If the wrong target group is chosen, the rest of the media planning is usually a waste. But why does the idea of a target group often deviate so much from reality? What are the dangers of targeting that is too "narrow" or too "broad"? Where and when do personas make sense or just nonsense? And what does brand growth have to do with the target group?

If you ask marketing decision-makers which target group they want to address, the answers are often vague. The crux of the matter is that there is often an ideal image of the target group in corporate marketing and unfortunately this desired target group does not always correspond to reality.

"Everyone could be my potential customer" is another frequently heard statement. And this is where the slippery slope begins: Many do not dare to narrow down this circle in a meaningful way, to focus and to realistically classify their market potential. Because if the target group is unrealistic or incorrectly defined, the subsequent channel selection - and therefore the hard-earned media money - is also "for the garbage can".

Incorrect targeting

Agencies are often confronted with the fact that target groups are either defined too narrowly or too broadly in the briefing. Too narrow is usually not good, as I am then always "fishing in the same pond" in media planning. This is a typical phenomenon in performance marketing, for example. Too broad is usually not good either, as the target group then becomes very unspecific, undifferentiated and no longer tangible - and consequently also the subsequent choice of media and environment.

For media planners, it is essential to learn as much as possible about the target group. Analyses, soft factors, but also surprising consumer insights can be very useful. Common sense often helps too. The more questions you ask and the better you listen, the closer you get to the "secret" of your target group - just like in real life. Gaining an insight into your target group that is new - or that none of your competitors have - can be responsible for your campaign being more successful than the average.

Useful: personas and customer journeys

And what about "personas"? A persona is a fictitious but typical representative of the target group and helps to make it more tangible and emotionally accessible beyond the marketing jargon. What moves them, how do they live, what is important to them, how do they consume, where do they get information? Personas can help to make communication more effective and the target group more understandable for sales, for example. My tip here is: as few as possible, as many as necessary! Otherwise there is a great risk of getting bogged down. As we all know, strategy always means "delete, omit, persevere".

Customer journeys - often referred to as "mapping" - can also be useful. This involves analyzing in detail which touchpoints people come into contact with during the purchasing process and which are particularly relevant or critical. Once you have created these - you can break them down to so-called "micro-moments" - you can sometimes discover completely new and surprising touchpoints. These may not have been on your radar before, but can definitely make a competitive difference.

In the continuation of the multi-part "How To" series our Whitepaper No. 2 "Target group" further tips for initiating relationships and for more successful communication.

After holding various positions at media and creative agencies and as head of marketing at an outdoor advertising company, he took over Oliver Schönfeld took up the position of Managing Director at TWmedia in Basel in 2018. He has acquired his knowledge through a great deal of curiosity, many years of experience and by studying marketing and psychology on the windy Baltic coast and in vibrant Manchester.

• You can find the first article by Oliver Schönfeld on the "Strategic process" white paper here.

BCW Lausanne has been acting as a hub for integrated communication services for EHL in selected key markets worldwide since 2016. Since January 2024, BCW Zurich has also been responsible for media relations in German-speaking Switzerland in order to raise EHL's profile and further consolidate its position. The expansion of the collaboration is "proof of the mutual trust and good partnership", according to a press release.

"Working with a renowned institution like EHL gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our experience in media relations in German-speaking Switzerland. We are convinced that together we can help to further strengthen EHL's presence and influence in the region," says Greg Curchod, CEO of BCW Switzerland.

Over the years, the St.Gallen agency has made a name for itself in German-speaking Switzerland with its core competencies of branding and campaigning and is responsible for many national and international brands.

With longstanding employee Georg Wirth, it is now bringing a proven digital and media specialist into the management team. He will manage the agency together with CEO Andreas Felder, Bettina Egger, who is responsible for consulting and clients, and Jörg Stöckigt, who is responsible for creation.

"With our new management team and clear areas of responsibility, we are looking forward to the new requirements of our industry, such as the use of artificial intelligence," explains Rembrand CEO Andreas Felder. "By focusing on client-oriented services and using state-of-the-art technologies, we are ensuring that we remain one of the leading Swiss agencies for branding and campaigning."

With this format, the agency aims to address communication trends in the current fast-moving and dynamic times. In a newly launched video format "Parole du Poulpe", or "Word of the Octopus", an invited guest provides insights into a specific topic. One of the agency's aims is to highlight the expertise of its employees. The new format is deliberately kept short, specific and collegial.

Media in the spotlight in the first issue

For the first issue, Trio CEO Michael Kamm and Account Director Maxime Chabloz reveal which media the Swiss prefer. They also explain why teletext is still used, how far social networks lag behind television and which TikTok content appeals to older age groups. The episodes are published on the agency's YouTube channel.

To ensure that the other side of the Röstigraben can also access the mainly French-language format, the content is translated into German using artificial intelligence and subtitled in various languages. To create a certain balance, one of the next episodes will also be filmed in German and subtitled in French.

Both the SVP popular initiative "200 francs is enough! (SRG initiative)" and the Federal Council's proposal to reduce fees from CHF 335 to CHF 300 per household would weaken the public media service, the Emek wrote in a press release on Tuesday. Information in peripheral areas in particular would be endangered as a result.

The reduced fee would also involve "sometimes drastic cuts to the program". This would happen "just at a time of major challenges for the media in Switzerland".

"Insoluble conflict of objectives"

Instead, the Emek considers it necessary to fundamentally restructure the basic media service. "Today, the public media service finds itself in an irresolvable conflict of objectives," Emek President Anna Jobin told the media in Bern.

On the one hand, public broadcasters have to take private providers into consideration, but still report as fully as possible. In addition, efficiency guidelines cannot always be reconciled with the requirement to provide all regions with sufficient information.

In the view of the Emek, the public media service must guarantee journalistic stability and continuity more than ever, particularly in individual language and peripheral regions. At the same time, it must be clearly distinguishable from commercial offerings in terms of the quality, professionalism, style and relevance of the services provided.

Narrower focus

According to the Emek, a public service must also take on new tasks in a digital society, such as providing a space for public debate. Discussion forums are needed that are not in the hands of American or Chinese companies, said Jobin.

The Emek therefore recommends anchoring the public media service in future as a modern, technology- and genre-neutral infrastructure that is accessible to the entire population in all parts of the country on an equal footing and without barriers. In terms of content, the focus should be on politics and business as well as culture, education and science.

According to the Emek, a distinction should be made between sports that are not commercially interesting for private broadcasters and those that are "suitable for the masses" - such as the Lauberhorn downhill race or the European Football Championships. In the case of the latter, a decision would have to be made as to whether or not they should be included in the public media service.

Distribute advertising revenue

According to the Emek, a change in the financing system is also needed. The public media should therefore do without advertising revenue in future and instead receive "stable, reliable and sufficient" public funding.

According to the Emek, it would be conceivable, for example, to index the existing media levy, replace it with an earmarked media tax that would be levied based on income, similar to church tax, or finance it via VAT percentages.

According to this model, advertising would still be permitted in linear TV offerings in order to prevent the outflow of advertising money abroad. However, the revenue would be distributed in favor of general media funding. Today, around a third of the universal service is financed by advertising.

Food for thought for politicians

The Emek describes its report as "food for thought for public discourse". The restructuring of the basic media service requires new legal foundations. Implementation with corresponding transitional periods is therefore only realistic in the medium to long term.

The Emek is an independent, extra-parliamentary commission set up by the Federal Council with experts from academia and the media industry. It has been advising the authorities on media issues for over ten years. (SDA)

As a member of 27Names, Jeff is joining "a group of market-leading players across Europe recognized for their creativity, innovation and expertise in live communication and experience marketing", according to a press release issued on Tuesday. The network serves as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and collective growth and brings together agencies from across Europe. 27Names is represented in 24 European countries and its members collectively employ more than 1000 people.

"Being part of the 27Names network is a great benefit for us and our clients. Not only does it allow us to expand our service portfolio with partners across Europe, but it also gives us the opportunity to develop our own talent and give back through dialog with the network," explains Michael Meyer, CEO and Managing Partner of Jeff.

"The collaboration and the exchange of know-how will help us to advance Jeff both in terms of content and internationally," adds Lena Koschek, Co-COO and Managing Partner of Jeff. "As a member of 27Names, we will also become more attractive as an employer because membership offers our employees opportunities."

Many people in Switzerland run to the doctor, emergency room or hospital for even the smallest health complaints. Yet there are numerous indications that can be easily and conveniently counteracted in Switzerland's 1800 pharmacies. From back pain and angina to the morning-after pill. Or from skin diseases to insect bites and toothache.

To publicize the consultation in pharmacies, PharmaSuisse brought in the Bern-based agency Amber and launched a trilingual campaign website. On We-make-it-possible.ch there are various commercials with Swiss comedian Cedric Schild, a knowledge test and a cheeky print version of the campaign idea.

"The idea and the slogan were received very positively in all language regions of Switzerland in advance - we hope that our more than 20,000 healthcare professionals will help to spread the idea," says PharmaSuissse campaign manager Martina Tschan, explaining the strategy. Denis Jeitziner from Amber Kommunikation adds: "We have rarely developed a campaign that was and is supported by all sides from the outset."

The campaign is organized as part of a media partnership between View accompanied and disseminated. In addition, the key messages are being pushed in the trade press, on screens in pharmacies and on various social media channels. The interim highlight of the campaign is National Pharmacy Day on September 25. The campaign will then be further developed and continued for another two years.

Responsible at PharmaSuisse: Martina Tschan (campaign management), Stéphanie Logassi Kury (overall responsibility), Gregory Nenniger (social media), Eva von Wartburg, Stephen Jenkinson (responsible specialist group). Creation: Amber communication. Web development: Dunkel.cc. Film production: Creative XY. Media partnership: View.

MA Net enables evaluations of the distribution and intensity of use of the Internet in Switzerland. The usage data can be cross-referenced with various socio-demographic and geographical data. The 2024-1 edition is the first to show which operating system the respondents use on their smartphones to surf the internet. The two operating systems Android and iOS dominate with a total share of over 96%.

There are clear differences between the profiles of iOS and Android users. For example, iOS has a slightly above-average prevalence in cities and adjacent conurbations. In rural areas, on the other hand, the Android operating system is more popular. Socio-demographic characteristics, particularly in the areas of employment and education, also have an influence on operating system preferences. For example, executives in upper or middle management and people with a higher level of education are more likely than average to use iOS as their operating system. In contrast, the gender or age of the respondents in the study had less influence on the preferred operating system.

In addition to socio-demographic characteristics, interest profiles of the user base can also be identified. People who use iOS have an above-average interest in fashion and cosmetics, as well as financial investments and stock markets. In contrast, Android users show a greater interest in science and technology.

The MA Net surveys the overall prevalence of the Internet and its intensity of use. The Swiss and Liechtenstein resident populations aged 14 and over are analyzed. The Wemf study is published twice a year.

How did ARC Collective come about?

Olivier Mächler: I have worked in communications for an agency for the last six years. The client base was diverse. My goal has always been to implement interesting projects with people I like or find exciting, projects that are based on meaningfulness. The first two points were fulfilled, but the last one was missing. That's why I was looking for a way to combine all three points with my own agency.

Karin Zürcher: For years, I have been pursuing the goal of tackling profound challenges with my work and developing solutions with an impact. It is important to me to design in a needs-oriented way. After my experience in the Innovation Unit of Doctors Without Borders and Raise Now, I have dedicated myself at Climeworks to the general understanding of and access to climate change. There are many approaches to leaving the world a better place than when you entered it. People also need to hear about it and relate to it. I want to inspire people to move from uncertainty to action - so now Arc. We will be a mouthpiece for all the great ideas. Creating a stage and bringing the right people together to support each other.

What does meaningfulness mean to you?

Mächler: For us, this means ecological and social sustainability. A society that makes it possible for the generation of today and the generation of tomorrow to have a fair life.

Zurich: The big question here is fairness. Just being born in Switzerland already means that we have one of the highest footprints in the world. I can do without animal products or flying. Nevertheless, as a Swiss person, I contribute to the fact that I consume over 2.5 earth resources in my lifetime. But we only have one world.

What previous professional experience will flow into the new agency? 

Mächler: Our collective brings together a wide range of experience. A team of freelancers is selected for each project. We firmly believe that different people need to work on solutions. Both in society and in our collective, or when we are looking for solutions together with our customers: New perspectives and skills are essential in order to make progress.

What does the name "Arc Collective" mean? What is your mission? 

"Arc" symbolizes the arc of change. The "Collective" stands for togetherness. Working together develops the strength to make a difference. Our mission is to promote innovative solutions with this collective. We want to work with creative minds and sustainability pioneers who want to actively drive change. We develop sustainable projects and holistic communication for them.

So are you targeting companies that already live sustainability?

Yes, that is very important to us. We want to provide holistic communication support to companies that have made these values their mission. We don't want to greenwash companies. Sustainability must be at the heart of the customers for whom we communicate.

Zurich: We are working at full speed to involve a committed network of experts in the field of sustainability. We are happy to advise companies that want to take their first steps towards sustainability with workshops and sustainability inputs. Our discussions with companies have shown that many want to make changes, but don't know where to start. Or do not have the resources to devote to this important topic.

Many companies now claim to be sustainable. Can you verify this?

An important question that we discuss a lot. We therefore always have an initial meeting with potential customers. At the beginning, we may not yet have the resources to examine an entire supply chain in detail, for example. Nevertheless, it is crucial for us to find out what the company's core concerns are.

Mächler: If we recognize that a company's principles are not in line with our vision, we will refrain from working together or act as a bridge builder between the right people. In the future, we will focus on taking on an advisory role to make companies more sustainable.

What services do you offer? How do you differ from other agencies?

We have three focus areas: on the one hand, classic communication, i.e. on/off communication for already sustainable and progressive companies. The second focus is creation and interaction - where we create customized brand experiences via websites and storytelling, for example. The third focus is sustainability input. Here we are committed to providing companies with an introduction to the topic in the form of workshops.

Who would you like to create concepts for?

I would like to see creative minds, for example at the ETH or in their own garage, working on future-proof inventions that will take us forward in many areas of ecological sustainability. In other words, specialists who now want to bring their product to the people. Or established sustainability pioneers who are already marketing products or services that can support them with creative ideas. A concrete example would be Luya, for example, which produces plant-based meat alternatives from whole organic pulses in Bern.

The agency starts on Tuesday. How do you want to generate attention at the beginning?

To get off to a good start, we use the "Arc Sprint" for a short period of time. Within just five days, we develop creative concepts and solutions for specific challenges. This approach not only accelerates the development of ideas, but also strengthens our presence and establishes valuable relationships.

Zurich: The "Arc Sprint" is intended to create a tangible and solution-oriented approach to the topic. In just five days, many ideas can be generated and the course set. Whether in a fast-track or long-term commitment: we are very happy to take on the challenge so that we can make progress together.

Bring! Labs has announced that it will further expand its own offering for advertisers. Advertising formats of the Bring! app are now also available in Austria, which means that "comprehensive campaigns for the entire DACH region are now possible". At the same time, the advertising platform is being opened up to the non-food segment. Brands from areas such as consumer electronics, home and garden, fashion, toys and health now have the opportunity to address potential customers at the moment of purchase.

"The launch of our advertising formats in Austria and the opening up to manufacturers from the non-food segment will enable further growth," explains Marco Cerqui, co-founder and CEO of Bring! Labs. "Since the integration of Profital into Bring! Labs AG two years ago, we have invested heavily in the foundations for the further expansion of our international business activities. We have restructured our organization, renewed our advertising infrastructure and improved the user experience of our apps. In 2023, we have already seen very good results from this work - now we are ready to take the next big steps."

More communication and cooperation in the app

There will also be various innovations for users of the Bring! app in 2024. Last year, the app onboarding was revised to improve user-friendliness and encourage users to use the app more sustainably. Further features are now being implemented to increase communication and collaboration options within the app. These should be particularly helpful for multi-person households that keep joint shopping lists.

Expansion of the management teams

The management of Bring! Labs was also restructured with a view to the growth strategy. Alessandro Del Fabro joined the company as CFO in 2022, while Simone Kühn has been working in her role as COO for Bring! Labs since November last year. The position of Head of FMCG Advertising was filled by Kevin Moritz for Germany in May 2023 and Michel Rahm for Switzerland in October 2023.

Specifically, the aim is to find train drivers who would like to retrain. The campaign also aims to appeal to career changers who would like to complete training.

However, prospective RhB train drivers who live outside the canton have to move to Graubünden in order for employment to be possible at all. As the Graubünden mountain landscape is a strong argument for a change of residence, not only professionally but also for leisure time, Klar has designed a campaign that combines professional and private life and focuses on the experience of nature.

Five subjects were created for the print and online campaign using existing images from various tourism regions. The core of the aggregation is the campaign landing page. Together with Ad.X, which specializes in HR media, a media mix was defined that reaches the target groups via OOH, print, online portals and social media channels. The campaign was activated in mid-December and will run until February.

Responsible at RhB: Ladina Waser, Lea Kaspar, Sereina Egli. Responsible Agency: Clearly employer branding. Media: Ad.X.

Lukas Amgwerd has been part of the agency for five years. In his role as Creative Director, he is responsible for numerous award-winning campaigns for clients such as Ochsner Sport, Denner, Bio Suisse, Migros Bio and Sunrise. The 32-year-old is a member of ADC Switzerland.

Claudia Ziltener joined Thjnk Zurich in 2021 and has a leading role in consulting. According to the agency, the 34-year-old has strongly promoted Thjnk's digital marketing business and built up the Sunrise client. As team leader, she is currently responsible for the Swiss mandate and new business.

"After seven years, the time has come for us to bring the next generation into the management team. Lukas and Claudia have played a key role in shaping the expansion of the agency in recent years. They are important cultural pillars and share the high ambitions we have as an agency," says Co-Founder and Managing Director of Consulting Andrea Bison.

Lukas Amgwerd and Claudia Ziltener complete the management team around Andrea Bison, Alexander Jaggy, Gordon Nemitz and Pablo Schencke. Thjnk Zurich was founded on June 1, 2016. Today, the company has 38 employees and manages 16 brands.