Sarah Safri, from SMG's perspective, what was the overarching goal of the two campaigns for ImmoScout24 and AutoScout24?
Sarah Safri: "Our ImmoScout24 and AutoScout24 brands are among the Internet pioneers in Switzerland and are already very well known. With the current campaigns, we want to further sharpen their positioning and at the same time raise awareness of our product innovations. It is important for us to show that we are continuously developing our services with the aim of making them even easier, more efficient and more relevant for all users."
What role does artificial intelligence already play in SMG's marketing and communication work?
Sarah Safri: "Artificial intelligence (AI) has been an integral part of our strategic thinking for many years, including in marketing. As digital platforms, data and technology are at the heart of everything we do. We have been using AI operationally for a long time, for example to optimize our marketing planning. With the latest developments in the field of generative AI, we have started to use it specifically in content creation and visual creation (from image editing to video production). This opens up new opportunities to tailor content even more closely to our target groups. Our current ImmoScout24 and AutoScout24 campaigns are examples of how we consciously use AI in photography and moving images to effectively combine innovation and creativity."
Fabian Biedermann, why was it important to you to use AI not only functionally, but also creatively?
Fabian Biedermann: "Because we are convinced that brand communication will not only have to be rethought efficiently in the future, but also visually and narratively. The creative use of AI, for example in image design, set design or dynamic moving images, gives us the opportunity to create worlds that could not be realized with traditional means. For us, it's not about seeing AI as a replacement, but as an extension of creative forms of expression."
What was particularly exciting or challenging for you when working with AI technologies in campaign development?
Sarah Safri: "What was particularly exciting was the enormous creative freedom that the use of AI gave us. But this is also precisely where the challenge lies: as a brand, you have to be very aware of how you want to present your own brand. Distinctiveness and the visual language consistently anchored. Because with AI, almost anything suddenly seems possible. It was therefore crucial to define clear creative guidelines together with the agency in order to safeguard the brand identity at all times."
To what extent is AI changing the requirements for brand management and marketing teams at SMG?
Sarah Safri: "AI projects not only require in-depth technological understanding, but also expertise in brand management, ethics and creative processes. This is precisely why consistency is crucial if the uniqueness of a brand is not to be compromised by the new
to dilute the possibilities. Our teams are continuously building up new skills to meet these requirements. At the same time, we are convinced that people are always needed to shape the attitude, tonality and vision of a brand. For us, AI is therefore not a replacement for existing tools and processes, but a valuable addition to the creative palette. To ensure that AI is not only used creatively but also sensibly, we have developed our own 'AI principles' for the teams and introduced an 'AI label' across SMG that makes the use of AI transparent."
What does collaboration with external partners like Freundliche Grüsse mean for a group of companies like SMG, especially in the context of AI projects?
Sarah Safri: "Working with external partners like Freundliche Grüsse is essential for us, especially when it comes to pioneering projects in combination with new technologies. We value their creative courage, technological expertise and willingness to explore new avenues with us. At the same time, as a client, we not only bring a strategic perspective and an understanding of the target group, but also approaches on how our brands can be further strengthened in a creative way - coupled with the openness to try out new approaches in production. This combination of internal know-how and external innovative spirit works very well."
How do you rate the impact of such hybrid AI campaigns compared to traditional productions?
Fabian Biedermann: "We see several clear advantages in this. On the one hand, we benefit from enormous agility in content production: we were able to respond quickly, flexibly and much more cost-efficiently to different formats, channels and target groups. On the other hand, the creative use of AI allows us to achieve a new visual quality that positions the brands in a fresher, more modern and more innovative way. Of course, we also analyze the performance data very closely. However, it is not yet possible to derive any concrete findings as the campaigns have only recently been launched."
What role do you think AI will play in the brand communication of tomorrow - and what will remain "human"?
Fabian Biedermann: "AI is already an integral part of modern brand communication. Above all as a tool for producing content faster, more efficiently and more diversely. But what remains, and must remain, is human intuition: an understanding of social moods, of nuances, of attitude. More than ever, brands need a face, an opinion, emotional relevance. And no machine can replace that."
]]>Werbewoche.ch: Danijel Sljivo, you've been at the helm of the Ammarkt agency since the beginning of August. Have you made a good start?
Danijel Sljivo: Absolutely. Yesterday I drove the car into the underground garage, and when I pulled in, I had the feeling that I was at home.
The change from the advertising culture of Zurich to the advertising culture of eastern Switzerland. Is there a difference there?
Maybe everything is just a bit more down-to-earth here. But at the end of the day, both are national agencies that serve national clients and operate throughout Switzerland.
Ammarkt is quite a large agency by Swiss standards, with over 30 employees. What can you tell us about this agency?
Ammarkt is the agency in St. Gallen. We have already been in existence for 24 years, so next year we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. We've been at this location, Breitfeldstrasse 8, for around seven years, and we're spread out over two floors here with spacious premises that accommodate the various departments well. We are a creative communications agency, so efficient routes are particularly important to us.
Do you also have a digital team, including social media?
Social media has a high priority for us. It's the channel we can actively use and operate, with a wide range of functions from content creation to motion design. That's something we're proud of.
Matthias Schiess, you are a content creator at Ammarkt. What do you particularly appreciate here?
Matthias Schiess: What I like about Ammarkt is the great premises, the great team and, of course, our varied customers. It is very diverse.
Can you tell us about your latest project as a content creator?
Currently, I am working on next month's editorial plan for the Shopping Arena. I am planning the content we would like to create next month.
And what tools do you use for this?
My constant companion is the smartphone. We use it to record everything, then edit it on the PC or smartphone and publish the stories.
How do customers react when you create videos with their smartphone and don't use an expensive professional camera?
Customers are very open-minded. Ultimately, we can produce high-quality content with smartphones.
Matthias Schiess is a social media creator who uses modern and innovative methods. Can you say that innovation is a trademark of Ammarkt?
Danijel Sljivo: Social media is crucial for us because we want to have our finger on the pulse. But at its core, Ammarkt stands for effective creativity, which means targeted innovation.
Remo Bügler, you are Digital Director at Ammarkt. How important is the team to you?
Remo Bügler: Teamwork is extremely important, especially in the digital age, where things have to move fast and flexibility is required to meet the dynamic market and environment.
What did you just do?
We just did some rough planning in terms of what we're going to shoot next, social media, content production, everything that goes along with that.
It seemed to be very entertaining. How important is the atmosphere for you?
Fun at work is very important and is emphasized here.
What is a particular challenge for Ammarkt?
Danijel Sljivo: Our biggest challenge is to capture the attention of our customers' target groups.
And how do you go about achieving this goal?
I believe the only way to get there is through authentic and relevant communication.
We are now standing on your roof terrace, where another Ammarkt asset becomes tangible: customer proximity.
In fact, we not only have short internal communication channels, but also close relationships with our customers. Just across the street is our customer Livique. Further down the road, Lumimart is at home. And when we turn around, we see the shopping arena for which we work as a full-service agency.
There are many B2B companies in the St. Gallen region. How important are they for you?
B2B is of great importance for us and also for the entire region. We see great potential here in the area of employer branding. We are aware of the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers and have already implemented successful projects with various customers in this area.
Vanessa Niklaus, you work as an art director in the creation department at Ammarkt. What do you particularly appreciate about your work at Ammarkt?
Vanessa Niklaus: On the one hand, I appreciate the extremely varied customers and exciting fields of activity. Every working day is very varied. But also the team, which works together excellently. We have an excellent team spirit. Of course, funny moments in the daily work routine also make for a relaxed atmosphere.
Danijel is sitting next to you now. He has recently joined Ammarkt. What is your impression after the first few weeks?
I think Danijel is very likeable. Whenever I deal with him, there is a great exchange at eye level.
Do you have any specific requests or expectations for his role?
Of course, I expect him to continue to successfully manage and develop the agency.
We have reached the end of the tour of the Ammarkt agency. Very interesting, exciting fields of activity and likeable people. Finally, two questions: Artificial intelligence, how do you see its importance for the industry?
Danijel Sljivo: Artificial intelligence is already an integral part of our everyday lives and offers significant benefits in terms of increased efficiency, personalization and data management. Nevertheless, I am glad that strategic thinking, ethics, morals and interpersonal relationships are still in human hands.
Another important topic is employee recruitment. What measures are you taking in this area?
Employee recruitment is also of great importance to us. Every employee is valuable to us as we provide services. We will therefore review our recruitment processes and also invest in training and development programs to retain talented employees in the long term.
Finally, a general question about the industry: Where do you see the greatest need for improvement or adjustment in the advertising and communications industry?
I believe the biggest opportunity and challenge for the industry and marketing as a whole lies in authentic and relevant communication. Without this, we run the risk of being perceived as untrustworthy.
TikTok has been inspired by user-generated content and encourages brands to act like creators and create entertaining, authentic content. TikTok's growth worldwide has been impressive, with over 150 million user:s in the U.S. and over 150 million user:s in Europe. The platform now offers a much wider variety of content, the two experts say in conversation. And they also emphasize that creativity on TikTok is taking place at a new level and that brands now have the chance to enter into a dialog with the user community and use their creativity to develop impressive campaigns. Mirco Hecker is Brand Partnership Lead Switzerland and the first point of contact for TikTok in Switzerland.
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Werbewoche.ch: Christof Kaufmann, where does Weischer.Cinema Switzerland stand in the middle of the year?
Christof Kaufmann: We have made good progress towards the pre-Corona years. The moviegoer market has already recovered much more strongly than the cinema advertising market, for which Weischer.Cinema is responsible. There we expect an increase for the second half of the year. With this remaining cinema program in 2023, nothing can go wrong for advertisers to book cinema advertising in the second half of 2023 and beyond.
What is the significance of your involvement in Cannes for Weischer?
This is a very important and central pillar for us in our annual market activities. As a representative, we act as a mouthpiece to the Swiss creative and advertising industry and try to convey the basic idea of the festival; namely, that creativity is the decisive factor for successful communication.
How does the Swiss creative scene benefit from this?
With various measures around Cannes Lions, we enable creative minds to expand their network, exchange ideas and celebrate successes. Furthermore, we are committed to supporting young creative talent with the Young Lions program. The young creative scene provided four Young Lions teams in Cannes in 2023. These accesses are possible through our representation. We also support submissions, and for the first time since Corona, our colleagues in Germany will again compile a special Cannes reel with the trends and an excerpt of the best works.
You are on site in Cannes as Switzerland's representative. You have already mentioned some of the tasks that such a representative has to fulfill. What are the others?
We perform various tasks. These are, for example, the promotion of young creative talent. We also nominate the Swiss jurors who judge the works from all over the world at the Cannes Lions Festival. We support the submission of works, respectively establish contact to the responsible persons and have an open ear for general questions about the festival. We also curate the program in advance and make recommendations as to which presentations are worthwhile in this almost unmanageable offer. With our press representatives, we also ensure that various insights are delivered to Switzerland during the festival week.
You created platforms especially for Cannes. What were they in 2023?
As already mentioned, we enable the presence of four Young Lions teams. In the run-up to the competition, the young creatives take part in the Weischer Bootcamp, which prepares them well for the upcoming Challenge and gets them in the right mood. Likewise, the traditional Swiss BBQ on Wednesday afternoon is already an established platform for bringing the Swiss delegation together. Furthermore, there are many smaller get-togethers and events with various cooperation partners.
In addition, our German colleagues launched a live broadcast from Cannes in 2021, bringing topics and trends from the world's largest advertising festival directly to the office. For fall 2023, the first requests have already been received and dates defined to show the Cannes trend presentation.
A highlight that you are particularly proud of in retrospect?
That the Media Young Lions won bronze (Werbewoche.ch reported). After 2015, they are only the second Swiss Young Lions team to return to Switzerland with a medal and the first since Weischer Switzerland took over the representation of Switzerland. Another silver in the print category and bronze medal in the PR category were won by their Young Lions colleagues from Germany.
Your impression of Cannes Lions 2023?
It was an incredibly strong vintage, with potential upside, both in terms of Swiss entries and the size of the Swiss delegation.
Why should Swiss advertisers consider attending the festival in 2024?
To experience exchange, inspiration, motivation, exuberance, joie de vivre and internationality, to attend impressive technical presentations and see fascinating work, and to proudly be part of a great industry and live it to the full. Of course, we would like to cheer on numerous Young Lions teams from Switzerland in Cannes again next year as they achieve excellence.
Christof Kaufmann is responsible for the fate as CEO of the Weischer Cinema Switzerland At the same time, he is committed to the Swiss creative industry, driving the representation of Weischer.Cinema at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity with great dedication. Kaufmann likes John Malkovich, popcorn and his best cinema commercial of all time is that of Apple from 1984 by Ridley Scott. One of his most important everyday motivations is to please everyone, which of course doesn't always work out, as he says himself.
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