New strategic fit for Alex Schmid

WW: What were the reasons for joining forces with a traditional agency?
Alex Schmid: Basically, there were always two options for me: Merger with a dialog agency or integration into a traditional agency. For me, the primary focus had to be on strategic dimensions. These were now right. DACHCOM gains a presence in Zurich and sound dialog expertise, while we on the other hand can expand our offering in the direction of integrated campaigns and have access to digital resources. And all this without conflicts in the customer portfolio.
 
Have you evaluated different agencies?
Over the past 20 years, I have held various talks and negotiations. In the first year, René Hürlimann from Euro was already on the mat and we looked at interesting international options. In Alex Schmid's agency history, I was a network partner twice: at Grey and at Draft. I gained valuable experience and learned what makes sense and what doesn't. Reporting is definitely not one of my favorites.
 
Why did you choose DACHCOM?
In addition to the many rational criteria that have been met, in the end I simply had a good feeling about Christin and Otto Gmeiner. They too have built something up step by step with solid work and their own efforts and are inspired by high-quality campaigns in the interests of their customers. I am convinced that the federalist model of DACHCOM is right and that the two cultures with their similarities and differences will come together well. The fact that it is an owner-managed Swiss agency also had a positive influence on the decision.
 
What advantages will the merger bring?
Our customers will benefit from in-depth brand expertise, a large creative pool of over 20 designers and a wide range of production services. The realization in particular can be offered more competitively due to the close proximity of supply and cost structures. For us, this results in an expansion of our dialog competence to include branding, digital media and the interdisciplinary exchange of experience.
 
Was it difficult to change the name to DACHCOM.DIALOG after 20 years of Alex Schmid? Less in the name than in the appearance. We redesigned the "Alex Schmid" brand last year. That is now a thing of the past. Instead, we now have practice in relaunching, and internal projects like this always pose particular challenges. I'm thinking of the website, for example. We will continue with our existing site, rebrand it and link it to the DACHCOM website.
 
What will change in the way we work?
Not much. I will continue to run the agency as before for an indefinite period. In the short and medium term, it will relieve me of management tasks such as finance, IT and human resources. I will be happy to invest more of the time I gain in acquisition and conception, i.e. what I really enjoy doing.
 
Are results already visible?
We have some joint contacts, but there are no concrete plans yet. The merger only officially took place two weeks ago. So far, one of our customers has requested an agency presentation, which naturally makes us happy that the potential has been recognized immediately. However, we are very motivated to tackle joint projects.

Interview: Andreas Panzeri