The newly formed agency Biggie combines expertise in the areas of strategy, data, media, performance, retail, content and consulting, according to a press release. It offers "concrete and effective solutions for a wide range of challenges in customer acquisition and retention".

The Biggie Group's international portfolio comprises more than 530 clients at locations in Paris, Marseille, Brussels, Milan, Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Dubai and São Paulo. In addition to the new agency "Biggie", the group includes the video agency Kazam, which specializes in video, the influencer marketing agency Beastly, which focuses on performance campaigns, and the agency Ohlala, which has expertise in the areas of press relations, influencing and social media. Biggie Group focuses on consulting, transformation and activation with cutting-edge data, media and marketing expertise and pursues a pan-European acquisition strategy.

"With this rebranding, we are signaling the next stage of our history and our vision," says Silvana Imperiali, Managing Director DACH & CZ at Biggie Switzerland, explaining the merger. "We want to accompany our customers on their entire journey by offering innovative, scalable 360-degree marketing services and products. We combine our long-standing expertise in data, adtech, content and AI with a deep understanding of all media and channels."

Humans are creatures of habit. Once you have become accustomed to a certain routine, it takes a long time to change this habit. This is no different with eating habits than it is with media use. Nevertheless, something is happening in the media landscape in Switzerland - and these changes become visible with the Media Use Index.

Together with the media agency EssenceMediacom, Ingo Zürich collects the most important data on media usage in Switzerland once a year. In the previous year, 2023, it was already apparent that media use had clearly changed after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic: People wanted to spend less time on the sofa and in front of the big screen again and instead meet more with others in public spaces.

"Normalization" of media use

This "normalization" of media habits is now continuing this year and media usage is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, this development is mixed with another trend that is directly related to the current socio-political situation in the world. The succession of different, unrelated crises - Covid, Ukraine, Gaza and, last but not least, the climate crisis - is also known as a polycrisis by sociologists. And such a polycrisis puts people under massive psychological pressure.

According to a global survey conducted by Ingo in collaboration with WPP, 64% of respondents see the cost of living as the most pressing problem at the moment and 42% are concerned about economic instability. The resulting stress is seen by 52% as the biggest problem for their health.

The topic of "mental health" is also an enormous challenge for the majority of Swiss people, and the changes in media use are a reaction to this. People no longer want to be permanently reachable, they limit their cell phone use and no longer blindly follow every hype.

"Digital Detox" shows the desire to slow down

Younger people in particular are showing an increased desire for a "digital detox". For example, in the area of gaming, where both active and passive use is declining significantly. While gaming was still the big winner among the channels during the pandemic, usage figures are clearly falling this year. Fewer games are being played (-13%) and fewer live gaming streams are being watched (-13%).

The decline in gaming can be observed primarily on smartphones (-9%). Gen Z in particular is apparently aware that it spends a lot of time in front of digital screens and is now trying to limit its consumption of digital media. For example, the messenger app WhatsApp is losing significant reach (-9%), while monthly internet usage is also down by 3% overall. The Ingo trend study "Future 100" also found that smartphones are increasingly being switched off and sometimes even replaced entirely by a so-called "dumb phone", which offers no other functions apart from telephony.

Switzerland saves on media expenditure

The current sense of economic uncertainty is also causing the Swiss to change their viewing habits. For example, it is clear that Switzerland is cutting back on its spending on video for the first time. In 2023, the use of streaming platforms averaged two subscriptions; this year, the average is just one and a half. At the same time, the use of traditional cable TV is increasing from 19% to 24% - a significant increase of 26%.

In other words, you no longer pay for multiple streaming services as often and instead use a service that is included in the rent in most households anyway.

The "TikTok-ization" of moving images

Traditional linear television is still the norm - two thirds of the population watch TV on the big screen in their living room. However, non-linear offerings are growing steadily and are increasingly being used, with the "short videos" category in particular becoming an integral part of daily media consumption - 46% of the population watch videos in their social feed every day. By far the fastest growing category is "snackable videos", which are shorter than one minute. The "TikTok-ization" of the world is increasing significantly.

As early as 2023, it was determined that the role of social is changing overall. Away from a medium for exchanging information with friends and family or staying in touch, towards a classic entertainment channel. We called this "lean back": Social media as a "sprinkling channel".

An observation from this year now supports this thesis. Although the use of social media is stable overall compared to the previous year, more platforms are being used overall, such as the messenger apps Telegram and Discord. The time spent on social media is therefore spread across more channels. A phenomenon that we are traditionally only familiar with from TV can also be seen on social media: channel hopping. People zap through the various platforms, watch one mini-video after the next and don't stay anywhere for more than a few minutes.

The Swiss are obviously not quite as "analog" as the apologists of the "digital detox" would like them to be. After all, cherished habits are slow to change.

* Peter Petermann is Head of Strategy at Ingo Zürich and has been responsible for all in-house studies since September 2021, including the Media Use Index, the BrandAsset-Valuator and the Future 100.

The Media Use Index has been surveyed annually since 2009. In the period from August to October 2023, Ingo, Ogilvy and EssenceMediacom surveyed around 2,500 people aged between 16 and 69.

The newly launched "ADCE Student Awards" invites emerging designers, artists and creatives from across Europe to showcase their talents in 14 different categories. Over 60 experts, including teachers and industry professionals, will judge online and select the gold winners for each category as well as the "Best Youngstar".

The competition is intended to serve as a door opener and springboard into the creative industry. The ADCE also wants to use the young talent competition to underline its commitment to promoting the next generation of creative professionals and helping to shape the future of advertising and design.

Eligible are persons who are at least 18 years old and currently enrolled in a European university, graduate or portfolio program. Membership of the Art Directors Club of Europe is not required.

Interested parties can Apply now and until September 27, 2024. The winners will be announced at the gala at the ADCE Festival 2024 on November 21 and 22, 2024 in Barcelona - together with the ADCE Awards.

From 2024, universities and participants in the ADCE Student Awards will also be able to collect points for the first time, which will contribute to their ranking in the Global Creative College Rankings 2024. The ADCE will provide further details shortly.

After numerous trade fair appearances in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Otto Hofstetter has decided to be present at NPE 2024 in Orlando. The NPE is one of the world's most influential trade fairs for the plastics industry with around 60,000 trade visitors and over 2,000 exhibitors. An ideal platform for the tool manufacturer from Uznach to maintain its contacts on the American continent and make new ones. The customer and agency decided to tell the American public a special story.

The American economy repeatedly boasts that world-famous companies once started out very modestly in a garage. These include megacorporations such as Disney, Amazon, Apple and many more. Otto Hofstetter also enjoys a high reputation in its sector around the globe. And like the American lighthouses, it has its roots in a garage. The creatives at Yellow took this fact as the guiding principle for the toolmaker's appearance.

The stand in the form of a garage offered the sales team sufficient space and welcome peace and quiet for networking, while the forecourt could be used for general information. In an environment of system stands and partition walls, the Otto Hofstetter AG garage caused quite a stir. The theme also shaped the trade fair communication, from the invitation to the social media presence.

Responsible at Otto Hofstetter: Stefan Zatti (Head of Sales and Marketing). Responsible agency: Yellow.

"We are only at the beginning, but in the short time since the launch of these features, we already have 30,000 sellers here" (in Europe) "using these offers", the US manager told DPA during a visit to Munich. According to Mehta, photos of the products in question are now sufficient for an AI-generated suggestion of an item description in a number of cases.

According to Mehta, Amazon AI can also take on creative tasks that were previously the domain of humans: "So many sellers don't just create product descriptions, they also want to advertise them. And so we create ads for them." For certain ads that Amazon generates in this way, click-through rates (CTR) can be up to 20 percent higher than for advertising based on standard product images.

The CTR is an indicator that measures the success of online advertising based on the number of clicks. According to Mehta, before a computer-generated ad is activated, it is presented to the sellers and checked by them: "In effect, we generate a proposal for the seller."

Two million retailers

Two million retailers are now represented on the Group's online marketplace worldwide, including 47,500 in Germany and 125,000 in the EU. According to the US parent company's annual report, Germany was the second-largest market after the US in 2023 with sales of almost 37.6 billion dollars, albeit with a huge gap: US sales were more than ten times higher at 395.6 billion dollars. In addition to online retail, these consolidated sales figures also include other Amazon services such as streaming subscriptions and the operation of cloud data centers. (SDA)

A Matura thesis led Ese Agency into self-employment. Her Lyrics Magazine brought a breath of fresh air to the cultural landscape. After a short time, another new business case emerged from the hip-hop medium - an advertising agency.

The new office in Zurich is a further step for Ese Agency to establish itself as a renowned agency. Elia Binelli, founder and Managing Director, and his two partners Emanuel Ernst and Severin Gamper not only want to be geographically closer to their partners, but also "closer to the job market, closer to the pulse of the times, closer to the culture. We want to help shape the bustling advertising world of Zurich."

The agency, which now has almost 20 employees, can be found at Grubenstrasse 54 in Binz. "The perfect place for conncetions and a bit of competition," jokes Emanuel Ernst.

Momentum for a strategic move

In addition to the new office, the agency has focused heavily on the further development of its strategy in recent months. It is now positioning itself even more strongly in the areas of websites and content marketing as well as campaigning and (employer) branding. "We can do everything that the big full-service agencies do - but we are younger, fresher and more dynamic," says Binelli, describing the comprehensive range of services.

In addition, the freshly developed website of the agency with various awards. Ese co-founder Severin Gamper developed the site independently, from concept to design to programming.

Due to renovation work, the main building of Vaudoise Insurance is currently shrouded in large scaffolding. The Vaudoise Art Commission is using this for an art installation by Nigel Peake. The architect, designer and visual artist, who was born in Ireland in 1981, has exhibited his works in Europe and the USA. Richnerstutz installed Peake's artwork "On and Around" on the tarpaulins and scaffolding for the insurance company - in record time. It took just ten days from print approval to the finished installation.

Plan, produce, assemble

The implementation required close collaboration with Vaudoise, Nigel Peake and the architectural firm Itten+Brechbühl, which was commissioned with the renovation, Richnerstutz writes in a press release. The company was responsible for planning, sampling, precise measurements, drawing up the plans and visualizations, as well as production and installation. "The mega format of over 2,300 square meters required both a mechanical and manual process. The work consists of individual, five-metre-wide panels that have to be joined together precisely so that the transitions are just right," explains Marc Mühlemann, Key Account Management & Marketing, Suisse Romande at Richnerstutz.

A monumental synthesis of the arts

The assembly of the gigantic work of art also proved to be a challenge. Richnerstutz welded the printed material together in strips and equipped it with fastening options all around. "The assembly was carried out in the third dimension, which required a lot of imagination when planning and assembling so that everything really fits," says Marc Mühlemann. The result speaks for itself: "On and Around" is a total work of art and invites you to marvel. The interweaving of lines, colors and structures creates a dialogue that is constantly renewed between the architecture, the city and the surrounding landscape.

The current Director Martina Fehr will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as announced by Maz Luzern on Wednesday. Beat Rüdt will become Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Deputy CEO. Barbara Lüthi will become Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Christian Flückiger Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The new management team is intended to strengthen the Maz in the long term, as Felix E. Müller, President of the Foundation, was quoted as saying in the press release. "With this reorganization, a broad spectrum of competencies, which are necessary for further professionalization, can be bundled in the Executive Board."

Martina Fehr describes the reorganization as a "milestone", according to the press release. She is looking forward to devoting more time to strategic issues in addition to organizational development. (SDA)

Art Director Lukas Binggeli has joined the Bold management team as a Junior Partner. With over a decade of professional expertise under his belt, he completes the management quintet of Moritz Adler, Philippe Hansen, Matthias Gerber and Tino Niederberger.

Binggeli has been with the Bern-based agency since 2019. "As a team player, I have found my place at Bold. Here, concentrated creativity meets healthy pragmatism. Short paths and communication at eye level, pleasant in everyday life with the team and clients. I'm looking forward to continuing to grow and contributing my expertise even more," says the creative about his new role.

"For us, it is another pioneering step to rejuvenate the agency board and distribute it across different shoulders. It's a step that has been on the cards and has been carefully considered," says Philippe Hansen, Partner at Bold, about this development.

Lukas Binggeli is following in the footsteps of Senior Partner and Bold founding member Marco Mesot, who is soon looking forward to calmer waters after more than 30 years in the advertising business. He is not yet withdrawing completely from the operational business: Mesot will reportedly remain with the agency for special projects and administration.

With this step, Goldbach Neo is strengthening its presence at its headquarters in Geneva, where high-reach inventories such as TPG, the City of Geneva and Geneva Airport are marketed.

Laure Violet has been working in Geneva for over ten years and holds a master's degree in art and cultural management. Before joining Goldbach Neo, she was a member of the management team at Asendia Press Edigroup. At Goldbach Neo, she reports directly to Diego Quintarelli, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer.

In her new role, she will further develop the commercial orientation of Goldbach Neo. Together with the teams in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, she will also provide strategic support to Goldbach Neo's partners.

Just in time for its 20th anniversary, the non-profit association Crescenda from Basel has a new corporate identity. It was not intended to be a radical change, but rather a further development. And above all, the target groups should be able to recognize it quickly and clearly. This was the brief given to Feinheit, who developed the new look.

Reaching the goal with human-centered design

To meet the objectives, the agency combined its expertise in visual design with its experience in human-centered design and decided to work with people from the target groups. It quickly became clear that one target group was by far the most important: women with migration experience who attend business start-up courses or vocational training at Crescenda. In workshops with representatives of this target group, Feinheit was able to capture and convey the impact of Crescenda.

This showed that Crescenda focuses on a sense of belonging and cheerful togetherness. This is reflected in the new appearance, which is characterized by loud colors, playful fonts and authentic imagery.

Corporate design manual as a basis

The end product is a corporate design manual. Visually, it brings the identity to life with completely refreshed elements - such as the logo, typography, colors, imagery and layout principles. The text also gets to the heart of who Crescenda is. In particular, the logo byline "This is where women arrive. This is where women get ahead."

Among other things, the corporate design manual was the basis for the new website of Crescendawhich has recently gone online.

Responsible at Crescenda: Nicole Lützelschwab, Isabelle Groeli, Katharina Stöckli, Corinna Zuckermann, Nathalie Storer, Adelina Arendarska, Linh Lam, Beatrice Speiser. Responsible for fineness: Moritz Friess (project management & consulting), Catriona Paffhausen (visual design), Stephanie Auderset (text).

Stadtwerke Gossau offers a wide range of services and products that appeal to very different target groups. In order to create a progressive and customer-centric profile, Stadtwerke launched a new brand identity in summer 2024. Stadtwerke has thus made itself communicatively fit for the future in a changing market environment with increasing liberalization.

Really well supplied

The new brand identity of Stadtwerke Gossau, developed by Die Botschafter, is based on the three central service promises "securely supplied", "comprehensively supplied" and "simply supplied", which are united in the claim "Really well supplied".

The further development of the brand focuses on the customers and the services of Stadtwerke Gossau that suit them, which go far beyond the triumvirate of electricity, water and gas. The logo is the "common thread" of the visual identity and is designed to be highly recognizable in its variants and color scheme. The shape symbolizes dynamism, innovation and human emotion. The catchy claim "Really well supplied" is intended to summarize this value proposition succinctly.

Equipped for the energy future

The ambassadors sharpened the positioning for Stadtwerke Gossau and derived core messages and the claim from this. The agency also created the new website, refreshed the social media channels and the newsletter, designed a launch campaign and revised the existing brochures and flyers. In fall 2024, a new trade fair presence and communication tools to support consulting will follow.

Responsible at Stadtwerke Gossau: Rafael Mittelholzer (Head of Market and Energy), Daniela Schwitter-Meister (Head of Marketing). Responsible at Die Botschafter Kommunikationsagentur: Axel Thoma (strategy and concept), Carmen Fraefel (project management), Tammy Kissling (design), Jessica Obrist (digital).