In her new role, Alessia Quaglia will report directly to Gilles Despas, CEO of Scout24 Switzerland. She will focus on further developing Anibis.ch as an innovative and attractive marketplace, as Scout24 Switzerland writes in a statement.

"Alessia is an excellent fit for this position as she has years of experience working with cross-functional teams to plan, develop, successfully launch and manage high-visibility platforms," said CEO Gilles Despas.

The role of Managing Director is currently held by Sandro Zosso, who has played a key role for Anibis.ch and Scout24 Schweiz AG for 15 years, the statement added. He is now leaving Scout24 to devote himself to new activities.

At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, online learning was seen as a stopgap solution for face-to-face learning that was not possible. From this perspective, the classic continuing education settings in the seminar room appeared to be the "good" variant of learning; learning with learning and video platforms, forums and collaboration tools, on the other hand, appeared to be an inferior substitute.

Only gradually did it dawn on those responsible that the new digital learning represents an overdue enrichment of continuing education - among other things, because it shifts the focus away from the trainer to the participants. They are encouraged to organize and design their own learning processes to a much greater extent than in traditional learning. In addition, online learning focuses more on collaborative learning, in which knowledge is stored on the Internet for all to access.

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Tip: Say goodbye to thinking online learning is a "stopgap" solution. For decades, training managers have demanded that participants be open to new things and have the courage to leave comfort zones. Now it's their turn to show it.

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New learning arrangements are in demand

At the beginning of the pandemic, the thinking of many HR departments was still strongly influenced by the usual face-to-face events. That's why online seminars were also in demand for the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. time slot. In the meantime, there are also lively requests for one-and-a-half to two-hour online nuggets, for example. Such learning units can be easily integrated into the daily work routine. That's why they are not only used to satisfy an acute need in the short term, but are also frequently integrated into longer-term development measures.

In addition, instead of the usual one-day seminars, there is increasing demand for training courses that combine synchronous - face-to-face and live online events - and asynchronous elements - preparation and follow-up work. They turn a one-off event into a learning process that usually has a more lasting effect.

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Tip: Digital technology enables new training designs. Experiment with them. Use the opportunity to develop a new learning culture.

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Trend hybrid learning settings: the best of both worlds

In the meantime, many companies and conference hotels have invested in technology for hybrid meetings and seminars, where some participants sit live in the seminar room and others sit in front of a monitor at home or at work. With the right technology, such hybrid events can be managed well. For example, there are various providers of "whiteboard solutions" for hybrid working and learning, where all participants can see and hear each other clearly. The timing of hybrid events also needs to be considered. It should be aligned with the virtual participants, because the attention span of online learning is shorter.

If group work is planned in hybrid events, the demands on the instructors increase, because then the groups on site and the virtual groups must be supervised in parallel. In addition, any technical problems must be resolved quickly.

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Tip: If possible, run hybrid events with co-moderators. Then they can share the supervision of the face-to-face and online groups and such tasks as giving input and solving technical problems.

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Virtual reality is becoming commonplace in continuing education

When it comes to practicing work steps, simulation training using virtual reality is increasingly scoring points. They can be used to increase operational safety, an important aspect when operating machines, for example. In most cases, every move has to be perfect. Thanks to VR goggles, participants can practice this in such training by controlling their virtual hands with control devices. Sensors then transfer the movements into virtual reality.

Practicing work steps under real conditions is often expensive for employers - among other things, because of the employees' absence, the costs for travel and accommodation, and the machines not producing during the practice hours. VR goggles and the associated training programs have the advantage that they can be used again and again after purchase - without lengthy planning.

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Tip: You can test the latest technologies at congresses and trade fairs. In addition, you will receive information about projects that have already been realized with the new learning technology and the experience gained.

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Personal responsibility for learning has increased

Since 2016, we have provided participants in our training courses with short introductory exercises and videos in advance as an introduction to the training topic. Until mid-2020, less than half of them took advantage of this offer. That has changed. Today, if we send a link with the login data and a description of the tasks, they are usually completed immediately - by almost 100 percent of participants. It's not uncommon for them to even ask weeks before the training when they will receive access to the learning platform and any assignments and materials. This reflects a cultural shift toward independent learning.

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Tip: Stimulate the personal responsibility of the participants. This is all the greater, the more benefits a further training course offers them. However, HR departments often still need to support individuals in developing the necessary skills for self-organized learning.

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Do not lose sight of the people

It quickly became clear to many companies that online learning requires a certain technical infrastructure, and we need to build this. A lot has happened in this regard in the past year. But the right technology is only the first step of many toward a new normal. Continuing educators must also be aware of the social and emotional aspects of network-based collaboration. E-learning is not just a technical process; it is about supporting people in their development.

Another advantage of digitization is that it makes new groups of people accessible for further training - for example

• People who do not want to or cannot stay overnight outside the home,
• Working people who cannot or do not want to miss a day or two of work, and
• Individuals who are reluctant to reveal themselves to others in a circle of chairs.

If the New Normal offers a good mix of different formats, then learning that is more closely oriented to the individual's needs will be possible in the future.

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Tip: When building a new learning infrastructure and developing new learning designs, reflect again and again: Who should use it? What competencies/qualities are needed for this?

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Establish netiquette and a climate conducive to learning

We are still in the process of developing manners for the new learning and working. For example, with regard to the question of what insights we allow other people into our private lives when participating in online seminars at home. Only gradually is it becoming clear to some: the used dishes from the previous day in the background do not make a professional impression. That's why many companies now provide their employees with branded virtual backgrounds for video conferences.

Generally speaking, online learning and hybrid learning also involve maintaining relationships via digital channels. In addition to mutual respect, this also requires adherence to certain rules when communicating in video conferences, chats and forums.

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Tip: Establish netiquette in your company that promotes online learning and open, trusting communication. In this process, decision-makers must act as role models.

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Recognize learning times also as working times

Learning time should be recognized as such by the company and made available. This refers not only to the time participants spend synchronously with a trainer, but also to their asynchronous preparation and follow-up time. Learning must not be allowed to degenerate into a sideline activity. Learning needs time and quiet - digital or analog. When given the choice, most employees opt to complete online training courses in their home office, because here they can design their learning environment individually.

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Tip: Learning time should, of course, be recognized by companies as necessary and counted as working time. The new normal should be that employees can also spend learning days or times at home.

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* Sabine Prohaska is the owner of the Viennese consulting firm Seminar consult prohaska. In April 2021, her most recent book "Training and Seminars in the Digital Transformation: The E-Learning Compass for Successful Training Concepts" was published.

The controversial proposal is a first indication of how the Confederation wants to make farmers, consumers and retailers more sustainable. SVP National Councilor Mike Egger reacted sharply. It is a scandal to even consider such a ban.

Agricultural economist Urs Niggli, who is a member of a scientific group preparing the World Food Summit, expects the current SonntagsBlick-The report also highlights the devastating impact of climate change on food security. Because the world's population will be around 10 billion by 2050, more will have to be produced. (SDA)

Advertisingweek.ch: Alvaro Del Pozo, Adobe is a proponent of the so-called "experience business." How has this business changed over the past year and a half?

Alvaro Del Pozo: Whether it's private contacts with family or friends, school, university or work: those who were already well positioned in this area came through the crisis much better. The last 18 months have clearly shown how important the topic of digital is for all of us. On a business level, it has become clear that companies that were already well positioned digitally before the Covid 19 pandemic have come through the crisis significantly better. For those, on the other hand, that have so far put their digital transformation on the back burner, the past year was a powerful wake-up call and also an incentive to decisively drive forward their own digitization. Digitization not only refers to internal processes, but primarily to the redefinition of customer relationships in a digital world. We are talking about experience business here - the customer experience is clearly at the center. Increasingly, business success can also be measured by this. Customers today have much higher expectations than ever before; they have become accustomed to the new digital standards. There will be no going back to the way things were before. Digitization should therefore be an absolute priority for every company.

What were the main challenges your customers faced - and what did you do to support them?

Our goal is to change the world through digital experiences. Of course, we also want to support our customers in this. With products and services in a wide range of areas such as creativity, document management, digital marketing and e-commerce, we make an important contribution to society and the economy alike. Accordingly, we have ensured from the outset that our cloud solutions are consistently and seamlessly available to all our customers. As part of our infrastructure program, we have monitored and operated our cloud solutions with multiple providers and clouds in different locations around the world.

Are there any other measures they have taken?

In the short term, we implemented a number of programs for employees, students, and businesses alike. For example, we temporarily made our web-based PDF services available for free on Adobe.com to enable seamless digital document workflows outside of regular offices. This also includes integrating our Document Cloud and Adobe Sign services. We also extended renewal periods and provided high-demand support for data and analytic web traffic to meet the huge demand from businesses for digital communication with their customers. We also provided 30 million Creative Cloud licenses for students to continue learning without access to university computer labs. And precisely because so much has happened in terms of digitization, especially in the past year, we have provided access to resources for companies and people around the world. For example, attendance at our flagship events, Adobe Summit and Adobe MAX, was free and access was entirely digital.

I remember the large-scale live events Adobe hosted in London, for example. These had been an important part of your marketing strategy for years. So how did you adapt when the pandemic hit?

When the full extent of the pandemic became apparent last year, the Adobe Summit, with an expected 23,000 attendees, was just around the corner. In just four weeks, we converted the conference to an all-digital event - with success: over 100,000 attendees from nearly 200 countries registered. This would not have been possible as a live event. This year, we successfully expanded on that with our Adobe Summit 2021. Inspiring guests like Albert Bourla, CEO at Pfizer, Michael Nilles, CDIO at Henkel, and tennis ace Serena Williams, as well as exciting innovations and insights, digital events can still inspire and bring people together from all over the world, even after more than a year of video conferencing.

Do you think "live" will come back?

I am convinced of that! Many people are looking forward to face-to-face exchanges again. However, I think that digital formats will not disappear again either. Companies can reach far more people with digital events than with live events alone - and they can do so worldwide. I can well imagine that many events will also be held hybrid in the future, in order to combine both worlds.

Do you think this pandemic will permanently change customer behavior?

Absolutely, there will be no going back. Our Digital Trends Report also shows this: 30 percent of respondents are now less loyal to brands and products. Companies are already feeling the effects of this in a very tangible way, with 47 percent of brands in the EMEA region noticing a change in their customers' buying behavior. Today, it is primarily the customer experience that counts in order to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Adobe has focused on your "peers" in the recent past - CMOs. Now I feel like there's a bit of a shift in attention in the industry. Towards CIOs and how they work with their peers in marketing. What's your take on that?

That is absolutely right. Digital transformation is inconceivable without IT. CIOs and IT teams are the enablers of digital customer experiences. The increasing focus on digital customer relationships is already having a significant impact on their areas of responsibility: According to our recent study on the role of CIOs in Europe, three quarters of CIOs have taken on significantly more responsibility in the past year. But it's also clear that, thanks to data and insights, CMOs and marketing teams are not only customer savvy, but also the creative driving force behind every company. Outstanding customer experiences therefore only succeed when marketing and IT work closely together.

What's in store for Adobe in the future? What areas will you focus on in the coming months and, let's say, in the "post-pandemic" years?

We want to continue to support our customers in being successful in the digital world. Today, digital customer communication is more important than ever; every company must be able to understand its customers' needs and offer them personalized digital experiences. With third-party cookies on the brink of extinction, we are now helping our customers successfully transition their business to a first-party data strategy with the right technology to best prepare for the post-cookie era.

Senior citizens are indispensable to society: they contribute to a functioning society in many ways - even in difficult times. Pro Senectute Switzerland and Thjnk Zurich conveyed this message to the public with a TV ad in spring 2020 - at a time during the coronavirus pandemic when social cohesion was in disarray: the more than 1.7 million people of retirement age often felt excluded and marginalized during this period (Werbewoche.ch reported).

Appreciation for all

This commitment by Pro Senectute was honored on Thursday with the "German Prize for Business Communication" in the "Captivating Storytelling" category. With the campaign

According to the jury, Pro Senectute communicated "Indispensable part-time jobs" in a way that was unique, aroused deep emotions and generated a sense of solidarity. The chosen approach impressively drew attention to the people who were quickly pushed into the background during the pandemic and yet were particularly affected, according to the laudation.

"On the one hand, this award is a token of appreciation for all senior citizens and their relatives, who faced enormous challenges, particularly in the first phase of the pandemic, and on the other hand for Pro Senectute's commitment," says a delighted Peter Burri Follath, the overall campaign manager and Head of Communications at Pro Senectute Switzerland. "Under difficult conditions, we succeeded in creating a work out of a current necessity and within a few weeks, which has now attracted attention beyond the country's borders," he adds.

The brand identity is based on the jointly developed key values: approachable, trustworthy, feel-good and emotional. Simple and easy-to-remember wordings were developed accordingly. They are intended to cover the affective, cognitive and conative processes and form the basis for solid and consistent corporate communication that reflects the essence of the brand.

"Both the logo and the visual brand elements underline our quality standards and convey our values, our expertise and our style," explains Susana Sandholzer, owner of Sandholzer Immobilien.

The agency Sofie, based in Zurich, supports Sandholzer Immobilien in the implementation and introduction of its overall image. From the logo and social media presence to the design of the newsletter and the evaluation and development of new corporate cases. The new website is due to be launched in fall 2021.

At the end of July, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) reviewed the newly developed examination regulations and guidelines and gave the go-ahead for further action, as ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz, the organization for the information and communications technology profession, announced on Friday.

The degree, which is suitable for people from the ICT professional field as well as from the commercial or business management field, was developed jointly by ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz and the Swiss Commercial Association. The first professional examination is scheduled to take place in 2023, with the first preparatory courses starting this fall.

The so-called Digital Collaboration Specialists support the digital transformation in companies and administrations, according to the press release. At the interface of technology, communication and human resources development, they ensure that customers and employees are up to the challenge and fit for the digital age. (SDA)

The two succeed Urs Mathys, who will retire at the end of October and was interim editor-in-chief following the death of Balz Bruder. This was announced by CH Media on Friday.

Both journalists previously worked in the domestic department of CH Media's central editorial office. Sven Altermatt is 27 years old, Lucien Fluri 38. Fluri received the Aargau/Solothurn Media Award in 2015, Altermatt the Swiss Press Award in 2018.

"It is a stroke of luck that we have succeeded in winning over these two colleagues for the challenging task in the canton of Solothurn," Rolf Cavalli is quoted as saying in the statement. As Editor-in-Chief Mittelland at CH Media, Cavalli is also responsible for the Solothurn editions.

Balz Bruder had died unexpectedly at the beginning of July at the age of 53 years (Werbewoche.ch reported). (SDA)

For the third time, following surveys in 2018 and 2019, Prof. Dr. Claudia Bünte, marketing expert at SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, surveyed marketing managers in the DACH region. 158 experts took part in the third wave of the survey, 72 percent of them managers.

The study again shows that a majority - around 91 percent - see great opportunities for companies and for marketing in artificial intelligence. But still only 8 percent of respondents also use AI in marketing on a daily basis. As in 2019, that's not a significant increase over 2018. There appears to be a clear disconnect in marketing between the perceived potential of AI and its use in practice. "The current use of AI still falls short of the possibilities," says Bünte.

Increasingly positive attitude toward AI

But - and this is new: In the details, one can definitely see a development toward more use of AI: For marketing managers, AI is losing its nimbus of the spectacular and is turning positive: Almost 95 percent, for example, say that AI will be important for marketing tasks in the near future. The number of AI skeptics among the respondents has fallen significantly by a good 17 percentage points in just three years and now accounts for only around 10 percent - by contrast, the proportion of the five other identified manager types who have a fundamentally positive attitude toward AI is also growing significantly.

This also increases the intention to use AI: managers want to use significantly more AI in all five core marketing tasks in the near future - 54.4 percent more on average. "AI is therefore close to the tipping point of unleashing its potential in marketing," Prof. Bünte continues, "but something is still holding back its use. This time, we wanted to know what that is."

Information and experience deficit, different attitudes

The analyses show that there are five reasons that prevent managers from using AI according to its actual potential: According to their own assessment, knowledge about AI is rather low. Although attitudes toward AI are changing positively, there are still skeptics. The AI assessments of managers and employees in the same team differ significantly, the focus on data is only slightly pronounced in some cases, and experience with AI has so far been at a low level.

The good news - the bright spot, according to Bünte - is that these five obstacles can be overcome with relatively simple means and without any special knowledge about AI: for example, increasing knowledge in teams with training and workshops or using existing successful software-as-a-service offerings instead of having one's own elaborate individual solutions programmed.

The study also shows that no AI is not a solution in the long term, because the managers who already use AI in marketing say they are more successful than their competitors. And 72 percent consider AI in marketing to be at least a reason, around 13 percent even for the reason why their company is successful today.

Conclusion: AI in marketing will soon be more widely used

There appears to be a clear discrepancy in marketing between perceived potential and application in practice. The current use of AI still falls short of the possibilities. Apparently, however, managers definitely want to use AI - the use of AI in marketing is facing a tipping point.

From the survey, we can find indications of five reasons for the hesitant use: There appears to be a deficit of information and experience with AI, as well as continued differences in attitudes toward AI that prevent its wider adoption. One bright spot follows from this: Overcoming these obstacles is comparatively easy. If companies in the DACH region tackle this point, overcome their hesitation before low barriers, AI will in all likelihood very soon be more widely used in marketing than it is today, and its potential will be fully exploitable by marketing managers.

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Claudia Bünte has been a professor of "International Business Administration" with a focus on marketing at the SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences for five years. Previously, she held senior international marketing positions at Coca-Cola, Beiersdorf, McKinsey and Volkswagen, among others. In 2016, she founded the marketing consultancy "Kaiserscholle - Center of Marketing Excellence" in Berlin. The author and keynote speaker is also a publicly appointed and sworn expert for marketing in Germany and was named "Vice Marketing Head 2020" by the trade magazine OneonOne in 2020.

According to the study, Twitter came in second with a plus of 300 percent, followed by Pinterest with a plus of 250 percent.

Nevertheless, the platforms are not the first choice. 77 percent of shoppers use the website of the respective brand for their online purchases, 54 percent Instagram. More than half of those surveyed are also "sometimes" tempted to buy a new and "unknown" brand that is offered on a social media platform.

Nearly three-quarters - about 73 percent - of respondents have recently purchased a new product on social media, and 55 percent say they have chosen a new brand to the detriment of their other choices. The survey shows that 50 percent of consumers who choose a new brand offered on social media are guided by their own needs and wants. 49 percent see product benefits and features, as well as ingredients, as reasons for purchase. 29 percent were influenced by price.

Danger for stationary trade

The gap between those who buy online and in stores is greatest for cosmetic goods. 89 percent prefer the web, 35 percent the store. For health and wellness products, the figures are 42 and 24 percent respectively. The survey also shows that the use and influence of social media is increasing. 84 percent of respondents admit this. The cause is likely to be the restrictions due to the Corona pandemic. (pte)

Presenting complex interrelationships in a way that is comprehensible and appropriate for the media and the target group is a constant challenge for authors in the trade media. Not only solid factual knowledge and stylistically confident language are important prerequisites for successful articles in trade journals or trade magazines. The structuring and thematic approach also require professional skills. And an online publication requires further skills such as interactivity and integration of third-party content for a web-friendly implementation. With the SFJ Award, which will be presented for the eighth time in 2021, the association rewards precisely such achievements.

New in French and with online category

The prize will be awarded in four categories for the first time in 2021. The best German- or French-language article in a print or online medium will be selected. The competition is open to specialist authors who have published their article, for which they are solely responsible, in a German- or French-language specialist medium - trade journal or magazine, website, blog or e-magazine - between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021. A German- and a French-language jury will evaluate the competence of the presentation of facts, the pointing out of connections, the reader or user guidance, the media- and target group-oriented presentation as well as the elegance and correctness of the linguistic expression.

Submission until end of August

The technical articles can still be downloaded until the end of August via the website Sfj-ajs.ch/sfj-award be submitted. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at the SFJ conference "Specialized Journalism Switzerland" in Zurich. Participation in the competition is free of charge. Prizes worth a total of 2,500 Swiss francs await.

As the basis for the new overall image, Careum and Wirz Brand Relations developed the group-wide communication strategy in a joint process. The perception of Careum with its various institutions and offerings as a cohesive group and the increased digital presence of the brand are two core concerns that have been incorporated into the corresponding branding work.

Modular, flexible branding system

Wirz Brand Relations focused the brand development on the lively diversity of the Careum Group and its very different target groups. The result is a modular solution that can be used flexibly, regardless of channel, but was consistently developed from a digital perspective.

The strikingly designed word mark, the versatile color palette, the modern typography and the modular layout system are characteristic for the new appearance. Careum's individual institutions can use and weight the brand elements differently, depending on their communicative needs.

This should enable a varied design and at the same time create a consistent overall impression. The communication thus appears individual and lively, but the brand is still quickly and clearly recognized by the target groups.

New joint website

An important milestone for the new brand presence is the recently launched web site Careum.ch is the new Careum Group. With it, the Careum Group is taking an important, perceptible step closer together. For the first time, the new website offers a simple, user-friendly overview of the entire Careum Group and its wide range of services, as well as a shared news and blog area.

With the redevelopment of the group website, various web presences that had previously been managed independently were integrated and transferred into a common presence. In a consistently user-centered process, Wirz Brand Relations supported Careum in the development of the content and structure and developed the new web design. The current website is to be further expanded in the coming months through the integration of additional web presences.

In addition, the Zurich branding agency designed and implemented various other applications such as the annual report or the new image and moving image world.