The thinker
Adrian Ebenberger founded Ebenberger & Partner, Switzerland's first think tank for identity management.
Adrian Ebenberger founded Ebenberger & Partner, the first Swiss think tank for identity management.
He doesn't want to make fun of business leaders. But Adrian Ebenberger is of the opinion: "Every management team should take time out from time to time to think again: What am I doing anyway?" The experienced brand and communications specialist believes that "simply turning the wheel and doing so as quickly as possible will lead to a major problem in the long term". And he is convinced that those who question themselves from time to time about what they are doing and where they want to go will be the ones who "will be ahead in the future, bring innovations to the market and thus determine the market of the future." After eighteen years of communication with his own PR agency, Ebenberger also came to the point where he asked himself: "What am I actually doing? More and more is being produced, but actually you often miss the mark. That was one reason why he said to himself: "Stop. Let's make an assessment. How can I increase the sense and customer benefit for customers?"
Three years ago, he dissolved his PR agency with five people in Stäfa and "also reoriented locally" and started again in Männedorf. Ebenberger & Partner was founded in February with his wife and design specialist Michael Eckle. The new office sees itself as a "think tank for identity, change management, communication and design". Ebenberger and his team want to help companies "develop values and strengthen their positioning and uniqueness in the long term with targeted communication".
In a climate of change, interchangeable products and growing competition, identity, individuality and clearly recognizable values are becoming increasingly important. Companies need clear differentiators and an independent profile so that they are clearly recognizable from their competitors.
Ebenberger can prove with a study that around a third of customer loyalty comes from the image of providers and suppliers with customers. But "64 percent of employees are not even aware of their employer's values. And this despite the fact that employees are the key ambassadors of a company." In other words: "Only around one in three employees knows and lives the values of their company."
Ebenberger & Partner has now set itself the task of supporting companies on their way to this uniqueness. What sets these new consultants apart from an advertising agency or a conventional PR office?
The central approach is probably that Ebenberger first "scrutinizes and redefines the values of a company" together with the management. This is exactly what matters: Value creation through appreciation. The values form the foundation for the company's strategy, performance, culture and communication. Ebenberger has developed his own "identity management concept" based on practical experience.
Who are we? What do we do? What are our core competencies? How can we develop further? These questions are often not even asked. As a result, companies and services are becoming increasingly similar. They are oriented towards benchmarks, which means that they are becoming increasingly similar and no longer differentiate themselves, with the result that the customer only decides on price.
Things are different - and in Ebenberger's sense - with a brand like Swatch. Such uniqueness plays a role here. But how is this possible with banks that are already on Ebenberger's client list? "It depends on the management," says the change consultant. "If top management defines its values and exemplifies a strong culture," it will work. If you google the Zurich banking center, you will find 250 banks - and each one needs a raison d'être. In other words: How do you stand out? What do you do differently to stand out and win over customers?
Since Ebenberger & Partner was founded, advertising and design agencies have also shown interest in working with us. But here, too, the process should be a little different.
Ebenberger's consultancy is positioned in upper management for all tasks. "A process like this cannot be initiated by the advertising department." The conventional process used to work like this: you get an agency, create a new design and formulate a new mission statement. "Painting a building red and then declaring that you are the progressives of the city is not enough," says Ebenberger, breaking the theory down to a pragmatic point.
And "breaking down" from management to the grassroots is also his most important job. "It only works if people are taken on board. You have to form a community with the employees and give them clear goals. Because they are the most important players in the company."
What do we want? Which market are we operating in? What will the markets of the future look like? How can we move in this direction so that we are there as early as possible, so that we do not have to adapt, but can build up our own markets? What are the requirements for us to still be successful in five years' time?
The answers to these questions are best developed in a workshop. Together with the change consultant, the management looks for ideas: How do we motivate people? How do we create a sense of community? The solutions are then communicated to the employees in further workshops.
Ebenberger and his design expert Eckle have extensive expertise in brand management, communication, design and change management thanks to many years of working for national and international companies. Their newly founded consultancy has first-class references. Ebenberger was part of the core team for one of the largest change management projects for a federal department, where he coordinated, structured and managed several agencies and film teams. He has also supported a major furniture group in such a process, as well as companies in the mechanical engineering, banking and pharmaceutical sectors.
Before he found his current vocation, Ebenberger went through a "very confusing career". After training in machine design, he switched to software development. He later became a copywriter and journalist, initially in daily journalism at various newspapers, but also an IT editor and deputy PR manager at a financial services company. Most recently, he was editor-in-chief of Budget, a former SKV management magazine, before setting up his own PR agency eighteen years ago. In the course of this career, he also studied business administration and trained as a PR consultant.
Andreas Panzeri
He doesn't want to make fun of business leaders. But Adrian Ebenberger is of the opinion: "Every management team should take time out from time to time to think again: What am I doing anyway?" The experienced brand and communications specialist believes that "simply turning the wheel and doing so as quickly as possible will lead to a major problem in the long term". And he is convinced that those who question themselves from time to time about what they are doing and where they want to go will be the ones who "will be ahead in the future, bring innovations to the market and thus determine the market of the future." After eighteen years of communication with his own PR agency, Ebenberger also came to the point where he asked himself: "What am I actually doing? More and more is being produced, but actually you often miss the mark. That was one reason why he said to himself: "Stop. Let's make an assessment. How can I increase the sense and customer benefit for customers?"
Three years ago, he dissolved his PR agency with five people in Stäfa and "also reoriented locally" and started again in Männedorf. Ebenberger & Partner was founded in February with his wife and design specialist Michael Eckle. The new office sees itself as a "think tank for identity, change management, communication and design". Ebenberger and his team want to help companies "develop values and strengthen their positioning and uniqueness in the long term with targeted communication".
In a climate of change, interchangeable products and growing competition, identity, individuality and clearly recognizable values are becoming increasingly important. Companies need clear differentiators and an independent profile so that they are clearly recognizable from their competitors.
Ebenberger can prove with a study that around a third of customer loyalty comes from the image of providers and suppliers with customers. But "64 percent of employees are not even aware of their employer's values. And this despite the fact that employees are the key ambassadors of a company." In other words: "Only around one in three employees knows and lives the values of their company."
Ebenberger & Partner has now set itself the task of supporting companies on their way to this uniqueness. What sets these new consultants apart from an advertising agency or a conventional PR office?
The central approach is probably that Ebenberger first "scrutinizes and redefines the values of a company" together with the management. This is exactly what matters: Value creation through appreciation. The values form the foundation for the company's strategy, performance, culture and communication. Ebenberger has developed his own "identity management concept" based on practical experience.
Who are we? What do we do? What are our core competencies? How can we develop further? These questions are often not even asked. As a result, companies and services are becoming increasingly similar. They are oriented towards benchmarks, which means that they are becoming increasingly similar and no longer differentiate themselves, with the result that the customer only decides on price.
Things are different - and in Ebenberger's sense - with a brand like Swatch. Such uniqueness plays a role here. But how is this possible with banks that are already on Ebenberger's client list? "It depends on the management," says the change consultant. "If top management defines its values and exemplifies a strong culture," it will work. If you google the Zurich banking center, you will find 250 banks - and each one needs a raison d'être. In other words: How do you stand out? What do you do differently to stand out and win over customers?
Since Ebenberger & Partner was founded, advertising and design agencies have also shown interest in working with us. But here, too, the process should be a little different.
Ebenberger's consultancy is positioned in upper management for all tasks. "A process like this cannot be initiated by the advertising department." The conventional process used to work like this: you get an agency, create a new design and formulate a new mission statement. "Painting a building red and then declaring that you are the progressives of the city is not enough," says Ebenberger, breaking the theory down to a pragmatic point.
And "breaking down" from management to the grassroots is also his most important job. "It only works if people are taken on board. You have to form a community with the employees and give them clear goals. Because they are the most important players in the company."
What do we want? Which market are we operating in? What will the markets of the future look like? How can we move in this direction so that we are there as early as possible, so that we do not have to adapt, but can build up our own markets? What are the requirements for us to still be successful in five years' time?
The answers to these questions are best developed in a workshop. Together with the change consultant, the management looks for ideas: How do we motivate people? How do we create a sense of community? The solutions are then communicated to the employees in further workshops.
Ebenberger and his design expert Eckle have extensive expertise in brand management, communication, design and change management thanks to many years of working for national and international companies. Their newly founded consultancy has first-class references. Ebenberger was part of the core team for one of the largest change management projects for a federal department, where he coordinated, structured and managed several agencies and film teams. He has also supported a major furniture group in such a process, as well as companies in the mechanical engineering, banking and pharmaceutical sectors.
Before he found his current vocation, Ebenberger went through a "very confusing career". After training in machine design, he switched to software development. He later became a copywriter and journalist, initially in daily journalism at various newspapers, but also an IT editor and deputy PR manager at a financial services company. Most recently, he was editor-in-chief of Budget, a former SKV management magazine, before setting up his own PR agency eighteen years ago. In the course of this career, he also studied business administration and trained as a PR consultant.
Andreas Panzeri
