Recently overheard in a commercial: "And? Does it sound good?" Yes, go ahead and read it again. And yes, of course something is wrong here.

The phenomenon is not new, but it is astonishing: why is advertising still being done in Swiss German, but not properly? So someone takes the trouble and money to produce a Swiss German version, but then doesn't bother to do it properly?

Mixed signals

These are often expensively produced commercials with an international character, in which the actors make a gibberish lip movement, because the sound is superimposed in every conceivable language variant anyway. The script is then in German - i.e. High German - and for the "Swiss market" it was advised to make a dialect version because then the message is authentic and most likely to go straight to the heart of the Swiss.

But what is obviously not considered necessary is a proper translation into Swiss German, because it's already German. Duh. The result is an alienating, really inauthentic (ok, it's not just because of the bumpy non-Swiss German), loveless attempt at rapprochement.

In case none of the producers knew or realized this before: Now you know. Incidentally, the Internet has been making fun of this for years, just to let you know. So: continuing like this just doesn't seem very customer-oriented. Or is that secondary - but then why compete in Swiss German at all? Mixed signals.

All toenails

An AI will not be bothered by this when speaking - on the contrary: it is even trained with incorrect Swiss German data. What's more, an AI doesn't have toenails, because surely these would have to curl up on a living person if they were forced to say it like that? "Should I really say it like that?", the person will ask with beads of sweat on their forehead and a trembling voice, and probably already knows the answer: "Please stick exactly to the script, it was taken from overseas." It must be something like that. And anyway, catering to the sensitivities of a few Swiss people is disproportionate - after all, we want to be right on the brain. over and into their hearts.

Strange or familiar?

However, the vote is not at all directed against Swiss German in advertising, but against unkindness. However, many people who would probably do better shy away from using Swiss German (not to be confused with Helvetisms). First of all, there is the question of which Swiss German should be used. Clichés, associations and expectations play a role, as does comprehensibility - or should it be a so-called neutral dialect that keeps the message as untainted as possible? In the case of written translations, there is also the fact that dialect is often difficult to recognize or cannot be read fluently - and therefore comes across as alienating rather than familiar. In other words, the opposite of what is intended. That's why you often only see it in writing as an effect and in abbreviated applications. But this effect can still be really good! Go for it - uh, try it!

Swiss German is compulsory

Swiss German is mandatory when "normal people" are speaking and it is their native language - i.e. in interviews, surveys or testimonial situations - otherwise the people have to pretend and no longer come across as really good. This was used very convincingly, for example, by a German discounter in a commercial with Swiss farmers. The fact that the discounter is German? Doesn't matter at all.

So, as is so often the case, there are reasons for and against - simply always with love.

Analyzed since 2025 Sarah Pally In her column "Blossoms and Pearls", she comments on industry-related terms with a personal touch, from a linguistic perspective - as well as with a precise view of developments in the industry. Pally is a partner in the Partner & Partner agency in Winterthur. She has been working in the fields of content marketing, text/concept and storytelling in the communications and marketing sector for 15 years.

The Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry Recma was founded in 1991 and specializes in the evaluation and analysis of media agencies in around 60 countries.

In addition to the turnover and size of the media agencies, the international ranking takes into account factors such as long-standing client relationships, the proportion of specialists in data-driven media strategies and positioning in the market.

Chris Fluckiger, CEO and founder of Mediatonic, sees the renewed top ranking as confirmation of the agency's strategy: "Our top position in the Recma ranking shows that sustainable success is not only dependent on technological capabilities. It is the combination of digital competence, human expertise and long-term partnerships that makes the difference."

The Swiss media landscape is undergoing radical change and digital strategies are becoming increasingly important. Mediatonic relies on a combination of data-driven analysis and individual consulting. With this approach, the agency aims to continue to combine stability and innovation in order to optimally navigate clients through the changing media world.

Jérôme Rueff was most recently Brand Portfolio Director at Feldschlösschen Getränke / Carlsberg Breweries. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic development and market leadership of the Feldschlösschen and Cardinal brands and led a team of marketing experts. Rueff also has expertise in the Swiss retail trade and a deep understanding of the specific market mechanisms and distribution channels.

Rueff began his career after studying economics at the University of Basel and completing a Master's degree in International Marketing & Strategic Management at Uppsala University in Sweden. He has over 20 years of extensive experience in the FMCG and beverage industry, including various national and international roles at Carlsberg Group.

As Chief Client Officer, Jérôme Rueff will strengthen the Valencia management team around Michael Gerber (CEO), Tommy Schilling (Chief Creative Officer) and Christian Frey (Chief Operating Officer). Together, they will continue to drive forward the agency's strategic and operational development, relying in particular on Rueff's "extensive experience in brand strategy, innovation and commercial development", according to a statement. His focus will be on further strengthening Valencia's positioning as the most customer-centric agency in Switzerland and ensuring that the needs of clients are always at the center of attention.

Christian Arnold has worked for NZZ for over 20 years in various financial functions. Most recently, he was deputy CFO of the finance division and oversaw key transformation projects. As a new member of the Executive Board, he will be responsible for the company's financial strategy, planning and reporting and for the Tax, Audit, Treasury and Services divisions.

CEO Felix Graf justifies the choice with Arnold's industry knowledge and strategic foresight: "With Christian Arnold, we are gaining an extremely competent and experienced financial expert from our own ranks for this key position."

The Bern Wine Fair has been held annually on the Bernexpo site since 1995 and has developed into the largest wine fair in the Espace Mittelland with around 70 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors.

As part of a succession solution, the Board of Directors of the previous sponsors has decided to hand over the event to Bernexpo.

Through the acquisition, Bernexpo intends to utilize existing partnerships and tap into new thematic areas in order to further develop the trade fair. The transaction is planned for spring 2026.

Rosada's rose lemonade - inspired by Arabic culture and developed in Switzerland - was launched just in time for Valentine's Day.

"We wanted Rosada to hit Zurich with a big bang for its launch on Valentine's Day," explains Sarina Russi, Social Media Consultant at Rosarot. That's why Rosada called for more love scenes for everyone around the day of love.

Crime scene Zurich

Rosada's Instagram channel was launched before February 14 and the SoMe launch campaign started. Three spots produced in-house by Rosarot show people giving themselves roses and creating their own love scene.

A guerrilla campaign was designed to generate even more attention for Rosada. On Valentine's Day, chalk drawings in the style of crime scenes showing various love scenes could be found all over Zurich. These love scenes were discussed on Reddit and shared on social media. And it was also reported in the traditional media.

Responsible at Rosada: Yassin Smach, Mauricio Baldi. Responsible at Rosarot: Matthias Koller (Creative Direction, overall responsibility), Franz Neugebauer (Concept/Text), Horatiu Sovaiala (Content Creator), Sarah di Nolfi (Art Direction), Laura Weinhofer (Art Direction), Olga Winter (Art Director - Motion Design) Sarina Russi (Social Media Consultant), Joe Bastiampillai (Social Media Consultant), Antonia Lattarulo (Digital Campaign Manager)

Starting conversations, arousing interest, avoiding blunders: Small talk is a challenge for many people. The first edition of the new event series "Bisschen theoretisch" at the Museum of Communication aims to tackle precisely this challenge. In one-hour sessions, theoretical concepts will be presented in an understandable and everyday way - each on a topic from the world of communication. The kick-off on February 28 is all about small talk.

The idea: theory as a tool for practice. "OK, theories are not sexy gossip. But they do contain a condensed explanation of reality," says the announcement. So anyone wondering how to start a conversation in a relaxed manner or keep it going without awkward pauses will find answers here.

The event always takes place on the last Friday of the month and starts at 12:15 pm. You can choose how much you want to pay to attend, but a suggested price of CHF 20 - including lunch - is recommended. In addition, there is always a podcast episode with communication experts who delve deeper into the topic.

With the addition of SBB, ComImpact has grown to eleven corporate members. The association is committed to facilitating access to CommTech expertise for marketing and corporate communications professionals. In addition to regular exchange formats, it organizes events that focus on best practices and new technologies.

"In view of the spread of new technologies, we are convinced that the topics covered by ComImpact and the association's network offer sustainable added value for our communications work," says Martina Rettenmund, Head of Communications Planning and Channels at SBB.

Ovomaltine remains true to its line and is also linking the current winter campaign sporting action with humor. The new videos show Ragettli, among other things, how he sitting on a camping chair jumping over a ten-meter-high kicker, or at the Breakfast on the slopes. The camping chair heropiece achieved over 3.4 million views organically.

In addition to Ragettli, Anaïs Decasper is also an old acquaintance in the Ovo winter campaign and brings humor to the content. The Zurich-based content creator takes a humorous look at the pitfalls of winter sports - from the unsuccessful bluing to the fight with ski boots.

Killiane Hamache is a new addition to the line-up. The French-speaking content creator takes the audience on winter adventures in French-speaking Switzerland, from Ice swimming in the Blausee to night sleigh rides in Les Diablerets.

The campaign was developed by the Pas Mal agency in collaboration with Ovomaltine and the creators. "Our top priority when working with brands and creators is not to impose an idea on anyone, but to ensure that the chosen approach suits everyone," says Jonas Bayona, Creative Director at Pas Mal. The content is played out on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.

Responsible at Wander: Caroline Benz (Brand Manager), Lena Cina (Brand Manager), Sarah Stoller (Digital Manager), Christof Stulz (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Pas Mal: Jonas Bayona (Creative Direction), Valérie Gantenbein (Account Direction), Noah Nüssli (Social Video Production), Julia Suter (Project Management). Responsible at Sir Mary: Katharina Günther (Planning & Consulting), Marion Nicolaus (AdOperations), Céline Zemp (AdOperations).

Reputation is becoming increasingly important as a strategic factor and is being discussed more and more frequently in board and management meetings. With the expansion of their network and the publication of their first white paper, the Reputation Experts are taking a further step in this direction.

Hans-Jakob Boesch is new on board. He has many years of experience in politics, communication and consulting. Since 2021, he has been supporting companies and managers in crisis situations and in political communication with his company Hjb. He was a cantonal councillor and party president of the FDP Canton of Zurich and is a member of a foundation board. At Reputation Experts, he will strengthen the areas of crisis communication and public affairs in particular.

Plea for a "reputation board"

The Newly published white paper by Susanne Müller Zantop argues for the introduction of a "reputation board" in companies. It analyzes how a cross-functional body can specifically manage a company's reputation - a practice that has so far often remained without permanent staff or budget. The publication is supplemented by a case study by Sabrina Huber, who shows how such a board can be implemented in the reality of a company. The paper provides concrete recommendations for anchoring reputation management as an integral part of corporate management.

As spring approaches, the Swiss cybersecurity industry gathers in Bern. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Swiss Cyber Security Days (SCSD) once again took place in the federal capital.

This year's conference program was opened by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin. "40 years ago, an event like the Swiss Cyber Security Days would never have taken place," he said in front of around 2,500 invited guests. "Back then, cybersecurity was not even an issue." 25 years ago, a conference like this might have been held on a smaller scale - but probably not with a Federal Councillor as a speaker. "Back then, it was more of a topic for insiders." But today, cybersecurity is on everyone's lips. "Unfortunately, I have to say," added the Federal Councillor.

The Federal Office for Cybersecurity (BACS) would receive a cyber incident report approximately every 8.5 minutes. And successful attacks cause enormous damage to the companies affected. "It is therefore right and important for a Federal Councillor to talk about this, especially as the person responsible for the economy and innovation," said Parmelin, the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.

Industry should work on transparency

On stage at Bernexpo, Parmelin reminded the audience that the Federal Council will introduce mandatory reporting of cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure in the first half of this year. "These reports will help to identify and combat potential threats at an early stage," he said. By working together, cyber security in Switzerland could be strengthened.

However, Federal Councillor Parmelin also admonished the industry. Transparency in cybersecurity is inadequate. "A key challenge for every management team is to assess risks correctly," he said. This is already a challenging task in general, but the lack of transparency makes it even more difficult. "The quality of offers varies greatly and it is difficult for businesses to assess whether a product or service delivers on its promise," he said.

Switzerland is on the right track in this area. "Nevertheless, I appeal to you," said Parmelin. "Try to create transparency so that companies and the population can better assess risks and protect themselves adequately."

Switzerland is also the target

In his speech, Federal Councillor Parmelin also addressed the war in Ukraine. A topic that was subsequently addressed by Corps Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces Thomas Süssli - with some worrying statements.

First, however, the army chief spoke about China. The country has a cyber force of more than 100,000 specialists. "The structure is the same as the US Cyber Command, which also has around 100,000 cyber specialists."

"And if we now say that we hardly see them in cyberspace, then there are three possible explanations for this. The first is that they might be so bad that they can't do anything. The second explanation is that we are not the target at all. And then there's a third explanation, which is the most likely: assume that they're already in your networks."

Incidents that have taken place here show that Switzerland can certainly be a target. In his speech, he described one such case - which also shows that cyber threats can also start in the real world.

He couldn't say too much. But an "employee who worked in the Federal Administration in the broadest sense" traveled to Bern by train every day and had a coffee and read the newspaper at the station in the same place. One morning a woman was already sitting there, they struck up a conversation and realized that they both liked dogs. Talking to her became part of his morning routine. "It sounds like the beginning of a romantic story, but it wasn't," said Süssli. The employee in question was the target of a social engineering attack. The attackers presumably wanted to penetrate the federal network through him.

A new world order

"The turnaround has happened and we have witnessed the transformation," Süssli then said about the current security policy situation. Many would associate the term "turning point" with the statement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After all, his speech after the outbreak of war is also known as the "Turning point speech" is labeled.

However, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) had already published its report "three weeks before Russia attacked Ukraine in violation of international law". foreign policy report was published, said Süssli. And the word "turning point" is already in the second paragraph.

The world has now transitioned from an old, rule-based international order to a new world order with centers of power. And these power centers would determine the world by exercising power and power politics among themselves. "We must also place cyber in this context," said Süssli.

The FDFA report still used the term "turning point" to refer to China. "China began questioning the existing, rules-based order several years ago and spoke early on about the fact that the country wants a multipolar world order," said the corps commander. "China claims that this new order is fairer. Autocratic and democratic states would have the same rights in this new world. But the transition from today's world to the new world, the Chinese say, could be a bit bumpy. And who knows, maybe we're on that bumpy road right now."

China, like the climate and Russia, is just an underlying storm, said Süssli. Economically, the country is not that important. However, Russia considers itself a major or even superpower. "What kind of favor has Trump done Putin now because he has negotiated directly with him on an equal footing? That's exactly what Russia wants," said Süssli. The Russian armed forces are (still) strong on land, in the air, at sea and in space. "But where Russia is particularly strong is in cyberspace."

No defense in cognitive warfare

Among other things, Russia wants to keep "harmful democratic influences" away from its own country in order to keep its own population calm. One means of achieving this is to destabilize Europe. This is done through disinformation, influence and also sabotage in cyberspace.

In a subsequent Q&A, he was therefore also asked the direct question: Is Switzerland at war? "I think the hybrid war has started in Europe," Süssli replied, also referring to Statements by Christian Dussey, Director of the Federal Intelligence Service.

"We have the greatest sensitivity with our open, liberal, democratic society," answered Süssli when asked about the threats in this hybrid war. "Society's trust in the state, in state agencies and also in the media. This is what needs to be protected and the appropriate measures must be taken." Many cyber actions are also aimed precisely at undermining this trust.

This topic, cognitive warfare, was taken up again later by a panel. "We see many attempts to undermine people's trust in the government," said Jean-Marc Rickli, Head of Global & Emerging Risks at the Geneva Center for Security Policy.

According to Mauro Vignati, consultant for new digital war technologies at the ICRC, there is a lack of defense here. Although there are many technical protection systems, "we have no programs to teach people to think critically or to show them how to protect and defend their minds." Currently, people are often not even able to recognize that such attacks are taking place. A business case is still missing. As soon as this exists, said Vignati, an industry will develop around it.

However, Rickli took a more critical view. Should technology become even more invasive, such as brain-computer interfaces directly in the brain, critical thinking would no longer be possible. "We haven't reached that point yet," he said, "but we are increasingly moving in that direction." (Coen Kaat/jor/swi)

This article first appeared in Netzwoche.

At the beginning of January, Sir Mary Media launched with a 20-strong team and a new management structure. With this expansion, the agency is driving forward its growth and aims to strengthen its position in the area of media strategy, planning and implementation.

Sir Mary Media's offering includes specialized 360-degree media solutions from a single source - for TV, digital, (D)OOH, social and audio. The new unit will be headed by an experienced management trio from within the agency's own ranks, who have already been working successfully at the agency for several years and have in-depth expertise in media strategies and campaign management: Vanessa Habisreutinger (Media Operations & Data), Katharina Günther (Planning & Consulting) and Fabian Habisreutinger (Strategy & Client) will jointly manage the new agency. All three are long-standing leaders at Sir Mary and have helped shape the agency from the ground up.

"We are the new generation of media agency. Because we understand creation better, we take brands where they work - not where we earn the most," explains Vanessa Habisreutinger, Co-Managing Director of Sir Mary Media. "In recent years, we have been able to win top-class media accounts and continuously expand our offering. We want to meet the growing demand for our media expertise with an independent offering: the launch of Sir Mary Media is the next logical step for us."

The integrated approach is already being used by clients such as Sunrise, Twint, Ovomaltine and Switzerland Tourism. The pitch wins and campaign successes illustrate the strengths of a holistic media approach: "Sir Mary Media supports us in creating sustainable brand loyalty and effective engagement through targeted media strategies. The jointly implemented campaigns achieved measurable success thanks to intelligent media solutions and a strong reach strategy," says Eva-Maria Mörtenhuber, Head of Marketing at Twint.

Sir Mary intends to remain true to its approach of closely interlinking creation and media in order to realize campaigns that stand out and have a measurable impact. The new set-up should allow the agency to operate more flexibly on the market and win new media budgets for its media services.

Read here the in-depth exclusive interview with Vanessa Habisreutinger, Katharina Günther and Fabian Habisreutinger on the idea and strategy behind Sir Mary Media.