The rumor has been circulating in the media since December, and now Swisscom is making it official: according to a press release on Wednesday, it is in exclusive talks about a possible purchase of Vodafone Italy. A 100% takeover of the shares of Vodafone Italia in cash is planned, according to the statement.

This would create the second-largest telecoms provider in Italy behind industry leader TIM - and an enormously large employer: Vodafone Italy employed around 5,700 people as of March last year, Fastweb a good 3,000 by the end of 2023.

7 billion joint turnover

It would be a "transformative" change for Swisscom, according to initial assessments by analysts. The Swisscom subsidiary Fastweb contributed CHF 2.6 billion in the last financial year, just under a quarter of Swisscom's total turnover of over CHF 11 billion. Vodafone Italy, on the other hand, recently achieved a turnover of just under 4.4 billion euros. The combined company is therefore likely to generate sales of just under CHF 7 billion.

At 8.1 billion, Swisscom's Swiss business recently accounted for almost three quarters of total revenue. If this business were now offset by Italian sales of 7 billion, then the share would move strongly in the direction of half and half, i.e. the Swiss business would then account for just over 50 percent of sales and the Italian business for just under 50 percent. Swisscom would therefore be transformed from a predominantly Swiss group into an Italian-Swiss group.

Important addition

Swisscom took over Fastweb in 2007. The Swiss telecoms group hoped that this would provide opportunities for growth, as the Swiss market was already very saturated at the time. However, Fastweb only offered broadband from the outset and had to buy in mobile telephony. This is now set to change with the takeover of Vodafone.

Fastweb and Vodafone Italy would complement each other well, according to the press release. Fastweb is strong in the fixed network, while Vodafone is strong in mobile telephony. Swisscom expects the takeover to bring "economies of scale, more efficient cost structures and considerable synergy potential". The merger will also give Swisscom the opportunity to offer bundled packages for the broadband network and mobile telephony in Italy. With such offers, the Swiss company will be able to increase customer loyalty.

According to the press release, there are only a few overlaps between the two companies. Swisscom also emphasized that such a takeover would have a positive impact on Swisscom's dividend and cash flow.

However, the deal has not yet been signed and sealed. It is currently still unclear whether a transaction will actually take place. However, negotiations are at an advanced stage. According to well-informed sources, the takeover is planned for this year.

Vodafone speaks of "best combination"

Vodafone has wanted to sell its Italian business for a while now. The company supports "the consolidation of the market in countries where the company does not achieve an appropriate return on invested capital", according to a Vodafone press release from December. According to the Group, this also applies to Italy, which is why the business there is to be sold or merged. Most recently, however, the establishment of a joint venture with French competitor Iliad in Italy failed due to differing price expectations.

The British parent company of Vodafone Italia has now spoken out again and also confirmed the talks with Swisscom. It is of the opinion that "this potential transaction represents the best combination of value creation, upfront cash proceeds and transaction security", according to the press release.

No enthusiasm on the stock market

For the time being, the announcement did not trigger any storms of enthusiasm on the stock exchange. Swisscom shares lost -0.4 percent to CHF 508.20 just under an hour after the start of trading, while the market as a whole was up 0.5 percent.

The merger with Vodafone Italy offers considerable cost synergy potential and should support a market shakeout in the medium term, according to a commentary by Bank Vontobel. However, it is unlikely that the acquisition will have a positive impact on Swisscom's dividend policy in the short term "in view of the debt burden and the integration efforts". (SDA)

In various workshops with the client, Brandpulse developed an evolution of the positioning of Novis as a brand for "Swiss premium kitchen appliances, designed for a modern, natural and healthy lifestyle". The newly developed brand design based on this reflects the positioning with an energetic and colorful appearance that is brought to life by the contrast with white. The use of different colors is intended to express diversity, joy and health in all shades. This is also reflected in the colorful product collections and underlines the positioning as a lifestyle brand.

The communication concept developed by Brandpulse reflects the human-authentic attitude and value of Novis products with a cheeky, charming and direct approach to the target groups. The new branding was implemented at brand-relevant digital and physical touchpoints such as packaging, office equipment, newsletters, trade fair stands and much more.

Brandpulse's concept for the new trade fair appearance is based on the idea of an inspiring oasis that attracts customers and in which Novis products are presented in a refreshing and stimulating environment. Selected "Peak Moments" such as a vitamin bar are intended to invite visitors to interact with the public.

The new Novis branding was launched with a new exhibition stand at the Olma and Ambiente trade fairs. Novis testimonial and star chef Tanja Grandits was also there. Her statement in the Novis communication: "Novis, my first choice".

A giant money gun on Sechseläutenplatz in Zurich that spits out banknotes en masse? And soap bubbles that not only come out of a model's nose, but also from a huge, real billboard? What sounds unbelievable is part of the campaign for Mobility Young, the special offer for anyone up to the age of 28, which is now entering the next round - and thus breaking completely new ground. The two central subjects of the campaign were developed as faux-OOH assets. The two characteristic objects can be seen in two commercials, which were implemented in real life and in XXL - or at least that's how they appear.

The digital campaign is consistently aimed at a young target group who can benefit from attractive conditions at Mobility. The FOOH approach is designed to raise awareness on social media and digital channels. The needs of Generation Z are addressed directly with unusual measures and a fresh tone of voice.

"Especially with the younger generation, you always have to think in new ways, stand out and be different. And that's exactly the beauty of our profession. Implementing intelligent and target-oriented strategies with unusual ideas - that's the path we always like to take together with Stuiq," says Guido Zehnder, Head of Marketing Communication at Mobility.

Responsible at Mobility: Guido Zehnder (Head of Marketing Communication), Amela Becirbasic (Digital Marketing & Campaigns), Muzaffer Ünal (Social Media & Community Manager). Campaigning & development/implementation FOOH: Stuiq. Media: Mediatonic, Max Stürzekarn (Senior Digital Media Manager).

The StoryUp AI" web app was developed at the beginning of 2024 and has been intensively tested since then, as StoryUp writes in a press release. The aim was to keep access as simple as possible for users. A clear and playful design and a few targeted questions should contribute to this. Access is free of charge for the time being.

The development of the web app has been positively influenced by the proximity to the Swiss start-up scene, as the report continues. StoryUp founder Stefan Huber not only works as a storytelling and AI coach for marketing teams, but also supports startups as part of various programs such as Innosuisse, Startup Campus, Clima Now and Start Global from the University of St. Gallen: "Being close to the startup scene helped us a lot in developing the app. In the first test phase, we were able to optimize the web app together with many startups. One advantage: some of the start-ups are themselves working on AI solutions."

The agency intends to further develop "StoryUp AI" in the coming months based on feedback. Stefan Huber comments: "The launch has been a success. The many positive feedbacks now show us how we can further develop the app. We have already received some very exciting ideas." So far, the app has been operating in the background with data models from Open AI. According to information, others are to follow.

The 2024 Formula 1 season comprises 24 races - more than ever before. It will be launched next weekend in Bahrain on the Persian Gulf. All races - including qualifying, sprint and shootout races - can be followed live on SRF. The team led by commentators Michael Weinmann, Nico Müller and Oliver Sittler as well as expert Marc Surer will be joined by Simona de Silvestro.

Former Sauber test driver

Among other things, the 35-year-old can look back on five seasons in the US IndyCar Series. She was able to get a taste of Formula 1 racing as a test driver with Sauber in 2014. De Silvestro will also be active as a racing driver in 2024 - and will also be a co-commentator for SRF at selected races.

"I'm looking forward to following the exciting, hot scenes of Formula 1 from behind the camera for once and giving the audience an insight into my wealth of experience as a racing driver," says the Thun native, looking ahead to her new role. Simona de Silvestro will be heard for the first time on the second race weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

Analysts had expected an average of 1.13 billion dollars. The bottom line was a profit of 299 million dollars after a loss of 104 million dollars in the previous year.

Zoom grew explosively during the coronavirus pandemic with working and learning from home. In the meantime, however, many companies have at least partially returned to office-based operations. In this situation, Zoom is trying to cover the broader communication needs of its customers, including voice telephony.

The figures and the business outlook gave investors new confidence: the share price rose by around eleven percent at times in after-hours trading. Zoom also announced a share buyback with a volume of 1.5 billion dollars. (SDA/swi)

Instead of demanding specific quotas, Ringier is using its journalistic and technological strength to promote equality between men and women with EqualVoice. The core of the initiative is the "EqualVoice Factor", which uses a specially developed algorithm to measure the visibility of women in editorial articles. The EqualVoice Factor is now used by 32 titles in seven countries with a reach of around 50 million people.

The aim of the initiative is to make women more visible in the media and thus close the gender visibility gap, create more female role models and give women and men an equal voice. After all, over 70 percent of Swiss media reports are currently about men, which can be a problem for women in the professional world in particular.

AI-supported awareness campaign

To make the initiative more visible, an awareness campaign was launched in collaboration with the Andfrank agency. This uses artificial intelligence to highlight the gender visibility gap. This is because certain AI applications often obtain their information from published media content.

The idea: While professions in the business world are usually referred to with English, gender-neutral titles, we humans often automatically have men in mind. This gender-stereotypical thought pattern has shaped people's perceptions for years. And Ki is also affected by this: as soon as people search for "CEO", "Entrepreneur" or "Creative Director", only images of men are generated.

With six subjects, the campaign by EqualVoice and Andfrank aims to raise awareness of the gender visibility gap and make the media landscape more inclusive. The campaign will be featured in Ringier's print titles as well as on EqualVoice's social media channels.

Responsible at EqualVoice: Annabella Bassler (CFO Ringier AG & initiator EqualVoice), Lea Eberle (Head of Strategy EqualVoice & Strategic Project Manager Finance), Elsa Reichling (Junior Project Manager EqualVoice). Responsible at Andfrank: Ramon Alder (Creative Direction & Concept), Gianni Peng (Text & Concept), Florian Bieniek (Creative Strategy & Media), Nico Strässle (Consulting & Project Management), Amanda Eisenhut (Desktop Publishing).

The University of Zurich's findings on sexual abuse have shaken both the church and the public. The number of people leaving the church has increased massively since then - and income from church taxes is declining. Among other things, this is jeopardizing the church's commitment to people in poverty and precarious living situations, refugees as well as children and young adults.

The Roman Catholic Church in the Canton of Zurich is focusing on this social commitment in a campaign to provide comprehensive basic information to help people weigh up whether to leave, but also to acknowledge the negative image. The focus is on the relaunch of the website Church tax works.ch.

With hand-drawn illustrations, the site is intended to create a personal connection and appear fresh and modern. The reduction to two colors ensures variety and consistency at the same time. In addition to the website, the campaign designed and implemented by Art.i.schock uses posters and advertisements as well as online advertising.

Responsible at the Catholic Church in the Canton of Zurich: Simon Spengler (Head of Communications), Saskia Richter (Online Communications and Event Management). Responsible at Art.i.schock: Yaël Weissmann, Yannick Zryd (consulting, conception, project management), Yasmin Kim Cilasin, Florence Schaffter (graphics). Website programming: Indyan media.

The launch of Ckw.ch in February 2023 marked a milestone in the collaboration between Ginetta and CKW, according to a press release. "Ginetta is our partner in the field of human-centered design. We want to offer our customers the best possible experience when it comes to our digital products - together with Ginetta, we are setting new standards in this area," says Carlo Schenker, Head of Digital Marketing & Experience at CKW.

The new CKW website has a completely new information architecture and user interface and is optimized for mobile use. With the new website as a digital gateway, the basis for a customer-centric, digital ecosystem has been created, it continues. The focus was on the revised, topic-oriented information architecture, new user guidance, revised SEO content, improved performance and optimized mobile use.

After the relaunch, several new projects are on the roadmap for 2024, which are to be rolled out gradually.

Harmonization of all digital touchpoints

Ginetta is working on a design system to seamlessly integrate other CKW products into the new design across all digital touchpoints. "After a holistic analysis of all digital products, we have created an advanced design system that is consistent for all digital touchpoints and scalable for the future," explains UX Designer Kenji Nguyen.

The Design System is a collection of reusable components and clear standards for creating any number of applications. They are intended to help with the efficient design and development of digital products - such as mobile applications or websites.

New customer portal "MyCKW"

The customer-centric customer portal "MyCKW", with which CKW wants to offer its customers a "simple and clear tool" for administrative matters and for saving energy, is also to be developed this year.

From a customer perspective, the requirements for the portal are diverse: from simple households that want to check their electricity consumption and bills once a year, to power users with their own solar system, to companies that pay close attention to their energy consumption. The agency therefore focused on an intensive, multi-stage testing process with users. "This allowed us to ensure that we integrated all customer needs and maximized the user-friendliness of the portal for all target groups," explains Mila Sevilla Zhou, UX Designer at Ginetta.

Intelligent energy networking through ZEV

In another project, Ginetta is working with CKW on a participant portal for self-consumption associations (ZEV). This involves several end consumers joining together to use their self-produced electricity from a solar installation.

The participant portal is designed to provide various insights. On the one hand, users can see their consumption of electricity, heat and water at a glance and compare it with different time intervals such as days, weeks or the previous year. On the other hand, the app gives them an overview of the solar system's electricity production and ZEV's grid consumption. Helpful summaries round off the app: information on how many bathtubs of water have been used or when the best time is for electricity-intensive appliances, as there is a lot of solar power available.

Responsible at CKW: Carlo Schenker (Head of Digital Marketing & Experience), Angela Steffen (Head of MarCom Analytics & CX), Viktoria de Koning (Manager Web Development & Integration), Deniz Erdal (Manager Marketing Web Content), Marco Korradi (Product Owner App & Portal), Thomas Haas (Customer Life Time Manager), Mira Caso (Head of Customer Contact Center), Laura Odermatt (Digital Marketing Manager), Martin Waldau (Senior Digital Project & Campaign Manager), Debora Baumgartner, Andreas Pfister (Product Lead Energy Management & Billing), Marcel Weder (Business Engineer). Responsible at Ginetta: Mila Sevilla Zhou (UX Design), Niklas Mellmann (UX Design), Jiske van Straaten (Strategy), Franziska Luthiger (UX Research), Kenji Nguyen (UX Design), Alexa Stirnimann (UX Research), Corina Bertschi (UX Design), Kilian Hodel (UX Design), Leila Strebel (UX Writing), Maïla Wyssmüller (Project Management), Andreas Strebler (Visual Design), Sofian Bettayeb (Growth), Stefanie Mocka (Client Partner & Head of Business).

As a result, the Board of Directors has initiated a process to find a potential buyer for the entire company. The Board of Directors will ensure that the interests of the company's various stakeholders are taken into account, the press release continued. The process could lead to a transaction of the company and/or a sale of the shares held by the two main shareholders, but does not necessarily have to.

JCDecaux and Pargesa Asset Management together hold around 55 percent of the shares. Further information will follow when appropriate, the press release added.

As APG|SGA announced on Tuesday, the company increased its advertising revenue by 4.8% to CHF 325.6 million in 2023. The digital business in particular saw above-average growth. The bottom line was a 14.6 percent higher net profit of CHF 26.8 million. (SDA/swi)

The National Council's Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-N) has approved a corresponding parliamentary initiative by former National Councillor Baptiste Hurni (SP/NE), as reported by the parliamentary services on Friday. The decision was made by a wafer-thin twelve votes to twelve with a casting vote by committee president Barbara Gysi (SP/SG).

The proposal will next be examined by the Council of States' sister committee. If the bill were to pass through parliament, health insurers would only be allowed to finance advertising for their products in the supplementary insurance sector with the premiums collected there.

Today, advertising for compulsory health insurance can also be booked by insurers as an administrative expense and is therefore financed via the premiums of the insured persons. In 2022, these advertising costs amounted to just under CHF 73 million, as the SGK-N wrote in the press release.

The majority of the Commission pointed out that basic insurance is compulsory and that advertising serves neither prevention nor health promotion and therefore brings no added value. Therefore, the corresponding expenditure should not be financed by premiums. The current practice was "no longer acceptable" in view of the continuous rise in premiums. (SDA)

The path to a sustainable future requires special knowledge and practical know-how. As part of the "Sustainable Switzerland Academy"which starts on Friday, there are freely accessible webinars, live sessions, content formats and modular masterclasses that require a license. NZZ-Verlag has developed the latter in cooperation with Swiss Climate and the XU School of Sustainability. The masterclasses are specifically tailored to the questions and needs of companies, especially SMEs, and the tasks of prospective sustainability officers. The content ranges from CO2 management to the development of a sustainability strategy.

The Academy program serves different levels and is aimed at both beginners and experts. The webinars provide users with a wealth of information on specific sustainability issues, such as dealing with regulatory requirements or the use of software tools and AI. The content is conveyed both in theory and using specific case studies. Live sessions and expert talks complement the offer and provide the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience. In cooperation with selected university partners, certified CAS and MAS courses will also be added in the future.

"Essentially, it's about making Swiss SMEs fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow by acquiring and developing sustainability skills," explains Felix Graf, CEO of NZZ. According to a study conducted by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW in 2023, around 80 percent of companies in Switzerland have set themselves sustainability goals, but over 50 percent of them still lack the skills to implement them successfully.

The NZZ Sustainable Switzerland initiative was founded two years ago. According to its own information, the sustainability platform now has an extensive network. "Together with our partners from business and science, we are making an important contribution to sustainable development in Switzerland with Sustainable Switzerland," says Felix Graf.