Everything new with AI? Record attendance at the brand congress

At this year's brand congress around 650 participants listened to various presentations on strategic and digital topics on two main stages at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. The motto "Everything new with AI?" provided a platform for intensive discussions on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the brand world.

McDonald's - At the Speed of Culture | AI as a disruption in market research

At the Brand Congress 2024, Swiss agencies TBWA\Zurich presented creative cases from their clients McDonald's and SBB. m&k Advertisingweek.ch asked Manuel Wenzel and Lukas Diem to take part in a short video talk following their presentations.

The power of thinking differently

Götz Ulmer, Creative at David+Martin, made people sit up and take notice in his presentation on the importance of being different in the age of AI: "In the future, creative mediocrity will be completely replaced by AI," said Ulmer. At the same time, it will become an even more valuable tool for extremely accelerating processes, promoting thought-provoking ideas and putting the fear of the white screen to rest. However, Ulmer is convinced that AI will never be able to replace cutting-edge creation. "Because it has not been trained by humanity's previous pool of knowledge, but is always new and unique." He emphasized that true innovation often lies outside conventional thought patterns.

AI as a challenge in marketing

According to this year's "Marketing Barometer" by ESB Marketing Network and StrategyOne, the integration of AI is one of the biggest challenges for Swiss marketing decision-makers. Of the 150 respondents, only 9 percent consider themselves to be well positioned digitally.

Despite the hype surrounding AI, basic data work is being neglected. Digitalization and AI should not be thought of in terms of tools, but in terms of the problems to be solved. AI is not an end in itself. Additional uses of AI include creative forecasting and targeted targeting based on eye movements. More important than the AI solution is the data setup.

Grand Theft Insurance by Baloise: Creativity in a traditional industry

By opening a virtual branch in the most dangerous city in the world, Publicis Inspire and Baloise are showing courage to explore new territory. What potential is there in a campaign of this kind - a symphony of gaming, pop culture and innovation? m&k Werbewoche.ch asked Florina Perroud, Senior Campaign Manager Employer Branding, Baloise and Rob Hartmann, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Inspire for a video talk.

Reparking in the head at Weleda

"We don't want to die out with the age pyramid. The future of Weleda depends on new markets and products," said Tina Müller, CEO of Weleda, analyzing the situation when she took up her position at the 125-year-old natural cosmetics company. She is therefore expanding the brand as both a premium and a natural product. However, sustainability is only number two of the purchasing factors in the cosmetics sector. The number one factor is product performance - and Weleda wants to continue to innovate in this area.

On success strategies and innovations

Caspar Coppetti, co-founder of On, defined new goals and markets that the Swiss sporting goods manufacturer wants to conquer. The short-term goal is 2 to 2.5 billion Swiss francs in turnover. According to Coppetti, this goal is achievable in two to three years.

The strategy for this is clear to him: the market now consists not only of running, but sport in general. "Essentially, at the Paris Olympics, we hope that the Olympians equipped by us will win four to five medals," says Coppetti. In tennis, too, On will be the shoe that stands for high standards. The next markets will be outdoor and fitness, where there are many areas that are waiting for On as the "most premium brand".

Katjes polarizes with success

Tobias Bachmüller has been CEO and co-owner of Katjes for 28 years. Instead of comprehensive brand positioning, he defines the core idea of the brands in the portfolio in just one or two words. Katjes stands for "vegan", Wick for "cooling menthol". Unlike many marketers, he sees the decline in television consumption among younger target groups as an opportunity.

Katjes reaches its customers more precisely and efficiently via digital channels with short advertising formats. The company does not shy away from positioning itself in a polarizing way, for example with the message "without animal gelatine" in connection with a Muslim woman. His success proves him right: the family business has grown by 100 percent in each of the last two five-year periods. m&k Werbewoche.ch met Tobias Bachmüller for an in-depth video talk after his presentation. Click here for the article.

New paths in Swiss tourism

The "golden flower" as a symbol for Switzerland is being replaced by the new "Switzerland" brand world, with which Switzerland Tourism is pursuing a consistent one-brand strategy (Werbewoche.ch reported). CMO André Hefti describes Switzerland as a large natural playground for young and old. The golden flower, which was used for 30 years, is giving way to a dynamic logo that meets modern digital requirements. The new logo integrates a Swiss cross in the "T" of the "Switzerland" lettering and is thus intended to ensure global recognizability. This change, which should be completed by the end of the year, marks a significant step in the further development of Swiss tourism marketing.