The management of Partner & Partner is growing. The previous five partners and members of the Executive Board Benno Maggi, Kaspar Hintermüller, Denise Nick, Gianfranco Acocella and Luc Holzach welcome Sarah Pally, Manuel Specker and Urban Fetz as new associates.

"Not only do the three of them fit in very well with the existing partners in terms of their personalities, but they also bring strategic and leadership expertise that we need for the further development and expansion of the company," explains Benno Maggi, CEO of Partner & Partner.

Sarah Pally has been with the agency for just under two years and previously held various specialist and management positions, primarily in the areas of PR, content marketing and data-based marketing. Her focus will be on the development and expansion of digital offerings. The native of Graubünden lives with her family in Winterthur and is 39 years old.

Manuel Specker joined the agency in 2017, having previously worked for it as an external consultant. He brings years of consulting experience with internationally renowned agencies, especially in the field of strategic branding. He will now be responsible for Partner & Partner's consulting and acquisition activities. At the age of 40, the HSG graduate will become a father for the second time in spring 2021.

Urban Fetz has been with Partner & Partner for 18 years and, as a project manager and consultant, primarily assists larger clients such as AXA, Implenia and USZ. He will now be responsible for quality assurance and development of the project management division. The 43-year-old father of two is a passionate skier and runner.

Strengthening and deepening the business areas

"Sarah Pally, Manuel Specker and Urban Fetz complement the existing partners with experience and expertise that we can put to very good use," emphasizes Luc Holzach, who has been a partner since 2015. "With them, we will be able to position ourselves more broadly, not only in terms of personnel and expertise, but also strategically, in order to break new ground." The agency's focus will remain on strategic and implementation-oriented consulting as well as strategy-oriented implementation. The core services of strategic branding, one-to-one marketing, customer experience design and marketing automation will be consistently developed and expanded.

Create commitment

But why eight partners? "That sounds like a lot, but for healthy growth it is necessary that we spread the responsibility over more shoulders," says Denise Nick, who has been an agency partner since 2011. She also says it's important for the firm to be able to reassure clients that they have reliable and responsible contacts with an entrepreneurial spirit. "With many agencies, turnover and the lack of commitment that comes with it is a problem. We've called ourselves Partner & Partner since we were founded 25 years ago - and the name stands for the fact that you can rely on us," emphasizes CEO Benno Maggi.

"The company has developed strongly in recent years and has been able to expand the live-action area through growth in both the production team and many directors," explains Mike Huber, co-founder and CEO of Boutiq. Five producers realize projects in all genres and collaborate with a large network of directors, agencies and clients at home and abroad. "In recent years, we have succeeded in broadening Boutiq so that we can respond to the many different projects and requests with creativity and expertise," adds CEO Chantal Gugger.

Both the growth in the team and the need for further post-production suites and technical expansion of the company contributed significantly to the decision to move to a new location. "To meet the ever-increasing need for collaborative work processes in post-production, we decided to make this investment, which now allows us - more important than ever at this time - to work remotely with technicians, editors and directors, regardless of location," explains Mike Huber.

Boutiq's nine-person production team now works at Limmatstrasse 65, in the middle of Kreis 5 in Zurich. The large old building office with its modern equipment allows close collaboration during all production phases and provides space for creative exchange with agencies and clients.

• Address: Altenbergstrasse 8A, 3013 Bern
• Founding date: Summer 2010
• Founder: Christoph "Balsi" Balsiger
• Current agency heads: Balsi, Fabia Dellsperger
• Number of employees: 14
• Current clients: Alzheimer Switzerland, BAG,
• Gurtenfestival, Canton of Bern, PostFinance, Pro Velo Schweiz, Burgdorf Castle, SRK, Stiftung Denk an mich, Swiss Cheese, SRG SSR, TEDx Bern, Züri West, ...
• Kargo.ch

Which campaign from the past twelve months are you particularly proud of?

The campaign for Alzheimer Switzerland launched on the occasion of the annual World Alzheimer's Day. On the one hand, because we were able to prevail against well-known competitors from Zurich and draw attention to the devastating disease that can affect each and every one of us with our online spots and accompanying social advertising activities, without frills and without compromise. The simplicity of the idea and its implementation are exemplary for our creative work.

The most important campaign in agency history to date - and why?

Historically, the campaign and CD for the Bern venue of Euro 08. Although this was created just before Kargo was founded, it was a stepping stone for all the Goals we kicked afterwards. As part of this assignment, we had the privilege of helping to conceptualize and design the unique Swiss Beach at the Herrmann beach bar in Vienna during the tournament. The international attention that this project attracted catapulted us as a young graphic design studio into a significantly higher league.

Since its inception, it is partly our involvement with the Gurtenfestival. In addition to the new CD, we are also responsible for the campaign and look after the festival year-round on all social media channels. This mandate is the perfect playground for us to try out new things and test trends.

The most offbeat place your creatives retreat to be creative?

We often hold our brainstorming sessions - season and weather permitting - in the Aare. Our studio is located directly on the banks of the Aare at Altenberg and many a pitch or logo idea has been developed in the cool Bernese wet. This was even documented by ZDF in "Planet e" and broadcast last summer.

What do you do when you have thought blocks?

Äbe, swim in the Aare!

What is your agency philosophy?

"All you need is a great idea." It sounds so simple, but, as every creative mind knows, it's the hardest part

at all. Especially when you have to deliver under time pressure!

Why should talented people definitely come to work for you?

Because as a creative agency, we are always on the lookout for unique assignments and have a very wide range of clients and projects to offer where creative talents can let off steam - and on every conceivable channel!

How long do employees stay with you on average?

Between two and five years. Creatives usually stay longer than marketers.

How old is your youngest employee, and how old is your oldest?

24-year-old and 50 years young.

How high are the wages you pay compared to the industry average?

On a good average, but to be honest, the industry average is not easy to determine. Do you have an infographic on this? In addition to a salary and a good six weeks' vacation, we offer our employees Adriano's coffee à discrétion, provide an agency mobile and count swimming on the Aar as working time.

What is the ratio between the best and the worst paid employee?

About 1:3.

Pay transparency: Do employees know among themselves who earns how much?

If they want to, they'll find out. But, as with the hierarchy, we don't have too big a discrepancy when it comes to wages.

How much overtime do you work on average per week?

As a rule, we don't work overtime. Exceptions are pitch situations or the four days during the Gurtenfestival.

What benefits do you provide to compensate your employees for said overtime?

With Gurtenfestival VIP passes and they can compensate the reported overtime by arrangement.

How long do you get maternity leave and how long paternity leave?

Maternity and paternity leave is granted to both husband and wife in accordance with the law.

Is home office allowed - and if so, how often?

We have such a nice studio that hardly anyone is clamoring for a home office, but we are very open about it. At the moment, we are testing the extreme case for the second time, and relatively successfully!

What is the current quota of women?

Percentage wise, at 70% women's share.

Do you employ interns?

Yes, in graphic design and online marketing. Mostly on a six-month basis, and some were hired on a permanent basis right after that.

Do you organize team events?

We usually make a city trip. We have already traveled to Copenhagen, Berlin and Milan. In addition, we always feast at one of our many gastronomic clients around Christmas time. This year, on the occasion of our 10th anniversary, we would have traveled to our client in the romantic castle of Sibra near Toulouse.

Do you have an agency dog or other mascot?

We have a papier-mâché rhinoceros on the wall, a gift from a client in the fashion industry.

Where do you drink your after-work beer?

Mostly at our place on the forecourt on the banks of the Aare or at our dear neighbors, the Hotel Landhaus, at Albert & Frida. Our former Friday aperitifs called "Beer o'clock" were legendary and attracted many clients or partners to our agency bar after work and just before the weekend. Unfortunately, this is tempi passati.

"It's 2020 - a year that really needs no introduction." These words start the commercial for the new product from the agency Gen C. And they're right: the year 2020 really has turned out to be a particularly catastrophic one. To make sure that at least something good comes out of it, the agency has launched "Pure Sh*t," a completely organic, dry and odorless fertilizer, from which the entire profit is to be donated to good causes.

The idea originated at the Melbourne-based creative agency, which says it wanted to find a way to give back to those most affected by the literal sh*t-show of 2020.

The agency spent the past four months developing the brand from the ground up. The important thing was that crap - or "shit" in English - should play a prominent role in the branding - in keeping with how many people have fared so far this year. Thus, in addition to the proceeds being donated to charity, the product is meant to make people smile and lighten things up a bit. Proceeds from the sale of "Pure Sh*t" will go to the charity Brainwave Australia, which supports families of children with brain disease or injury.

Just recently, the French offshoot of the fast food chain showed solidarity with McDonald's and urged customers to order from its direct competitor. Now Burger King is going a step further and helping independent French restaurants gain visibility and reach by making its Instagram account available for free.

Until the restaurants can reopen - expected on Jan. 21, 2021 - Burger King France will not post pictures of its own product line, but will feature restaurants that need it more on a daily basis. Restaurants that post a photo of their house special with the hashtag #WhopperAndFriends will receive a repost on Burger King France's Instagram channel.

When Claude is not sitting in his cage, the hamster practices his favorite pastime - scratching. And, much to the chagrin of his owners, he does so on pretty much any object that gets between his little claws. The partner of its owner is visibly annoyed by this. So on Christmas morning, when the owner briefly leaves the room, he steps up to the hamster's cage to finally put an end to all the scratching. What at first looks like the hamster's last hour has come turns out to be the perfect solution for everyone involved: the visibly delighted hamster receives a Christmas present in the form of a lottery ticket placed in the cage - with plenty of space to scratch away.

In addition to television and online videos, the campaign included the interactive website Watchclaude.com launched, on which the hamster can be observed in his daily hustle and bustle.

In psychology, the "price-quality relationship" describes the tendency of people to perceive higher quality in a more expensive product. The discount retailer Aldi is primarily known for its low prices, but not for the quality of its products. In order to counteract this - often misleading - price perception, the discount retailer has therefore decided to conduct a study that shows precisely this price-quality relationship in order to teach consumers better. After all, especially on holidays, quality products can be enjoyed without having to dig too deep into one's pocket.

To this end, a study was conducted by Ipsos France in September 2020. The 313 participants were presented with three products at three different prices for tasting. What they did not know was that all the products were the same Aldi product. The results supported the theory of the price-quality relationship: on average, 81 percent of respondents preferred the product if the price shown was the most expensive.

Based on the results of this study - and the astonished, embarrassed expressions on the faces of the participants - Ogilvy France developed the integrated communication campaign "The real surprise at Christmas": Good things don't always have to be expensive.

At a time when more and more advertisers are shifting their budgets to digital channels and the relevance of digital media consumption continues to grow, Webrepublic is taking a step in the other direction: the digital marketing agency is expanding with 360° Media into traditional media planning. "We think about the areas of creation, media and technology together from the beginning to the end of a campaign. This is the only way to create successful cross-channel campaigns that reach the target group - online and offline," says Webrepublic partner Tobias Zehnder, explaining the move. "We are expanding from the digital touchpoints into the traditional world: TV, out-of-home, print, radio and cinema." This makes Webrepublic a full-service agency that offers its customers everything from a single source: Seamless campaigns that cover the entire customer journey - from the poster at the streetcar station to the experience on the website.

Increase impact through classic channels

The agency is bringing in the necessary know-how externally through new employees with many years of experience in traditional advertising. These experts will be integrated directly into the existing, previously purely digital media department - programmatic advertising, social media and creation - under the leadership of Joël Meier. This should promote the ongoing exchange of knowledge, which is particularly valuable as traditional media such as TV and out-of-home are also increasingly bookable programmatically, as the agency writes in a press release. Webrepublic also uses the data obtained from digital campaigns to optimize traditional channels: How does the search volume of brands and products change during a poster flight? How do users acquired through TV commercials behave on the website? Which messages on social media generate the most interest?

"Large digital campaigns are complex due to the variety of platforms, formats, targeting and measurement options and require granular strategies. We are therefore convinced that campaigns must reflect the digital complexity before they are extended into traditional media - not the other way around," explains Joël Meier, Director Media at Webrepublic.

360° Media becomes a full-service agency. In an interview with Werbewoche.ch, co-founder and partner Tobias Zehnder explains why this step is being taken now of all times.

Advertisingweek.chTobias Zehnder, Webrepublic is now also involved in traditional media planning. How long have you been thinking about this?

Tobias Zehnder: For me, the idea of getting into this area arose very naturally from the development of Webrepublic: we started with search engine marketing in 2009. A lot has happened in the industry since then, with new technologies and platforms constantly coming onto the market. At the same time, we continue to grow and expand our range of services. Our aim as a company is to offer our customers the best marketing and communication solutions. And we see these at the interface of creation, media and technology. Expanding to 360° Media is the logical next step for us: we have been offering digital media planning on Google, Facebook and the like for a long time, and in the last two years we have started to manage individual clients' entire budgets. We are now officially launching this service.

2020 is not necessarily the year of "booming" media budgets, especially in terms of more traditional media such as print and linear TV. Your core digital business is doing pretty well, I assume. So I ask myself: why are you venturing into a new line of business now of all times?

Our customers are the focus of this decision: We believe that it represents great added value for them if we can offer them everything from a single source. Instead of working with many individual partners such as a creative agency, digital agency and media agency, our offering reduces the number of interfaces for them. We cover the entire customer journey - from the poster at the streetcar station to the experience on the website.

In the current situation, media such as out-of-home or cinema are naturally not the most booked advertising spaces. Nevertheless, we see great potential in them. Out-of-home and digital out-of-home are - alongside online channels - the last major mass medium with an immense reach across the entire population. TV also remains one of the key advertising channels. And: programmatic booking of TV advertising is becoming increasingly important - this is where we can make targeted use of our experience in digital.

Would you like to offer your new service to existing customers as a supplement - or would you also like to acquire customers "exclusively" for media services?

Our credo is and remains "digital first", which is why the media offering should primarily be seen as a supplement to our digital services. We are convinced that campaigns must reflect the digital complexity before they are extended into traditional media - not the other way around. This raises questions such as: What do potential customers see when they google the product following a TV ad? What follow-up communication do users perceive on social media? What kind of content do we need in order to make the most of the interest generated? We use such data obtained from online campaigns specifically to optimize traditional channels.

We are already in intensive discussions with our existing customers about the new possibilities. We have already implemented our first projects this year. However, we are also in the process of establishing new customer relationships with ambitious companies that are keen on innovative advertising projects.

How does your new offer relate to the partnership with Wirz, which you announced just a few weeks ago? The path seems to be heading towards a "full service" network with digital, media, creation ...

I wouldn't call it a network now. But yes, we offer a full service because classic and digital advertising can no longer be separated. What is relevant is that the budget is used where the target group is located. Today, these digital media budgets usually account for more than 50 percent of a company's total advertising budget. It therefore makes sense to also offer planning for traditional media.

We want to guarantee the best quality in all areas, and our partnership with Wirz gives us access to their legendary creative expertise. For the expansion to 360° media, we are bringing in some of the know-how externally through new employees with experience in traditional advertising. We are already covering the other part internally with teams in the areas of programmatic advertising, social media and creation. As all of these specialists will be part of the same media team in future, they will benefit from the ongoing exchange of knowledge.

Where do you see the strongest competition in the media sector? Independent, specialized players or the big networks and their Swiss branches?

The industry is not exactly huge in Switzerland, so we have decided to focus on both areas: With our digital focus, we are already de facto the largest independent Swiss media agency and are now strengthening this position with our full-service offering. At the same time, this means that we are now an exciting alternative for "network-weary" clients. We will actively play this card.

Some 377 entries from 23 European countries are on the shortlist of the Eurobest Festival of Creativity. Most of the shortlisted projects come from Sweden, France and Belgium. Jung von Matt Limmat was the only Swiss agency to make it onto the shortlist with the Youth campaign "Moving Box Furniture for Mobiliar made it onto the shortlist in the "Design" and "Industry Craft" categories.

On Monday, the Eurobest website will announce which projects will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze. On December 10, the President Jury will also announce the winner of the Grand Prix and the Special Award on the Eurobest Unwrapped website.

This year, there were fewer submissions than usual, according to the Epica Awards homepage. Nevertheless, there are more than one would have expected. Russia has the most entries with 123, closely followed by Germany with 121. In terms of networks, Wunderman Thompson and BBDO are particularly well represented.

Out of the Swiss entries, Havas Village Genva, Heimat Zürich and Jung von Matt Limmat - as was already the case with the Eurobest - made it onto the shortlist. The nominated entries will be evaluated by the grand jury in a next online voting round starting Wednesday.

Gold and Grand Prix winners will be recognized during a special online ceremony on December 17. Silver and Bronze winners will be announced on the Epica Awards homepage on December 18.

In the latest Christmas commercial from Comcast's Xfinity brand, Santa calls for an emergency zoom meeting, only to tell his helping elves at the last minute that the "usual" gifts just won't cut it this challenging year. Something else has to give, and yesterday is best. As soon as the boss logs off, panic sets in and the elves begin feverishly searching for alternatives.

Finally, one of the elves has the brilliant idea: all the family moments that make up the festive season are captured, packaged - and distributed by drone in a Corona-compliant manner. Santa Claus remains critical until the last moment, but is convinced in the end. After all, it's the little things that are important - as well as being together and believing in the good.