Central values, ambitions and visions were redefined in a joint workshop. "The new brand identity highlights our innovative strength and our commitment to sustainable energy solutions. We are positioning ourselves optimally for the opportunities of the energy transition," explains Markus Odermatt, Managing Director of Energy4swiss.

The rebranding implemented by Stämpfli Kommunikation comprises four core elements:

1. Strategic consulting and project management
2. Redesign of logo and corporate design
3. Modernization of the website
4. New vehicle lettering for increased visibility

"Stämpfli Kommunikation's expertise has helped us to sharpen our brand identity and align ourselves with the future," Odermatt continues. "We are now ideally equipped to further expand our position as an innovative company in the energy sector."

Yoeri Callebaut is no longer Managing Director of Kingfluencers. According to information from m&k the previous CEO and the Board of Directors of Kingfluencers had different views on how the Zurich agency should be successfully led into the future, both strategically and operationally. This is confirmed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kingfluencers, Roman Gertsch: "As the attempts of both sides to convince the other party of the respective approach were not successful, we have jointly come to the conclusion that further cooperation is no longer sensible under these conditions."

Although Gertsch speaks of "differing opinions", there was no dispute between Callebaut and the Board of Directors. "After several years of good cooperation, we were able to find an amicable and professional separation solution together," says the 43-year-old co-founder of Kingfluencers.
Yoeri is therefore still available to the management team and the Board with advice and support during the transition phase. "Yoeri wishes Kingfluencers continued success, even if the planned path now deviates in part from his ideas," Gertsch continues.

CEO wanted to diversify the agency more

Yoeri Callebaut confirms that he has already left his position as Managing Director. He will continue to support Kingfluencers as an advisor until mid-February to ensure a smooth transition. When asked about the exact reasons for his departure, the 41-year-old mentions a broader vision that he would have liked to tackle as CEO. His ambition was to open up new and innovative business areas in order to be less dependent on traditional influencer marketing. He also wanted to focus more on the DACH region.

"I realized that my visions were perhaps too big and too far-reaching at that moment," the Belgian told m&k. He therefore came to the conclusion that the company and he were at different points. "I therefore decided to look for a new environment. In which I can fully exploit my need to be innovative and turn big, crazy visions into reality."

Yoeri Callebaut worked in various countries before becoming CEO in Zurich. He spent a year and a half in Montreal, Canada, where he built up the Canadian business for the Belgian business & IT consulting agency Onetowin. In Sao Paulo, he was responsible for the joint venture between the Belgian market research institute iVOX and its large Brazilian counterpart Ibope Inteligência. The new company Ibope Conecta, which Callebaut managed, was sold a few years later to the globally active Kantar Group.

290 percent increase in sales

The three co-founders of Kingfluencers, Fabian Plüss, Roman Gertsch and Christian Reiter, have worked with Yoeri Callebaut's now departed CEO in a variety of roles over the past few years, both as members of the Board of Directors and as members of Yoeri Callebaut's management team. "Yoeri's commitment to the company impressed the entire Board of Directors and us founders and was always greatly appreciated," says Gertsch. The collaboration with Callebaut was also always professional and in the best interests of the company.

According to the Zurich native, Kingfluencers has developed into a strategically and creatively oriented agency under Yoeri Callebaut. "Yoeri has strongly driven various innovations and the growth of Kingfluencers," Roman Gertsch continues. Overall, the agency's turnover has increased by 290 percent over the past four years.

We still want to know from the Chairman of the Board of Directors in which direction Kingfluencers will develop in the future and who will replace Callebaut in the CEO chair. "On the one hand, Kingfluencers is focusing on further successful organic growth in its core competence as the leading influencer marketing agency in Switzerland." Based on its current market position, the Board would like to selectively expand complementary services and offerings. Strategic partnerships are also possible in the future. "We are convinced that our current and future clients will continue to value the high level of expertise and quality of Kingfluencers' services," continues Roman Gertsch.

Chris Bitzer takes over on an interim basis

Chris Bitzer, board member and long-time co-investor, will take over the leadership of Kingfluencers on an interim basis in close collaboration with the existing management team. Part of this mandate is also to look for a new CEO, who will then take over the business again. Bitzer is not available for a longer-term management role. "We will take the necessary time to ensure a competent and sustainable appointment and then inform you again," says the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kingfluencers.

He cannot yet say where Yoeri Callebaut will be moving to. The current CEO will now take some time for himself. "I'm going to tackle a few personal projects." He has already started talking to representatives from marketing agencies and other industries.

He already misses working with his very loyal and committed team over the years. All the employees reacted sadly and in some cases with dismay to his departure. "I would like to thank everyone for the extremely valuable lessons and wonderful moments that I was able to experience with them," says Callebaut, bidding farewell to his team.

Founded in 1972, the AFBS represents the interests of almost 100 foreign banks in Switzerland, including institutions such as BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank Switzerland, HSBC Private Bank and J.P. Morgan. "The aim is to make the AFBS and its members more visible as a present and attractive alternative for Swiss companies and private individuals and to communicate this even more widely," says Raoul Würgler, Managing Director of the AFBS.

Brand Affairs will implement a national and integrated communication strategy that combines traditional media work with digital channels. The aim is to build visibility and make the association better known. "Our aim is to make the AFBS and its member banks more visible as indispensable players in the Swiss financial sector and to emphasize their essential contribution to Switzerland as a business location," adds Markus Kramer, Managing Partner of Brand Affairs.

Liechtenstein native Isabel Fehr has been Vice President of the Board of Directors of Liechtenstein Marketing since 2021, succeeding Christian Wolf. Fehr currently works as a project manager at the Liechtenstein Red Cross. Previously, the communications expert worked for various organizations and companies. She was President of the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee until 2020.

The Board of Directors of Liechtenstein Marketing will be composed as follows from January: President Isabel Fehr, Kerstin Appel, Walter Hagen, Reto Näscher, Jana Riedmüller and Martin Sturzenegger.

The adjustment to the collective labor agreement, which dates back to 2008, was necessary, according to a joint press release issued by the social partners on Tuesday. From 2025, employees will have five weeks' vacation, compared to four weeks previously. People aged 50 and over will have six weeks' vacation in future. Night work will be compensated by 15 percent in the form of working hours.

Slower wage development

On the other hand, wage prospects are deteriorating. The pay scale has been extended from 15 to 25 years. Wage development will therefore be slower.

For example, an employee will be able to claim a monthly salary of around 7200 francs after ten years of work, compared to around 7500 francs previously. The only salary increase is at the last level of the scale, after 19 years of work, with the maximum salary rising from 8,000 to 8,300. The annual automatic inflation adjustment will be reduced from two percent to one percent.

"The impact on wage development is regrettable," said Impressum Managing Director Urs Thalmann on request. The professional association assures that it will make sure to negotiate the inflation adjustment upwards if inflation should exceed one percent. It also points out that better wages in editorial offices are still desirable.

The heads of the radio stations in the RRR Group were convinced that the new CLA would guarantee "attractive framework conditions" for employees. In particular, the wage policy serves to "promote the preservation of jobs" in a complicated environment for the media. (SDA/swi)

"I had a clear vision and high goals right from the start, but I am still impressed by what we have achieved together as a team to date," says Sam Lutz, founder and owner of Drop8. The appointment of Meier, Lalive and Brändle as partners is a logical consequence for him as well as a "gesture of appreciation that comes from the heart", Lutz continues.
By strengthening its management team, Drop8 is underlining its commitment to continuous development and driving innovation on a solid basis. It also aims to further strengthen its own market position and offer its customers even higher quality and innovative strength.

Monty Meier was the first Drop8 employee to join the company in April 2018, just a few months after it was founded. He has been Managing Director of Drop8 since January 2022.

Fabrice Lalive, currently Director Innovation & Technology, joined Drop8 as a trainee in October 2018 after completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media at the University of Zurich.

Patrik Brändle, who joined Drop8 in April 2019, began his career at the company as a trainee and developed into a central figure as Director Campaign Management. He holds a Master's degree in Strategic Communication & Management from the University of Zurich.

"Dealing competently with diversity and living an appreciative culture are challenging topics. In addition to diversity competence, this also requires dialog and storytelling," explains Barbara Fry Henchoz, founder of Re-Thinking Diversity. Hence the commitment to the professional association: "Perikom combines HR and communication, the two key areas for D&I, under one roof and is therefore the perfect partner for shaping a future-oriented work culture".

From diversity & inclusion to sustainability 

With Re-Thinking Diversity, the Perikom association now has 15 partner members who, among other things, regularly organize evening events for HR and communication managers to share their experiences.

The first event of the new partner member will be presented in a webinar using the Swiss Armed Forces as a case study. HR managers Martina Morard-Egli, Michael Zürcher and Vanessa Kleinschnittger will show how the undesirable influence of unconscious bias on personnel decisions can be sustainably reduced through targeted HR process design. The Webinar "The Power of Process Design" takes place at the end of February.

Founded in Geneva in October 2019, the Aventinus Foundation has set itself the task of supporting the preservation and promotion of quality media and journalistic projects. The foundation, which is recognized as a non-profit organization, is managed by an autonomous board of trustees whose main goal is to help safeguard and develop media diversity in French-speaking Switzerland.

After five years of commitment, the founder and current President of the Aventinus Foundation, François Longchamp, will leave office at the end of December 2024. The former President of the State Council of the Canton of Geneva has used his strategic vision and leadership to structure and consolidate the foundation's activities, as detailed in a press release. At the same time, he supported initiatives that are crucial to media pluralism and journalistic excellence.

Henry Peter will take over as Chairman of the Board of Trustees on January 1, 2025. He is a lawyer and full professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Geneva. He will step down from this position at the end of 2024.

Peter is a specialist in governance and corporate social responsibility and has contributed to over 100 academic publications.

Henry Peter is delighted with his new role: "In this new function, I can contribute the experience I have gained in my academic activities in research and teaching as well as in the service of the city. This includes a topic that the GCP has dedicated itself to: The fact that philanthropy can play an essential role in democracy by, among other things, promoting independent and high-quality media. The Aventinus Foundation has been a pioneer in this regard, and I am absolutely convinced of the importance of its mission. It is in this spirit and guided by this conviction that I intend to carry out my duties, building on what the Board of Trustees has done so well so far."

The audio advertising broker Swiss Radioworld is now adding podcasts from Seven.One's marketing portfolio to its advertising inventory. This means that over 50 German formats will become part of Swiss Radioworld's podcast network.

With this exclusive marketing mandate for Switzerland, the audio mediator is strengthening its position in the field of digital audio advertising, Swiss Radioworld writes in a press release. According to the statement, the podcast network now generates over 35 million ad impressions per month and covers 74 percent of German-speaking Switzerland and 24 percent of French-speaking Switzerland. The formats on offer are pre-rolls and selected host reads. Bookings can be made in the traditional way as well as programmatically.

Price adjustment in the offer

In addition to the expansion of the offering, there will also be a price reduction in the pre-roll inventory of the Swiss Radioworld podcast network - a strategic step in line with market conditions in Switzerland. The aim is to enable advertising in the podcast environment at better conditions with immediate effect.

Nötzli is leaving the TX Group at her own request to pursue a new professional challenge, according to a press release issued on Tuesday. As Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer, she has been responsible for corporate communications, investor relations, public affairs and sustainability since the beginning of 2021 (Markt-kom.com reported).

With the departure of Nötzli, the TX Group's communications will now be reorganized. From January 2025, responsibility will be decentralized to the CEOs of the individual Group companies. This will allow for more flexible and efficient communication, according to the statement.

Nötzli will remain in charge of investor relations, financial communications and communications for the publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors until the end of April 2025. (SDA)

In the last three months, Jung von Matt Limmat has acquired new clients and projects and further expanded its collaboration on international projects. This is why the Zurich agency is now strengthening its creative team for 2025 with Arnt Christmann and Simon Cazzanelli.

"The fact that Arnt and Simon are joining us pleases me in three ways: not only are they excellent creatives with experience, but they also share a common vision of an empathetic performance culture that always focuses on people as well as the creative top product. What's more, they already have dark green blood flowing through them," says Christian Kies, Chief Creative Officer of Jung von Matt Switzerland.

For more than ten years, Arnt Christmann and Simon Cazzanelli have formed a creative duo that has worked in various German agencies. In recent years, the focus has increasingly been on the automotive sector with the client Mercedes-Benz. However, they have also worked on other national and international accounts, including EDEKA at Jung von Matt in Hamburg.

"Originally, we were only visiting Zurich to eat the best cheese fondue in town with Christian. But we were persuaded to stay by the view of the Swiss Alps and the prospect of being able to share our idea of a full focus on contemporary creation with national impact and international appeal in harmony with sustainable creative management with even more people. Just like you do with a good fondue," say Arnt and Simon about their new commitment.

Alpiq's transformation began when CEO Antje Kanngiesser took office in 2021. The energy group took a critical look at its own identity and its direction for the future. In the course of this, Alpiq is undergoing a transformation from a traditional large company to a strongly purpose-driven organization with a focus on sustainable business in the three dimensions of "people, planet, profit" and strengthening security of supply. The brand identity developed in collaboration with Jung von Matt was intended to make this strategy emotionally tangible, create clarity and also release new energy.

Sharpened purpose, strengthened values

At the heart of the identity is the sharpened purpose "Together for a better climate and an improved security of supply". This sentence succinctly sums up Alpiq's core task, shows the area of tension in daily activities and, together with concrete, action-oriented values such as "We learn and grow together" or "We share the steering wheel", forms the foundation for the strategic direction. "The values and purpose serve as a compass for how and why we do things and they drive Alpiq's transformation," explains Tobias Fässler, Head of Communications & Public Affairs.

Brand promise as a catalyst

The new brand promise "A different kind of energy" is also intended to succinctly summarize the objective. "The promise is the guiding principle for all decisions at Alpiq," explains Julius Jäger, Executive Strategy Director of Jung von Matt Brand Identity. "It's about leaving rigid traditional approaches behind and living the 'different' in its dynamic and responsible aura - in order to break new ground together with the workforce and partners. The promise therefore also stands for a different culture and a new experience for employees and customers."

Holistic brand identity

The newly created brand identity is intended to reflect this new understanding. Purpose, values and promise were translated into a characteristic design, a concise corporate language, dynamic motion guidelines and an independent sound branding, which was created in collaboration with the Berlin audio branding agency Why Do Birds. The change was brought to life for all employees at all locations with international roadshows. The introduction of the Employer Value Proposition (EVP), which was developed in parallel, should further strengthen this.

The brand can also be experienced in its digital presence, which Jung von Matt Tech has implemented in the form of a new website design and has been live since Monday.

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INTERVIEW

"Culture is about the 'how' - and that makes all the difference"

On Monday, Alpiq's major transformation reached another milestone with the go-live of its new website. m&k spoke to Julius Jäger, Executive Strategy Director at Jung von Matt Brand Identity, and Tobias Fässler, Head of Communications & Public Affairs at Alpiq.

m&kAlpiq has recently embarked on the path from a traditional large company to a "purpose-driven organization". How did this transformation process take shape?

Tobias Fässler: This change did not happen overnight. We have now been here for three years and are simply doing our homework step by step. We initially focused our business on the core markets, created a great deal of transparency, strengthened cross-divisional cooperation... We are now in a very solid financial position and have a clear strategy on how we want to help shape the energy world. This clarity helps.

 

Can you give us an insight into the vision and strategic considerations behind this transformation??

It is often the supposedly soft factors that are decisive, such as culture. Here we have found that if we really want to take our purpose as a compass and align our actions with it and live our values, then we need to initiate far-reaching change. Our environment is changing faster and faster. Our employees must be able to make decisions quickly and independently. However, this requires a framework with purpose, values and strategy.

 

What does this mean for the corporate culture?

Culture is about the "how" - and that makes all the difference. We want to put people at the center. We have to stand together. It's about our understanding of leadership and how we treat each other. It's about honest conversations, open feedback, value-based cooperation. It's about simplicity in our actions and taking responsibility. We can't always demand something from others, we have to deliver ourselves first. We want to see performance, but we also want to create the optimal conditions for it. We wanted to make this change visible and tangible both internally and externally with the new brand positioning.

 

How can the brand support the strategic transformation?

Julius Jäger: Who are we really, and why should anyone care? Defining a brand means creating clarity about your own corporate identity. And the more consciously companies link this to their strategic vision, the more robust and sustainable their success will be.

 

What does this mean for Alpiq?

The new self-confidence plays a decisive role in unleashing the enthusiasm for Alpiq's new path. The brand identity is therefore like a catalyst of positive energy for the transformation.

 

How did the new brand promise "A different kind of energy" come about?
BarrelThat was interesting to observe, because it emerged organically from the process. We characterized ourselves in various workshops, defined our aspirations and how we want to approach things. Derived from the purpose and the strongly inward-looking values, we developed a kind of manifesto on how we want to deal with the energy world, our people and our partners and how we see our daily actions. This resulted in the brand promise "A different kind of energy".

 

What do you mean by "A different kind of energy"?

We want to be able to rethink things, be open, have the courage to be different if it serves the cause. When we are involved, we want to have an impact, help shape things and be on an equal footing with our partners. We want to bear our share of the responsibility. This is what we mean by "A different kind of energy" - and we want to be measured by this.

 

What does this brand promise mean for customers?

Hunter: The core promise has several levels. The most obvious are the sustainable energy solutions in terms of security of supply. However, the real customer benefit comes from the claim that Alpiq formulates internally: It's about being unconventional, breaking with industry codes and going our own way together.

 

And for the employees?

Fässler: Of course, we also considered this and therefore initiated the process for a new employer value proposition in parallel with the brand development. Because this has to go hand in hand. As an employer, we want to offer an environment in which we can make an impact.

 

How do you create this environment in concrete terms?

We follow a purpose and want to find the right balance between sustainability and security of supply. We have clear goals with our strategy, we have values and we have ambitions. Without people who go along with us and are enthusiastic about what we are doing, we will not reach our goal. We also have to have a different kind of energy, be unconventional from time to time and be different from everyone else. We are on the right track and will soon be able to say more about this.

 

The new development of Alpiq's uniform brand identity is also about the identity of the brand, including corporate language, sound branding and motion guideline. How exactly do you develop this?

Hunter: To begin with, we helped Alpiq get to the heart of their purpose, personality and promise. Once defined, we then had to find out what the experience needed to feel like in order to convey this identity: How does the brand sound? How does it speak? How does it move?

 

What goals did you have when designing the brand experience?

Together, we wanted to create a brand that was as unusual as possible in its sector, but still accessible. This required a range of expertise, a lot of fun, courage and a great deal of trust from Tobias and the Alpiq team. A collaboration that has "A different kind of energy".

 

What role will sustainability and energy supply play for Alpiq in the future?

Fässler: A central role, of course. Both elements are anchored in our purpose. You might think that's a contradiction. We don't think so. For us, it is an area of tension that we have to face up to and for which we have to find compatible solutions. We know that we can never have maximum sustainability with a high level of security of supply. There is always interference with the environment, there is visible infrastructure. But a secure and affordable energy supply is the backbone of a functioning economy and society and this is where we want to make a significant contribution.

 

How do you deal with this area of tension?

It's about our purpose. Such a field of tension demands that we question things, even fundamentally. We must first challenge ourselves. We have to be able to do this independently of hierarchical levels and company units. This is the only way we can find the best solutions, and we can only achieve this with the right corporate culture that makes this possible. And then we also have to inform the outside world, initiate discussions, endure them, get involved and sometimes even swim against the tide if it serves the cause. It's not always easy, but that's exactly what makes it so appealing.

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Responsible at Alpiq: Antje Kanngiesser (CEO), Claudia Bischof (Head Branding & Live Communications), Susanne Hess (Head of Public Relations), Tobias Fässler (Head Communications & Public Affairs), Simon Reber (Lead Organizational Development & Leadership), Antuan Pace (Head Digital Communications). Responsible at Jung von Matt Brand Identity: Julius Jäger (Executive Strategy Director), Fabian Ellersiek (Project Management Strategy & Consulting), Christina Widmann (Design Director), Didier Quarroz, Pablo Scheidegger (Design), Lukas Gebhardt (Motion).