Greetings from the home office, episode 7: Frank Bodin, Bodin Consulting

Frank Bodin is the founder of Bodin Consulting, an internationally active company for branding and creative leadership with digital intelligence. He is also Twitter Ambassador Switzerland, President of ADC Switzerland and on numerous boards and advisory councils. His book "Do it, with love - 100 Creative Essentials" is a bestseller in its seventh edition and can be ordered online at any bookstore.

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in a home office?

Frank Bodin: Since Friday, March 13. But I am not superstitious.

Is your entire company in a home office?

Of course. It's a pity that the official inauguration of the new business premises, a former tinsmith's store in Zurich's Seefeld, also fell victim to the virus.

Did you face any technical issues while setting up your workstation?

I've always had a home office because in our industry it's supposed to happen that people want to work late at night or on weekends.

Where have you set up?

Actually, I have three home offices. First, a small but cozy room with a view of an old fir tree and Lake Zurich. Second, a garden seating area in nice weather, palm trees included. And third, at my grand piano.

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

A clear mind and energy. Pen, paper, mobile as well as laptop are also quite handy.

Is it difficult to separate yourself enough when the children are at home?

My youngest daughter Ayleen is ten years old and she does an exemplary job. By the way, she is the photographer for this post including image selection and editing. Home office and homeschooling are an opportunity to take responsibility for and reshape old learning and work habits.

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

During my time at Havas, I worked a lot abroad for the branch office in Austria and for the Global Creative Board. This taught me to be well organized and to be able to work from anywhere at any time.

Based on initial experience: Which processes are difficult compared to normal everyday work?

Zoom, Skype, Google Hangout, etc. are great ways to communicate. During my time abroad, my family and I even had dinner together a few times via Skype. But technology cannot replace human contact.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

The commute to work is a few kilometers and traffic jams shorter. And I also see great opportunities in the current compulsion to deal with oneself. Maybe in retrospect we will say that the Corona virus has cured the world of some bad habits. Maybe also from bad advertising.

Should the home office phase last longer: What do they do to prevent the ceiling from falling on your head?

I have set up time slots between 1 and 2 p.m. and between 6 and 7 p.m. to talk to friends on the phone and at least maintain contacts that way. So people are free to call me during this time.

What do you miss most about the physical workday?

People, of course. Humans have around 650 muscles. My laptop has only 79 keys, the largest of which is the space bar - that says it all.

Are you confident that your company will come through the crisis unscathed?

Hardly any company will remain unscathed. We are only at the beginning of this crisis. In my view, a recession is inevitable. And even more frightening to me is the looming threat of inflation. After a record January, I have numerous complete defaults to report. So I have spare capacity! As for the crisis in the media and advertising industry, no one needs to kid themselves - it was there before, but has been exacerbated ad extremis by the Corona crisis. Corona will change our world permanently. The advertising world, too. New work models are no longer just theory, but have become reality overnight. "Social distancing" simultaneously leads to a new closeness. To people we really love. To friends who really mean something to us. "Relevance" will take on real relevance and no longer be simply an empty marketing blah blah. Goodbye platitudes. It will wash away conventional advertising like a tsunami. Take grotty commercials, for example. Example one: "Kafi, La Semeuse, schonend gröschtet uf tusig Meter für volli Arome..." that is as bad in content as cold coffee with an off-speaker who sounds as terribly extinguished as usually only heavy drug addicts. Example two: "Family is everything. And everything is family. It's the people who ticket like you. Who take you as you are. The ones with whom you share everything. Everything you love. And who that is for you, is your heart. Toffifee. That's what family feels like." No one wants to be told what family is by a sticky chocolate candy wrapped in tons of plastic, especially not in these times. The only thing that is beneficial in this country are the Galaxus commercials, because they make you realize the absurdity and stupidity of the current advertising, bravo Galaxus! I can well imagine that this will open the eyes of even the last marketing manager to the fact that advertising primarily means an investment in smart strategy and extraordinary ideas and not simply media costs. This is true not only for TV advertising, but for all channels, whether radio advertising shouting or digital harassment at every turn, etc. One look at the profile of our Swiss super-influencer girl Xenia Tchoumi is enough; even in these times, she has nothing to offer but her own pose and catchphrases like "Tough time forge character. Be rational, be strong, be adaptable." This is pathetic bullshit. CEOs will now find this out at their leisure in their home offices.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

My work-live balance has never been so close.

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

Stay at home, stay healthy, also in your thoughts and actions.