Liebherr-Hausgeräte develops and produces refrigerators and freezers for both private and commercial use in the medical and laboratory technology, hotel, catering and food retail sectors. As part of a strategic realignment, the company is creating its own sales structures in Switzerland for the first time - with the aim of securing a future-proof business model in the long term.

Liebherr's own sales organization will come into force in January 2024. This is also when the collaboration with PRfact begins. The focus of media communication throughout Switzerland will be on longevity, sustainability, energy efficiency and design, in conjunction with pioneering fresh food technologies.

"With Liebherr domestic appliances, customers benefit from the enormous innovative strength that is reflected in sustainable, energy-efficient solutions and numerous functional refinements. Refrigerators and freezers play a central role in every home. In our communication, we focus our spotlight precisely on this particular relevance. With creative media & influencer marketing strategies and communication measures, we address targeted dialog groups and publicize Liebherr's news," explain Marc Schlittler and Sandra Strickler from PRfact.

The aim is to launch "tailor-made PR campaigns" in the coming months to promote Liebherr's refrigeration technologies and establish the brand as synonymous with freshness, sustainability and quality, the statement continues. In addition, all media inquiries relating to Liebherr domestic appliances in Switzerland will be handled by PRfact.

Icommit owner Sven Bühler explains his interest in the partnership as follows: "We want to show the Perikom community, but also Swiss companies, how central communication is in connection with employee surveys and the involvement of all employees in defining measures and shaping a better working environment."

With Icommit, the Perikom association now has thirteen partner members who, among other things, regularly organize evening events for HR and communication managers to exchange experiences.

Founded in 2020, the agency has grown from two to 14 employees in three years. Following successful new business and with the continued trust of existing clients, Mona und Mateo is continuing to invest in the quality of its services. With the promotion of Meret Launer to Client Service Director, "an excellent person is now taking on responsibility for consulting", according to the agency.

"Meret is a wonderful person and a passionate consultant. Her vast experience, high level of professionalism and fair management style fit perfectly with our vision of a modern and successful agency," says Mona Fluri, co-founder of Mona and Mateo.

Prior to that, she worked at Publicis and Jung von Matt Switzerland.

Swissbau 2024 took place from January 16 to 19. After the trade fair had to be held in a condensed version in 2022 due to the pandemic, this year it once again lived up to its reputation as the leading trade fair for the construction and real estate industry. With new opportunities for presentation and collaboration, Swissbau has further expanded its core role as an interdisciplinary event and networking platform. Over 600 exhibiting companies and organizations and more than 50,000 visitors reflect the popularity of this industry meeting place.

For the communication of Swissbau 2024, those responsible at Swiss Exhibition relied on the expertise of the Basel agency Yellow. The claim "Building Future Together", which was developed in a joint process, and the internal motto "Bold & Red" formed the basis for visitor advertising.

The result is a campaign that focuses on the important exchange between thinkers and doers and is intended to show that Swissbau brings together the who's who of the Swiss construction and real estate industry. The messages were disseminated in advertisements, banners, online ads in specialist publications, via Google, programmatic advertising and on social media. The Yellow team also took on tasks in the areas of trade fair communication and signage.

Responsible at Swiss Exhibition: Ruedi Pfander (Brand Director Swissbau), Claudia Ries (Marketing & Communications Manager Swissbau). Responsible agency: Yellow, Basel.

As Senior Consultant, Martina Meyer will continue to drive June forward together with Nathalie Eggen, Yvonne Samaritani, Raffaela Ackermann and Melanie Kälin. Before moving into communications consulting, Martina Meyer held various management positions in corporate communications for over 15 years. Among other things, she headed the communications and marketing team at Männedorf Hospital and was responsible for all external and internal communications. Under her leadership, the hospital implemented a new brand strategy with a complete rebranding and successfully positioned itself in the market. Prior to this, she was responsible for internal communications at SBB Infrastructure and managed communications for the major Löwenstrasse through station project.

With Martina Meyer, June Corporate Communications is strengthening its expertise in change communication, internal communication and CEO communication. "I see great potential in internal communications in particular. It is crucial for teams to work together successfully in a changing environment and thus make a decisive contribution to corporate success," Martina Meyer is convinced. As part of her Executive MBA at the HWZ, she also developed a model for change communication. "Change is part of everyday life in companies today, which is why change communication should be an integral part of the communication strategy," says Martina Meyer. She also specializes in strategic communications consulting, cross-media storytelling and the positioning of companies and leaders.

Nathalie Eggen and Yvonne Samaritani founded June Corporate Communications in November 2022 as part of the Jung-von-Matt ecosystem. The agency focuses in particular on internal and external communications for companies in innovation and transformation processes.

The aim of the cooperation is to strengthen Glatz's digital presence and place a clear focus on innovative online strategies, according to a press release from Xeit. The "subsequent strategies, measures and digital touchpoints" are particularly important for the agency.

Increasing online visibility

In order to increase Glatz's online visibility, Xeit is developing digital solutions to meet the requirements of the modern market. Various measures are planned for this. These include online marketing from strategy to implementation. A particular focus is on campaign planning for 2024 with the aim of further expanding the reach of the Glatz brand. Xeit is also striving to increase the international presence and sales of Glatz. At the same time, measures will also be taken to enhance the image of the Glatz brand. Search engine optimization will also be used to ensure that Glatz is found for relevant search queries and that its digital visibility is continuously optimized.

Xeit's aim is to support Glatz in all online marketing disciplines, to develop customized solutions for the company, to effectively achieve the marketing goals set and to strengthen the brand's presence in digital media.

Under the creative direction of art director Meret Hammel, a fresh, dynamic image was created that focuses on the association's members.

The colors and imagery at the heart of the new design are intended to reflect the diversity and dynamism of the dance community. An outstanding feature of the new corporate design is the opportunity for association members to actively participate in the visual appearance. By integrating an individual image world, members can submit their own images, which are then added to the association's library. This dynamic interaction is intended to give the association a lively appearance and strengthen the bond between members.

The graphic elements of the design provide a framework that creates uniformity and recognition without suppressing artistic diversity. The harmonious combination of structure and dynamics makes the appearance both appealing and professional.

"The world of dance is rich in emotion, expression and movement. Our aim was to capture these elements in a visual concept that authentically represents the members of the Federal Dancers' Association," says Nicolas Wolf, Creative Director at Schmid+Wolf. "We are convinced that the new visual identity reflects the energy and passion of the dance community."

The revised corporate design has been officially introduced in all association communications and materials since January 2024. Members are encouraged to actively participate in the new visual identity and contribute their unique perspectives through their own images.

Customers of Do it + Garden Zugerland can expect a revised store concept for the product range and sales area. The first "specialist store for homemade joie de vivre" is not intended to offer a typical DIY store product presentation in confusing warehouses, but rather the ideal space for plenty of inspiration to try out, create, design, plant and work.

The accompanying launch campaign by Team Connect will appear in OOH, POP and print from the end of January and is intended to create anticipation for the new shopping experience in the Zugerland store. The subjects of the campaign show do-it-yourselfers decorating their homes with colors or plants, creating a balance with the baking or DIY range or developing completely new energies with a crochet hook.

To bring the creative vision to life and fulfill the client's desire for efficient production, Team Connect turned to generative AI. The participating agencies Scholz & Friends, Ogilvy, Wunderman Thompson and Hogarth use AI technologies to increase their productivity and pave the way for their seamless integration into rapidly evolving business processes.

Responsible at Do It + Garden: Roland Seiler (Head of Do it + Garden), Kai Hannwacker (Head of MarKom), Aline Nyffenegger (Head of POP Management & Strategic Projects), Cyril Biland (Manager Media Excellence).

According to the comparison platform, users of the sports streaming service Dazn had to put up with the highest price increase. According to the analysis published on Tuesday, the price of a monthly subscription rose by around 170% or 22 francs to 34.90 francs - almost three times as much. For the sports streaming service Swisscom Blue Sport, users now have to pay CHF 49.90 per month or 67 percent more.

However, conventional streaming services for series and films also saw prices soar in some cases. According to Moneyland.ch, the price increases amounted to 82% for Apple TV Plus and 81% for Disney Plus Premium.

"The price increases of streaming services are massive," says Moneyland telecoms expert Ralf Beyeler. Compared to inflation in Switzerland, prices have also risen much more sharply than inflation in general.

However, this approach is in line with the strategy of streaming services: "First win new customers with low prices and then massively increase prices," explained Beyeler. (SDA)

At the latest in times of labor shortages, the following also applies to personnel marketing: You can't reach your destination on worn-out tracks.

With a fresh campaign by Ruf Lanz, VBZ has been looking for new streetcar pilots and bus drivers since the beginning of January. With lively allusions to childhood memories such as Dirty Dancing, Puch Maxi or Game Boy, the campaign addresses the 50-plus generation, which is often left behind on the job market (Werbewoche.ch reported).

The unconventional personnel campaign has also caught the attention of the media, including 20 minutes, ZüriToday and Tages-Anzeiger. "There was a poster advertising VBZ's search for new female streetcar pilots, but it was so refreshing that I briefly considered applying," say Tagi columnists Isabel Hemmel and Paulina Szczesniak, for example.

Ruf Lanz has already positioned VBZ as an attractive employer on several occasions. "With the creative campaigns, we gained many motivated new employees, including more women. We also won several HR Excellence Awards and the European Change Communications Award," says Silvia Behofsits, Head of Corporate Communications at VBZ.

According to the study, those affected are not necessarily reducing essential expenditure. They make savings where they have the costs under control, explained the consulting firm Deloitte on Tuesday.

According to the survey, a good half (52%) of respondents have eaten out less in the last 12 months and visited bars or clubs less often. And 40 percent each had saved money on clothing, vacations, travel and leisure activities. More than a third (34%) had cut back on food.

All in all, 57 percent of those surveyed would have reduced their spending on non-essential items.

Hardly any cutbacks in education

The proportion of inflation-influenced savers is lower in the areas of education (10 percent), public transport (14 percent) and telecommunications (16 percent). According to Deloitte, this suggests that these areas obviously enjoy a higher priority.

Another strategy to cope better with inflation is to shop more cheaply. According to the survey, special offers and promotions have become more important for more than half (51%). Many also deliberately bought cheaper products (44%) or switched to cheaper suppliers (37%).

However, only a small minority of people are opting for second-hand goods, making things themselves or simply borrowing them in response to inflation. There does not appear to be a fundamental change in consumer behavior, says Deloitte.

Western Switzerland suffers more

In the survey, 27% of respondents across Switzerland stated that inflation had been a major burden for them in the last 12 months. A further 38% felt that rising prices were a medium burden.

Western Switzerland seems to be particularly hard hit, with 33% of respondents saying that inflation is a high burden and 40% saying it is a medium burden. Across Switzerland as a whole, almost two thirds (65%) perceive inflation as a burden, with this figure rising to almost three quarters (73%) in French-speaking Switzerland.

Costs that cannot be influenced

But rising housing rents and health insurance premiums are also a cause for concern. However, these are politically influenced prices - it is more difficult to make savings on your own initiative.

The survey shows that public opinion is roughly split in half on this issue. One part of the population is in favor of long-term, sustainable solutions, while another part prefers measures that are effective in the short term. "This division is evidence of the complexity of these issues," concludes the consultancy firm.

In Switzerland, prices are currently six percent higher on average than at the beginning of 2021. "Pulse of Switzerland" survey by Deloitte surveyed 1900 people living in Switzerland last November. (SDA)

The aim of the new IAB Digital Audio working group is to promote the importance of digital audio advertising. It does this by engaging in genre marketing, promoting know-how through publications and events and actively contributing to customer-centric and innovative solutions in this advertising segment. The newly formed working group also aims to promote cross-genre and cross-national exchange with other IAB groups.

The working group, headed by Philipp Havrilla and Ralf Brachat, consists of nine proven professionals who have extensive practical knowledge of digital audio advertising and work in IAB member companies.

• Ralf Brachat, Swiss Radioworld, Managing Director (Management)
• Philipp Havrilla, Goldbach Next, Head of Digital Products (Management)
• Nicola Bomio, CH Media, Head of Radio
• Sven Däschner, The Whole Media, Head of Online
• Melanie Hasler, Havas Switzerland, Head of Digital Consulting
• Steve Krebser, Swiss Radioworld, Digital Audio Specialist
• Adrian Leuthold, Mediaschneider, Senior Programmatic Buying Manager
• Peter Scheurer, VSP, Managing Director
• Lukas Schmid, Coop, Senior Project Manager Digital Media

The working group will deal with all relevant topics and developments in digital audio advertising. These include, for example, programmatic capabilities, performance audio, convergent measurement methods, podcasts, artificial intelligence, smart speakers, in-game audio advertising and native audio advertising forms such as host reads.

Read Here is the exclusive Werbewoche.ch interview with Ralf Brachat, co-head of the "Digital Audio" working group.