttenzer now knows. After trying to reconcile both for a while, he joined Yourposition as a full partner in 2007.

Extension with Analytics

A year later, Lukas Stuber and Beat Muttenzer expanded their search engine marketing and "actually anticipated a trend" by setting up the Analytics division. They saw: tracking marketing measures is just as important as search engine marketing itself. "So we started to establish web analytics." Since then, Yourposition's offering has included the three core areas: Adwords, SEA and Analytics.

In the division of labor, Lukas Stuber functions as "Foreign Minister" and is mainly responsible for marketing and communications. Beat Muttenzer is the "Minister of the Interior" and is responsible for operations and finances. The areas of innovation and business development are jointly driven by both. Three team leaders are responsible for the specialist areas.

The start-up began with 130 employees. Today, the agency employs more than 20 people "and further positions are open. Growth really took off in 2010, when "we realized: The customers really want this and we are no longer the exotics who want to proselytize with search engine marketing. From that point of view, we were perhaps a bit too early in the market. But we had a head start in experience when it really took off."

Commitment to the next generation

In 2009, the two managing directors Stuber and Muttenzer thought that a 200-square-meter office they had just moved into in Oerlikon "offered incredible growth reserves. But then the young entrepreneurs soon had to "step on the gas to be able to get out of the existing contract again". Since the beginning of 2013, Yourposition has been present in the Noerd in Oerlikon and now, with 400 square meters, "definitely still has growth potential for up to 30 people".

In earlier years, it was very difficult to find such specialists. This is also one reason why Stuber and Muttenzer are both active at universities of applied sciences, in order to be able to train these young professionals themselves. The managing directors of Yourposition teach at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland in Basel and Olten, and are also frequently in demand as speakers at the universities of St. Gallen, Bern and Fribourg.

The writer and the bookseller as sought-after entrepreneurs. At the beginning of their careers, that would have been a book with seven seals at best. But Lukas Stuber and Beat Muttenzer obviously enjoy their new responsibilities. "All management is learning by doing for us. We haven't attended any management seminars, and we don't need any business plans according to the blueprint. We have simply always responded to what our customers and the market have demanded, and in doing so we have tried to reflect this need as well as possible, as well as to initiate innovations from our increasingly broad market experience. Today, we are in many cases the point of contact not only for search engine marketing, but for digital marketing as a whole."

Lived corporate culture

At the same time, Stuber and Muttenzer have tried to maintain their values of a corporate culture. The open-plan office at Noerd has a very creative working atmosphere. Employees are given a great deal of direct customer contact and initiative.

The search engine pioneers Stuber and Muttenzer did not necessarily seek out their current situation. They just thought search engines and analytics were "great" and realized there was money to be made. "But when you realize for the first time that the payroll for more than twenty employees exceeds two million per year, you can get scared for a moment."

Beat Muttenzer and Lukas Stuber are convinced, however, that they will be able to keep their perspective on future developments and have full control of the technology. Even if the official use of Google Glass in Oerlikon is still a few moments away.

Andreas Panzeri