Advertising Day: No economy without advertising
«No advertising, no economy» was the theme of this year’s Advertising Day at the Kunsthaus in Zurich. The nearly 250 attendees, as well as the prominent speakers and panelists, agreed that this statement is undeniable.
Last Friday more than earned the name Advertising Day. And not just because of the high-caliber speakers and panel guests. On this day, seven industry associations and organizations also held their general meetings in the lecture hall of the Kunsthaus Zurich or in another nearby venue. Starting with the umbrella organization of commercial communication SW Schweizer Werbung and its partner organization in French-speaking Switzerland PS Publicité Suisse, through ADC, bsw and Textverband to SAWI and Stiftung Werbestatistik Schweiz. The President of SW Schweizer Werbung, Council of States member Filippo Lombardi, emphasized in his speech: "It is only thanks to this energetic pulling together that we have come together in such large numbers today and have been able to make such a powerful statement for the entire industry.
Powerful statement for the entire industry
Since last year, "The Economic Significance of the Advertising Industry in Switzerland" has been backed up with figures. Industry sales of around 7.2 billion Swiss francs, a GDP share of almost 1.3 percent and almost 22,000 full-time jobs speak a clear language: the communications industry is a weighty economic factor. This is shown, for example, by a comparison with the energy supply industry, which has a turnover of 8.9 billion Swiss francs. Against this background, the Advertising Day addressed the question of how great the influence of commercial communication is on the economy as a whole. The very first speaker, Mark Backé, left no doubt that the importance of advertising is essential for a prospering economy. The Head of Marketing at BMW (Switzerland) then outlined the means by which the premium automotive brand intends to master the challenges of the "digital shift". Backé demonstrated how BMW will counter the increasing individualization of society in the future with a new, emotional image spot that premiered on Advertising Day.
Finally think for yourself again
After a short introductory speech, Sergio Ermotti took questions from the conference moderator Urs Gredig. The Group CEO of UBS made it clear why he does not envy Credit Suisse's Roger Federer and prefers to focus on Formula 1: The product is in the foreground, not people. Patrick Magyar, the long-time meeting director of Weltklasse Zürich and CEO of the 2014 European Athletics Championships, is focusing on heads. The women's 4×100-meter relay team and the mascot "Cooly," "borrowed" from the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championships, are to serve as advertising icons to ensure full stadiums. Finally, Stephan Sigrist ventured a look into the future of advertising. For the founder and head of the Zurich-based think tank W.I.R.E., a key question is how to deal with the growing volume of data. It is true that it opens up new possibilities for a more individualized customer approach. However, according to his thesis, more data does not mean more knowledge and transparency, but on the contrary, more half-knowledge and intransparency. This might even be a good thing, as it forces people to finally think for themselves again.
At the end, Nadine Borter, owner and managing director of the Bernese advertising agency Contexta, Herbert Bolliger, CEO of the Migros Genossenschafts-Bund MGB, Roger de Weck, general director of SRG SSR, and speaker Mark Backé discussed the conference motto on the podium. The assertion "No advertising, no economy" had meanwhile become a statement and found no contradiction in this round. Roger de Weck, however, extended it to the media, which could just as little survive in its present form without advertising.
Lobbying for liberal advertising guidelines
In particular, the above-mentioned study on "The Economic Significance of the Advertising Industry in Switzerland" ensured that SW Schweizer Werbung closed the 2013 financial year with a loss of around 18,000 Swiss francs, despite spending discipline. In this context, Filippo Lombardi stressed that the additional expenditure would be more than worthwhile in terms of the bottom line, as the study would contribute to a better perception of the industry. The importance of the association, Filippo Lombardi continued, was shown by the recent debate during the special session of the National Council. "Not least thanks to our lobbying, the written statements for the attention of the parliamentarians and the participation in hearings, the National Council followed its Economic Commission (WAK-N). When discussing the new Consumer Credit Act (KKG), it did argue for a ban on aggressive advertising. However, it leaves the definition of what is considered aggressive to the industry. This self-regulation, if it gets through in the Council of States, would spare the industry some of the problems that would undoubtedly arise with a total ban."
Marc Werner and Roger Harlacher new on the Board of Directors
Two new board seats were filled at the SW Schweizer Werbung general meeting. Marc Werner, Head of Private Clients at Swisscom, will replace Hans-Peter Hess in the future. The senior adviser at Roland Berger Consulting previously stepped down as a representative of advertising clients - in addition to advertising agencies and media companies. Completing the SW Schweizer Werbung executive committee is Roger Harlacher, Director of Marketing and Sales at Zweifel Pomy-Chips. The President of the Swiss Advertising Clients Association SWA was elected as the association's representative.
