"There have always been inquiries, but nothing has fit like Farner."

Farner continues to expand. In June, the agency group acquired a majority stake in the Zurich-based data & technology agency Du Da Group has taken over, announced the acquisition of the renowned creative agency Rod Kommunikation on Tuesday (Werbewoche.ch reported). Farner is acquiring all Rod shares, with the previous owners Regula Bührer Fecker, David Schärer and Pablo Koerfer taking a stake in Farner as partners. They will continue to manage Rod together with their management team Marco Meroni, Mateo Sacchetti and the Tiffany Lüthi, who was recently appointed to the Executive Board on Bürglistrasse in Zurich.

Werbewoche.ch asked Rod founding partner David Schärer about the takeover. Like Farner CEO Roman Geiser, he was nominated for "Advertiser of the Year" this year. The two have known and appreciated each other for a long time - and not just from the LSA board. Now their agencies are also crossing paths.

Werbewoche.ch: David Schärer, Rod is now part of Farner. Would Rod not have been able to survive as an independent agency in the long term?

David Schärer: All agencies are required to adapt to the new times and invest in technology. You can do this yourself or enter into partnerships. With Farner, we also have the opportunity to offer our clients the most complete communication solutions.

Rod has carried out internal personnel restructuring within the agency in recent weeks. Were these directly related to the takeover by Farner?

No, not in any way. We are constantly changing, for example we have invested in expanding the discipline of content.

From Rod's point of view, when was the decision made to join Farner?

After many good discussions, it became clear that we fit together on a human level and that the merger made strategic sense. This became apparent this summer.

Did the Rod partners agree quickly or did it take longer discussions?

We very quickly agreed to work with Roman (Editor's note: Roman Geiser, CEO and Managing Partner Farner Consulting) and all the people at Farner also like it on a personal level. But the decisive factor is that we can make customers a really good offer with this step.

Would there have been Swiss agencies where you would have turned down a takeover for Rod's sake?

Farner was and is the only option. There have always been inquiries, of course, but nothing has been as good a fit as Farner. We share the same entrepreneurial DNA.

Rod should continue to maintain its profile and signature independently. Is this even possible if you are no longer independent as before?

In discussions with Roman, it was clear from the outset that Rod's brand essence had to be retained so that both agencies could continue to be successful. The synergy does not lie in being the same, but in complementarity. In a communications world that is becoming more complex, different perspectives are crucial and this is of the greatest benefit to our clients.

As a co-founder, you are handing over your "life's work" to someone else, even if you are still on board as a Farner partner. Are you doing this with a bit of a tear in your eye?

No, not at all. I'm in the middle of my career and have worked with Regula and Pablo (Editor's note: Regula Bührer Fecker and Pablo Koerfer, together with Schärer the previous owners of Rod) now have the opportunity to work with the most exciting and best people in this field.

Did personal financial interests also play a role in the previous owners' decision to sell Rod?

In the middle of a career, the focus is on shaping the future. The fact that we can become involved in Farner as a partner was a decisive factor for us.

Will Rod be working with Farner's in-house, up-and-coming creative department in any way in the future?

Both agencies continue to maintain their own independent signature. Depending on the situation or if a client so wishes, a collaboration can make perfect sense.

Are you not worried that one day you will be integrated into Farner and the Rod brand will disappear from the market?

This is not up for discussion at all. Both agency brands are so distinctive that it makes sense to retain their independence.