Switzerland has committed to converting its energy system to net zero by 2050. A central element of this is the expansion of renewable energies. Researchers at the University of Bern and the Università della Svizzera italiana have developed the SWEET project as part of the federal funding program. Online game "Ensured Energy" in which participants can simulate and control Switzerland's energy supply over the next 30 years. The game is designed to increase understanding of the complex interrelationships within Swiss energy policy.

Energy transition brought to life

In "Ensured Energy", players make decisions on energy infrastructure, electricity imports and political measures and directly see the effects of their choices on the security of supply. Unexpected events also occur, such as extreme weather conditions or fluctuating energy prices.

Focus on opinion-forming

The project was led by Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Bern. Her team provided the thematic foundations, while the researchers at the Università della Svizzera italiana were responsible for the game design, model development and technical implementation. "Our aim is for the game to make it easier for players to form an opinion on energy policy alternatives on the path to net zero," explains Stadelmann-Steffen.

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is financially supporting the game as part of the SWEET consortium "Sustainable and Resilient Energy for Switzerland" (SURE), which is researching sustainable energy solutions for Switzerland. The game is also part of a population survey that is investigating whether such interactive offers strengthen opinion-forming and confidence in one's own ability to act on the energy transition. The results of this study are not yet available.

Known for striking buildings such as bridges and railroad stations, Zurich-based architect Santiago Calatrava is designing this year's art edition of the NZZ. His work is characterized by organic forms and moves in the field of tension between architecture, art and nature. "My method consists of making a lot of sketches and drawings. Working in series takes you where you didn't want to go," explains Calatrava in an interview with Roman Bucheli, deputy head of the features section at the NZZ.

Calatrava, who is originally from Valencia, describes his current adopted home of Zurich as a city that became an artistic revelation for him: "The sobriety in Zurich, the silence and at the same time the light in this city by the lake, it all meant a liberation. I breathed more easily again. Here I experienced the dawn of a new art, because I have always understood architecture as art."

Exclusively for the art edition, Calatrava has created a series of 25 watercolors and a limited edition of two lithographs for the NZZ, which will be available in the newspaper's store from Saturday.

The Bern Building Insurance (GVB) supports the people of Bern in protecting their homes from storm damage through its Natural Hazards department. The associated campaign was launched in 2023 (Markt-kom.com reported). The newly launched wave focuses on damage caused by storms. Whether it's a flooded cellar, blinds smashed by hailstones or bricks torn down by a storm, the campaign highlights the importance of prevention to protect your home. Building owners can prevent costly and time-consuming damage by paying attention to a few things.

Thinking ahead instead of cursing

To keep the basement dry in heavy rain, building owners should plan for waterproofing, protective barriers and backflow flaps when constructing the building. If there is a threat of hail, the GVB advises owners and tenants to pull up the shutters. That way they remain unharmed. And before a storm hits, it makes sense to check the roof for loose tiles. The GVB's natural hazards department provides building owners with further specific tips on its website.

The campaign will be played out via engagement ads, social media posts, site ads, TV commercials and posters in the canton of Bern.

Responsible at GVB: Daniel Hofer, Communications Team. Responsible agency: Bold.

With humor and a dose of self-irony, the campaign focuses on relaxed experiences and charmingly holds up a mirror to hectic travel situations. "With our campaign, we are showing a vacation alternative with plenty of room for relaxation. And away from the overcrowded tourism hotspots that you see in the media," explains Franz Thomas Balmer, Vice Director and Head of Marketing for the vacation region. Together with his team, he is responsible for the concept and implementation.

Inspiration instead of to-do lists

The central element of the campaign is a landing pagewhich offers all-you-can inspiration instead of classic to-do lists. It's like a digital buffet of ideas for special vacation experiences. Based on the well-known "all-you-can-eat" principle, guests receive humorously formulated suggestions, such as "fish your fish" when fly fishing. An accompanying competition on social media invites guests to share their personal #machsbesser moment. There are three "all-you-can" weekends to be won in the Engadin, Samnaun or Val Müstair regions.

Final with a surprise effect

The highlight of the campaign will follow from the end of June and promises to attract additional attention. The creative idea and implementation for this comes from the Zurich advertising agency Wirz. Details will be communicated in the coming weeks.

The campaign shows the many possible uses of the local cooking oil, from quick student lunches to weekend brunches and family classics. Rapeseed oil is presented as a connecting element between generations, lifestyles and eating habits. The claim "Belongs in every kitchen" and the realistic, authentic commercials are intended to whet the appetite and emphasize quality and Swiss origin.

The concept is deliberately designed to run for at least three years. The flexible central idea can be further developed for future waves and formats. The campaign has been on TV, DOOH and online in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland since the end of April.

Responsible at Verein Schweizer Rapsöl: Luana Monopoli, Marketing & Communication. Responsible at Zimmermann Communications: Creative Direction: Christoff Strukamp, Art Direction: Julia Hofmann, Text: Sophie Güntensperger, Project Management: Lara Cavelti, Overall responsibility: Dominik Mätzener. Film production: Marty-Trezzini. Recording studio: Dubdub Studios.

With the Uefa Women's Euro 2025 in its own country, the Swiss Football Association (SFA) is not only using the stage for the tournament, but also for a long-term support program: The SFA Legacy brings together over 20 projects for the targeted empowerment of girls and women in Swiss football.

Under the claim "Here to stay", the SFA confirms that the measures initiated in the context of Euro 2025 should have an impact beyond the tournament. The aim is to double the number of active female players, coaches, referees and officials by 2027.

Volta Studio has developed an independent visual identity for this future program. This bundles the SFV legacy in terms of design and clearly conveys the association's values. The new look is intended to stand for sustainable development and progress - deliberately detached from typical gender clichés.

The presentation has been gradually rolled out on digital platforms, at events and in physical locations since Tuesday as part of the press conference at the Barfüsserkirche in Basel. The accompanying website Heretostay.ch was designed and implemented by Mutoco.

Responsible at the Swiss Football Association SFV: Alice Holzer, Dominik Erb, Nils Sommer. Responsible at Volta Studio: Isabelle Lindner, Selina Muth, Janika Schweizer. Website (design/code): Mutoco.

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of Swiss teenagers’ lives. According to the James-Focus study conducted by ZHAW and Swisscom, 71 percent of the 12- to 19-year-olds surveyed have used AI tools at least once, and many already use them regularly. The Focus study builds on the James study from November 2024 and focuses on the everyday use of AI among teenagers.According to the study, the usage rate increases significantly with age: 84% of 18 to 19-year-olds already use AI tools, compared to around half of 12 to 13-year-olds. 1183 young people from German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino were surveyed for the representative study.

Predominantly school use

The results show that young people primarily use AI technologies for educational purposes, such as for research, explaining topics, demonstrating solutions or generating texts. In contrast, use for entertainment purposes, such as chatbots or image generators, plays a subordinate role.

Favorite is ChatGPT

ChatGPT dominates the world of AI applications. The tool was by far the most frequently used by the young people surveyed. This can presumably be attributed to the fact that it was the first tool to be available to the general public free of charge.

My AI", Snapchat's chatbot, and Microsoft's Copilot follow in second place. "My AI" is particularly popular with girls, which is probably related to the generally high use of Snapchat among young people. A total of 67 different AI applications were named in the study.

Cautious optimism instead of blind euphoria

"The study shows a differentiated picture: most people are cautiously optimistic about the technology. They are not unconditionally euphoric, but reflective," says ZHAW researcher and co-head of the study Gregor Waller. Regular users have a more positive attitude towards the technology. This is particularly evident when searching for information, possibly due to the immediate added value they experience. The study results point to a reciprocal effect: Young people who have good experiences with AI develop more trust - and vice versa.

Attitudes towards AI are also strongly influenced by individual lifeworlds, interests and everyday experiences. Gender-specific differences are striking here: girls rated AI significantly more negatively than boys, the report continues. The researchers suspect that this could be due to socially influenced reservations, stereotypical role models or a lower level of confidence in their own technical abilities. The place of residence also plays a role. Young people from urban areas are more open to AI than their peers in rural areas.

Challenges for education and upbringing

As AI will increasingly shape the lives of young people, the authors of the study believe it is essential to give young people access to AI technologies and enable them to use them in a reflective and responsible manner. They point out that AI users could gain advantages in the school and professional context - for example through more efficient learning, better mastery of complex tasks or increased productivity.

The rapid technological development poses new challenges for both teachers and parents. "The technical development steps are a major challenge. As parents and educators, we are well advised to actively address the issue in order to provide our children and young people with the best possible support," emphasizes Michael In Albon, Youth Media Protection Officer at Swisscom.

In order to strengthen the ability to question critically, young people's confidence in their own skills and knowledge should be encouraged. There is often a lack of differentiated understanding of the risks and opportunities of AI - and the same applies to adults. It is therefore advisable for young people and parents to explore the new technologies together. (Tanja Mettauer/NetzKI Bot/rja)

This article first appeared in Netzwoche.

Legal tech is constantly bringing new tools onto the market, but this often means additional complexity. Flank opted for a radical alternative and positioned itself not as just another piece of software, but as "living intelligence" that invisibly interweaves with emails, documents and chats.

In interviews and brand sprints, Salz & Water identified this intuitive experience as a differentiating factor under the guiding principle "Legal intelligence beyond artificial". Flank is positioned as a symbiotic, co-learning presence that expands human thinking and establishes a new category beyond classic legal tech. This guiding principle serves as the North Star for the product roadmap, communication and design.

"Our strategy aimed to position Flanks Legal AI not as a pure function, but as a symbiotic intelligence - seamlessly embedded, self-learning and so intuitive that it feels like a natural part of legal thinking," explains Fréderic Praplan, Brand Strategy Director and Managing Partner at Salz & Water.

Brand identity between bytes and botany

Together with Geneva-based studio Andhüman, Salz & Water transformed the strategy into an organic appearance. The centrepiece is a dynamic asterisk that blossoms like a digital fern and symbolizes the symbiotic interplay between man and machine. Dark basic tones meet bright accents and create a visual world that clearly stands out from conventional tech aesthetics.

Responsible at Flank: Lilian Breidenbach (Co-Founder & Managing Director), Jake Jones (Co-Founder & Managing Director). Responsible at Salz & Water Agency: Matthias Kadlubsky (Creative Direction), Fréderic Praplan (Brand Strategy), Christian Schickler (Digital Strategy), Yoshiya Abiko (Design). Responsible at Andhüman: Ala Ho (Design Strategy), Ania Martowska (Art Direction).

In light of the increasing fragmentation and polarization of the public and the growing problem of fake news, the HarbourClub sees an urgent need for companies to take action. According to the newly presented "CCO Compass 2025" communication managers should increasingly act as stakeholder relationship managers in order to take on a more active role in the company and ensure the credibility of communication.

The publication was created on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the HarbourClub with the participation of around 100 members and was presented for the first time at the Swiss Media Forum in Lucerne. It formulates thirteen concrete measures as recommendations for five central communicative fields of action. These include, in particular, building trust, dealing with a fragmented public and positioning on socio-politically relevant issues. Companies are often faced with the decision of whether to speak out publicly on controversial issues or to deliberately keep a low profile. According to HarbourClub, stances should be taken more strategically and less tactically in future. In recent years, this has often happened "on a whim or due to the mood of individual managers in the company".

An informal survey of Swiss communication managers shows that companies are expected to comment on climate change, sustainability issues, Switzerland's relationship with the EU and issues relating to social peace in particular. There are also industry-specific topics such as geopolitical developments and dealing with technology and artificial intelligence.

In the future - the turning point, as the HarbourClub puts it - communication will become more demanding, with fact-based, transparent and consistent storytelling being crucial. Hans-Peter Nehmer, President of the HarbourClub, summarizes as follows: "The head of communications is no longer just concerned with 'sending', but with shaping relationships with all stakeholder groups. This also means listening and entering into dialog. In future, we need to pay even more attention to facts and transparency. Heads of communication should be in a position to take responsibility for the sincerity of communication for the company. A communications department that is merely an 'internal service provider' and not a steering function will sooner or later be a reputational risk."

The collaboration between Klar and APGN initially focused on a workshop in which the central employer values were identified using the canvas method and condensed into a concise employer value proposition.

In a second phase, the company website was completely redesigned with the integration of the new employer page. This included UX/UI, development of the imagery and icons as well as programming.

The new image is intended to establish APGN as an attractive employer in the region and attract qualified specialists for the important work in geriatric care. Residents, potential residents as well as relatives, visitors and authorities are addressed in equal measure in order to impressively convey the qualities and services.

For the next step in communication, Klar will develop a social media strategy, design the job advertisements and develop a newsletter concept to further strengthen the company and employer brand.

Responsible at APGN: Harald Klein, Erna Lobnig, Ruth Rüegsegger, Raphael Baumgartner. Responsible agency: Clearly employer branding. Photographer: Samuel Trümpy.

The current «Air – Lungs – Life» campaign by the Aarau Cantonal Hospital (KSA) aims to raise awareness of the importance of healthy airways and comprehensive care for lung and thoracic diseases. «With this omnichannel campaign, we’re setting a new standard in communication about lung health—it’s innovative, eye-catching, and present across all channels,» says Tarja Zingg, campaign director and managing director of Lumina Health. «It was important to us to convey the complexity of pulmonary and thoracic surgical conditions from the perspective of both patients and the medical community.»

Informative and approachable at the same time

At the heart of the campaign is an informative magazine that combines expert insights, patient stories, useful tips for everyday life, and playful elements such as a comic strip and a puzzle page. Alongside this, the campaign is being rolled out across various channels—from social media to bike racks to animated in-house screens.

The campaign visual combines rationality with emotion—two seemingly opposing concepts that are closely intertwined in medicine. The blend of AI-generated lung visualizations and playful illustrations is intended to reflect this tension.

Responsible at KSA: Julien Buro, Ralph Schröder, Claudia Morach, Johanna Häseli; Contact at Lumina Health: Tarja Zingg (Strategy, Concept), Corinne Dietziker (Design), Lena Rauh (Project Management), Steph Kohler (Editing); Photography: Phil Wenger.

In a historic agreement, the SRG and the Publishers Association have jointly decided on measures to promote media diversity in Switzerland. This is the first time that public and private media in Switzerland have entered into such a collaboration.

This cooperation includes, among other things, the reduction of SRG's digital offering, which will focus more on audio and video formats in future. It will also continue to do without advertising in its online offering and will only use "foreign platforms such as YouTube or Instagram in exceptional cases", according to the statement. SRG will also limit its text contributions to 2,400 characters and refrain from using text-based live tickers for exclusively broadcast sporting events. In addition, SRG will link to contributions from private Swiss media where it makes editorial sense, thereby strengthening their reach.

For sports broadcasts, SRG will concentrate on content that is not covered by commercial providers and will take greater account of private providers when selecting rights. SRG is actively examining cooperations such as bidding consortia, always taking into account the requirements of antitrust law. SRG is also expanding cooperation in a targeted manner by providing usable raw material and participating in a replay TV industry solution. In addition, it invests the majority of its online marketing funds with private Swiss media companies, thereby sending an important signal to strengthen the Swiss advertising market.

Strengthen streaming, regulate AI

It was also agreed that SRG would share its streaming technology and that private media would also be able to distribute their content on the new digital SRG platform with the working title "PlayNext". SRG is also participating in the Login Alliance and its further development, and supports the regulatory clarifications for a login obligation in its own online offering.

A joint coordinated stance will also be taken towards artificial intelligence: SRG will block its content for AI platforms if the leading publishers do the same. It also supports the VSM's regulatory initiatives to protect journalistic content under copyright law (ancillary copyright and AI).
The agreement therefore restricts SRG in key areas. In return, the VSM is committed to financing SRG fees and is against the halving initiative. The agreement will next be submitted to the Competition Commission (ComCo) for examination under antitrust law. The TX Group does not support the agreement, but will continue to be involved in the talks - the aim is a complementary media system between private and public providers. The sister organizations Médias Suisses and Stampa Svizzera are also expected to sign the agreement.