"Talk less, deliver more"

The young guns of the Zurich agency "Sir Mary" brainstorm in front of a graffiti in black and pink. An artist has sprayed "Courage means doing" on the wall of their conference room - the slogan of one of their major clients, yes, but also something like the agency's credo. The other motto, just as pointed: "Less talk, more delivery". Maurizio Rugghia has to laugh when he says this, but means it all the more seriously.Hunger is importantTogether with his partners Florian Beck and Daniel Zuberbühler, the founder of "Sir Mary" has built up a powerhouse that has already been named Swiss "Digital Agency of the Year" after less than two years. This is not possible without ambition, without "hunger," as Rugghia says. Down-to-earth, open, and hungry - that's how the advertiser wants to be seen, but he never wants to take himself too seriously: "As a matter of principle, I have no desire for ego trips. Our work is not about me, it's about our customers and their customers," he says.Who is this man?We will therefore recapitulate his career very briefly: Even before the (first) Internet bubble, Rugghia started in e-commerce, later working as an account director at Assai/Wirz and PlanNet/Serviceplan, among others. He learned the advertising trade from scratch. Digital thinking seems natural to him: "With the Internet, I knew intuitively: there's something coming." For himself, a career kick comes as managing director of Serranetga, then the founding of "Sir Mary" in 2016.People talk up problems where there are actually opportunitiesFrom an old building on Zurich's Bertastrasse, Rugghia and his team have since been advising a growing, thoroughly illustrious clientele: they work for UBS and Allianz, Switzerland Tourism and Samsung, "interdisciplinary," as the founder emphasizes. With Labels (he says: "We are not a pure digital agency, nor a pure creative agency. We bring together input from all areas in the best possible way.") Maurizio Rugghia has just as much difficulty as with marketing platitudes: "People are always talking about digital transformation and how complex the network is. People are talking up problems where there are actually opportunities," he says.PersuaderWhen it comes to marketing from a single source, the agency's "Sirs" and "Marys" (there are currently 21 employees) want to act as persuaders: "A good idea is no longer enough today; it also has to reach the right people at the right time on the right channel for them," says Rugghia, "and that only works if creation and media are one."Not a stroke of genius, but hard workYou can see his passion for his profession; at the same time, he manages to appear unpretentious at all times. That the store is up and running? That's not a stroke of genius, but hard work. And the head of an agency is only as good as his team: "What really inspires me, why I like to get up in the morning, are the positive people I work with," he says without hesitation. Tracking down talent in the scene, combining it in new ways - that's where he sees his role. Rugghia also sticks to this metaphor when it comes to the future of "Sir Mary": "For two years, we showed that we could play rhythm, that we had mastered the basics. Then we gave our first concerts. Now maybe a symphony will come. Well, or we'll mix in electric guitars." Again that mischievous smile that often flashes in conversation.The children set the paceWhile many founders share the occupational disease of always having the job in the back of their minds, Rugghia's two sons set the pace in his private life: 4 years old and 8 years old, they keep their father on his toes just as much as demanding customers, according to his own statement. In any case, it's hard to imagine that the "Sir" from Bertastrasse is the type to sit still. "I love what I do," he says, "and I can't imagine a better inspiration."