Zenith Optimedia is ahead of the future

Optimedia, Zenithmedia, B,G, Media, Zed Digital and Medialogics - the second-largest Swiss media agency Zenith Optimedia, which belongs to the Publicis Group, has so far appeared on the Swiss customer market with several divisions. These differed primarily in terms of client structure: while B,G, Media primarily serves national Swiss clients, ZenithMedia and Optimedia, for example, focus on international clients and on contact with other network agencies. This has now largely come to an end: as of June 1, the agency will appear with only two names: Zenith Optimedia remains the umbrella brand and at the same time the contact for international network customers, B,G, Media as an established Swiss brand still stands for the support of national customers. The latter has recently been placed under the management of the previous consulting group manager Jonas Eliassen.

A competence center for all media, for research and purchasing

However, the changes not only affect the customer-facing area, but also the back office. The previous teams in the individual divisions will be eliminated. All the threads and all the media and research expertise will now come together in the new competence center, the head of which will be announced soon. Whether print, electronic media, out-of-home or digital, whether media buying or research - everything will come under one roof. "We are forming something like a newsroom with about 40 of our 66 employees, says Brigitte Gubser, CEO of Zenith Optimedia for the past year and a half. The center is also complemented by Performics, a network-owned agency for integrated performance marketing, she adds. "Real-time performance measurement is an absolute must today, especially when serving large international clients," Gubser commented. The remaining 26 people will stay on as account management consultants for national and international clients. Nothing will actually change for the clients - they will generally be served by the same consultants as before, he added.

The consultant becomes a communication specialist

The consultant's job, on the other hand, is undergoing a major realignment at Zenith Optimedia. He is now responsible for strategy and overall planning, and the previously "obligatory" print planning and buying, for which he spent around 50 percent of his working time, according to Gubser, will now be delegated to the competence center. "Our consultants are thus relieved and will have more time for customers in the future." However, cross-media thinking is now increasingly necessary. The consultants will thus become communications specialists who can take advantage of appropriate further training in their own international network, Gubser said.

A little ahead of the development

Gubser justified the restructuring with the increasingly fragmented and thus more complex media world, with the increasing expectations of advertising customers regarding the return on investment, and with the constant cost pressure. Sooner or later, all this forces media agencies to rethink their structures and working methods. Zenith Optimedia is not under time pressure, as various developments in Switzerland have been delayed. "But we deliberately set out in this direction relatively early on and are now evolving from a classic media planning agency into a strategic planning agency with a media approach," said Gubser, summarizing the change.

Incidentally, the entire restructuring at Zenith Optimedia is taking place without any layoffs. However, the Managing Directors of Zenithmedia and Optimedia left the company weeks ago.

Markus Knöpfli

Brigitte Gubser, CEO Zenith Optimedia.