The new management of Die Antwort: Reto Dürrenberger, Sarah Hiltebrand and Mike Schwede (from left to right).

More than ten years ago, Schwede sold his former digital agency Orange8 Interactive to today's Goldbach Group. In the meantime, he has made a name for himself primarily as a startup entrepreneur, digital consultant and lecturer in digital and social marketing.

With the engagement of Mike Schwede, Die Antwort is now upgrading. "With Mike Schwede, we have a far-sighted digital strategist on board who, like us, likes to get his hands dirty and at the same time knows the relevant details in digital marketing inside out," says co-owner Reto Dürrenberger about the agency's new partner. CD Sarah Hiltebrand adds: "we have already worked successfully with Mike on individual clients and jobs for several months."

Over the past 20 years, the 43-year-old from Biel has helped shape the Swiss digital marketing scene, working for clients such as Axa, BDO, Beiersdorf, Delica, EA, McDonald's, Migros, Peugeot, Renault, Ringier, SBB, Smart, Swisscom, UBS, Valora, Vontobel, Tui and Zurich. Because he has grown with digitalization and as part of it from the very beginning, he can have a say in all areas technically, business-wise and strategically.

Just like the other two partners in the agency Hiltebrand and Dürrenberger - who have a stake in Rent a Rentner - Mike Schwede is also an entrepreneur with the content marketing software Cooala as well as the persona startup Powdience.

Additional locations and new website

With the engagement of Mike Schwede, the answer also expands its locations. In addition to Zurich, the 12-strong agency now also works from Biel and London. Furthermore, with a new Website.

In her new role as Managing Director, Elke Mayer is responsible for the marketing tasks for the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) in a mandate relationship. She joined SMP in 2012 and was appointed Head of Sponsorship at SMP in early 2016. Prior to that, she worked as a project manager for various agencies in Munich and Stuttgart, managing projects in the areas of event organization and sponsorship. Elke Mayer holds a business degree from Heilbronn University with a focus on cultural management.

In her new role, Elke Mayer will continue to work closely with Christian Jungen, Artistic Director and Head of the Zurich Film Festival. She succeeds Christina Hanke, who left the company at the end of April.

The organizers are confident that they will be able to present the winners in the usual festive setting of the SDV Award Night. In any case, they are to make their grand entrance on the red carpet and receive the trophies in person.

The marketplace digitally generates 40,000 tradesperson requests each year, Swisscom Directories announced Tuesday. Localsearch will continue to improve the platform and expand the range of offers for customers.

TX Group, on the other hand, is now focusing entirely on B2B growth business with its Olmero platform, the statement added. (SDA)

Quality1's customers include numerous importers, retailers, associations and industry organizations with over 3,000 garages and workshops, dealers, finance and fleet managers as well as private vehicle owners. The company visits around 10,000 customers per year and processes a total of around 30,000 claims per year.

Viva is supporting Quality1 in revising its marketing and communication strategy for all online and offline media and subsequently in ongoing communication with the aim of further expanding Quality1's market position and in future also developing the market for private car sellers. Georg Gasser, owner and head of the agency, sees the collaboration with Quality1 as an "organic development of the strategy initiated years ago of transforming an originally classic advertising agency into a communications service provider with sound expertise in the content sector".

Expanding our position in the mobility sector

Viva is thus strengthening its position in the mobility sector. It is already active in this area for the Swiss Automobile Industry Association (AGVS), Auto-i-dat, as well as for the public transportation company of the city of Zurich (VBZ) and the Forchbahn. She also manages the Cng-mobility.ch portal, a mobility platform that provides up-to-date information on alternative drive technologies, on behalf of the regional companies of the Swiss gas industry.

Content marketing investment in the German-speaking world has increased by 17 percent since the last Content Marketing Baseline Study in 2018, doubling since 2012. "Still impressive growth," comments. Daniel Kaczynski, Swiss board member of the Content Marketing Forum CMF. According to the forecast of the investing companies, there is no end in sight: they expect another ten percent increase in investment annually over the next three years. At least that was the mood in the market before the Corona crisis began. The study data was collected in February of this year.

How much of this will remain after the crisis? Study director Clemens Koob puts forward three scenarios for this: "In the upper scenario, at nine billion euros, they almost reach the level forecast without Corona; in the lower scenario, investments could be reduced by more than 40 percent."

Total market and budgets in Switzerland

Companies in Switzerland now spend a good CHF 970 million on content marketing. At just over 800,000 Swiss francs (760,000 euros), the average budgets are significantly higher than those in the German market (680,000 Swiss francs / 640,000 euros) and in Austria (640,000 Swiss francs / 610,000 euros). "We are approaching the billion mark and are confident that, given the high level of effectiveness of content marketing, we will reach it in the next few years despite the Corona crisis," comments Kaczynski.

Print gains but still loses

"The haptic effect of print products remains irreplaceable. The value of print products is particularly appreciated in investor communication and B2B," says Kaczynski. Here, print still accounts for half (B2I) and just under half (43 percent, B2B) of content marketing investments. For the market as a whole, the share of print has fallen further and currently stands at 38 percent. In absolute terms, however, investments in print have also risen further in the past two years, from 3.4 to 3.6 billion euros.

Employee communication sees the greatest growth

Content marketing is increasingly in demand in employee communications (B2E). With an annual growth rate of 12 percent, this is where the greatest growth is to be found. B2E content marketing is also the frontrunner in the use of digital media: 70 percent is invested in digital media in employee communications, with B2C communications following with a share of two-thirds. Trend topics such as podcasts, the use of new technologies, the increasing number of relevant social networks and, last but not least, the possibilities of targeted content distribution and promotion go hand in hand with this development.

Insights into the relevant developments in content marketing

Whether in the organization and the content marketing processes, in the use of tools or also in the interaction of the commissioning companies with agencies and service providers: The Content Marketing Baseline Study 2020 provides exciting insights into where the journey is heading in all these areas. "Our goal is not only to provide our members with figures, but also to provide them with key figures and insights that will help them to become even more successful on the market in their field of business," says Regina Karnapp, Managing Director of the CMF.

The fact that the Thurgau cheese dairy does everything a little differently is now also evident on the Internet. The St. Gallen agency has created two websites for Käserei Studer - the company website and the website for the cult cheese "Der scharfe Maxx" and its family.

Website Studer cheese dairy 

"Originally different." is the Studer cheese dairy's brand message. It sums up the fact that the company in Hatswil near Amriswil in Thurgau is not resting on its laurels, but is causing a stir with bold and innovative cheese creations. The new company website Kaeserei-studer.ch offers a comprehensive insight into the philosophy and product world of Studer Spezialitätenkäserei. Developed on the basis of Pimcore, the website not only looks good, but is also functional - and whets the appetite for cheese.

"The hot Maxx"

Probably the best-known creation from the Studer specialty cheese dairy is "Der scharfe Maxx". Together with the other varieties from the Maxx family, the world of enjoyment of the cult cheese can also be experienced on the Internet. The website Derscharfemaxx.com tells a family story with facts, recipes and special activities.

Those responsible decided that the fall 2020 option was too uncertain and therefore made this far-sighted solution. The theme, program, speakers, breakout sessions, networking zone and more will be adopted wherever possible. The location is also new: the Kongresshaus Zurich will officially open its doors in June 2021. Marketing Day will be the premiere event on June 29.

The Bernese agency turns a deserted avenue into the setting for the marathon with around 8.5 million participants. At the same time, the scenery forms the framework for the Groupe Mutuel support spot, which has been shown nationally since Monday.

At the very moment when the end of the lockdown is foreseeable, Groupe Mutuel wants to remind Switzerland that the finish line is in sight, but not quite reached yet.

On Tuesday, the National Council approved two motions from its Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF). The Council of States had already approved two similar motions on Monday.

The aid is intended to bridge the gap until the amendments to the law drawn up by the Federal Council to strengthen the media can come into force; they are due to be discussed by the councils in the near future. The Federal Council had therefore spoken out against the motions.

Information in demand

During the crisis, the demand for information and classification in the media was high, the committees of both councils had argued. Advertising revenues, on the other hand, had collapsed. This would dramatically exacerbate the already difficult economic situation of the media, threatening "irreparable damage".

Matthias Aebischer (SP/BE), speaking on behalf of the majority, said that too much time would pass before the Federal Council's measures came into force. Gregor Rutz (SVP/ZH), on behalf of the minority, spoke of a "perfect mix-up" between the consequences of structural change and desires in the crisis.

Rutz conceded that the media are important for democracy. "But creating dependencies is also particularly dangerous in this context."

Help for media companies

The first motion, which the National Council adopted by 124 votes to 66 with three abstentions, calls for temporary funding to enable the Keystone-SDA news agency to provide its basic text service to Swiss media customers in the national languages free of charge. A maximum of ten million francs would have to be made available for this purpose, according to the Council of States.

According to the motion, local and regional newspapers should also be delivered free of charge by Swiss Post, while other daily newspapers should be delivered at a reduced price. Together, this would cost around CHF 35 million. The prerequisite is that the publishers do not pay out any dividends for the current year.

The second motion - also supported by the SVP - calls for the immediate distribution of an additional CHF 30 million as emergency aid for regional radio and TV stations, whose advertising income has fallen by 60 to 95 percent according to the KVF. This could be financed from the fluctuation reserve of the fees. The National Council adopted the motion by 178 votes to 12 with 3 abstentions.

Transitional solution

The aid approved by parliament is intended to be a temporary solution until the Federal Council's planned package of measures for the media comes into force. The Federal Council also wants to provide more support for newspapers, radio and television stations and news agencies. It sent the dispatch on this to parliament last week.

The Federal Council rejected both motions with reference to this package of measures. This was a response to the structural crisis facing the media and was more sustainable than immediate measures. With the requested emergency aid for regional TV and radio stations, there is a risk that the reception fee, which will be reduced from CHF 365 to CHF 335 from 2021, will have to be raised again. (SDA)

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in the home office?

Stephan Frey: Since 3/25 I've been virtually flown straight from my vacation to the home office. The virus ruined my three-month sabbatical. I was just getting warmed up to the surfboard.

Is your entire agency located in a home office?

Yes, that's a whopping seven people.

Did you or your agency experience any technical issues during setup?

Nope, not at all. We actually always look for the most efficient way and have relied on cloud solutions right from the start.

Where have you set up?

I have always resisted working from home until now. Now I've had to make room for myself between laundry racks and disposal boxes. But I feel chipper here and appreciate the peace and quiet.

What all do you need to maintain operations during Corona?

The Internet and working devices. One of my coworkers had her laptop break down. The excitement was great!

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

I actually work from the road all the time. That's also the part I appreciate the most. I like being "on the road", I'm a big fan of the SBB and ZVV, and I like to leave my energy on the road.

Which processes are difficult compared to the normal everyday life of an agency?

We are an agency that attaches great importance to social coexistence. If there were an agency Mario Kart Challenge, the Attackera would take 1st to 7th place. Otherwise, I don't see any processes that are becoming more difficult, except perhaps that my motivational speeches no longer come across as euphoric.

Which jobs go smoothly?

Apart from communication, we do not see any impairments.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

Speaking from the perspective of the managing director, the distance is still helpful to some extent. I have significantly more productive time for myself and can concentrate more.

What do they do about the ceiling falling on your head?

Stand-up paddling. People: Move to Horgen. The lake gives me an immense amount.

Has something like home office jitters started to set in for you?

Absolutely! I also find it interesting how the mood curves of the individual employees work. But sooner or later, the home-office collapse comes for everyone.

What do you miss most about the physical day-to-day life at the agency?

Of course, we also pull together in the home office. But the feeling is logically stronger when we're all together. We also have an agency song that I'd like to sing again with the whole team.

Are you confident that your agency will come through the crisis unscathed?

Not without damage, that's for sure. But we will get through.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

My girlfriend and I are dating longer and more intensively again. It's nice to see that I had a good hand in choosing a partner.

When and why did you last laugh in connection with the home office?

I have become a game nerd. When I defeated the thunder curse of Ganon ("Zelda - Breath of the Wild"), I slid around the apartment on my knees (not quite true - but something like that).

Even if you don't have a crystal ball: Do you expect the current situation to continue for a long time?

I don't have a clue.

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

I don't think my industry colleagues need my advice. We are an innovative, creative, humorous and busy industry. They'll get it right!

The campaign mixes digital and PR communication. An information platform regularly conveys content with high added value, such as articles, posts, themed videos, testimonials, and expert opinions.

After two months of operation, several thousand French-speaking Swiss have already come together on GREE's social networks to discuss the use of wind energy in French-speaking Switzerland. By providing clear, transparent and easily accessible information, GREE aims to Leventtourne.ch enable this newly formed community to form an objective opinion.