The LSA Board of Directors: Petra Dreyfus, Michael Hählen, Matthias Koller, Roman Hirsbrunner, Beat Krebs, Mark Burow, David Schärer, Roman Geiser and Martin Kessler (from left).

The agency world is currently reinventing itself: business, technology, communication, creation and design are increasingly merging. Agencies are opening up opportunities for new business areas in digital, strategic and creative fields. Collaborative forms of organization are being introduced and completely new job profiles are emerging.

Successful interaction between client and agency requires more and more expert knowledge combined with co-working skills. This makes it all the more important for the association to lead the way and provide guidance on topics such as fair competition, sustainable remuneration models and training opportunities for young talent. "Our credo is to contribute to the future viability of our members and to support them in their leadership role in the digital transformation," emphasizes Michael Hählen.

The multidisciplinary agency world is also reflected in the association's membership structure, which has broadened considerably in recent years: Webrepublic, Plan.Net and Isobar (Dentsu Aegis Network) were welcomed to this year's meeting. In a press release, Leading Swiss Agencies is pleased about the expanded membership, which reflects the transformation in the communications market.

Unchanged Executive Board

The Board of Directors, consisting of nine members, remains unchanged this year. Michael Hählen (President), Beat Krebs (Vice President), Mark Burow, Petra Dreyfus, Roman Geiser, Roman Hirsbrunner, Martin Kessler, Matthias Koller and David Schärer are responsible for the management of Leading Swiss Agencies.

From January 1, 2020, Neo Advertising will manage a complete advertising inventory of around 1,800 classic as well as backlit advertising spaces for at least eight years. In the process, Neo Advertising will also operate the capital's cultural, political and official billboards.

Christian Vaglio-Giors, CEO of Neo Advertising, said in a statement that he was delighted to have been awarded the contract: "The fact that we were able to win over the city of Bern is a real reason to celebrate! We are now the official outdoor advertising operator of the federal capital and thus the fifth largest city in the country. This is the best proof of our determination to steadily expand our presence in the Swiss outdoor advertising market. We are already looking forward to gaining a long-term foothold in Bern and offering our customers increasingly diverse and effective communications solutions."

"Now users will really understand that their data is being used by the social network to sell targeted advertising," said Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova on Tuesday.

A company that wants to gain trust after the data scandal surrounding the analysis company Cambridge Analytica in the US presidential election campaign should not hide behind "complicated legal language". It is now easier to find out, for example, how an account is closed and in which cases accounts are blocked.

In the wake of the scandal that rocked Facebook last year, the EU Commission and national data protection authorities called on the world's largest internet network to better inform its more than two billion members about how the company is financed and what revenue is generated from the use of user information. At the same time, they demanded an adjustment to EU consumer law. According to the EU Commission, all changes must be completed by the end of June, otherwise sanctions may be imposed. (SDA)

The task was not to win over the sensible center of Switzerland for the considered decision on the weapons law, which is important in terms of European policy. That should be the task of the campaign committee around Economiesuisse.

The SP Switzerland's campaign is primarily intended to mobilize its own voters as well as female voters to the left of the bourgeois spectrum. It therefore makes the generic but demonstrable statement that more available weapons always lead to more gun violence.

The skull, which is composed of many weapons, is therefore the logical dramatization of this fact, but with the unexpected colorful implementation, the subject definitely comes with a wink.

The subject is used in all channels, including a billboard in major Swiss cities.

"The conditions did not meet the agreements," Roland Meier, spokesman for President Maurer's Federal Department of Finance (FDF), told the Keystone-SDA news agency. That is why the President of the Confederation had renounced the interview, he said.

Meier thus confirmed reports in online editions of several Swiss media. These had quoted from tweets by SRF business editor Lipp. However, it was not possible to find out from the FDF what the alleged violation of agreements consisted of.

Maurer was offended by the phrase "old wine in new bottles" in the article, Lipp wrote in one of his tweets on Monday afternoon. Swissmem Vice President Philipp Mosimann has now stepped in at short notice to explain the bill on the federal law on corporate tax reform and AHV financing (Staf). The vote will take place on May 19.

The Staf is a new edition of the Corporate Tax Reform III, which failed in 2017 and was opposed not least because of the lack of social compensation. Now, additional financing for the AHV of CHF 2 billion per year is planned. This is the estimated amount of annual tax losses due to the corporate tax reform.

This is not the first time that Maurer has refused the media: In December 2015, after the election of the Federal Council, he rebuffed the reporter Gion Duri Vincenz from Swiss television SRF when he spontaneously wanted to ask him a few questions. "Nei, kä Luscht" was the short answer of the Zurich Oberlander. (SDA)

With pithy slogans, the "Stayin' Alive" campaign has raised awareness of safe riding among motorcyclists throughout Switzerland in recent years. Now the BikeXperts are joining in: Huevo, Mrs Phoenix and Usseglio. The three passionate bikers and influencers are the protagonists of a new web series with five exciting short films. 

From the research results of the BFU, five problem areas have emerged as the main causes of motorcycle accidents: Collisions at intersections, braking, speed, keeping your distance, and cornering. This is precisely what is addressed in the films - authentically and excitingly. In addition to the three influencers, actor André Vital is also involved as a video blogger with his Chevy van converted into a TV studio. He comments on the driving scenes, interviews experts and leads through the stories in a gripping way. The three bikers passionately show how the right tips can make riding a motorcycle even more fun.

Protagonists and film crew alike functioned as a tight-knit team during the shooting of the prevention films. Filming took place on Switzerland's most beautiful motorcycle routes, sometimes while traffic was moving, which required good planning and patience. "The actors are real professionals and put all their skills to work on the set," enthuses project manager Claudia Bucher (BFU). "They never tired of driving the ideal line during repetitions, accelerating or braking in the right place until the scene was perfectly in the can."

The new web series is now available on Stayin-alive.ch to see. At the same time, they will be disseminated via numerous social media channels, continuously supplemented with exciting side stories about motorcycling. In addition, starting in April, posters with the BikeXperts' pithy sayings will encourage motorcyclists to rethink their riding style and take a look at the tips on the website. The aim is for as many motorcyclists as possible to watch the videos and adopt the BikeXperts' tips. 

Behind the BikeXperts are strong partners: In addition to the BFU, the Federation of Motorcyclists of Switzerland FMS, the Road Safety Fund FVS, the Swiss Federation of Driving Instructors SFV and the Swiss Motorcycle Driving Instructors Association are on board. 

Thanks to the latest laser eye technologies, Pallas Clinics enable sharp vision without glasses or contact lenses. The Pallas Clinics are among the most experienced providers in this field. The slogans "Goodbye" and "Topless" make it clear that you can confidently say goodbye to glasses or contact lenses.

The organizers: Barbara Seiler, Tanja Hollenstein and Hans Peter Riegel (from left).

The DA Z Festival will take place annually at the beginning of May. Over the course of several days, exhibitions, installations, interventions, performances, music events and talks dealing with current developments in digital art will take place at various locations in Zurich's art hotspot between the internationally renowned art center "Löwenbräukunst" and the ZHdK art academy.

What sets DA Z apart from other digital festivals is its exclusive focus on art. This means that social issues are not addressed in symposia or panel events, but solely in the expressive forms of digital art.

The festival was initiated by the renowned media artist, art historian and author Hans Peter Riegel and the strategy and communications expert Tanja Hollenstein. The founding team is complemented by gallery owner Barbara Seiler. In addition to its own team of ambitious art educators, the festival invites prominent guest curators to shape individual areas of the festival.
At the end of May, DA Z will present its team, the curators and the program.

With the first edition of DA Z, the initiators refer to the legacy of Tweakfest, the first, now legendary digital culture festival in Zurich. In this context, DA Z will take over the Tweakfest archive. The Tweakfest took place from 2005 to 2010. Hans Peter Riegel was involved as an artist with his project SIS.TM.

The Reader's Digest brand study "Trusted Brands 2019" shows amazing consistency in the Swiss brand world. In eight out of twenty categories, the winners are the same as last year, namely Volkswagen, Raiffeisen, Ricola, Miele, Die Mobiliar, Similasan, Fielmann, Nivea (cosmetics) and Burgerstein. In the eight categories surveyed for the first time, traditional brands also came out on top. At the top are Coop Bau+Hobby, Meister Proper, Ticino, Elmex, Nivea (shower gel), Ikea, Emmi and Handymatic. The outcome of the study was exciting for hearing aids, detergents and health insurance companies. The new winners of 2019 here are Kind, Ariel and Assura.

In an increasingly complex world, the Swiss trust their personal environment the most. Relatives, friends and acquaintances top the "Trust in institutions/networks" table, achieving peak values of around 90 percent. Doctors are also rated very positively at 72 percent. By contrast, business enterprises (just over 20 percent) and politics (14 percent) have worryingly low scores. Social networks are at the bottom of the list (12 percent).

Among the sectors, Swiss vacation regions and resorts occupy the top spot. 67 percent of the responses revealed a very high or high level of trust. The results are also positive for dairy products (65 percent), dental care and oral hygiene (62 percent) and optician and eyeglass brands (61 percent). Vitamin products (31 percent) are still at the bottom of the table with 31 percent. 

The study shows that two factors in particular determine the success of a brand. The most important of all is quality. 56 percent of respondents, well over half of the participants, put the quality of a product or service first. For 19 percent of the participants, the price-performance ratio comes out on top. Swiss consumers are sober in their judgments. The image/prestige factor is clearly at the bottom of the list of reasons for a purchase decision, with less than 5 percent.

It has been 100 years since the first issue of "Organisator - Monatsschrift für moderne Geschäftsführung, Organisation und Reklame" was published. In 1919, the publisher and book expert Max Friedländer (1879-1976) did some pioneering work: for the first time, there was a magazine in Switzerland that regularly offered practical help for small and medium-sized companies. The Organizer has accompanied generations of managers and continues to do so today. Galledia Fachmedien has been publishing the SME trade magazine since 2012.

In each issue the Organizer essential topics for managing directors and executives of SMEs. These topics have hardly changed in the 100 years of the publication's existence: It is about organization, leadership, personnel management, marketing, customer relationship management, labor law and much more. Of course, the technologies have evolved: Whereas in 1919 a well-managed card index was the nerve center of a company, today CRM and ERP systems take over.

The editorial team is using the anniversary year 2019 as an opportunity to look back into the past. In each issue, articles from the archive are published on individual topics. These are sure to elicit a smile or two from readers about the "good old days. But they will also show that our grandfather's or even great-grandfather's generation already had to deal with similar questions about everyday business life. Of course, in addition to "yesterday", the focus will continue to be on "today" and "tomorrow" in corporate management. In three issues, individual aspects will be dealt with in greater depth. The April issue, for example, deals with the question of how the role of the boss has changed and will continue to change.

"Then - in 1919 - as now, companies face major challenges," says OrganizerEditor-in-Chief Thomas Berner. "The constant adaptation to changing conditions accompanies companies every day. This has become clear in the 100 years of the existence of the Organizer hardly changed." And Daniel Ettlinger, CEO of Galledia Group, adds: "We are proud to be working with the Organizer to have such a traditional management magazine in its portfolio. Executives are still looking for practical information for everyday business. That's why we are confident that we can continue to position the title as an established print product in the market, even in the age of digitization - in combination with the constant further development of the online presence."  

Some milestones from the history of the title:

• April 1919: The first, 20-page issue appeared with the promise that the magazine would become thicker as soon as the paper shortage was eliminated. The annual subscription cost 12 francs, which was considered expensive at the time.
• 1939: Start of the war: The Organizer offers a special counseling service and free job placement to military personnel.
• 1951: Gaston Friedländer (1907 - 2008) takes over the management of the publishing house from his father. By 1950, the Organizer almost exclusively a trade journal for the commercial and retail trades. A new supplement, "Betriebswirtschaft," led to industry from 1950 and to a leap in the number of subscribers.
• 1967: Sale of the publishing house to Bank Julius Baer.
• 1969: Purchase of the Forkel publishing house (Stuttgart), which is sold again in 1972.
• 1972: Dr. Victor Bataillard acquires the publishing house Organisator.
• 1983: The new journal "Orgamatik" covers the field of computer science.
• 1988: Sale to the Haufe publishing group (Freiburg i. Br.)
• 1990: Franz Schnyder acquires the publishing house; the Organizer receives a new format and is merged with "Administration+Organization" and "Orgamatik".
• 1993: Rheintaler Druck und Verlag AG RDV acquires a stake in the publishing house Organizer.
• 2001: Franz Schnyder sells his share to RDV and retires as editor-in-chief and publisher. His successor is Roland Lambert, who takes over the Organizer editorial support until 2007.
• 2008: Thomas Berner takes over as editor-in-chief.
• 2012: The merger of Rheintaler Druck und Verlag AG RDV with Dfmedia in Flawil to form Galledia AG results in a new publisher.
• 2019: The Organizer becomes 100 years old.

The Swiss Influencer Award (SIA), which is taking place for the first time this year, honors not only the most promising influencer talent but also the most influential star influencers in Switzerland. They will vie for the prize in eight categories on June 20, 2019 at the Volkshaus.

The shortlist announces which five influencers per category are in the running for the SIA. Jury President Fabian Plüss on the selection process of the expert jury: "We looked at various factors when creating the shortlist. On the one hand, measurable parameters such as the number of followers, the proportion of Swiss followers or the engagement rate. On the other hand, the expert jury also weighted subjective factors highly, such as authenticity, inspirational power and creativity." The three nominees in each category will be presented in the weekly pre-shows broadcast on Teleclub Zoom from April 25.

The shortlist also includes influencers who launched their careers outside of social media, such as presenter Michelle Hunziker, soccer player Xherdan Shaqiri, and musician Bastian Baker. Nowadays, maintaining one's own social media presence is part of the daily work for all stars. Musician Loco Escrito, for example, spends up to 1.5 hours every day on Instagram, Facebook and the like. "My fans are part of my family, so I want to exchange ideas with them and ask how they're doing. I take around 45 minutes every day just to maintain these relationships," says the 29-year-old.

Overall, the influencers on the shortlist have a cumulative reach of 12 million followers on Instagram and also 12 million followers on Facebook. They are among the most important Swiss opinion leaders on social media.
 

The shortlist of the Swiss Influencer Award 2019

Lifestyle category:

• Zoë pastels
• Michelle Hunziker
• Sylwina
• Antonella Patitucci
• Dominique Rinderknecht

Music category:

• Lo & Leduc
• Bastian Baker
• Bligg
• Loco Escrito
• DJ Antoine
   

Beauty category:

• Harmony Matthey
• Kevin Lütolf
• Raffaela Zollo
• Kerstin Cook
• Manuela Frey

Fashion category:

• Cristina Gheiceanu
• Elvira Abasova
• Xenia Tchoumi
• Era Dyla Hill
• Charles Legrand

Entertainment category:

• Zeki Bulgurcu
• Gabirano
• Rash Sakem
• Noelia
• Schwiizchiste (Robin P.)

Category Sport:

• Xherdan Shaqiri
• Remo Käser
• Iouri Podladtchikov
• Wendy Holdener
• Marco Laterza

Family category:

• Isabelle Kade
• Xhem & Megi
• Andrea Jansen
• Valentine Caporale
• Mirjam Hunter

Travel category:

• Tobias Meyer
• Minea Jud
• Martina Bisaz
• Morgane Schaller
• Sara Leutenegger

The two poster subjects "Building on success" and "Tradition and ambition" emphasize the credo of LK Zug as well as the general construction company Aula. The LK Zug fan team/SPL1 is currently in first place in the final round of the Swiss championship/Spar Premium League, with the championship play-offs on course.

Mark Seeholzer, Head of Marketing/Sponsoring LK Zug and responsible for the concept/implementation of the posters: "The two subjects show juniors/FU9 to elite players as well as staff/coaches. They represent the entire club, which is successful at all levels of women's handball. With this campaign, LK Zug and its main sponsor are not only emphasizing their shared claim to success, but also raising awareness and profile in the greater Zug area. Aula is financing this campaign. We are proud and grateful to have been able to count on such a strong partner for over 20 years, on its constant, generous commitment."

Daniel Stalder, Head of Marketing and Sales at Aula: "With this campaign, we are also documenting our long-standing connection with LK Zug, the combination of tradition and ambition. We are delighted to support a club that - like us - has many years of continuity at a high level."