"As a long-standing partner, we are delighted to be supporting the ADC and the young talents this year with two Ringier Medien Schweiz brands," says Maximilian Börke, Head of Marketing at Ringier Medien Schweiz. "On the one hand with the ViewThe first is that the brand is not only an iconic brand, but also shines in a new look after a comprehensive refresh - the perfect starting point for bold and inspiring ideas. And secondly, with CashSwitzerland's most-visited web portal for comprehensive business and financial information, the ideal match for the cyber category."

The ADC Young Creatives Award is the competition for young creatives under the age of 30. In cooperation with Weischer.Cinema Switzerland, this year's event once again serves as a pre-selection for participation in the international Young Lions Competition at the Creative Festival in Cannes. Participants must therefore be born on or after June 20, 1994.

The detailed briefing on View will take place at the online warm-up event on January 29, 2025 at 6:30 pm. Interested parties can register register on the ADC website.

Participants then have until February 26, 2025 to submit their work. The ADC Young Creatives Awards are up for grabs in the Film, Outdoor and Cyber categories. The winners can also become members of the "Young ADC" and thus part of ADC Switzerland. The Young Professionals can also take part in the judging for the next ADC Award and thus decide on the shortlist and bronze awards on the first jury day.

Besides View As a briefing partner, the organizer ADC Switzerland receives support from the LSA, the long-standing sponsors APG|SGA Out of Home Media, Cash, Swissfilm Association and Keystone SDA as well as from Weischer.Cinema Switzerland as the official Swiss Cannes Lions representative and ADC cooperation partner. The creative young talent competition receives media support from the trade media m&k and Personal.

"The Swiss market combines high quality standards with a strong business ethic. By opening our Zurich office, we not only shorten the distances to our customers, but can also respond even more closely to their specific needs," explains Managing Director Andreas Milk. The agency looks after brands such as KitKat, Lion, Ovomaltine and Rama as well as start-ups such as Reloadz Protein-Water. Now Milk their expertise, creativity and strategic thinking to the Swiss creative landscape.

In Switzerland, the agency, which specializes in the food industry, aims to strengthen existing partnerships and acquire new clients. The agency supports brands from the initial idea to the finished packaging and also aims to create multi-sensory experiences that appeal to consumers on an emotional level.

Although the index is stagnating, digitalization projects are taking place across the board, as other data from the survey shows. Large PR agencies in particular have understood that GenAI has a massive impact on their traditional business model and have therefore invested heavily. This has enabled them to increase their index score from 44 to 48 and overtake all companies. In a country comparison, Switzerland is clearly ahead with an index score of 49, while Austria, with an index score of 44, is slightly below Germany with 45 index points.

Digitization as a marathon

The realization that digitalization is not a sprint, but a marathon, is spreading and is reflected in the self-assessments of where companies and agencies stand in their digitalization. The most startling figure is the percentage decline in the large communication departments that see themselves as "innovators" in digitalization. While 12% still believed they had practically completed their digital transformation in 2023, this year it is only 1%. "There is a growing realization that digitalization requires more time and greater effort, especially because technological leaps - namely GenAI - are significantly raising the bar once again," explains Thomas Mickeleit, head of the CommTech working group.

At the same time, there is movement among small organizations in particular. While 36% still considered themselves to be "latecomers" in the previous year, this figure has now fallen to just 20%. This suggests that small organizations have also taken steps towards digitalization. "But one thing is clear: the large communication departments are pace-setters for digitalization. This can be seen across all the dimensions surveyed," says Caren Altpeter, Co-Chair of the Digital Working Group of the German PR Association DPRG.

Increasing investments in AI

If the respondents, who do not all decide on budgets, have their way, there will be more investment in AI tools, training and education in particular. At first glance, the willingness to invest in process automation, owned media and content creation is encouragingly high. However, a comparison with the previous year is sobering: In all topics except AI tools and training, the willingness to invest is falling, in some cases drastically. "This could become a problem. The strong focus on investment in AI is slowing down digitalization across the board. However, to reap the full benefits of AI, you need a digital infrastructure on which AI tools are based," warns Dr. Andreas Jäggi, Managing Director of the Swiss CommTech initiative ComImpact.

Biggest obstacles: System integration and lack of skills

The biggest barrier to digitalization remains the integration of different systems. The larger the organizations are, the more important this factor becomes. However, the respondents consistently rated the barriers as lower than in the previous year. Many of the hurdles are attributed to a lack of expertise and skills in the team. The respondents' self-assessment of their ability to identify technologies that are useful for communication work differs greatly from this finding. A majority of 54% believe that they are well or very well equipped for this. It is therefore all the more important for communicators to take a close look at their team and close any potential skills gaps

AI is not yet being used strategically in communication

There is great interest in AI and communicators are much more positive about the topic than the population as a whole. 81% of respondents in this survey see AI as an opportunity for their work. However, this is not yet reflected in its actual use. Although more than half (57%) use generative AI in the workplace "occasionally", only 38% have established AI as a daily, integral part of their work. This figure is slightly higher for PR agencies at 44%. It is not yet possible to speak of a strategic use of AI.

At 90 percent, the "production of texts" is currently the most frequently used application for generative AI. 71 percent see a great or even very great benefit in the use of generative AI. Not a single respondent stated that they did not see any benefit.

Impact measurement remains a work in progress - but there is hope

According to the survey, only 56% of all communications departments are aware of the tone with which they are reported on. This means that almost half of communications managers are unable to say whether their company is being talked about well or badly. Key figures that come much closer to success reporting - such as reputation, share of voice or brand value - are only used by a minority. "There is therefore a lot of catching up to do here, which can be done very quickly and with a low budget thanks to artificial intelligence. The necessary AI tools have been developed and are "on the shelf", says PRVA President Ingrid Gogl. This also seems to have reached those responsible, because when asked which key figures should be collected in 12 to 18 months, reputation (14%), return on investment (12%) and brand value (14%) are on the rise. Still low values in the end, but a glimmer of hope for further positive development.

The CommTech Index is an indicator of the digitalization of communication departments and PR agencies in Germany. It was surveyed for the second time in 2024, including Austria and Switzerland for the first time. 352 participants took part in the survey. The CommTech Index Survey was supported by Convento, Dentsply Sirona, the Institute for Management and Economic Research (IMWF), E.ON Deutschland and SwissRe.

The 2024/2025 report can be can be downloaded free of charge from the AG CommTech website.

The fair representation of women in the digital space is one of the key challenges of our time - especially in light of the rapid developments in the field of artificial intelligence. Information available online forms the basis for machine learning, but this information is often distorted.

The Edit-a-thon "for more visibility on Wikipedia" was launched in Switzerland in 2018 with the aim of counteracting gender stereotypes and giving women more visibility online. The event has since developed a considerable community and brings together volunteers who are passionate about gender equality and writing twice a year.

Once again, the response was overwhelming, according to the organizers: In order to make the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia more diverse, almost 80 participants created or expanded over 60 articles in a concentrated atmosphere at the Ringier Pressehaus and ETH Zurich on Tuesday evening.

"Women are becoming more and more present in the male-dominated tech industry, so it is important to give them the recognition they deserve. We make them and their achievements visible," explains Patrizia Laeri, Co-Founder Edit-a-thon. "By doing so, we are not only making the online database more diverse, but also inspiring women of the coming generations to confidently make their way in the world of technology."

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the proportion of women in the ICT sector in 2023 was only 21.1 %. Although there has been a slight increase since 2008 (17.2 %), this is mainly due to female career changers. At the same time, the number of female STEM students has stagnated for over 15 years.

"This underrepresentation is alarming because technology affects us all," says Lisa Stähli, Co-Lead of "Hello 50:50 World". "Only through diverse teams developing applications, algorithms and technical solutions can we avoid exacerbating existing problems or creating new inequalities - for example in facial and voice recognition."

The founding partners of the Edit-a-thon include Patrizia Laeri (Co-Founder and CEO Ellexx), Katia Murmann (Co-Founder EqualVoice and WolfPak) and Muriel Staub (former President of Wikimedia CH and Senior Campaigner Avaaz). The hosts are Wikimedia CH, Ringier with the EqualVoice initiative, ETH Zurich and the TX Group.

The next Edit-a-thon will take place on May 6, 2025. In the context of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, which will be held in Switzerland next summer, the focus will be on women in sport.

By merging the complementary product portfolios, both existing and new customers should benefit from even more comprehensive solutions for the entire digital marketing funnel, Cptr writes in a press release.

The company expects a "substantial boost" for the German market. Cptr also plans to expand into other European markets. The aim is to "build a leading European MarTech provider for engagement advertising".

In the course of the takeover of Wagawin, André Mendo, former co-partner and Managing Director of Wagawin Europe, will drive forward the business expansion of Cptr Germany as Country Manager.

In addition, Wagawin CEO Nicolas Leonhardt will support the Swiss company in an advisory capacity during the integration to ensure a smooth transition. "This acquisition marks the successful completion of our realignment in Europe, which we launched 12 months ago," explains Leonhardt. "Thanks to optimized processes and an expanded product portfolio, our European business is now profitable. This step now gives our customers in Germany and throughout Europe access to holistic, transparent and, above all, high-performance digital marketing solutions."

The Wagawin brand is expected to remain in Europe until spring 2025. The integration and full transition to Cptr Germany should be completed by then. The two parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction amount.

At the heart of the campaign, five testimonials show how PostFinance supports companies of different sizes and from different sectors. The portraits are linked to specific solutions and services on landing pages. The campaign was designed and controlled in such a way that the different portraits, stories and products reach appropriate customer segments.

The campaign was implemented in close collaboration between In Flagranti and those responsible for marketing communications and sales at PostFinance. The agency conceived and developed the storylines and content. A large part of the filming and photography was also carried out in-house.

The campaign was launched in November and will run until the beginning of December 2024.

Influencer marketing has been part of Dentsu Creative's portfolio in the DACH region for years. With the bundling of services in a cross-location team, the topics of influencer marketing, strategy and conception are growing closer together and becoming one of the agency's elementary service components.

"As a global creative agency, we need to understand which cultural trends are important worldwide. Influencers play a central role here as a source and channel," explains Nils Seger, Managing Director of Rckt - a dentsu creative company. "Influencers are not just a channel, but an integral part of creative strategies for brands that want to influence the zeitgeist. For us as an agency, this means integrating influencer marketing into our strategy and concept at an early stage and also mapping it as an organization."

While more than half of advertisers in Germany expect the economic situation to remain unchanged in 2025, around 40% of CMOs in Austria and France fear that the situation will deteriorate. Only the Netherlands and the Middle East have a positive outlook on the economic situation. Against the backdrop of less optimistic economic and budget developments, it is hardly surprising that AI and marketing automation clearly emerge as top personal topics in the coming year - both in Switzerland and at Europe & Middle East level.

The focus of advertisers in 2025 will be on topics relating to increasing efficiency and technical and functional solutions. The change in focus has contributed to "sustainability" being pushed out of the top topics in marketing and is therefore no longer represented in the top 5 ranking. In the future, alongside the buzzword "AI", topics such as "emotional brand building" and "content creation" will also emerge, particularly in Switzerland. Creativity, both in the message and in its distribution, is in demand and is seen as the key to future success.

This success requires human skills and CMOs will need even better management and leadership skills in the future in order to strategically pursue a visionary goal with a strong team. At the same time, the entire team must remain adaptable and flexible. In a complex (marketing) world, team development and trust are becoming key aspects. The focus here is on strategic competencies and brand management skills, followed by digital competencies including AI.

"The trend will be towards voice search, as this increasingly corresponds to user behavior, especially with regard to smartphones. AI remains a big topic," says Dr. Maria Comos-Birmanns, Head of Marketing and Communication at Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences Switzerland. Inga Niemeyer, Head of Marketing at Baloise, writes: "Tight budgets and resources require marketing activities to be focused on clearly defined goals and topics. Increasing efficiency and effectiveness is a top topic in the coming year".

Read all the study results on Switzerland in detail here.

The CMO Barometer is an annual study in which around 800 top marketers from the most important companies in the DACH region and eight other countries are surveyed. The data is collected in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, BeLux (Belgium, Luxembourg), the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, the UK and the Middle East. The study was conducted by the Serviceplan Group for the sixth time, for the fourth time in Switzerland and for the second time in cooperation with the University of St.Gallen (HSG).

For too many people around the world, medical care is either too far away, inadequate or not available at all. For these people - especially in southern and eastern Africa - SolidarMed provides a team. Because in the event of illness or accident, it is crucial not to be left alone. And in SolidarMed's "Team Health", the donors play a key role alongside the local medical professionals.

The "You are everything for Team Health" campaign aims to highlight the impact that such important supporters can make from Switzerland. The touching stories tell of people that Spinas CD and partner Steph Huwiler has met personally. This spring, he traveled with SolidarMed and photographer Simon Opladen to Tanzania's Lugala district. His destination was the SolidarMed-supported Lugala Hospital, which is the last hope for many sick and injured people in this remote area.

The stories from Tanzania have been featured on DOOH posters, social media and SolidarMed's own channels since the fall and are supplemented with fundraising measures. The campaign is set to run for several years and is the result of a strategy process that was closely supported by the agency.

Responsible at SolidarMed: Pierina Maibach (Co-Head of Fundraising and Communication), Andreas Rösch (Co-Head of Fundraising and Communication), Natalie Ehrenzweig (Editor), Lucy Kormann (Private Donations), Sidonie Buck (Digital Marketing & Fundraising), René Sager (Design and Communication). Responsible at Spina's Civil Voices: Susi Kammergruber, Steph Huwiler (CD), Heinz Helle, Eva Wirth (text), Nicolas Stark, Soraya Janser (AD), Conny Geibel (consulting). Images: Simon Opladen (photography), Sergio Beti (image processing/lithography).

In his doctoral thesis "Post it, Like it, Share it - and Profit", which deals with the effect of social media influencers on purchasing decisions, Gasser provides "innovative research results" and "decisive impulses for the optimization of marketing strategies in the consumer goods and tourism sector in an increasingly digitalized market landscape", as stated in a press release.

DDV President Martin Nitsche, together with patron Mary-Victoria Gerardi-Schmid and jury chairman Bernd Ambiel, presented Gasser with the certificate and the prize money of 2,500 euros. The jury emphasized that Gasser's work not only closes theoretical gaps, but can also help companies to design their marketing strategies more precisely and effectively, as various decision-supporting guidelines have been developed.

The AGGP is according to Financialnews.com in German-speaking countries is "the highest award for academic theses that deal with innovative approaches and research achievements in dialog and data-driven marketing" and has been awarded for 39 years. Alfred Gerardi was a pioneer of (direct) marketing and had already significantly influenced the industry in Central Europe in the 1950s. The promotion of young talent was particularly close to his heart, which is why the prize named after him honors talented young researchers in the field of marketing and consumer research.

As part of the anniversary, the car manufacturer is focusing on its achievements in the field of hybrid technology with a campaign. To this end, Farner has developed an advertising concept that invites the Swiss population to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of the electric and gasoline engines - a union that Honda once sealed - with great pomp and circumstance. In particular, the campaign aims to emphasize the advantage of the combination of combustion engine and electric motor: the high fuel efficiency of the vehicles without sacrificing performance.

Two-stage media strategy

In a first step, the campaign is aimed at existing Honda customers. They are personally invited to attend the anniversary event at a Honda dealership. The next step in the campaign is to activate potential and former customers. Digital content, nationwide radio spots and a strong presence on social networks will be used for this.

Immersive experience at the open day

The campaign will culminate in open days at more than 25 Honda dealerships in French-speaking Switzerland, German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. At these events, guests will be able to immerse themselves in an immersive festive atmosphere and get to know the hybrid technology interactively.

Rap City took place for the first time in 2018. The line-up consists of international greats as well as newcomers and selected Swiss acts and attracts visitors from all over Switzerland. The size and length of the festival means it appeals to a broad section of the hip-hop scene.

Appropriate access to the urban target group

This public interest is also exciting for partnerships and sponsorships: Rap City can be used to reach young and urban target groups that are difficult to reach in other ways. The Zurich agency Echowerk, which has been commissioned with the exclusive marketing, will take over with immediate effect.

"The Rap City team knows what interests the urban hip-hop scene and where to find it. We support the core team with professional market development on the sponsorship side and accompany the partners in the development and implementation of their activations," says Manuel Schaub, founder of Echowerk.

Existing partnerships are to be maintained and supplemented with new ones. New partnerships will in turn open up additional communication channels for the event, which should appeal to even more hip-hop fans.