More freedom - less state. This is one of the central demands of the Swiss Young Liberals. Their conviction: Paragraphs that laboriously regulate every last detail slow down entrepreneurship and economic innovation.

However, highly complex regulations not only make Switzerland sluggish, but also the Swiss. As everyone can now experience for themselves: Because on audio platforms such as Spotify, the Young Finns offer playlists with so-called "snooze paragraphs".

In these, a pleasantly sonorous male voice recites dull regulations and directives. Highlights such as the "Measuring municipal boundary distances" or the "Documentary principle of the Commercial Register Ordinance" inevitably force even the most agile listener into a deep sleep.

In the run-up to the National Council elections, the Young Liberals used this campaign to once again draw attention to government overregulation. The "Schlummerparagrafen" are therefore actually a wake-up call to Switzerland for more innovative spirit and courageous entrepreneurship. 

In spring 2017, Republica was commissioned to increase the commodities trader's communicative presence on the market. A tightly packaged package of measures is designed to strengthen the image of the internationally active company and highlight its ties with Switzerland and the Zug region as a business location.

The Bern-based agency then developed a new website and a new tone for communication. A sponsorship concept also illustrates the founders' affinity for top-level sports and their commitment to regional Swiss young athletes. From the implementation of these measures and both regional and national media relations, further tasks gradually emerged, such as the redesign of Werco Trade's complete appearance and the design of a new logo. In the fall of 2019, the company also decided to expand its sponsorship of regional athletes. 

The new branding is intended to underscore the company's high standards with a strong, clear image. The new logo, designed as a monogram, reflects Werco Trade's global network. A copper hot foil stamping marks the material with which the raw materials trader generates its largest turnover. The new design of the company's stationery, lettering, presentation templates, giveaways and web presence unifies the company's appearance and is intended to simplify internal and external communication. 

The large office building complex in Zurich-Binz offers 28,000 square meters of floor space. Companies and brands such as KPMG, Viu Eyewear, Clear Channel, Felfel and Ventoo are already tenants in the "Tic Tric Trac".

To market the business premises, the agency developed a campaign to convey that there is a lot of fun to be had at work in the "Tic Tric Trac". This is because the building complex and the area with versatile outdoor spaces also offer various zones for lifestyle and encounters in addition to work.

The performance camping will focus on a series of comedy spots shot directly on the premises of "Tic Tric Trac" and in its environment.

L'illustré will be published for the first time in its new look on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, and Schweizer Illustrierte on Friday, November 15, 2019, with a general overhaul of the magazines. The basis of the change was the convergence of the two magazines - two sisters, one look.

What immediately catches the eye are the redesigned logos and their central positioning. The visual language on the covers and within the magazines has been dusted off and rejuvenated. In addition, the two new fonts used together ensure that Schweizer Illustrierte and L'illustré are visually closer together. 

The two magazines also have a fresher and more uniform appearance in terms of content. The new editorial line is intended to provide more structure both on the individual pages and throughout the magazine. On the one hand, this is intended to create attractive opportunities for advertising customers, and on the other hand, it takes account of subscribers' desire for more services. Tips, tricks and recommendations on the topics of food, travel, family, health and beauty can now be found on around 14 double-page spreads.

 "Your way - your SUV" is the overriding message and is intended to show that VW has the right SUV for every need. On the tactical level, the attractive 0.9 percent leasing is also advertised. With this campaign, VW's new brand design is broken down to the offer level for the first time and also unfolds its clear power in the reduced and monochrome visual language. The campaign runs with TVC and TagOn, online via online banners and online videos, on social media, on the radio, at POS and in print.

In March 2019, Innosuisse gave the green light for the development of the Klubschule's forward-looking and market-oriented learning offering. Funding is provided for courses that meet a market need and create added value for society. Language courses with VR elements have clear advantages: Participants use the foreign language in authentic situations. They no longer act in a static classroom, but directly in everyday English-speaking life. From the classroom, they immerse themselves in the foreign-language culture, order their food in a restaurant in Shanghai or book leisure activities on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

From the virtual to the real world

The project proposal and the course content were developed together with the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden (formerly HTW Chur). "Various studies have shown that multidimensional learning in a simulated, but still real-feeling everyday situation increases memory. We wanted to take advantage of this potential and create a new learning experience," says Nathaly Tschanz from the UAS Graubünden. "By immersing learners in authentic language situations, practical transfer is facilitated. Language knowledge applied in context creates more confidence, inhibitions are solved. And VR learning is also simply fun!", the lecturer for digital business management and augmented realities is convinced.

New technologies require new skills

The project manager at Klubschule Migros, Gigi Saurer, is delighted with the successful collaboration: "The time is ripe for VR application in language learning. The technology is now mature and the glasses are lighter and easier to use than they were just a few years ago. It is possible to get started with calculable investments." However, this course also places new demands on the teachers: "We have given our language course instructors - especially those who enjoy technology - further training themselves," adds Gigi Saurer.

Over the next few months, the Club School will check how course participants respond. The VR offering will be expanded to other languages depending on demand.

In Switzerland, 192,000 people exhibit risky gambling behavior. A small proportion of these are considered gambling addicts. Gamblers take an above-average risk online. The reasons are obvious: online offers are permanently available, the connection to real money is lost and there is a lack of social control.

Against this backdrop, the intercantonal program Gambling without Addiction has launched a digital awareness campaign on behalf of 16 German-speaking Swiss cantons. Three slightly ironic short films are intended to highlight the risks and addictive potential of online gambling.

The video clips will be distributed via a broad mix of digital channels, with Games Without Addiction also launching its own Facebook page as part of the campaign. Social media in particular will be used to provide specific tips on how players can take a critical look at their gaming behavior. In addition to a free and anonymous advice service, Sos-spielsucht.ch now also offers an attractive landing page with tips.

The campaign is part of the gambling addiction prevention program being implemented by Addiction Switzerland and Perspektive Thurgau on behalf of 16 German-speaking Swiss cantons (AG, BE, BL, BS, LU, NW, OW, SO, UR, ZG, AI, AR, GL, GR, SG, TG). The campaign is being designed and implemented by the Feinheit agency, with Crunchy Communications responsible for the storyline and film.

UBS offers real estate investors a broad and innovative range of services. The big bank positions itself as a competent and flexible financing partner for the entire life cycle of a property - from construction to yield optimization and sale.
 
A complex topic such as the financing of investment properties naturally has an equally complex technical jargon. This is precisely where Publicis comes in with its campaign to promote the offer. The cumbersome strings of words are used to address a solution that is difficult to pronounce or read, but should be very easy to implement. At least if you have the right partner. 
 
The campaign is currently being used on ads, e-screens, social media and display ads in the online environment relevant to the target group.

With OASE, the canton of Aargau is already setting the course today for the mobility of tomorrow. The canton is gearing its transport planning towards the strong population growth expected by 2040. Measures are planned for all modes of transport: car traffic, public transport and explicitly also for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

In order to explain the complex OASE concept to a wide audience, the Aarau agency Blueheart has created five animated explanatory videos that explain the cantonal mobility strategy mobilitätAARGAU and the overall OASE transport concept and show the planned measures in the Brugg-Windisch, Baden-Wettingen and Unteres Aaretal areas.

Blueheart also filmed eight testimonials in which the presidents of the regional planning associations (Brugg Regio, Baden Regio, Zurzibiet Regio) have their say and five other people comment on the OASE - each with a focus on one topic: public transport, bicycle traffic, pedestrian traffic, car traffic and the perspective of SMEs.

The videos were presented at a media conference in mid-October 2019 and are available on the website Ag.ch/oase integrated.

The majority of Swiss companies have too little time available than they actually need due to the increasing dynamics. The growing intensity of competition, increasing social digitization and changing consumer behavior are among the most frequently cited challenges.

Although the majority of Swiss companies want to respond to these challenges with the necessary speed, just under half do not see themselves in a position to do so. This situation of rapidly changing framework conditions and simultaneously increasing complexity was illustrated in the study in a time gap. Most of the 400 companies surveyed see themselves in the critical area. 

Experimentation as a new strategy

In future, successful companies will not only have to continuously expand their knowledge, but also actually use it to generate competitive advantages. This so-called absorptive capacity is an important resource for driving innovation forward. The study results underline the importance of companies' collaborative and absorptive capabilities. The ability to collaborate is a central prerequisite for absorptive capabilities.

However, many Swiss companies are still struggling with external collaboration in particular. Although great efforts have been made, this also requires adjustments to the corporate culture. Internal structures need to be reconsidered and adapted so that they can cope with the new challenges. Trying things out and experimenting should become a strategy, and new and lateral thinkers have the best chance of getting involved now.

Silos and the "gardening mindset" must go

In order to enrich the results of the quantitative survey of this study, a CMO study was also conducted in which a total of 14 Chief Marketing Officers from different industries were asked about the same topic area in qualitative interviews. The CMOs focus primarily on agility, new corporate structures, uncompromising customer orientation and better use of available (customer) data through the use of modern technologies.

Active collaboration is just as important. Silos and the familiar "garden-variety thinking" are still all too present in Swiss companies. In the past, marketing was located at the end of the value chain; today, CMOs must assume joint responsibility for growth targets and the transformation of the company. The CMO of the future must combine analytics and creativity, have an affinity for technology and be willing to cooperate.

In the future, influencers and co. should see just as much advertising as "ordinary" users. "Influencers play a different role on Twitter than on Instagram. But it also makes sense on this platform for users who are particularly at the center of public discussion to receive enhanced functions. Especially when the discussion reaches a political dimension, users with a high level of relevance would find their own tools helpful, for example, to combat hate speech and fake news," social media expert Günter Exel tells news portal Pressetext.

To use the ad-free version of Twitter, users needed a particularly high number of followers. Although Twitter will display the same amount of advertising for all users in the future, they will see fewer sponsored tweets if they meet certain criteria. These include not only many followers, but also how often they use Twitter.

High demand for advertising revenue

At the moment, Twitter is increasing the number of ads displayed for all its users. Because the social media platform's profit in the third quarter of this year was significantly lower than expected, Twitter has to rely on advertising revenue to make up for the high losses. Star users are not exempt from this. (pte)

Verena Birchler has played a key role in shaping the image and public perception of ERF Medien over the past almost 30 years. As a journalist, TV presenter, media coach, speaker, tour guide, fundraiser, head of department and deputy managing director, she campaigned for more good news in the media.

Into retirement after 29 years

After retiring at the end of November 2019, Verena Birchler will continue to work for ERF Medien: Over the next two years, she will be responsible for ERF Medien Reisen. She will also remain active as a freelance journalist.

Handover to Mathias Fontana 

From November 1, 2019, Mathias Fontana will take over from Verena Birchler as Head of Marketing. The 37-year-old has been working in marketing for ERF Medien for ten years and has shaped and developed the "Digital Marketing" division in recent years.

Fontana is married and a father of two. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Organizational Communication from the ZHAW and an MAS in Corporate Communication Management from the FHNW. Before joining ERF ten years ago in marketing and digital marketing, he worked on various PR projects and in local journalism.