gfm Trend Conference 2026: Between AI fog and brand clarity

The 35th gfm Trend Conference at Zurich’s AURA marked a new beginning in several respects. For the first time, the event was led by the new gfm president, Prof. Marcus Schögel, who welcomed the approximately 300 guests from marketing, advertising, agencies, and academia and also provided a fitting conclusion at the end of the day. “Many things are accelerating, many are becoming more complex,” Schögel said, in essence—but nothing simply disappears. This was precisely one of the most powerful insights from this packed industry event: The new is coming on strong, but that doesn’t automatically render the old worthless.

Under the theme «The New Marketing Playbook,» the conference explored which marketing disciplines matter today—and how a CMO can thrive in this complex landscape. The answers varied, but a common thread was unmistakable. AI is changing search behavior, production logic, decision-making processes, and customer relationships. At the same time, however, it also became clear that, especially in the age of AI, traditional strengths such as brand management, creativity, trust, and genuine connection are taking on new significance.

High Tech, High Touch: Marcus Schögel Usher in a New Era

From the very beginning, Marcus Schögel set a tone for the conference that was neither alarmist nor nostalgic. Rather, he put things into perspective. Yes, technology is advancing exponentially. Yes, new methods and new use cases are essential. But no, that doesn’t mean we have to throw everything we’ve learned so far overboard. On the contrary: precisely because everything is accelerating, we need guidance, methodology, and a clear view of what endures.

His concluding remarks succinctly summed up this stance. More will remain, more will be added, and at the same time, more will have to be managed. That is precisely why different methods and clearer priorities are needed. The term «use case,» which Schögel explicitly highlighted at the end, thus became almost the guiding theme of the entire event: moving away from a mere fascination with technology toward concrete applicability.

Why Real Experiences Are Suddenly Gaining Value Again

Stephan Balzer made it clear that, on a day so heavily influenced by AI of all things, the counter-movement to total digitization also became visible. The founder of TEDxBerlin spoke about trends in live communication—and struck a chord. The more AI-generated content floods the market, the greater the longing for authenticity, for presence, for community, and for experiences that cannot be replicated.

Balzer argued that live communication does more than just convey content; it builds trust, creates emotional depth, and gives brands the chance to present themselves authentically. With these kinds of formats, people aren’t just buying content—they’re buying the moment, the community, and the memory of having truly been there. This also matched the atmosphere at AURA. Even over coffee starting at 8:15 a.m., it was clear that this event was meant to be more than just an update day. It served as a knowledge platform, a meeting place, and a space for exchange all at once.

Culture Marketing Instead of Marketing Bullshit

One of the most incisive presentations came from Sebastian Kemmler. His talk, titled «Who Wants to Have Sex with a Robot? Why Culture Eats AI Marketing for Breakfast» was provocative, but by no means just for show. Kemmler addressed a sense of unease that many associate with AI marketing: It can be produced quickly, cleanly, and efficiently—yet it often comes across as cold, distant, and surprisingly inhuman.

His thesis was that today’s marketing must be viewed through three pillars: product marketing, brand marketing, and—a new addition—culture marketing. The latter, in particular, is becoming increasingly important because the younger generation is increasingly dismissing traditional marketing as «marketing bullshit,» yet at the same time responds very well to brands that are culturally relevant, engage with communities, and become part of real conversations.

Culture marketing, therefore, is not merely a decorative exercise in keeping up with the times, but rather a central area that bridges the gap between attention and purchasing interest. It’s about values, relevance, collaborations, creator culture, and the question of what a brand actually stands for. Those who merely explain products or assert brand values remain too superficial. Those who become culturally relevant gain greater appeal.

Swisscom Shows Why Trust Remains the Most Enduring Brand Value

The presentation by Olaf Geuer, Group Head of Brand at Swisscom, was particularly practical. He spoke about brand management at the intersection of technology and people—and impressively demonstrated why strong brands are not losing their importance in the age of AI, but are actually gaining even more significance.

Swisscom has been working intensively on its strategy, positioning, and brand identity over the past few months, Geuer said. One of the starting points was an «emotional assessment of Switzerland.» The result: Even in a country with a high degree of stability and quality of life, uncertainty is on the rise, along with the need for trust, approachability, and confidence. This is precisely where Swisscom sees its role as a tech and trust brand.

What was particularly interesting was how openly Geuer addressed the ambivalence surrounding AI. On the one hand, a company like Swisscom must embrace technological developments and put them to productive use. On the other hand, an AI children’s book project—of all things—demonstrated just how quickly one can find oneself caught up in societal debates about creative work, illustration professions, and cultural sensitivity. The lesson to be learned was not to abandon technology, but rather «Human First.» In other words: technology as a tool, humanity as the point of reference.

Geuer also made it clear that a brand’s value lies not merely in beautiful images, but in the trust it has built up. How else could one explain that while Swisscom’s price increases draw criticism, they do not immediately lead to massive losses in market share? The brand acts as a buffer here. And that’s exactly why it remains king.

Philipp Skrabal and the Comeback of the Big Idea

If any presentation defended the primacy of creativity over the uniformity of machine-generated output, it was the one by Philipp Skrabal, partner and Chief Creative Officer at Farner Switzerland. His title, «Creativity Is a Survival Skill,» was deliberately provocative—and precisely for that reason, spot-on.

Skrabal did not advocate for creative romanticism, but rather for hard work on difference. Creativity does not arise incidentally, but from friction, nourishment, discipline, and a willingness to push oneself to the limit. This is precisely where its relevance lies in the age of AI. For machines mix patterns. Humans can break patterns.

That was one of the most powerful insights of the day. When everyone feeds the same tools with similar prompts, the risk increases that more and more of the same will be produced. But brands thrive on differentiation. So do agencies. And the same goes for people in their professions. That’s why the good old idea isn’t just a nostalgic relic—it’s a survival strategy.

Skrabal illustrated this with examples that stuck with the audience: the legendary Blendtec case, in which a blender pulverizes golf balls; KitKat as proof of how far a strong core idea can carry a brand over decades; and campaigns that precisely blend the spirit of the times, humor, and product authenticity. His message was clear: It’s not the machine that overshadows creativity—rather, a good idea still outshines almost everything else.

Doubt and Imagination as a New Discipline of Thought

Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler brought a different perspective to the day. Their presentation on rethinking things felt almost like an intellectual breather amid all the tools, models, and AI scenarios. In doing so, they captured the essence of many discussions with remarkable precision.

Her thesis: Anyone who truly wants to rethink things needs imagination and doubt—that is, the childlike courage to imagine the impossible, and the scientific ability to question one’s own ideas. This dual approach—«What if?» and «Maybe I’m wrong»—proved to be highly relevant for marketing, which should not be too quick to be swayed by the machine’s initial answers.

Especially in the age of generative systems, the opposite is a real danger: the first solution is immediately at hand, imagination withers away, and so does doubt. Krogerus and Tschäppeler reminded us that new ideas must not only be new but also useful—and that great ideas are often instinctively rejected at first. It was a piece about mindset, not tactics. That is precisely why it left a lasting impression.

Revenue Instead of Turf Wars

Guntram Friede of Celonis drew attention to an area that continues to cause friction in many companies: the relationship between marketing and sales. His message was unambiguous. If marketing doesn’t have a seat at the sales table, it ultimately lacks a strategic foundation.

Friede argued from a B2B and SaaS perspective, but his thoughts extended beyond that world. He argued that traditional lead generation alone is no longer a viable playbook. Instead, he said, orchestration is needed throughout the entire bowtie funnel—from awareness through opportunity to renewal and anti-churn. Marketing must be held accountable to the same KPIs as sales and clearly demonstrate its contribution to revenue.

It was noteworthy that Friede nevertheless placed a strong emphasis on emotion. Especially in B2B, he argued, experiences, relevance, and urgency remain central. The examples—ranging from the Street Parade to FC Bayern—showed that even complex tech brands thrive on creating experiences that people will talk about for a long time to come. The «B» in B2B certainly doesn’t stand for “boring.”.

A Look at the Age of Customer Agents

One of the most substantively significant presentations was that of Dennis Herhausen, who will soon take on an important role at the University of St. Gallen. His topic was agentic AI—a development that goes far beyond the usual AI buzzwords.

Herhausen painted a nuanced picture. He said that Agentic AI is neither mere hype nor yet widely productive. In businesses, complexity, security concerns, and susceptibility to errors remain significant. At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly willing to use AI for shopping, pre-selection, and even autonomous purchasing decisions.

It was precisely from this that Herhausen deduced a striking shift in perspective. Companies may find themselves confronted by their customers’ agents sooner than they themselves are fully organized as agents. This gives rise to new rules of the game: Who buys is changing. How people are found is changing. How decisions are made, how trust is built, and where competition takes place—all of this is shifting.

His pithy summary was particularly memorable: «AI agents buy, humans use.» It forces us to rethink the customer journey. When agents compare offers, prefer structured information, and respond to verifiable results, flowery brand promises are no longer enough. What’s needed are machine-readable data, proof assets, open interfaces, and strategies that work not only “direct to consumer” but also “direct to agents.”.

Herhausen was thus one of the speakers who dared to look the farthest into the future. And that is precisely why his presentation was one of the most relevant of the day.

More than just networking, more than just a warm-up

The gfm Trend Conference was not only an event with strong content, but also a remarkably well-attended and diverse industry gathering. The approximately 300 guests represented an exciting mix of advertisers, agencies, and representatives from academia. It was precisely this mix that gave the day the productive dynamic that is so crucial at such events.

The networking opportunities offered by the event were, in fact, more than just a pleasant bonus. During the breaks and the cocktail reception, it became clear just how valuable such spaces are, especially now. The industry is under intense pressure to change, and it needs places where practice, strategy, education, and creative perspectives can come together.

In that sense, the gfm Trend Conference was more than just a warm-up for next week’s SWA Summit 2026. Rather, it sends a strong signal to the Swiss marketing and advertising industry that it already has two high-profile platforms for exchange, taking stock of the current situation, and addressing future issues in the first quarter alone. With the upcoming «Advertiser of the Year» awards, the pace is picking up even further. For the industry, this isn’t too much—it’s a good sign.

Seeing Clearly Through the AI Fog

What remains from this day is less a new magic formula than a crystallized perspective. AI is here, and it is already fundamentally changing marketing. It accelerates processes, creates new forms of search, shifts purchasing decisions, and demands new tools and skills. But it replaces neither an understanding of human nature nor creativity, nor cultural sensitivity nor the work of building trust.

That is precisely why the 35th gfm Trend Conference came across as a call for clarity. Anyone who doesn’t want to lose sight of the big picture amid the AI fog must do more than just test new tools. It requires precise brand management, a clear understanding of target audiences, a culture of creativity, robust use cases, and the ability to combine technological possibilities with human relevance.

Or, to put it a bit more bluntly: As machines become capable of doing more and more, what truly makes brands strong becomes all the more apparent. Trust. Differentiation. Vision. A commitment to craftsmanship. And the ability, at the right moment, not to simply go along with the crowd, but to see things clearly.