Accenture Interactive's "The Business of Experience" study takes a close look at the topic of "experience" - customer experience. A large majority (77%) of CEOs surveyed said they will fundamentally change the way their companies interact with customers to drive business growth.

The goal of the study was to understand the role customer experience plays in long-term business growth, consistency and relevance. For example, according to the study, companies that align their entire business to create exceptional experiences for their customers, employees and society outperform their peers by six times year-on-year in terms of profitability.

"Covid has continued to bring the customer experience to the forefront, reinforcing its importance to every function and every employee," said Brian Whipple, group chief executive of Accenture Interactive. "Simply put, when you improve the customer experience, you improve the quality of life and, in turn, the business."

"Not only are expectations of brands changing, but also of companies as a whole. Everyone today wants to know how to interact with their customers in the current economic and healthcare crisis. Digital and hybrid customer experiences need to be reinvented. In the company, this affects not only the channels, but the entire value creation, via data, processes, technologies and employees, and ultimately the way value is created. The added value then lies in the experiences they enable," says Benjamin Tück, Managing Director of Accenture Interactive Switzerland.

While the focus on customer experience (CX) has traditionally been more about transactions with customers, the general focus on customer experience is a new way of working that is increasingly supported by senior management, the study found. Accenture Interactive calls this new holistic approach - which is becoming a key business imperative - the Business of Experience (BX).

The study finds that BX has become a CEO focus as it is linked to every aspect of the company's operations - unlike CX, which has traditionally been the domain of the chief marketing officer (CMO). In addition, more than half of chief operating officers (COOs) (56%), chief strategy officers (CSOs) (53%) and chief financial officers (CFOs) (51%) also said their company will fundamentally change the way it interacts with its customers.

"To grow in the coming year, every company and every leader must rethink experience - especially as almost everything we do, from how we shop to how and where we work to how we interact with others, has been structurally transformed," said Baiju Shah, chief strategy officer, Accenture Interactive. "A fundamental redefinition of the customer experience is underway, and those companies that put the customer experience at the center of their organization will drive growth and be the market leaders of the years and decades to come."

"Becoming a business of experience requires investing differently, not more," says Benjamin Tück, Managing Director Interactive Switzerland. "To compete for customer attention, funds must be consistently focused on improved experiences without compromising profitability and sustainability."

The study shows that leading companies - that is, companies that independently perform well in terms of financial growth and business cycle consistency - think and act differently about the customer experience than their peers. These leading companies are far more likely to adopt the following BX approaches, consistently outperforming their peers.

1. get to know your customers through and through

Customer needs are also likely to evolve, often in unpredictable ways, regardless of the impact of the pandemic. As a result, companies should invest in ways to identify unmet customer needs of any scale. The study found that leading companies are twice as likely as others (55 percent versus 26 percent) to say they are able to incorporate customer data into appropriate measures. But many of these leading companies also say there are limits to their data and the opportunities it can provide. That's why this point is so important - to be truly customer-centric, companies need better means of digging in and uncovering those needs.

2. make experience innovation a daily habit

The study shows that leading companies feel better prepared to seize the opportunity to innovate on a large scale. Compared to their peers, they are more than twice as likely to have the agility to shift to new models that add value and relevance to their customers.

3. expand the scope of responsibility for the customer experience

Experience is not just the responsibility of the CMO or COO - it's everyone's business, from the executive level down. All employees and all areas of the business should be connected and collaborative, functioning as a cohesive, customer-centric unit whose ultimate goal is to deliver the best customer experience.

4. align IT, data and people

Becoming a "business of experience" doesn't mean investing more, it means investing differently. Leading companies are managing data, IT and people to create agility that continuously unlocks efficiencies that can be reinvested in new performance and growth opportunities. Of the leading companies, 61 percent said they have a clear understanding of what technology platforms they need to leverage to remain competitive and relevant to customers, compared to only 27 percent of their peers.

Unlike Christmas, Easter has hardly any old customs and traditions that everyone tries to stick to. On the contrary. Everyone celebrates it a little differently. Some get together for brunch, others for dinner. Some celebrate with family, others with friends. Some only eat fish on Easter, others prefer chocolate bunnies. The films in this year's Migros Easter campaign are just as different as the people in Switzerland celebrate Easter.

As already at Christmas Migros does not rely on one big film here either, but on a large number of short films. The focus is once again on the residents of the apartment building located directly next to a Migros.

The films contain short stories from the everyday lives of people in Switzerland. For example, it's about how you can easily make time for your family on Easter. (Or at least for the husband.) About the question of whether you can eat meat substitutes on Good Friday. About negligent theft among neighbors. And the fundamental question of the phone number of the Easter Bunny.

On the Contenthub Easter.migros.ch there is even more content on the topic of Easter - from recipe ideas to craft projects to buying recommendations for the perfect start to spring.

The campaign has been on TV and online since Monday.

"We want to distribute our content better digitally. But we are not competing against the private broadcasters," Wappler explained to the NZZ on Saturday. SRF is clearly focusing on its core competencies of audio and video - including in the further developed news app, she said. "We have a self-imposed length limit for texts, which is generally adhered to," she emphasized.

The SRF Director also expressed her conviction that several services could coexist in Switzerland. "We also make content and our archive available to private media companies free of charge," she emphasized. She was also very open to further cooperation, she said.

Other narrative forms

Wappler was convinced that the 'digital first' principle was undoubtedly compatible with the concession. "There can be no question of violating the license," she said. And she does not want to limit herself to an online media library where only content produced for radio and TV can be accessed. "The Internet requires different narrative forms than linear radio and TV, for example podcasts and teaser films. We therefore need specially produced material," explained the SRF Director in this regard.

"We also want and need to address young people exactly where they are and get them interested in more detailed content on our news portal," Wappler continued. In addition, the boundaries between channels and platforms will become even more blurred in the future.

However, despite all the criticism of SRF's austerity measures, a new culture of debate is currently needed. "Nothing is more necessary than objective debates," she said. "We need more respect and appreciation for other opinions again," she demanded. And sometimes you should simply not look at Twitter because you would only get annoyed by the constant exaggerations, Wappler explained to the NZZ. (SDA)

A domestic cat is lovingly cuddled. The likeable film starts with this motif and quickly shows that not all things in the household are touched as gladly as the purring four-legged friend. Like, for example, the faucet in the kitchen when your hands are dirty. In the age of Corona, expectations of everyday hygiene have increased even further. Franke provides the solution in the form of a sensor-controlled faucet that responds to movement via infrared. Already common in public washrooms, these are now coming to the home.

The new Atlas Neo Sensor product can be operated via the sensor as well as manually via the lever. Freundliche Grüsse has developed an integrated campaign for the global launch of the product. The focus is on the film, a landing page and also a brochure. The message is to be conveyed through the words "Touch is a natural instinct. And now you have a choice" dramatize the message.

The campaign is divided into a teaser phase and a product phase with numerous different social media assets for Facebook and Instagram, as well as a series of display ads. In spring 2021, the campaign will be launched simultaneously in five countries.

On Friday, the agency, based in Zug, London and Shenzhen, announced that it was the first full-service agency to accept Bitcoin as a payment method. In doing so, the agency is enabling payments using the Lightning Network, a protocol for scaling blockchain technologies, in addition to traditional on-chain transactions. The Lightning Network is said to enable fast payments with marginal transaction fees and high privacy.

"With the increasing interest in cryptocurrencies, the introduction of Bitcoin as a payment method is a logical step for us and an enrichment for our agency services. This decision was further supported by our innovation-driven locations in Crypto Valley Zug, the creative city of London and technology hotbed Shenzhen in China. With the introduction of Bitcoin as a means of payment, we can address an internationally growing community and position ourselves as a forward-looking innovation agency," Miguel Schweiger, co-founder and Managing Director Europe of GLA United, is quoted as saying in the statement.

Customers who want to pay their bills in Bitcoin can in the future communicate this directly when signing the contract, it continues. The Bitcoin invoice will then contain the agency's Bitcoin address including QR code. Subsequently, customers can use their Bitcoin wallet to pay the invoice amount using QR codes or the agency's Bitcoin address. The Bitcoin transfer usually takes only a few minutes.

Other cryptocurrencies will be added as payment methods in subsequent months, according to the statement. GLA United is offering an exclusive 10 percent discount on customer payments until the end of 2021. In this way, the agency wants to contribute to establishing digital currencies worldwide together with existing as well as new customers.

Christiane Wolff looks back on more than 20 years of experience in management positions in corporate communications, PR and marketing. In the course of her professional career, she worked in various consulting and management functions at communications agencies. At Serviceplan, she led corporate communications for many years, most recently in the role of Chief Corporate Communications Officer, and was responsible for the group's global corporate communications. In 2019, she founded and built her own start-up in the craft industry.

"Christiane will support us with her marketing, communications and brand expertise to drive our growth as an agency and consulting group in the DACH region and to drive the successful development of Dentsu together with all our stakeholders," explains Ulrike Handel, CEO of Dentsu Germany & DACH.

A research team led by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, together with colleagues from the Universities of Lugano and Lausanne, delved into the lifeworld of young people. The goal was to determine how "digital natives" can be reached with news.

To do this, they conducted interviews with the participants, who were between 12 and 20 years old, documented their news consumption and had them write media diaries. This revealed how young people's news behavior changes with age.

Influenced by parents' news consumption

According to the study, the news consumption of 12- to 14-year-olds is strongly influenced by their parents. They hardly use their smartphones to access online news offerings - partly because parents and school restrict their time with cell phones. Instead, they sometimes browse the newspaper at home or watch the daily news with their parents. However, the reports are usually incomprehensible to them or do not interest them because they see no points of contact with their own lives.

Open for any news

From the age of 14, the picture changes: The influence of parents decreases, that of friends, acquaintances and social media platforms increases. Young people want to be informed in order to have their say and be socially integrated. However, they do not yet have a news routine and are open to any news.

This age group therefore has the highest chance of being reached with new news formats, write the study authors. According to the study, this age group would like to see apps with images, short videos and text overlays that summarize the most important information.

As soon as young people reach their 18th birthday, they access news very specifically via apps and social media channels. They know what they want to know, where they can get the information, and which formats they like best. Although videos and pictures are still popular, they are gradually gaining a liking for written reports. (SDA)

A majority has recently emerged. The House of Representatives has already given its approval. Facebook's actions have sparked criticism worldwide. As previously feared by the US technology giant, other countries are likely to follow Australia's lead. Canadian Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault announced on Friday night that he intends to copy the approach in his own bill, which he plans to present in the coming months. "Canada is at the forefront of this fight," said Guilbeault.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had received support on the issue from the heads of state and government of the UK, France and India, as well as Canada. "There is a lot of interest in the world in what Australia is doing," said Morrison. He called on Facebook to make concessions. "Because they know what Australia is doing here is likely to be followed in the legislation of many other Western countries."

The Australian Finance Minister Josh Frydenberg has been Start of the media blockade by Facebook has already negotiated twice with company boss Mark Zuckerberg. "We'll talk again this weekend," he tweeted. Facebook had previously stated that the Australian law "misunderstands" the value of the platform for publishers. According to the draft, the tech companies should first sit down with the media companies to reach agreements on payments. If this fails, a mediator appointed by the government will decide.

The role of the internet network, which also includes Instagram and Whatsapp, in the dissemination of news has grown steadily in Australia. The blocking of all media content had an immediate impact. According to data from analytics firm Chartbeat, internet traffic on Australian news sites fell by 13 percent within the country and 30 percent outside the country. However, News Corp manager Michael Miller, who is responsible for the region, said that direct access by Australians to his company's Internet offerings had increased by a double-digit percentage. (SDA)

After more than 500 broadcasts, over 50 hours of airtime and almost 800 days of filming, "CheckUp" celebrates its tenth anniversary on February 22, 2021. The health magazine has been hosted by Igor Zilincan since program one. He also heads the three-person editorial team.

Over the past decade, the 49-year-old has witnessed many extraordinary and moving stories, which he was able to accompany up close with his camera. "There were hundreds of touching patient fates. I particularly remember an awake craniotomy. A mathematician underwent open brain surgery and was fully conscious without anesthesia. Incredibly, I was able to interview him while the surgeon was removing a tumor. A caesarean section was also emotional: experiencing the birth of a new life with the parents is unforgettable."

The impetus for the "CheckUp" program came over ten years ago. It started with the filming of a series about a child with a heart condition at the University Children's Hospital in Zurich. The series was accompanied by René Prêtre, a heart surgeon at the time. With his explanations of complex medical issues, which were easy to understand even for laypeople, he contributed to the series' major success. At that time, Igor Zilincan realized the diversity of stories in the medical field. This gave rise to the idea of a popular health magazine, which would be accompanied by experts and provide regular information on relevant medical topics. The first show went "on air" on February 21, 2011 and focused on snow sports accidents.

It is often difficult for cultural workers and event organizers to find financial support for their own projects. This situation has been exacerbated by Corona. The specialist course "Fundraising for Cultural Professionals" is designed to provide participants with the basics for targeted fundraising for the cultural sector in six online events. Through close cooperation with Swissfundraising, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and IG Kultur Zug, all the important elements of fundraising in the cultural sector are addressed. Thus, participants receive facts, figures and tips on applying for grants and dealing with funding foundations and patrons.

Even after the specialist course, cultural professionals should have the opportunity to stay on the ball. To this end, Swissfundraising will publish further links and tips on Swissfundraising.org. In addition, a "Culture Fundraising" platform will be launched, where interested parties can network and exchange professional information.

"With this offer, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, together with its partners, would like to make a contribution to overcoming the persistently difficult situation in cultural creation," explains co-initiator and course leader Marino Bundi from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The course is aimed at people who work in culturally oriented projects, associations, institutions and organizations or as freelance artists and cultural workers. Thanks to third-party funding from the cantons of Central Switzerland, the course is offered at a greatly reduced price: The participation fee is 100 Swiss francs.

Early one morning, the bear mascot Jöri from Arosa made Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse unsafe with the aim of offering spontaneous guests a day trip to the Grisons vacation paradise. Among the people randomly approached on the street, three extremely spontaneous women finally agreed to go on a trip to Arosa. There, they were able to try out winter activities such as cross-country skiing, winter hiking and ice skating, and were also able to observe a real bear during its winter rest during a private tour of Arosa Bärenland. A take-away lunch at the Brüggerstube, as well as a speedy ride on a toboggan from Tschuggen to the village was also included.

The guests from Zurich were surprised that they can experience so many beautiful moments in the mountains on a normal weekday, according to a communiqué from Arosa Tourism. "In Zurich, almost everything is closed, the leisure options are extremely limited, then it's nice to break out and experience so many action-packed activities in nature," says Ramona, who has been on short-time work for some time.

Day trip to the vacation paradise 

The winter sports destination is known, among other things, for its remote location at the end of the valley and the winding route to get there. But the three women from Zurich have now been proven that the journey does not stand in the way of a spontaneous day trip. "The journey by Rhaetian Railway is a spectacle in itself. The Bärenland carriage is lovingly designed and the view of the snow-covered forests and roaring streams is breathtaking," says Ornella, who is taking the train to Arosa for the first time thanks to the campaign by Arosa Tourism. Anyone traveling to Arosa on the Rhaetian Railway currently receives a leisure voucher with special discounts on various leisure activities such as ice skating or cross-country skiing lessons.

The background to the "hijacking action" is the current challenging time, as Arosa Tourism writes in the message. "The flatlanders have short-time work or vacations and can do nothing. On the days off or at the weekend, they sit at home and wonder what to do. While in the cities almost all leisure options are closed, Arosa fortunately still offers some winter activities in the fresh mountain air," explains tourism director Pascal Jenny the thought process behind the marketing campaign.

Switzerland always performs well in important rankings related to sustainability. "Nevertheless, many do not know it," writes Switzerland Tourism in a statement on Friday. For this reason, the association has developed a marketing concept with a signet for sustainable tourism in Switzerland together with various cooperation partners, including the Swiss Tourism Association (STV), Gastrosuisse, Hotelleriesuisse, Cable Cars Switzerland or the Association of Swiss Tourism Managers.

The aim of the campaign is to provide more guidance for consumers, it says. However, it is not a certification. Participating companies would be awarded three different labels depending on their commitment to sustainability. The first level, "Swisstainable Committed," is for businesses that do not have sustainability certifications but want to develop their operations further in the direction of sustainability. The second and third signets, "Swisstainable Engaged" and "Swisstainable Leading," are awarded to companies that are already certified in sustainability.

The criteria range from accessibility and environmental issues (energy, water, waste, CO2) to equal rights and equal pay in the company. A complete list of criteria can be downloaded from the Switzerland Tourism site.

Three-year plan

The concept was developed in collaboration with the Institute for Tourism and Mobility ITM at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In addition, the independent non-profit organization Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) provided content support.

It will be rolled out in Switzerland Tourism's 2021 summer campaign. For the time being, the organizers want to make the term Swisstainable, a combination of Swiss and sustainable, known to the general public in this country. Next year, they want to show good examples of sustainable change in the travel industry and publish a Swisstainable travel guide in 2023.

Associations such as the STV and Swiss Youth Hostels and Hotelleriesuisse are committed to the concept, according to their own announcements published on Friday. A positioning in terms of sustainability - and this does not just mean a reduction in food waste, but a corresponding orientation of the entire value-added and customer experience chain - will help to retain Swiss guests and attract additional guest groups after the crisis, according to Hotelleriesuisse.

However, the association emphasizes that economic health is the basic prerequisite for being able to invest in the sustainable development of the industry. And in this respect, the corona pandemic has left its mark, with sales in cities falling by 70 percent last year and by an average of 20 percent in alpine regions. (SDA)