If you face life with a smile, everything is just a little bit easier. That's exactly what the people of Graubünden seem to have known from childhood. ÖKK calls it quite simply: Grisons common sense. Maybe it's the harmony with nature, maybe it's the better air, or maybe it's the fact that people in Graubünden just don't let themselves get rattled, but one thing is clear: with a healthy Graubünden mind, everything is simply uncomplicated.

It is precisely this relaxed, honest and confident Graubünden way that the Zurich agency Inhalt und Form has captured for the new ÖKK campaign. And immortalized it in two films and six print subjects, which are intended to convey that with a little calm, looseness and joie de vivre, many things suddenly become simply uncomplicated. Even a complex topic like health insurance.

The campaign will be seen throughout Switzerland from mid-August and will flicker across screens simultaneously on TV, in display ads and on social media.

Responsible at ÖKK: Patrick Eisenhut (Head of Communications), Michael Jud (Team Leader Communications), Kimberly Fasser (Consultant Communications), Chiara Lardelli (Consultant Communications), Silvana Möhr (Consultant Communications). Responsible for content and form: Dominik Stibal (CEO), Karin Esterman (ECD), David Hugentobler (CD), Vasco Bickel (Senior AD/Concept), Manuel Schnoz (AD), Yannick Lippuner (Text/Concept), Mato Bilic (Animation) Manuela Marty (Consulting/Strategy), Doelkar Monkhar (Project Management). Responsible at Shining Film: Stevan Treshow (Director), Pascal Walder (DoP), Stefan Bircher (Producer), Gustaf Richter (Line Producer). Responsible at All In Production: Gian Marco Castelberg (photographer), Dhondup Tersey (producer).

Sustainability campaigns are currently ubiquitous. But they often lack substance. There is a great deal of mistrust among consumers. People are quick to accuse the campaigns of being nothing more than greenwashing.

In its current sustainability campaign, Swisscom therefore wants to dispense with empty promises and vague visions of the future. In line with the motto "Now instead of someday," it communicates concrete sustainable offers that are already available now, such as climate-neutral subscriptions for mobile, TV and Internet.

The campaign and landing page explain exactly how this climate neutrality is achieved - for example, by using electricity from renewable energy sources and avoiding or offsetting emissions.

The Swisscom sustainability campaign goes into greater depth at the content level. Here, everything revolves around the topic of circular economy. Two short videos for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube explain why it is not sustainable to simply leave old cell phones lying unused in a drawer at home. That's because about 75 percent of the devices' CO2 emissions occur during manufacturing. This means that the longer cell phones are used, the more this energy expenditure pays off. Swisscom wants to ensure that old devices are used sustainably with appropriate offers: From reconditioning and second-hand sales to donation programs, repairs and recycling.

Customer: Swisscom. Responsible agency: Serviceplan Suisse. Film Production Awareness: Shining; Marco Lutz (Director). Film Production Content: McQueen Films; Girts Apskalns (director).

18 projects were submitted for the Sponsoring Excellence Award 2022. Now, the sponsoring association Sponsoring Switzerland has given the starting signal for the entry period of the fourth edition. Companies can submit their projects until December 14, 2022. Non-members of the association also have the opportunity to submit their projects and take part in the award night. The jury day will be held on January 24, 2023.

Which project will win the fourth Sponsoring Excellence Award will be announced at the Night of Sponsoring. The sponsoring industry get-together will take place on March 9, 2023 at Theater 11 Zurich.

Previous winners of the Sponsoring Excellence Awards include Formela E by Julius Baer (2019), #myprivatepicasso by Swisscom and the Fondation Beyeler (2020) and Welovesnow by Raiffeisen (2022).

Further information is available on the website of Sponsoring Switzerland.

Spatial Audio refers to three-dimensional audio technology such as Dolby Atmos or 3D Audio from Apple.

Before the survey, almost half of the respondents (49 percent) had heard of spatial audio. 51 percent, on the other hand, knew nothing about the technology or were not sure if they had heard of it. 50 percent see less progress in the development of live audio than live video.

Gaming, TV shows and movies

When asked in which setting spatial audio experiences play the biggest role, gaming came first with 24 percent. TV shows and movies came in second with 21 percent. Virtual shows and concerts followed with 14 percent in popularity. Audiobooks/podcasts, online presentations and virtual meetings each accounted for nine percent. At eight percent, virtual tours of a psychic space and, at five percent, shopping experiences in stores play the least important role.

79 percent would buy new headphones for a better listening experience. For 28 percent of respondents, the price would be secondary. 26 percent think that the new headphones should not cost more than $50. 25 percent would not be willing to spend more than $100 for them.

In terms of the metaverse, 60 percent of Gen-Z consumers would prefer to use a service with 3D Spatial Audio. This means that voices and sounds are heard in the virtual environment based on proximity to the sound source. At 34 percent, just over a third were neutral on this issue. Only six percent said they would not prefer such a service in the metaverse. Companies like Apple and Meta have already recognized the trend and are increasingly investing in this area. (pte/swi)

As part of the study, Agora surveyed more than 1,500 Generation Z consumers.  

The 53-year-old American will lead Nestlé's corporate communications, including media relations, public affairs, corporate digital and content, and employee engagement, the food company announced Thursday in a communiqué.

To date, Lisa Gibby is Director of Communications at Nestlé. In this role, she has led the global Corporate Communications organization since July 2020. Gibby joined Nestlé in 2014. (SDA)

The Happiness Principle

How to become more successful and powerful with 7 building blocks of Positive Psychology.

• Author: Shawn Achor
• Publisher: Unimedica, 2020
• Pages: 328
• ISBN: 9783962571634

Who doesn't want to be happy and successful at work, master challenges, and have enough time for friends and family? The reality is different in many companies. Stress, adversity and the feeling that nothing can be changed demotivate employees and make them unhappy. Shawn Achor derives seven building blocks from the findings of positive psychology, with the help of which everyone can become the architect of their own happiness. He describes the hurdles that stand in the way of happiness in a realistic and true-to-life way and gives tips on how to overcome them.

On the Way to New Work

When work becomes something that empowers people.

• Author: Christoph Magnussen, Swantje Allmers and Michael Trautmann
• Publisher: Vahlen Verlag, 2022
• Pages: 412
• ISBN: 9783800666591

There are many books on New Work, but few are as ambitious. You won't find detailed descriptions of models and methods here, but a large selection of examples from corporate practice. They are taken from the consulting activities of the authors and their podcasts. The content ranges from problem solving for individuals to solving major world problems, such as climate change. The detailed tips on self-management and organizational structure are helpful. It's not quite as clear why New Work is supposed to be the answer to everything else, too.

Well asked is half sold

Successful selling with psychological questioning techniques.

• Author: Roman Kmenta
• Publisher: VoV Media, 2022
• Pages: 224
• ISBN: 9783903845305

If only all books were written like this! This one reads easily and entertainingly, draws from the real life of a salesman and what is said can be implemented immediately. The only question mark: Do you really want to sell something anytime and anywhere, as Roman Kmenta suggests? Of course, he says, you want and have to achieve your goals. Everything in life is a question of sales technique. So he unleashes a fireworks display of guileless-sounding and likeable sales questions. He sells himself and his books just as winningly - completely legitimately from a salesman's point of view.

Leadership and self-deception

Out of the box.

• Author: The Arbinger Institute
• Publisher: GABAL, 2021
• Pages: 240
• ISBN: 9783967390742

Managers and employees often work against each other instead of with each other. In this way, they endanger the success or even the existence of their company. They focus only on themselves and lose sight of the common interests. They are "in the box." What this means and how to get out of the box is shown in this insightful book. The authors skillfully use the storytelling method to do this. Instead of a dry nonfiction book, they have written an exciting story.

The winners were able to receive their certificates from jury president Hans-Peter Nehmer on Thursday evening in Zurich. For the first time, the overall winner was also presented with a newly created trophy. Around 200 participants took part in the event.

The Swiss Annual Report Rating is conducted annually by HarbourClub. The annual reports of all listed companies represented in the SPI are included. The list is completed with the companies of the 50 companies with the highest turnover, the 15 insurance companies with the highest premium volume and the 25 banks with the highest balance sheet total and comprises 238 companies in 2022.

Winner from nowhere

In the last ten years, this year's winner Sika, with one exception in 2014, has never made it among the twelve best annual reports that the final jury had to review. However, the analysis of the results in the two categories Value Reporting and Design clearly shows it. Sika improved its ranking in Value Reporting by 20 ranks and took first place in this category with its 2021 report. The rank improvement is even more evident in the Design category. Here, Sika was able to gain more than 50 places compared to the previous year.

"At Sika, as with many of the best annual reports, sustainability reporting has become key content in corporate publishing," said Hans-Peter Nehmer, president of HarbourClub. "Our final jury recognized striking improvements here in the annual reports of the 2022 vintage. More and more companies are making the leap to a new communication approach - from abstract, defensive "justification communication" to credible, holistic and thus effective sustainability reporting."

Overall winner business reports of the final jury

Place 1: Sika

Rank 2: Holcim

3rd place: Valora

Design category (online and print)

Place 1: Hiag

Place 2: Zur Rose

3rd place: Swissquote

Category Value Reporting (Online and Print)

Place 1: Sika

Rank 2: VP Bank

3rd place: UBS

Rising star of the year

Design: Phoenix Mecano

Value Reporting: Medartis

Category text

Phoenix Mecano

All detailed results as well as the PDFs of the evaluated reports including the previous years and a special publication on the 2021 annual reports are available on the platform Gbrating.ch to find.

The business and finance platform Cash.ch has a new look. In addition to optimized operation, the main navigation has been expanded, which significantly simplifies the thematic search. In addition, the top news display has been redesigned and offers more information at a glance.

For the user community, the operation of the site remains familiar. The new features are a further development of the previous website. "Cash.ch offers a modern design, a clearer structure and revised content. This makes it easier for users to access financial news, current stock market data, products and services," says Daniel Hügli, editor-in-chief of Cash.ch.

From a technical perspective, the website was completely rebuilt by the Digital Technology Center of Ringier Axel Springer Switzerland. The new backend enables easier integration of contributions from other RASCH titles.

Joel Grolimund's workday at Radio SRF 3 remains the same: For the past three years, the 30-year-old has hosted the "Sport am Sonntag" show between 4 and 8 p.m. at Radio SRF 3. From November, his day will start a little earlier: Grolimund will take over as host of the hit parade every Sunday, between 12 and 4 p.m.

"Pop music is an absolute passion of mine," says the Solothurn native. "I'm looking forward to hosting one of Switzerland's most traditional radio programs." With his experience in the society magazine "Gesichter & Geschichten," Joel Grolimund is absolutely the right choice for the Hit Parade, says SRF-3 program director Alexander Blunschi. "He is very familiar with both the music and the people behind it. We're delighted to have found a successor for the Hit Parade that we're absolutely happy with."

Joel Grolimund has already been working at "G&G" since 2017, where he initially completed a six-month internship and has since been working as a presenter and reporter for the society magazine. Even before that, he had graduated from the Ringier School of Journalism and worked as a presenter and producer at Radio Energy. In May 2021, Joel Grolimund hosted his first Saturday evening show with the "G&G" special on the "Eurovision Song Contest." On "Gesichter & Geschichten," Grolimund can still be seen in addition to his new role as host of the hit parade.

Joel Grolimund will succeed Michel Birri, who will step down as host of the show as of November 2022 (Advertisingweek.ch reported).

This much is certain: financial brands are facing profound changes that may even threaten their very existence. Never before has the range of products on the market been larger and more diverse, never before has it been easier for customers to switch. While the older generation still chooses its bank(s) largely on a functional basis, Gen Y and Z are focusing on brands that match their needs, values, and lifestyle.

An interesting phenomenon can be observed here: Today, it is increasingly the younger generation that is introducing parents to new offers and financial service providers, such as Apple Pay, Twint and Revolut. This is a striking paradigm shift, as in the past it was always the parents who showed their children the way to financial services.

AI-based data analysis as a new approach

To understand these fundamental changes, the consulting firm BrandTrust researched the DACH financial markets using a novel approach: Instead of opinion polls, the brand strategy experts rely on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

More than 300,000 texts accessible on the Internet, such as corporate websites, forums, blogs or social media, serve as source material. A total of around 33 million data points were processed. Of the 240 financial institutions studied in DACH, 110 are from German-speaking Switzerland. French- or Italian-speaking Swiss banks were not examined, as the algorithms used are based on a German-language model.

This method of analysis provides in-depth insights into the needs and values of customers without survey bias. This is because the algorithms exclusively observe effective behavior on the web, such as comments or likes.

Holistic comparison of all financial service providers

Just as customers do not divide banks into categories - as the industry itself likes to do - this study also compared all types of banks holistically and together: These include digital banks, cooperative banks, big banks, private banks, neobrokers, robo-advisors and payment service providers such as the up-and-coming Klarna.

The reason for this is simple: customers have different decision-making criteria than banks, which like to divide themselves into categories. In the future, the classic "category" boundaries are likely to become increasingly blurred anyway.

Migros Bank scores with millennials

As the ranking of the most relevant Swiss financial brands shows, none of the traditional banks make it into the top 5 among the two younger generations. HSBC (6th place), UBS (8th) and Raiffeisen (12th) as well as Credit Suisse (14th) follow far behind specialized financial service providers such as Google Pay, Klarna or Revolut.

Only one bank stands out: Migros Bank takes first place among Millennials. How is that possible? According to Benedikt Streb, co-author of the study, Migros Bank has successfully rejuvenated its brand in recent years and has a clear focus among Millennials on its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms. "Migros Bank manages to make difficult financial topics such as buying a house, self-employment or starting a fmail business accessible on its social media channels. It speaks the language of Millennials, hits their topics and shows itself to be true to life and human," says brand expert Streb. Central brand values such as cooperativeness, credibility and authenticity would be translated into the community in a modern way, whereby Migros Bank would enable identification and belonging - two highly relevant longings of this generation.

Gen Z in a consumption frenzy

For Generation Z, the themes and style of Migros Bank would be far too serious, says Benedikt Streb. This generation is looking for fun and simplicity; the focus is on the infinite world of consumption. So it's nothing but consistent that payment service providers such as Google Pay, Mastercard and Klarna are high on the list. They all know how to present themselves as part of consumer life. The focus is always on the benefits for customers, not on the technology or the products.

And what about Twint? You look in vain for the Swiss high-flyer among payment apps in the ranking of the younger generation; only among Generation X does it make it onto the ranking list. "While Twint offers a very valuable service, it runs into the typical banking trap when it comes to communication: the payment service provider wants to appeal to everyone from young to old, which means the profile ends up being too vague," Streb explains. In addition, although Twint uses a young visual language, it engages in rather classic product marketing.

For the younger generations, however, the focus should be on the customer (hero) and not on the bank or the function. The older generations (Generation X and baby boomers), for their part, prefer niche banks with a regional focus; there are greater differences between the various cantonal banks, which were consolidated in the study and thus landed in 12th place (Gen X) and 10th place (baby boomers).

What does "relevant" actually mean?

The relevance of a financial brand describes its ability to attract potential customers and convert them into true fans. To turn first-time contacts or interested parties into fans, a financial brand must precisely understand the needs and desires of its target group and address them skillfully and consistently. On the other hand, there is no wow factor at all in attempting to serve all target groups - establishing closeness to life with the younger generations, who are critical to success, is thus practically impossible.

Conclusion

The study shows that each generation has its own attraction drivers. New financial service providers with a clearly defined range of services and a contemporary, consumer goods-oriented image are ahead of the game among the younger generations. One example of success is Migros Bank, which has the courage to focus clearly on millennials and knows how to demonstrate its relevance to everyday life.

* Benedikt Streb is a partner at BrandTrust and specializes in measuring brand success. His motto, loosely based on Galileo Galilei: "Make measurable what cannot be measured".

The financial brand study completed in the summer of 2022 "Money or love? Why financial brands need to become more human" by BrandTrust is based on data analysis using artificial intelligence (AI). A total of 240 financial brands were examined, including 124 German, 110 Swiss-German and 32 Austrian financial institutions and service providers. More than 790 publicly accessible sources on the Internet were sifted through, such as forums, blogs, comparison portals, social and linear media, stores and corporate websites. A total of over 33 million data points were analyzed and 300,000 text analyses were conducted, with the study period covering the last 8 years to the present. In parallel, the three study authors Benjamin Streb, Sebastian Schäfer and Bernhard Scholz from BrandTrust conducted an online survey to secure and validate the results of the AI data analysis.

The Swiss population downloaded the SwissCovid app 3.8 million times. This applies to the period from the app's launch on June 25, 2020, until its temporary deactivation on April 1, 2022. However, only around 1.7 million apps were active on average every day, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In an overview of the app's use, the Federal Office concludes that the app was not able to develop its full potential, but that it can provide valuable support in pandemic situations.

According to the report, contact tracing is effective if the app is widely accepted in the population, is used, and the time between infection and contact restriction is thereby reduced to such an extent that chains of infection are interrupted in good time. The FSO compared the resulting relevant factors of acceptance, use and contact tracing with its figures for the SwissCovid app.

Acceptance, usage and contact tracking with SwissCovid

In the area of acceptance, the SwissCovid app has some catching up to do, as the figure of 3.8 million downloads shows. This does not take into account multiple downloads, such as when someone has bought a new smartphone and therefore installed the app again. The FSO assumes that the SwissCovid app has not reached around half of the adult Swiss population.

In terms of usage, only around 1.7 million of the 3.8 million downloaded apps were active on average. However, users also used the app regardless of the epidemiological situation, i.e. even during periods with relatively low case numbers. This indicates that people used the app on a sustained basis once they had decided to do so.

The FSO measured contact tracking by the average time it took for users to enter a Covid code into the app after receiving it. Overall, the population entered 206,443 Covid codes by April 1, 2022 - 49 percent of them within two days of symptom onset. This time period maps the app's potential to break chains of infection, according to the report. Any factors that extend this period indicate opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

The SwissCovid app provides the basic requirements for an application that can be used in everyday life with no particular additional effort, as the FSO concludes. The evaluation of the SwissCovid app monitoring 2020-2022 shows that the app found substantial, but not maximum possible acceptance and use.

In particular, the delays between symptom onset and Covid code entry would provide insightful information about the app's potential to break infection chains. "If the potential of the SwissCovid app can be exploited, valuable time can be gained to contain the growth of infection numbers and break the momentum of a pandemic," the report says. (Kevin Fischer/jor)

This article was first published in Netzwoche.

As the Swiss Radio and Television Company SRG announced on Tuesday, the approximately one hundred employees of Swissinfo have been working in the building on Schwarztorstrasse in Bern since Monday of this week. This is in the city center. Previously, they worked at the headquarters of SRG's general management on Bern's Giacomettistrasse, in the east of the federal city.

Swissinfo editors will move into premises previously occupied by radio people, who will now work in the so-called "Radio Hall" in Zurich. At the end of 2019, SRG had announced that around 70 people from the newsroom and SRF 4 News would in future be working in Zurich instead of Bern.

The domestic and foreign editorial offices will remain at Schwarztorstrasse in Bern. Magazine and background programs such as "Echo der Zeit" and "Rendez-vous" would be produced there. SRG already announced at the time that the space that would become available would one day be occupied by Swissinfo. (SDA)