"We want to make the association's extensive expertise accessible"

The Gislerprotokoll association now has over 200 members from western to German-speaking Switzerland - including large companies and educational institutions as well as communication and advertising agencies and independent creative professionals. The association thus pools an enormous amount of expertise in inclusive communication, which is now to be made accessible to all interested parties.

Because the Gisler protocol now offers Workshop and advisory services organized by the association and run by the members themselves. These include workshops on inclusive language and inclusive imagery - but also on inclusive digital solutions. Workshops on the DEIB strategy (diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging) as a whole, specific expert reviews or keynotes on the Gisler protocol in general can also be booked.

In conversation with m&k advertisingweek.ch Nina Bieli, co-initiator and president of the Gisler Protocol, takes a closer look at the new offerings and shows why and where there is still a need for action in Swiss advertising.

m&k advertisingweek.ch: Who are the new workshops and advisory services of the Gisler Protocol aimed at?

Nina Bieli: For all interested agencies and companies who would like to get expert input on one of the topics on offer or who are faced with specific questions in connection with inclusive communication or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in general.

How can we imagine these offers in concrete terms?

It was important to us to cover the most popular topics with our offers and at the same time make the association's extensive know-how accessible. We currently cover the following topics: Inclusive language, inclusive imagery, inclusive digital products, DEIB strategy in general and expert reviews on specific issues. There are workshop formats as well as specialist inputs and keynotes. So there is something suitable for a wide range of needs.

What is the current state of diversity in advertising in Switzerland?

It's getting better and better. We are now seeing more and more really great, creative, freely conceived advertisements that portray very different people as well as people in non-stereotypical roles. At the same time, however, there is still a "hard core" that continues to use stereotypes and tries to portray a supposed Swiss idyll - i.e. primarily people who are clearly white and without a migration background. In our view, these advertisements are becoming increasingly less creative in a national and, above all, international comparison.

Everyone seems to be willing to be more inclusive and diverse in the advertising industry. Is the implementation lacking?

Sometimes the implementation, sometimes the courage. We continue to find that choosing a person in a non-stereotypical role is a brave decision for some companies. The same applies to casting non-white people or using variants of inclusive language.

What could help here?

To show those responsible that it doesn't always take the really big steps. Even small steps towards more facets are steps in an important direction. When it comes to inclusive language, many companies still have questions and find it difficult to use special characters - it's worth taking a closer look at the topic and seeking advice to show that inclusive language can largely succeed without special characters.

Which topics are the most urgent?

This varies from company to company. As I have already mentioned, there are certainly many question marks when it comes to inclusive language. But also around digital solutions or visual language. When compiling the offers, we were guided on the one hand by the expertise that is available in the association, but on the other hand, of course, by what is often in demand.