Customer proximity reloaded - impulses from the gfm Trend Conference

To kick things off, gfm President Dominique von Matt spoke about the complexity of the motto "Closer to the customer". He noted that personal customer contact has now become a luxury - as has a corporate culture that is consistently geared towards customer orientation. The way in which employees are managed plays a decisive role in this: if you want to increase customer satisfaction, you have to promote an attitude internally that enables closeness on the customer front.

Technological developments were also discussed. Von Matt spoke about the role of AI in customer loyalty - for example to restore lost connections through hyper-personalization. At the same time, he warned against neglecting human creativity: AI alone is not enough to shape strong brands - it may find the ideal line, but as we all know, no one can be overtaken on this line.

In an interview with m&k, he also referred to entrepreneurs such as Michel Péclard, who deliberately operates outside of established lines and thus develops a strategic advantage. Ultimately, the ability to cleverly balance analog and digital measures is crucial. According to von Matt, this is precisely what distinguishes the best companies. The next gfm Trend Conference will take place on March 20, 2026. The topic is currently still open - the aim is to address highly topical issues that are on members' minds.

Marcus Schögel: Customer orientation as corporate logic

In his presentation, Marcus Schögel from the University of St. Gallen focused on the fundamentals of customer centricity. He reminded the audience that the idea is by no means new - marketing greats such as Peter Drucker and Philip Kotler have been propagating it since the 1950s. For Schögel, it is about understanding where the money comes from - and showing that companies with satisfied customers are more successful economically.

This requires coordinated interaction throughout the entire company - from accounting to sales. According to Schögel, many classic weaknesses - such as technical over-focus, a lack of service or silo thinking - are still present today. Customer orientation remains a constant balancing act between ambition, competition and feasibility.

He identified the discrepancy between internal expectations and external perception - the so-called "service delivery gap" - as one of the biggest challenges. While companies are trying to increase customer satisfaction, many customers are not even aware of the effect. In addition, consumers often learn faster than the organizations themselves. Digital experiences have a strong influence on expectations. The modern "zero consumer" no longer differentiates between online and offline and hardly shows any brand loyalty.

For the future, Schögel recommended understanding AI as a team member and relying on augmented decision making - i.e. the interaction between humans and machines when making decisions. Operational hecticness should be avoided; instead, the customer should be thought ahead and it should be shown how customer orientation contributes to the company's success in concrete terms.

Kevin Baxpehler: The consumer of tomorrow - digital twins, robots and mixed reality

Kevin Baxpehler, Partner at Remagine Ventures, took a provocative look at the near future of consumer behavior. With the analytical eye of a venture capitalist and equipped with a global investment portfolio in AI start-ups, he explained how technologies such as generative AI, robotics and mixed reality will fundamentally change consumer behavior. The starting point was a gloomy movie scene that confronted the audience with a future in which relationships, decisions and emotions are controlled by systems. For Baxpehler, this was a possible but not compelling scenario - a warning with insightful value.

His presentation focused on the concept of the "augmented self" - an expansion of human identity through digital twins, robotic assistants and new forms of reality. This is not about science fiction, but about technologies in which billions are already being invested today. He spoke of an industry that is accelerating rapidly - not least because adaptation on the consumer side is faster than the strategic response of many companies.

Digital twins are the starting point: personality images trained on the content of their human role models - including voice, attitude and value system. Prominent example: Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, whose digital clone - fed by podcasts, writings and interviews - has already been presented to the public. According to Baxpehler, the next step is for brands to start communicating not only for people, but also for their digital gatekeepers. SEO will be replaced by Generative Engine Optimization - brands will no longer just have to perform well in search engines, but also in the response systems of AI agents.

The next layer: agent-to-agent communication. Baxpehler predicted that in ten years' time, 98% of digital traffic would be generated by machines - be it through personal assistance systems, brand bots or systemic recommendations. In future, these digital representatives will pre-filter what people see at all. The question is no longer how advertising generates attention, but how it is permitted by digital clones in the first place.

His vision became even more vivid when it came to robotics. Baxpehler was not talking about vacuum cleaner assistants, but about humanoid assistance systems that are already being produced for domestic use - robust, highly functional and surprisingly affordable. Who will decide in future which detergent to buy or which brand to prefer - humans or their robots? This question is not hypothetical, but a strategic challenge for brands. "Marketing for machines" has long been a real field - including the development of robot influencers.

The topic of mixed reality, long overshadowed by overly high expectations, is now also gaining momentum. Baxpehler cited Snap as a successful pioneer with over one billion in sales through AR filters - as well as Pokémon Go as a mixed reality case that has generated more revenue than Star Wars and Marvel combined. However, the real game changer is the combination of new hardware and AI-controlled visual data processing: the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are selling millions of units because they combine everyday usability with smart functionality for the first time. What was previously considered a gimmick could develop into the new standard interface - with completely new possibilities for contextual marketing, supported by visual search and situational data processing.

Baxpehler advocated thinking about the coming change not only in technical terms, but also in social terms. The world of the internet was built for people - in future it will be shaped by machines. This opens up opportunities, but also ethical questions. His hope for a "European balance" between control and innovation echoed an impulse that goes beyond the purely technological.

His conclusion was as clear as it was open: If you want to survive as a brand today, you have to experiment with the new, accept mistakes - and learn to communicate with the machines that will stand between product and human in the future. To sum up Baxpehler's approach, customer proximity will in future be written in code - and interpreted by agents.

Joséphine Chamoulaud: Closeness despite distance - insurance rethought

Joséphine Chamoulaud, CEO of Smile Versicherung, spoke about the particular challenge of creating customer proximity in an industry such as insurance, which tends to be characterized by distance. As hardly anyone has a spontaneous desire to interact with their insurance company, the points of contact are limited.

Smile has therefore scrutinized existing business models and used approaches from other industries - such as monthly subscriptions based on the Netflix model. An app and features such as the "Drive Coach", which analyzes driving behavior and rewards it with points, are also intended to create new touchpoints.

Chamoulaud emphasized that customer centricity is not a strategic empty phrase, but must be part of the corporate culture - anchored in all processes, away from silos. At the same time, it is important that customers have a good feeling of being heard and understood. Feedback is systematically collected and evaluated. Communication also focuses on proximity - for example through influencers who act as new testimonials. When recruiting, it is crucial to convey a sense of purpose and progress as an employer.

Roman Malessa: Health education as a lifestyle - with attitude, design and community power

Roman Malessa presented FAQ YOU, an organization that sees itself as a "health companion for the younger generation" - and implements this in a remarkably multifaceted way. The aim is to answer young people's most frequently asked questions about health in an authentic and relevant way. It's not just about content, but also about form, approach and timing - in other words, about communication that actually ties in with the realities of young people's lives.

What began as a student initiative around World AIDS Day has developed over 15 years into an internationally active organization with a strong brand identity. FAQ YOU consciously positions itself as a lifestyle brand in the health sector - an approach that is reflected in both its strong design and communicative diversity. The organization relies on a pronounced community logic: it is not the organization that tells young people what is important, but the community that determines what information is needed. Accordingly, the website is community-driven throughout - from the TikTok channel to festival campaigns and the app.

Malessa emphasized that the creative repertoire at FAQ YOU is particularly broad - from e-learning offers and fashion collaborations with artists such as CRO to festivals at which the organization is present with its "FAQ YOU Clinic". Large collaborations - for example with Netflix for the series "Sex Education" or with brands such as Levi's and Estée Lauder - are also used strategically to place health topics in an emotional and non-preachy way. The collaboration with the Elevator Boys or the creation of social formats with YouTube Health illustrate how targeted and effective pop culture touchpoints are used.

FAQ YOU is now active in numerous regions. The organization is active in various fields: from advocacy and health education to concrete access to health services. The overarching goal remains clear: to enable young people to make informed health decisions.

Malessa formulated this with a concise leitmotif: they are working on a "Generation Zero" - a generation that should no longer die from preventable diseases. The key to this is to combine health literacy with an approach to life - "stay fucking healthy" is not just a tongue-in-cheek conclusion, but a serious vision.

Michel Péclard: Innovative strength through lateral thinking - rethinking gastronomy

Zurich restaurateur Michel Péclard impressed the audience with a passionate plea for more courage, creativity and empathy when dealing with guests - and with his own team. His ideas often go beyond conventional business management - with a feel for people, needs and unexpected moments.

Péclard spoke of a glass of champagne for those visiting alone - not so much because of the drink, but rather as a visible signal: those who come alone are welcome. According to Péclard, such seemingly small gestures can break down social barriers - and connect people. What is considered "too expensive" in traditional restaurants, he sees as an investment in quality of experience and guest loyalty.

This attitude runs through his entire way of thinking. Cost-cutting logic, as taught in many restaurants and also in training, does not automatically lead to sustainable success. Instead, he advocated a radically different approach: rather invest in a targeted manner to create emotional experiences - and thus also increase turnover. For him, involving service employees in turnover is a key to genuine motivation and entrepreneurship at employee level. Péclard reported on waiters who achieve a multiple of the industry average in this way - with a significantly stronger bond to the company.

Péclard is also consciously seeking new culinary paths. In response to overfished seas and health trends, he added a Swiss version of sashimi to the menu - with regional fish and herbs. There was a lot of resistance from the kitchen, but he persisted - and was rewarded by the guests. Today, his businesses are a reflection of changing consumer habits: fewer sausages, more salads. Anyone who doesn't recognize this will be left behind.

Péclard's innovative strength is also evident in the interior and design of his restaurants. Whether rooms designed entirely in red or new vegetarian formats - he wants to surprise, create stimuli, offer stages. The guest should not just eat, but immerse themselves in a small world of experience. The staff are also part of this staging: appearance, attitude and charm are just as important as professional competence. It is not about superficiality, but about the interplay of style and substance.

His commitment to diversity and integration was particularly impressive: Péclard employs around 80 Afghan employees in his companies, supports them with training and further education programmes and invites their families to specially organized parties. He is convinced that employees who feel valued contribute more, stay longer and identify more strongly with the company.

According to Péclard, the gastronomy of tomorrow is not about the perfect POS system or the leanest cost of goods sold, but about putting yourself in the guest's shoes. If you know why someone comes - whether it's because of their daughter, the playground, the light menu or the light in the room - you can create experiences that last. This requires openness, the ability to observe and the willingness to question everything: from the menu and pricing to the choice of table lamps.

His advice to the marketing industry: listen less to textbooks and look more at people. Innovation begins when you dare to question things that are supposedly taken for granted. Or as Péclard summarized it: "Try. Observe. And take seriously what really moves people."

Caroline von Kretschmann: Customer centricity through culture - with attitude, structure and purpose

In her presentation, Caroline von Kretschmann, Managing Partner of Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg, showed how radically people-centered leadership and excellent hospitality can work together. Her thesis: customer proximity is only sustainable if the employees are at the center - not rhetorically, but structurally and based on values. The traditional hotel, which has been family-owned for over 160 years, sees itself as a "purpose-driven company" in which vision, culture and leadership form an entire system of resilience.

The basic idea is simple, but radical: colleagues come first, then the guest - and only then the company. This is not just an attitude, but a lived structure, from the vision to the definition of values to management practice. The aim is to create a place where people experience happy moments - guests and employees alike.

Unlike Michel Péclard, who surprises with creative rule-breaking, spontaneous ideas and an often improvisational entrepreneurial spirit, Caroline von Kretschmann builds on a highly integrated, value-driven system. Her concept is well thought out, consistent and deeply anchored in the organization. Both show in their own way how customer proximity works - Péclard as an instinctive lateral thinker, von Kretschmann as a strategically thinking architect of meaning.

She described how her hotel could not count on classic location advantages - Heidelberg offers neither an international airport nor a trade fair center. Nevertheless, the claim to be the warmest five-star city hotel in Germany remains. The decisive factor is not the location, but the inner attitude.

A key example: when a long-standing bar manager no longer wanted to serve alcohol due to his Buddhist lifestyle, he was not dismissed but transferred to the spa area - including an additional qualification. In an organization that functions like a small town - with a tailor shop, concert series and its own electrical workshop - there are almost always new spaces for people who want to develop.

The hotel's management philosophy does not demand optimization, but orientation. Those who love what they do work with joy - and this joy is directly transferred to the guest experience. Even in housekeeping, where the workload is particularly high, appreciation is not only expressed but practiced. Employees are part of a bigger dream - not a means to an end, but the basis of success.

Instead of individual bonus programs, the company relies on profit-sharing for everyone - based on heads, not titles. Transparency, trust and shared responsibility for the guest experience form the foundation.

Von Kretschmann has thus created a corporate image that relies on the human principle with calm consistency - without grand staging, but with great inner ambition. While Péclard reinvents gastronomy, she shows how existing structures can be filled with attitude and meaning - and thus also break new ground. Customer proximity can be so different - and yet have the same core: taking people seriously.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös: Luxury as an attitude - and as staging

Finally, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, founder of TMÖ | CP Luxury Minds Consulting and former CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, discussed new ways of thinking in luxury marketing with Marcus Schögel. Müller-Ötvös emphasized that true luxury today is far more than just a product - it is about attitude, exclusivity, individualization and, last but not least, emotional experiences.

He believes that customers in the luxury segment expect a personal approach at eye level - combined with surprising moments that inspire. At Rolls-Royce, for example, this has been implemented through the "Coachbuild" program, in which unique vehicles are created together with the buyers in close collaboration with designers.

In the interview, Müller-Ötvös also referred to his current role on the McLaren Board of Directors. According to his observations, the British manufacturer's involvement in motor racing has a strong influence on brand perception - especially when it comes to success in Formula 1. The old automotive adage "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" aptly describes this dynamic. A double podium finish, as recently in China, has a direct positive effect on sales figures.

The increasing popularity of Formula 1 is due not least to the change in strategy by Liberty Media. Müller-Ötvös emphasized that the Netflix format "Drive to Survive" had made a significant contribution to tapping into new target groups - such as young women or the US market. The media staging via social media had raised interest in the racing series to a new level.

For the Swiss marketing community, particularly in the luxury sector, Müller-Ötvös pointed out that not every brand is suitable for luxury positioning. This requires not only strategic clarity, but also genuine empowerment and credibility. Although there are many established brands in the Swiss watch and lifestyle segment in particular, it is crucial to constantly reinvent oneself and remain close to the changing expectations of the target groups. With his consulting agency "Luxury Minds", he wants to support precisely this: Not only to assert luxury, but to shape it as a differentiating brand experience.

The contributions at the gfm Trend Conference show: Customer centricity has many forms - structured, creative, technological. What unites them is the attitude of taking people seriously. And regardless of whether you reach them through service, design, culture or the digital twin - the opportunity to do better starts with the next step.