After a long time, a representative of the German automotive industry is once again at the top of the rankings. The 47-year-old has already been in the top ranks of the survey in previous years.

When asked about the difficult situation in the German automotive industry, Rudolph responds pragmatically: "Fair weather or rainy days - the work remains the same." The automotive industry is in a phase of transformation, but he thinks in terms of opportunities. And repeatedly emphasizes the role of his "fantastic team", which makes awards like this possible in the first place.

And how does Rudolph manage the dual role as Head of Communications for two DAX companies? Organizing, delegating and prioritizing are the cornerstones. And: "Part of the truth is that you have to be able to switch off," Rudolph continues. Family and sport are his areas of strength.

As part of the survey, 112 journalists assessed 140 spokespeople from companies and associations. Thomas Voigt from the Otto Group was voted in second place, with Monika Schaller from SAP, Silke Walter from EnBW and last year's winner Philipp Schindera from Deutsche Telekom tied for third place.

The top 10 this year

1. Sebastian Rudolph, VW, Porsche
2. Thomas Voigt, Otto Group
3. Monika Schaller, SAP
4. Silke Walter, EnBW
5. Philipp Schindera, Deutsche Telekom
6. Herbert Arthen, DM
7. Jörg Howe, Daimler Truck
8. Ingrid M. Haas, Deutsche Börse
9. Jan Runau, Adidas
10. Margarita Thiel, Aareal Bank

Places 11 to 140 are available in the current issue of Wirtschaftsjournalist:in.

E-commerce from Switzerland and for Switzerland: following a successful collaboration with Pearl Germany, Pearl.ch is now launching into the future with its own name, its own brand, an expanded range and even more Swissness. The online store specializes in a wide range of electronics, household appliances, PC and office accessories as well as lifestyle products for the Swiss market.

With the new name Ideoon.ch, the team wants to emphasize its values of innovation, trust, responsibility and quality as a Swiss company that continues to develop in line with Swiss customer needs with innovative strength and service excellence.

The name "Ideoon" stands for the combination of "idea" and "vision". The online store aims to offer inspiration and innovative products at attractive prices. At the same time, the company embodies regional values and a Swiss corporate culture. With the realignment, the team wants to pay even more attention to the customer's need to shop locally, easily and conveniently and to be inspired. The product range, which has been adapted to the needs of Swiss customers, combined with excellent customer service, should make customers' hearts beat even faster. The Fynest Agency team is responsible for the rebranding and brand adaptation process from Pearl.ch to Ideoon.ch.

Young talents inspire with creative applications

The Swiss Artificial Intelligence Competition offered young talents under the age of 20 the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in the field of AI. Divij Haralalka and Andrea D'Ignazio came out on top in the "Creative Coding" category with their "Thriller Route Optimizer" application, which helps visitors to Europa-Park to use all the rides without having to wait. This innovative solution impressed the jury. The prize was presented by Fiona Könz, project manager at the ETH AI Center in Zurich. The prestigious competition, organized by the ETH AI Center, was initiated by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich and the Canton of Schwyz and held in collaboration with the Federal Artificial Intelligence Competition. Sonja and Lena Merkli won the "AI for Good" category with their AI application "Ingredient Scanner". Both winning teams received a voucher worth CHF 2000.

Study: Productivity gains thanks to AI

According to the study, 68% of respondents expect productivity in companies to increase over the next five years through the use of AI - 27% even expect a strong increase. Almost half of those surveyed expect these productivity gains through AI in the next two years. The majority of the remaining respondents expect a noticeable increase in productivity in the next five years.

Increased innovative capacity

In addition to productivity gains, it is often emphasized that AI can increase the innovative capacity of companies. This is also shown by the survey results: 86% of respondents believe that organizations can significantly boost their innovative strength through the use of AI. Profitability is closely linked to productivity gains and the ability to innovate. Here too, the majority of respondents (73%) expect an increase, although only 9% expect a strong increase.

Versatile application possibilities of AI  

The study shows that artificial intelligence opens up numerous areas of application for mastering future challenges in Switzerland:

First and foremost, the expansion of research excellence stands out with 87 votes. This indicates that Switzerland could further strengthen and expand its already internationally renowned reputation in research thanks to AI.

The shortage of skilled workers follows in second place with 72 votes. This finding is in line with the results of the expert interviews conducted. In these, it was emphasized that although AI cannot completely eliminate the shortage of skilled workers, its complementary technology could significantly reduce the negative effects.

Third place was taken by the increasing pressure to grow and innovate, which was mentioned by 58 respondents. Similar to the expansion of research excellence, AI could also play a key role here by helping companies to become more innovative and competitive.

Other options such as maintaining and promoting the quality of Swiss education, dealing with climate change and increasing the attractiveness of the location also received significant attention in the study.

Potential for economic growth and productivity

From the perspective of the organizations surveyed, economic productivity is likely to increase over the next five years as a result of AI: 68% expect an increase and 27% even expect a strong increase. Only a minority of 5 percent believe there will be no change and no one assumes that productivity could even decrease. This assessment contrasts with the productivity gains that have not yet been measurable.

Broad spectrum of application fields

When asked about the AI application areas that offer the greatest added value for the Swiss economy, a broad spectrum of possible applications initially emerges. Unsurprisingly, the greatest potential was attributed to the (partial) automation of repetitive tasks, support in software development, for example through programming, troubleshooting and documentation, as well as data analysis and interpretation. This is a clear indication of the future role of AI as a "work tool" that helps to increase efficiency and support human activities in the background.

Consequences of AI for society in Switzerland

When it comes to assessing the impact of AI on society, there are conflicting views: With regard to people's ability to make decisions, 47% of respondents believe that this ability will increase as a result of the use of AI. However, the remaining 53% expect either no change or negative effects. A differentiated analysis of the possible factors influencing decision-making ability shows that, on the one hand, it is about the quality of the information available, but also about the ability to use it. AI will certainly lead to a simpler and greater density of decision bases, but on the other hand these can be incorrect, especially in the case of generative AI. In addition, a high density of information does not necessarily bring more clarity and could instead contribute to further excessive demands.

AI as an opportunity for Swiss SMEs 

The results of the study particularly underline the potential of AI for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By using specialized and smaller AI models, companies that do not have huge data sets can also benefit from the advantages of the technology. These models are more energy efficient and better tailored to specific needs. As a result, SMEs can increase their efficiency and are able to develop innovative solutions. On the other hand, the study revealed a great need for AI knowledge transfer among SMEs, which the authors of the study intend to focus on more in the future.

"With AI and Gen AI, we have powerful technologies that can solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time. It is our responsibility to use these technologies in a way that best benefits us. The expansion of AI and Gen AI capabilities is essential to accelerate the digital transformation in Switzerland and ensure the country's competitiveness and innovative strength," says Catrin Hinkel, CEO of Microsoft Switzerland.

"The predicted economic potential of AI will only contribute to long-term value creation in Switzerland if social and ecological requirements are systematically taken into account," adds Dr. Stephan Sigrist, author of the study and founder of the think tank W.I.R.E. "However, the benefits of AI for Switzerland will not only be unlocked by corporations and start-ups, but also by empowering SMEs. Switzerland has the opportunity to position itself internationally as a leading AI location, but only if it finds the courage to position itself in the existing competition through its traditional and future strengths."

The Study is based on a survey of Swiss companies and experts, supplemented by interviews and case studies. Quantitative data was supplemented by qualitative analyses to paint a complete picture of the current and future impact of AI. Different industries and company sizes were taken into account to ensure the broad applicability of the results. A total of 111 representatives from Swiss companies took part in the quantitative survey. In addition, 20 qualitative interviews were conducted with experts from various sectors and fields of knowledge in the direct and indirect environment of AI.  

For the fourth time since 2019, Graubünden Holidays CEO Martin Vincenz welcomed the industry to a Graubünden Tourism Day on October 2 and 3, 2024. Around 160 representatives and service providers from Graubünden tourism attended the presentations and panel discussions on the topics of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability in tourism at the Arosa Sports and Congress Center. Cantonal Councillor Marcus Caduff emphasized at the opening that the various challenges must be tackled together.

Between fascination and danger
Keynote speaker Roger Basler de Roca provided an introduction to the conference topic of AI. According to the digital entrepreneur, we could actually also talk about "creative inspiration". This is because AI is like a creative spark that ignites new ideas and inspires innovative solutions. "The machine is artificial, the intelligence comes from humans."

Manuel Altermatt, Software Engineering Manager at Google, gave a more critical outlook on AI, even though he is generally a great advocate of the new technology. AI in the hands of abusers could be devastating. "This will undermine the human trust system as we know it," said Altermatt. What's more, unintended consequences of the use of AI are more critical than "malicious" AI.

Philosopher and publicist Ludwig Hasler categorized the topic from a social perspective. AI would take the relationship between man and machine to a new level. "The crucial question is what we want with AI." Referring to Immanuel Kant, he named sleep - or regeneration and dreaming -, hope and laughter as the three things that make humans superior to machines.

Using AI responsibly

Rainer Karcher, CEO and founder of Heartprint, built a bridge from AI to sustainability, the second major conference topic at the Graubünden Tourism Day. The key is to use responsible AI, he said. In terms of sustainability, AI can be used to mitigate climate change as well as to optimize the use of resources. He cited the enormous energy requirements of the new technologies as a problem.

Short presentations by various service providers gave an insight into current applications and projects at the Tourism Day. The company Fair unterwegs specializes in environmentally friendly travel experiences in Switzerland, Travelise offers surprise trips to steer guests, and Cirkel Supply promotes the circular economy through rental ski clothing. From Chiping comes the first "intelligent" golf ball that doesn't "get lost". Equally innovative is Skip's first active hiking pants with a built-in electric motor.

The Digital Tourism Trend Radar 2024 from Inside Labs provides a comprehensive analysis of the current and future impact of data and technology on the tourism industry. At the Tourism Day, AI lecturer Gion Sialm from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden provided specific guidance for efficient prompts. Representing the NextGen Tourism Board of the Graubünden Tourism Alliance, Jamie Rizzi from the Hotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide said: "We want to help shape the future of the tourism canton."

How far along is tourism?

The need for a more sustainable approach has been recognized in the tourism industry. In Arosa, the impact of tourism is considered in all dimensions - on nature, society and the economy, said Claudio Föhn, Head of Arosa 2030. According to Philipp Niederberger, Director of the Swiss Tourism Association, the conditions for a more sustainable development of the travel industry in Switzerland are good. Martina Hollenstein Stadler, Project Manager at Graubünden Ferien, called for sustainability to become the standard.

Pascale Berclaz, Director of Made in Bern, Janine Rupf, Head of Marketing Zurich Tourism, Karin Seiler, Managing Director of Tirol Werbung, and Martin Vincenz, CEO of Graubünden Ferien, discussed whether cities or Alpine regions have the edge. There is no clear-cut answer; aspects such as mobility, added value and acceptance of tourism among the population can all be weighed in the balance. "It is important that we see the city and the countryside as a whole experience," explained Pascale Berclaz.

A "must-plus" for the economy

Sustainability also offers new opportunities in other sectors of the economy. Johanna Gollnhofer, Director of the Institute for Marketing and Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen, called it the 60 percent potential - the proportion of people who have a "green attitude" but do not act accordingly. For the broad masses, the classic customer benefit must be at an advantage with more sustainable offers.

Vanessa Rueber used the example of Patagonia Switzerland to underline the fact that prioritizing environmental sustainability also works from a company perspective and does not come at the expense of profitability. "In everything we do, we pay attention to how we do it," said the Community Marketing and Impact Manager of the outdoor sports apparel company. Products are measured and improved strictly according to sustainability criteria.

Sustainability is just as holistically anchored in the Graubündner Kantonalbank organization. "Thinking and acting sustainably is part of the consistent implementation of our vision and strategy," says Martina Müller-Kamp, member of the Executive Board. In terms of communication, the aim is to present a holistic, consistent and credible image and also to create lasting memories.

Exclusive insight into guest survey

For the first time ever, results from Switzerland Tourism's new national guest survey were presented at the Graubünden Tourism Day. Over 22,000 overnight guests from Switzerland and abroad were surveyed for the Tourism Monitor Switzerland 2023. The results show the guest structure, main travel motives as well as the touristic strengths and weaknesses of a region. Stefan Künzle, Head of Digital Management, presented the results for Graubünden on behalf of Switzerland Tourism.

Graubünden stands out from its domestic competitors in particular due to its high proportion of sports and leisure guests (71 %). These include an above-average number of regular guests from two clear main markets: Switzerland (63 %) and Germany (18 %). The vacation region's best differentiators include sport, public transport and cuisine. In summary, Graubünden is the number 1 for active vacations in Switzerland. Over a quarter of respondents named winter sports as Graubünden's greatest strength. The biggest "weakness" from the guests' point of view is the price level.

No employees will be made redundant, RTR Head of Communications Tamara Deflorin emphasized on request. "The cuts will take place in all areas, in programming, marketing and communication, in technology and in central services," Deflorin told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

The reduction corresponds to around four percent of the workforce. RTR's total budget this year amounts to CHF 24.9 million. In 2025, it will still amount to CHF 24.6 million, which is 1.2 percent lower.

Reduced offer for children

Despite the wide range of measures, it is not possible to achieve the necessary savings without cutting back on programming, according to RTR. For example, the offer for children on the Internet will be greatly reduced, the radio program will be adjusted, a summer information program will be discontinued and the weather forecast in the news program "Telesguard" will be cancelled.

The need to make savings is a result of the SRG SSR's cost-cutting measures, it said. It will have to save CHF 50 million next year and is expected to save CHF 65 million in 2026. Further savings will be required in the near future due to the planned adjustment of the annual media levy for households. (SDA)

The ASW agency network published guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence in communications agencies back in fall 2023 (Markt-kom.com reported). These principles have now been supplemented by an everyday guide: the tool-independent, activity-based AI radar.

The decision matrix is intended to ensure that generative AI in particular can be responsibly integrated into the agency's day-to-day work and that neither ethical nor legal frameworks are violated in the process.

"Our intention is to be able to continuously supplement the AI Radar together with the entire industry," says Benno Frick, Managing Director of the ASW agency network. In addition, the AI Radar will be adapted to current case law as required.

The KI-Radar is now available to communication agencies, designers, photographers, audio and video producers and other creators at Ki.asw.ch at your free disposal.

Marina Abramović is one of the most influential and famous artists of our time. For decades, her art performances have explored physical and mental boundaries in an unmistakable way. The Kunsthaus Zürich is now honoring her work with the first retrospective in Switzerland, from the end of October 2024 to mid-February 2025.

Together with the Zurich agency Sir Mary, an unusual campaign was developed that goes far beyond exhibition communication and poster design. The activation campaign calls on art fans from all over the world to figuratively "steal" the artworks of world star Marina Abramović.

Tutorials for three of Abramović's best-known performances are intended to make plagiarizing even easier under the artist's approval. These tutorials are at the heart of the activation campaign and run animated across all digital channels. The campaign is also flanked by classic channels such as (D)OOH, advertisements and flyers.

As most of the performances are primarily dependent on their visibility, users are encouraged to film their own interpretation of the performances and post them publicly with the hashtag "#StealMarinasArtwork". In this way, Marina Abramović's works are expanded to include a previously unseen perspective, in keeping with the spirit of the retrospective. A dedicated landing page serves as a campaign hub with all relevant information.

The most authentic and convincing performance thefts will be included in the official selection of the Kunsthaus - and have the chance to win an exclusive and signed portrait of Abramović, shot by Swiss star photographer Michel Comte.

The idea of the provocative campaign is to become a kind of interactive, collective art performance that addresses controversial topics such as intellectual property rights and public access to art. And in keeping with Abramović's life's work, it arguably poses more questions than answers.

The campaign has been running since the beginning of October 2024 on Instagram, TikTok, OOH, DOOH and ads. The deadline for all performances is the end of November 2024.

Responsible at Kunsthaus Zürich: Alex Hefter (Head of Sales and Services), Priska Amstutz (Head of Communications & Marketing), Marie-Hélène Thornton (Marketing Manager), Sara Nenzi (Digital Products, Social Media). Responsible at Sir Mary: Adrian Merz (Executive Creative Director), Thomas Berger (Design Director), Michael Messer (Copywriter), Michelle Müntener (Content Creator & Illustration), Jacqueline Willimann (Senior Account Manager), Daniel Zuberbühler (Managing Partner), Florian Beck (Chief Creative Officer), Luca Zurfluh (Edit & Animations), Reto Hüttenmoser (Animations).

As individuals - but also as a society - we face many challenges these days. It is precisely these issues that the University of Lucerne addresses in its research and teaching. By constantly asking and questioning what drives us as people and as a society. It is precisely these questions that Serviceplan has brought to the fore in a newly designed communication platform for the University of Lucerne - thus strengthening the existing motto "Moving Human Sciences" in terms of communication.

Can artificial intelligence lie? Was the future better in the past? Is pacifism just naive? How can we age healthily and happily? At the University of Lucerne, the various faculties teach and research questions like these - questions that focus on people and society and that have been placed at the center of communication in Serviceplan's new brand film.

Questions also form the communicative bracket for the application of the Master's and Bachelor's degree programs. Questions that are also relevant for students and thus make the university's brand essence authentically tangible on social media channels. For this reason, the use of actors was avoided and real students were used instead.

The brand film, snippets of it and the social media master and bachelor clips are currently being used on various platforms.

Responsible at the University of Lucerne: Lukas Portmann (Communications Officer), Maurus Bucher (University Communications). Responsible at the House of Communication Zurich: Nadja Tandler (Art Direction), Kelsang Gope, Peter Liptak (Text), Marcin Baba, Micha Seger (ECD), Sarah Mager, Audrey Isaak, Andrea Staub (Consulting), Nico Podgorny (Chief Client Officer), Raul Serrat (Chief Creative Officer), Nathalie Diethelm (CEO). External partners: Nadia Rosasco, Rosas and Co Films.

The magazine, which will continue to be published until the end of the year by the Sunday View The supplement will be integrated into these, as Ringier stated in a press release on Thursday. The report goes on to say that the society and culture content will continue to appear in the sections of the Sonntagsblick. The sections will now have 88 to a maximum of 96 pages, instead of 72.

Alexandra Fitz, who was previously responsible for the magazine's content, will now serve as deputy editor-in-chief of the Sonntagsblick's. The 38-year-old woman from Liechtenstein is also co-editor of the Society/People section. (SDA/swi)

Mobile ticketing - i.e. buying public transport tickets via an app - offers many advantages. PostBus is also increasingly relying on the digital options for purchasing tickets - including an app that many people in Switzerland already have on their cell phone: the SBB Mobile App.

The Aarau agency Blueheart has supported PostBus with a campaign to further publicize the possibilities of mobile ticketing. The focus is on two options: buying tickets via a timetable search and the impressively simple "EasyRide" function, which allows passengers to simply swipe to check in, travel to their destination and then swipe to check out again. The cheapest fare is calculated automatically.

As part of the campaign, two 40-second videos were designed and produced - one in German and one in French. These show the purchase process via the SBB mobile app wrapped up in a short story. The material was also used to create 10-second social media story ads, YouTube TrueView ads and Livesystems screen videos. Hanging boxes in the Postbuses are also used to draw attention to the two mobile ticketing options.

Responsible at PostBus: Pasquale Arleo (Marketing Communication and Cooperation Specialist); Adrian Garbely (Project Manager / Business Analyst Pricing Systems and Sales). Responsible at Blueheart: Hanno Lietz (CD text / concept); Anne Hintermann, Izabela Carona (graphics); Emanuel Schweizer, Izabela Carona (filming and editing); Kristin Enzler (consulting).

Following the departure of Nik Hartmann at the end of November 2024, Miriam Martino will assume overall responsibility for the in-house productions of the national CH Media channels 3+, 4+, 5+, 6+, 7+, TV24, TV25 and S1 as well as the streaming service Oneplus. Martino, who previously managed this area together with Hartmann, will continue to report directly to Wolfgang Elsässer, Head of National TV at CH Media and CEO of CH Media TV.

Martino has extensive experience in TV production, including the development and implementation of numerous successful formats such as "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz", "MasterChef Schweiz" and "Reality Shore". She will "continue to make a decisive contribution to strengthening the portfolio of national TV channels and CH Media's streaming service Oneplus", the media company writes in a press release.

Previously, she was Head of Factual & New Business and Deputy Managing Director at BB EndemolShine. She has also worked for various production companies as an editorial manager, executive producer and producer and was responsible for formats such as "Bauer, ledig, sucht" (3+), "Geboren am" (SRF 1), "Kunst hoch 2" (3sat), "Miss Schweiz" (Sat.1 Switzerland) and "Mission Surprise" (SRF 2).

Ute von Moers manages the national TV business on behalf of the company

Ute von Moers, Head of Program and Channel Management TV National, will also be appointed Deputy Head of CH Media's national TV business and Deputy CEO of CH Media TV as of 1 December 2024. In her new role, she will work closely with Wolfgang Elsässer. She will also take on a "central role in the strategic development of the TV and streaming business", according to the statement. "We are thus strengthening our management team and setting an example for continuity and innovation," Elsässer is quoted as saying in the press release. "Miriam Martino and Ute von Moers bring outstanding expertise and fresh ideas that are crucial for the future of CH Media's national TV and streaming business."

Insurance becomes an issue for young people as they enter adulthood. The new Vaudoise web series takes up the topics of pension provision, household contents/liability and comprehensive cover and presents them in a relaxed way to the young target group. In 20 episodes, you can follow the everyday lives of three flatmates.

Meli, Laura and Sebi experience typical everyday situations in their living room that are directly or indirectly related to the insurance industry. The web series offers insurance tips in a short, simple and entertaining way. "When you move out of your home, you have to take care of your own insurance. It's not so easy to understand why you need household contents/liability insurance, a third pillar or comprehensive insurance," explains Véronique Oliveira, Head of Brand Management at Vaudoise Insurance.

"With the title of the series - Bad Vibes - we show that we understand our target audience. When you're dealing with insurance, it's sometimes seen as something tedious, especially in the event of a claim. With Bad Vibes, we want to convey a memorable and unique message," adds Estelle Payot, Social Media Manager at Vaudoise and project manager. The videos are published on TikTok and Instagram published in French and German via the accounts @badvibes_ch.

Premiere for Vaudoise

The web series was first written and directed in French by Julien Doquin de Saint Preux, Grégoire Leresche and Paul Walther and then translated into Swiss German and realized by director Camille Christen. The faces behind the Swiss-German flatmates are Amanda Verandi, Sira Topic and Sandro Howald.