Application is like advertising: the application agency supports job seekers in the conception and realization of applications that stand out from the crowd. With good ideas, great looks and convincing storytelling.

In the intensive courses of the advertising agency, participants work like in a normal advertising agency. They create product and market analyses, write briefings and develop ideas. They make layouts, write texts, take photographs and produce videos. With the small difference that they don't create campaigns for products, but for people.

The services offered by the recruitment agency are aimed at job seekers in marketing, sales, media, IT, communications, design and related fields. For the announcement the application agency launches now the campaign "The Bootcamp for applications".

The new logo and design elements of the application agency are used in course materials and all communication tools. Also, the new website is available at Advertising agency.ch live.

Overall responsibility: Conny Wehrli. Consulting: Cigdem Esme. Website: Wim Lanz. Concept, art direction and photography campaign: Kim Sokola, Peter Rettinghausen. Production: Nadia Leisi. Social media: Michelle De Oliveira.

On Tuesday evening, Dominik Allemann, the new president of the Zurich PR Society, led through the agenda for the first time. Despite Corona restrictions, the ZPRG board offered a diverse mix of events, he said. With 360 members, ZPRG is one of Switzerland's largest networks for communications professionals. "We are happy about many positive feedbacks and about new registrations of individual members as well as companies as collective members," Allemann said. "We also encourage exchange with other Prsuisse regional societies. ZPRG members are thus networked throughout Switzerland." In addition to the eight ZPRG events, 40 other events in other regions were open to members.

The new podcast format "ComSumCast" in collaboration with the Zurich Press Association is also proving very popular. Host Reto Lipp from SRF spoke with ten personalities from media and companies such as Ringier manager Ladina Heimgartner, Hans-Peter Nehmer from Allianz Suisse or ZKB Head of Communications Dagmar Laub about trends in communication and media.

Katharina Krämer new on the board

Priska Spörri did not stand for election this year. She will be succeeded by Katharina Krämer. She has been working at the Institute of Applied Media Studies IAM at the ZHAW for 15 years and teaches in the Bachelor of Communication, the Master of Applied Linguistics program, and the MAS in Communication Management and Leadership. Krämer was unanimously elected by the assembly. Board members Roland Baumann and Raphael Bühler, Vice President Marie-Françoise Ruesch, and President Dominik Allemann, were confirmed in office.

Now in its second generation, the family-owned company AAT is based in Ranshofen, Austria, where it develops, produces, installs and maintains its products. Working closely with customers, the company creates systems that are tailored to the functionality requirements and the flying object. This includes technologies that enable the rescue team to optimize their team performance during medical emergency, disaster response, search and rescue or medical evacuation operations. In addition, AAT also offers individualized VIP systems.

By sharpening its positioning, accompanying cultural change and strengthening communications, Heads will support AAT in its efforts to further expand its corporate success.

"Heads' systematic approach to corporate positioning and the agency's experience in establishing a strong corporate brand internally and externally won us over," said Nicole Kuntner-Hudson, CEO of AAT, about the assignment.

On Wednesday it was announced that Die Antwort has been awarded the creative budget of the Zurich City Hospital.

The Zurich agency currently has 14 employees. Its current clients include Fairtrade Max Havelaar, Maestrani, Economiesuisse, Schutz & Rettung Zürich, the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH, Swiss Malaria Group and now officially the Zurich City Hospital.

The YouTube formula

How to decipher the algorithm and develop a revenue-generating content strategy.

• Author: Derral Eves
• Publisher: Wiley-VCH, 2022
• Pages: 385
• ISBN: 9783527510962

YouTube offers the opportunity to reach a large audience around the world and earn a lot of money. However, shooting and uploading a video is not enough. Those who get involved with the platform and know how to read its algorithms will have more success. It's not witchcraft: in the end, it all depends on how well you cater to your target audience. YouTube expert Derral Eves talks to us and reveals many practical tips. Even though he talks at length, he makes you want to get started with your next video clip.

Basic knowledge event management

• Author: Dieter Jäger
• Publisher: A. Francke Verlag, 2021
• Pages: 244
• ISBN: 97838256814

Events are not only expo and Olympic Games, but also party conferences, congresses or product presentations. Whether large or small, events need to be well planned and organized. Dieter Jäger's book conveys the basics and concepts of successful event planning. Sometimes it could go into more depth, at other points it is a bit too textbook-like. However, it is a good starting point for an initial overview and as an introduction to special issues - for example, the topic of corporate social responsibility or sustainability in the event industry.

Lean Project Management

Apply hybrid methods to add value.

• Author: Claus Hüsselmann
• Publisher: Schäffer-Poeschel, 2021
• Pages: 298
• ISBN: 9783791052342

Classic project management works where it is still possible to make long-term plans. In today's world, however, this is rarely the case. Agile project management compensates for this weakness with the greatest possible flexibility. According to Claus Hüsselmann, it is even better to incorporate the basic idea of lean production: avoid any waste. The three ways of thinking, i.e. classical project management, agile and lean project management, can be combined in a hybrid way, even within a project. The book gets a point deduction because it focuses almost exclusively on terms and rules and too little on practice.

The 44 pitfalls of digitization

... and how we all avoid them.

• Author: Nicole Gaiziunas
• Publisher: Haufe Verlag, 2021
• Pages: 215
• ISBN: 9783648156438

For many, it's a familiar scenario: the digital strategy is in place and numerous measures have been adopted. The discussion about the necessary cultural change alone took up what felt like an entire week of meetings. And then? Little or nothing happens. Works councils stonewall, superiors delegate, subordinates duck away. The digitalizers have jumped as a tiger and landed as a bedside rug. Nicole Gaiziunas explains in a clear and entertaining way how companies can avoid the most treacherous digitization traps, communicate preventively, and nip potential crises in the bud.

The Federal Council had created the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in 2019, which is currently located in the General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF). Since then, it has undergone significant development, the Federal Council wrote in a statement. Today, around 40 employees perform core tasks to protect Switzerland from cyber threats.

The NCSC supports operators of critical infrastructures in the prevention and management of security-related incidents, operates a national contact point for cyber security issues for the population and the economy. In addition, the Federal Council has designated it as a central reporting point when introducing mandatory reporting of cyber attacks.

Because cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important, the national government has now examined how the NCSC can be run as an independent organization in the future. In the end, it decided against outsourcing from the federal administration, joint operation with the cantons or even a public-private partnership.

Still a matter for the Federal Council

It has come to the conclusion that cybersecurity is so important in terms of state policy that a member of the state government should continue to be responsible for the task, the Federal Council writes. He therefore wants to make the NCSC a new federal office.

It has instructed the FDF to prepare the basis for a decision by the end of 2022 on how the future federal office should be structured and in which department it should be located. The Federal Council will then decide.

On Wednesday, the Federal Council underscored the high importance of the cybersecurity sector by deciding to create an additional 25 positions for protection against cyber risks. It did so based on the results of the effectiveness review of the previous National Strategy for the Protection of Switzerland against Cyber Risks. It took note of the corresponding report on Wednesday.

Ten of these new positions will be located in the NCSC, six in the Federal Intelligence Service, two in the Federal Office of Information Technology, two in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and five in specialized offices in the various critical sectors of energy, transportation, civil aviation, telecommunications, and health.

Too much focus on federal government and companies

Overall, the effectiveness review gives good marks to the implementation of the current national cyber strategy. For example, standards and labels have been developed together with universities to help organizations systematically test and improve their cyber security. In addition, the creation of the National Cyber Security Test Center in Zug has built up the capacity to analyze IT products in greater depth.

However, the audit also identified potential for improvement. For example, the strategy focused too strongly on critical infrastructures, large companies, and national and cantonal authorities. For SMEs, municipalities and the population, on the other hand, it had not yet achieved enough direct impact.

The findings are to be incorporated into the new national cyber strategy currently being drawn up. It is to be geared to the current threat situation. The current strategy will be completed at the end of 2022. (SDA)

With "Più Vino Rosato," the first throw of the new Più Vino brand, Bindella aims to target a younger clientele. This initiative is one of many around the rejuvenation of the brand, which is being created in close strategic collaboration with Webrepublic.

The basis of the long-term partnership between Bindella and the agency is the jointly developed overall strategy. This ranges from market analysis and campaign conception to implementation with measures in the areas of OOH, social media, website, search engine marketing, YouTube and content.

The just launched wine, whose label design also comes from Webrepublic, rounds off the positioning with a younger target group. The product is intended to combine youthful freshness with tradition and quality.

"From label design to the design of the cork, as well as the associated cross-channel campaign including involvement of the target group - this product launch is a wonderful example of how important it is for all channels to work together perfectly online and offline," says Katja Martinello, Head of Creation at Webrepublic.

Responsible at Bindella: Rudi Bindella Jr, Alexander Maycock, Sandra Rapold, Mirco Portmann. Responsible at Webrepublic:  Amanda Possa, Tobias Zehnder, Philipp Poëll, Judith Creutz (Strategy); Katja Martinello, Alena Richter, Simone Lagomarsino (Creation); Pablo Büttikofer, Nicolas Bovet, Bettina Berwanger (Media).

The Easydoo organization tool developed in Switzerland makes it easier to organize and plan work, coordinate and conduct meetings, and ensure that teams work together more efficiently, all for very little money. In short, the online tool makes the entire office routine easier and thus significantly less stressful.

In order to make Easydoo and its function known, the agency at the airport from St. Gallen developed a stress campaign. The measures implemented include a microsite, advertisements, banners, direct mailings, e-mailings and press relations.

Responsible at Easydoo: Andreas Schwengeler (Owner/CEO), Raffaella Graf (COO). Responsible at agency at the airport: René Eugster (overall responsibility), Dominique Rutishauser (creative direction), Ketil Eggum (art direction), Miriam Egli (consulting). Photography: Alexander Bayer (Vision Studios).

Of 160 farms audited, 139, or 87 percent, were not registered, according to the 2021 AVS annual report released Wednesday. Only 21 businesses were registered with the canton. It is often difficult or impossible to find the persons behind the profiles or advertisements, the AVS states.

It contacted 139 farms during its campaign. This resulted in 46 farm registrations. Ten of the farms did not respond even after being contacted several times, according to AVS.

These companies or persons were reported to the Consumer Policy Reporting of Facebook or Instagram via the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). After several months of waiting, the pages were deleted from Facebook. Accordingly, the remaining establishments decided to cease their activity and remove the advertisements.

Cakes, pastries and catering on offer

Most of the advertisements are for cakes and baked goods, but national specialties such as börek, Indian food, as well as nutritional supplements and catering are also offered.

The price is almost always set at zero francs or one franc, additional information is usually sparse. The description is usually kept very general. The correct name of the seller as well as an address can rarely be found, with a bit of luck the locality is correct, as it says in the annual report.

The greatest difficulty of the control campaign for the AVS was the anonymity of the advertisers. Facebook is the quickest and easiest way to get the information you need. On Instagram or Tutti.ch, it is almost impossible to find the person behind the profile or ad.

Cooperation with Facebook/Instagram is mandatory via the federal government and is a lengthy process. Registration with the cantonal authorities is a prerequisite for the Eats-homemade.ch app. All other providers do not check this. However, whether the advertisements contain the legally required information is not checked.

Ice cubes are a permanent problem

As every year, the Office for Consumer Protection reports on a wealth of inspections. The poor quality of ice cubes is a perennial problem. The microbiological quality of ice cubes continues to leave much to be desired. The AVS examined 17 ice cube or crushed ice samples from company-owned machines and two self-portioned bag ice samples. 58 percent of the ice cubes tested were rejected.

Deceptive claims in the catering and retail trade are also a recurring topic. Still 23 percent of the claims are false or deceptive, as the AVS found. The highest complaint rates were for Parmesan and feta, at well over 50 percent. Many use the slightly cheaper Grana Padano or another extra-hard cheese instead of the real Parmigiano Reggiano, the AVS found.

The Veterinary Service, which is also part of the AVS, imposed many animal keeping bans in the area of pets and wild animals. Due to gross violations in animal husbandry, the Office of Consumer Protection issued 25 animal holding bans in the reporting year. In comparison, this is again a significant increase of 78 percent over the previous year. (SDA)

Compared to the dramatic figures of 2020, almost twice as many trade shows could be held in 2021, according to the statistics (2020: 38 trade shows / 2021: 73 trade shows). However, there is still a long way to go before the pre-pandemic situation, the industry association writes in a statement. In 2018, 193 trade shows were still held.

Continued severe drop in sales

The total revenue realized by exhibition venues and organizers in 2021 increased by 30 percent year-on-year, from 263.7 million to 342.5 million. However, comparing the turnover with 2018 (766.7 million), it should be noted that this is not even half of the pre-pandemic years. Accordingly, the 2021 operating results also remained poor, with a consolidated operating loss of -39.7 million Swiss francs (2020: 137.7 million Swiss francs). Probably only thanks to the financial support measures, the association members still employed 1,066 people at the end of 2021 (2018: 1,565 employees) despite the massive slump in business over the past two years.

A look at the number of visitors shows that although the situation in 2021 has doubled to 1.4 million compared with 2020 (0.7 million), the 2018 figure of 7 million visitors is still a long way off. Overall, all trade show formats show a 62 percent drop compared to 2018. General public trade fairs are particularly affected, with a drop of 90 percent, followed by B2B trade fairs with -57 percent and thematic public fairs with -40 percent. The figures underline the huge economic damage.

Visitor numbers at Luga and Bea are positive

The 43rd Central Switzerland Spring Fair Luga recorded over 120,000 visitors from April 22 to May 1. This corresponds to the figures of the last Luga in 2019. After the cancellations of Luga 2020 and 2021, the exhibition management is extremely satisfied with this result: "We are very pleased that we were able to pick up where we left off. After two years of pandemic, this has exceeded our expectations," says Exhibition Director Luzia Roos. The very good atmosphere on the exhibition grounds was particularly noticeable: "We sensed that our visitors missed Luga. The need to be able to experience something again was great". A vote for live business and direct interpersonal contact," Roos continues.

The first Bea after the pandemic break from April 29 to May 8, 2022, welcomed over 300,000 visitors to the Bernexpo site. The organizer Bernexpo Groupe is delighted. "Overall, we have exceeded the result of 2019 with more than 300,000 visitors. This is a great success and shows that BEA is experiencing a veritable boom after the pandemic restrictions. Both the visitors and the approximately 750 exhibitors enjoyed the regained freedom at BEA just as much as we did as organizers - the atmosphere was great. In short, this is the BEA that people have been waiting for," explains Adrian Affolter, head of the division.

As part of its Corporate Services business unit, Messerli is taking on administrative, operational and logistical tasks relating to marketing logistics for an increasing number of companies. The customer's needs are varied and complex: they range from handling the customer's own trade fair and event materials to managing their advertising and promotional materials. Messerli's logistics team delivers required materials to the event location, stores them after use and prepares them for reuse. The new logistics center makes it possible to provide this service even more professionally and efficiently for customers, the company writes in a statement.

The two-story warehouse building has eight storage halls with a total floor space of 12600 square meters. The company Methabau from Amriswil was responsible for the construction.

Energy demand covered by solar power

On the roof of the new logistics center, Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Schaffhausen (EKS) operates a photovoltaic system with a generator area of 5,246 square meters. The expected electricity supply of 1,200 megawatt hours per year exceeds the logistics center's own requirements by a factor of seven to eight. The additional electricity produced flows into the EKS grid and covers the electricity needs of around 300 households.

Marketing and communication are subject to a rapid pace and the social upheavals of our time, in which rules change quickly and the established must give way to the new. Lifelong learning and the repeated acquisition of new skills are essential in the marketing industry. In such a time, orientation is of great importance in order not to miss any changes in direction and trends.

For this, HWZ, Swiss Marketing Forum and AZ Konzept are now offering a free series in live streaming format. Applied science with strong practical relevance is presented in one-hour sessions. The compact series is intended to help executives gain competent professional orientation and in-depth knowledge and to show new paths through the marketing jungle.

"The last few years have shown that there is a need for well-founded and equally short formats for knowledge transfer and exchange. The Brown Bag Series responds to this need," says Michael Grund, Head of Department for Marketing & Business Communications at HWZ. Marcel Weibel, OC member of Swiss Marketing Forum, adds: "With this partnership and the online format, we have optimal conditions, in addition to the Marketing Day, to offer all managers concrete practical knowledge with direct implementation."

The topics offered are dedicated to central challenges of marketing:

• Branding: Brand Leadership, June 21, 2022
• Marketing Strategy: Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing, August 23, 2022
• Customer Behavior: Neuromarketing, September 20, 2022
• Content Marketing: Storytelling, October 18, 2022
• Strategic Media Planning: Online vs. Offline, November 15, 2022
• Marketing Automation: Trends, Skills and Tools, December 13, 2022

Further information on the entire brown bag series can be found at the HWZ website.