Reinventing themselves: Nicole Lachenmeier and Darjan Hil, co-founders of Yaay, launch Superdot. 

It all began with information design, when no one was talking about this discipline yet. Now, these simplified, condensed forms of conveying complex information through vivid, striking graphics, visual grammar and animation, and little text are on everyone's lips and are shaping everyday media life as well as corporate publishing. The Basel-based agency Yaay anticipated this trend early on, back in 2011. Now the six creators are going one step further. "Yaay has been operating in the national niche of information design for the past eight years. We're now ready to position ourselves internationally with a sharpened offering. It focuses on three specializations," says Darjan Hil, co-founder of Yaay and Superdot.

Superdot.studio: Far and wide no "burger" - screenshot from the new webpage.

Superdot.studio shows new key areas

The new Website of the Basel studio illustrates - among other things on the basis of concrete cases of assignments for the Swiss Tropical Institute in three African countries, for UNICEF or Roche - the three central fields of action: Information Architecture, Information Visualization and Information Aesthetics. "The three areas basically define the findings of the project and teaching practice of the last eight years. These schools of thought are in vogue worldwide when it comes to crystallizing and compressing complex issues. In doing so, we always take a data-based approach and also pursue a socially enlightening claim," explains Nicole Lachenmeier, founding partner of Yaay and herself a lecturer in information aesthetics as part of the "Digital Ideation" course at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts HSLU in the Department of Design & Art.

The first area, information architecture, is about structuring and analyzing information. In information visualization, the explorative visual translation of content is called for, while information aesthetics is about the creative manifestations of the final design. And the Baslers take themselves right at their word. They conspicuously show why Yaay is outdated and a new name is in order. "It's always nice to put the old notebook in the archive and start over with a white sheet of paper, isn't it? Part of the practice of design is just that - making a design or sketch over and over again. Why don't we do this on a corporate level as well, why don't we reinvent ourselves over and over again?" - this is how Darjan Hil describes the motives for the name change - from Yaay to Superdot.

Instead of classic forms: easy-to-understand information design on health topics in three African countries - developed by Superdot for the Swiss Tropical Institute. 

By merging Coop@home and Mondovino on the new Coop.ch shopping platform, Coop is systematically continuing the consolidation of its omni-channel strategy on a central platform (Werbewoche.ch reported). The campaign picks up on the specific advantages of the omni-channel offering, such as the online store availability check, same-day delivery or the digital shopping list, both in terms of content and visually, and focuses on these in a targeted manner.

"The campaign aims to show that Coop.ch is more than 'just' a very good online supermarket. It's about merging the digital and brick-and-mortar business into a genuine omni-channel experience," says Urs Blickenstorfer, CEO and owner of iundf MT.

When designing the campaign, the focus was on displaying the most relevant features to the respective target group. The subjects are shown with different features depending on the segment and advertising environment. The national campaign consisting of nine different subjects was launched on Wednesday.

The measures taken to cope with the Corona crisis have also left their mark on the Zurzibiet. Restrictions and losses on the one hand - waves of solidarity and support from local businesses on the other. Now that everyday life is back and the borders are open, the Zurzibiet region wants to motivate in the most sympathetic way possible to continue to consider and strengthen regional businesses.

At the center of the Campaign stands for what makes regional trade unique: the personal contact, the uncomplicated exchange, the human connection, the casual saying. And so a headline campaign was created around the sympathy bonus of regional trade. With friendliness that you usually only hear from local businesses.

The publication took place in a large-scale F12 poster campaign in combination with advertisements in various newspapers, on small posters and also social media posts.

It pays to put the employee at the center of a CRM project - right from the start. Otherwise, companies run the risk that users will resist change and cling to old, familiar structures and processes.

This is where those responsible for CRM are called upon. They can do a lot to overcome blockades. Ideally, they will even succeed in getting users really excited about the software.

1. identify key people

If you want to create enthusiasm, you have to spread enthusiasm! The task of multipliers and motivators is best performed by selected superusers and promoters. What distinguishes these people? They use the CRM system most frequently and are usually competent contacts for IT or specialist topics. That's why they can most convincingly pass on the advantages of a software to their colleagues.

Of course, several departments should already be involved in the system selection. They know exactly which functions are required and which processes need to be simplified.

2. increase personal efficiency

Whether it's sales, marketing or accounting, every user should have the functions and data that are important to them at a glance in their personal dashboard. This saves a lot of clicks. The software thus becomes the ideal support for daily work processes. An essential prerequisite: All screens of the CRM software can be customized.

3. keep simple

Employees have trouble finding their way around an overloaded system. Companies should therefore only book those functions or modules that they really need. This is by no means a matter of course, because with many CRM systems, all features have to be adopted. Cloud solutions, where modules can be rented or canceled on a monthly basis, are a better solution. Regular meetings that clarify which functions are beneficial and which are unnecessary have also proven their worth. In this way, companies keep their system lean and save a lot of costs and effort!

4. define clear structures

What makes a CRM system so valuable is that up-to-date data is available at any time with just a few clicks. To ensure that the masses of information do not become a data jungle, clear structures are required, for example for data entry. It is recommended to create a guideline that one or two employees always keep up to date.

As soon as updates to the software are available, the person responsible for CRM informs the company internally about the new features. Responsible persons should also be named for training courses. An FAQ section is also helpful. This answers frequent user questions. In this way, users can quickly read up on typical problems and solve them themselves.

5. relieve employees

Users are happy to work with the new CRM software if they see clear benefits: Either it makes their own job easier or the user understands how other areas benefit from their work and the data. This includes sales staff achieving more sales through better customer service and marketing succeeding in a more targeted approach thanks to comprehensive information about the customer.

The crucial trick here is to make data entry as simple as possible. Text input via the dictation function, for example, can help here, be it visit reports or conversation notes after a telephone call.

6. pay attention to integration possibilities

If other systems such as an ERP solution are already in use, interfaces between the applications are imperative. Because unnecessary, duplicate data entry is a clear no-go and employees will do anything to avoid this extra effort - at the expense of data quality.

7. promote mobile use

Another important point for acceptance is mobile use. Field service employees want to be able to call up and enter information quickly and easily while on the move. An additional plus: the fast forwarding of important information to other colleagues in real time. This makes cross-departmental processes leaner and faster.

These examples show: If a CRM system is used more badly than good, it does not unfold its full potential. In the worst case, the implementation even comes to nothing. In contrast, companies that involve their employees right from the start and design processes from the user's perspective lay the foundation for a clear increase in productivity.

More than a third of all people in Switzerland have already taken out a personal loan. But unlike borrowing money by mortgage, people rarely talk about personal loans in everyday life. It seems as if people are embarrassed by this topic. Yet a personal loan is a good choice in many cases. Migros Bank, with an interest rate starting from 4.7%, has good conditions and a serious lending policy. You are welcome to talk about this with others.

For the new campaign, Karling thematizes the feeling of embarrassment in a humorous way. Thus, subjects were created showing people with typical styles and hairstyles from the 80s and 90s, which can be laughed at today. The eye-catching subjects are used on various advertising materials.

In 2019, Farner Branding has once again created a new, artistic campaign for the small Swiss winery Al Mulinetto. The dramatization of the always limited edition of the multiple award-winning Merlot, Grappa and Nocino was implemented with creatures from mythology. Thus, the Merlot is as rare as the opportunity to meet a dragon. Or the Nocino, with its 450 bottles, is as rare as the probability of running into a sea monster.

The initiators of the "German Brand Award" competition and the German Brand Institute are the German Design Council and GMK Markenberatung. The award is the marketing prize with the widest reach in the entire German-speaking region and honors groundbreaking brands, powerful brand experiences and sustainable brand communication every year.

"We want to use the dynamic growth and momentum of the last few years to expand our presence in Western Switzerland," comments Martin Meier-Pfister, Partner of IRF. "For many years, IRF has been serving diverse clients in all parts of Switzerland - and internationally with its partner FTI Consulting. Multinational companies and organizations in particular have recently increasingly requested support in the Geneva region. We want to respond to this with our own presence on Rue du Commerce."

Shortly after the birth of his third child, Content and Form sent the overtired Prince William strong premium coffee on behalf of their customer Black&Blaze.

Thanks to a written response from the British royal family, the mailing generated a great deal of media coverage and a lot of discussion on social media - and now it has also won the German Brand Award 2020. The panel of experts presented the mailing with a Winner award in the "Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation" category.

Born in Biel/Bienne and raised in the Seeland region of Switzerland, 46-year-old Alberto Stival was president of the Ticino regional STRP for one year and previously served as its vice president from 2013 to 2019. Stival completed his bilingual studies in economics at the University of Fribourg and has worked for twenty years mainly in the Swiss financial sector, in the fields of education and communication. Since 2019, he runs his own consulting firm and is Senior Advisor for Education Development at Swissbanking and Director PR & Communication at Swiss Sustainable Finance.

"I am particularly concerned about young PR professionals" says Stival. "We have to do everything we can to make it worthwhile for young people to participate in our association life. We need to communicate and visualize our real added values even more strongly. The regional societies play a central role in this regard, because that's where association life takes place. Currently, further training and certification of communication consultants are high on the pr suisse agenda. For me, as a former rugby player, team spirit and mutual support are true values that need to be lived on a daily basis. I would like to exemplify and -live on these in the association as well."

All members of the Board of Directors confirmed

All previous members of the Governing Board were confirmed in office: Hertha Baumann, Delegate SRRP, Simone Bianchi, Delegate STRP, Brigitte Heinrich, Delegate ZSPR (until September 2020), Barbara Meier, Delegate BPRG, Regula Ruetz, President NPRG, Anita Schweizer, President PROL, Christian Wick, President ZPRG and Suzanne Rouden, President Examination Commission.

The project is part of Generation M, Migros' sustainability program, which was developed by Jung von Matt/Limmat in 2012. The green M symbolizes Migros' commitment to environmental protection, sustainable consumption and exemplary social action. A large number of projects have been implemented as part of Generation M in recent years, and the introduction of the Migros plastic collection bag is now another one.

Visuals with clear language

With the nationwide implementation of plastic recycling, Migros is making a pioneering achievement. The key visuals developed by Jung von Matt/Limmat speak a clear and unmistakable language: the era of consistent plastic recycling is now beginning, excuses no longer apply. Plastic has never been so easy and uncomplicated to recycle.

The campaign includes extensive POS elements and will be accompanied by OOH measures throughout Switzerland.

The Wilmaa brand is to be continued and nothing will change for users, it was also emphasized.

Sunrise is particularly interested in Wilmaa's technology and wants to use it to further develop its own offerings. "The innovative strength and technological competence of the Wilmaa team convinced us," Sunrise CEO André Krause was quoted as saying.

Wilmaa is a pioneer in the field of "over-the-top" television, i.e., offering video and audio content over the Internet without being tied to the Internet access of a specific Internet provider, the statement added. (SDA)

In recent months, numerous digital solutions have been developed and implemented, and digital progress has become visible not only in everyday life and the world of work. At the same time, however, Covid-19 is also a stress test for the entire system that has revealed digital deficits. While Switzerland has been rather sluggish in its digital transformation for years, the current reality is causing things to move. Changes are opening the door to new markets and innovations that were previously considered unthinkable. For digital Switzerland, it is important to anticipate, discuss and work on these opportunities and threats. Successful continuation of the digital transformation requires a joint effort.

Nicolas Bürer, Managing Director of Digitalswitzerland, emphasizes: "Transversal and interdisciplinary collaboration is more important than ever. Within a few weeks, silos were broken down and boundaries overcome. This shows the success potential of multidisciplinary ecosystems. To define the new narrative of the digital future, cross-cutting cooperation between science, politics, administration, business, non-governmental organizations and civil society is necessary."

"The Covid 19 crisis has clearly shown how important digitization is for companies, public administrations and society," adds Ivo Furrer, President of Digitalswitzerland. "It has significantly increased the pressure to act decisively and quickly. We undoubtedly need to strengthen our digital infrastructure, further digitize business processes, invest in digital innovation and develop new digital business models that accelerate our transition to a digital economy and society."

In addition, the megatrends of digitization, demographic change and green transformation should be more closely linked in the future. The pandemic should be seen as an opportunity for Europe. Even if Switzerland is not at the forefront of the platform economy, it can take the lead in green digitization or digitally supported green transformation.

Digital infrastructure

The excellence of a digital society is measured by the quality of its digital infrastructure. The pandemic experience requires its expansion to the highest degree. New fiber optic lines, fast hotspots, secure data centers and laptops for employees are needed. The virus shows how important websites, web stores, web forms, social media profiles, customer relationship management or simply digital contact options are. Without a digital basis, neither Big Data nor artificial intelligence will work. Security and data sovereignty must be guaranteed at all times.

Rooms of ideas

Transformation can only succeed with open thinking. Ideas and new perspectives require an environment that not only allows creative, innovative and free thinking, but also actively promotes it. Every company is a space of ideas, where the future is created by means of new technologies, materials, offerings and forms of interaction. A society of a thousand ideas also needs a vital start-up scene. If this is to flourish, the transformation of established companies and the digital fitness of SMEs is crucial.

Institutions of the knowledge society

Covid-19 accelerates digital reinventions of all organizations that create, communicate and preserve knowledge. In a very short time, media, schools, libraries, and universities transformed their operations. Evaluation, research, and digital strategies are needed to sustain their changes over the long term. Government agencies are also challenged. Now is the time to build e-banking-like portals for taxes, AHV and administrative procedures. Electronic identity is essential for this. Covid-19 is an opportunity to strengthen digitization in healthcare and thus innovations.

New interfaces

The future of contactless interaction has been stimulated. Covid-19 has brought about a rapid change in consumer perception of touchscreens. However, the fact that a digital world with new interfaces - without paper and without the old control options of the haptic - is also frightening is clearly shown in the discussion about a cashless society. That is why data rights must be regulated before new interfaces are introduced across the board. Logistics is one of the interfaces of a networked society. Covid-19 provides an opportunity to rethink environmentally friendly forms of shipping.

New relationships

In order to continue the digital transformation, the first step in the coming months should be to increase the digital maturity of SMEs, public authorities and knowledge society institutions that are still little digitized. Without a basic digital infrastructure, all other scenarios for digital Switzerland remain dreams of the future. Through Covid-19, collaboration in business, society, politics and science can be rethought. Cooperations in data management and visualization, artificial intelligence or gesture- and voice-controlled interfaces save costs and enable the exchange of expertise.

Strengthened by recent experience, a new narrative can now be adopted for the future. A so-called Digital New Deal is needed to make Switzerland's infrastructure, institutions and innovative strength fit for the future. This connects the analog with the digital, digital experts and digital newcomers, natural sciences and humanities, the state and its citizens, economy and society, nature and technology. The new digital deal must be part of the Green New Deal if the dangers of climate change and a society of inequality are not to increase.