ZEAM and SIGG: Social Media as a Growth Driver

The Zurich-based next-gen agency ZEAM is taking over strategic and operational responsibility for SIGG’s social media brand activities effective immediately. The iconic Swiss brand, which has stood for iconic design and quality for more than 100 years, selected ZEAM as its new lead agency following a compelling pitch. The collaboration will focus on the further development and implementation of the ZEAM-SIGG social media strategy across all relevant channels.

The mandate is clearly defined: ZEAM is tasked with rejuvenating the SIGG brand, increasing its relevance in the DACH market, and establishing social media as a key growth driver. SIGG has set ambitious goals—revenue in the DACH region is expected to increase significantly by 2028. According to the announcement, social media is expected to make a significant contribution to brand awareness, community building, and conversion.

An iconic brand for the next generation

SIGG Switzerland Bottles is one of Switzerland’s best-known brands and has been accompanying people on their adventures for more than 100 years. The company stands for iconic design, uncompromising quality, and sustainability. With its classic line of water bottles and new product categories, SIGG is positioning itself in an increasingly competitive market, consistently focusing on relevance, durability, and Swiss values.

Yaël Meier, co-founder of ZEAM, comments on the new partnership: «SIGG is an iconic Swiss brand with over 100 years of history. Continuing this story and sharing it with the next generation is an incredibly exciting task and a key driver of sustainable growth.»

René ab Egg, Head of Marketing at SIGG, adds: «ZEAM combines strategic excellence with cultural relevance. They understand our brand and consistently view social media as a key channel. This collaboration is an important step toward strategically rejuvenating our brand and expanding social media as a key growth driver.»

A Look Behind the Scenes: ZEAM Documents the Launch

To mark the collaboration, ZEAM has produced a vlog documenting the start of the partnership. Among other things, it features the ZEAM team’s visit to SIGG in Frauenfeld—including a look behind the scenes at production, the story behind the iconic brand, and the first joint steps toward rebranding. According to the agency, the vlog is intended to offer an honest look at what modern agency work looks like today—and how a pitch can evolve into a genuine partnership.

ZEAM is an agency focused on social media, brand strategy, and cultural relevance. The company helps brands reach young audiences and build sustainable growth. According to the company, its campaigns regularly reach millions of people.

Contact at SIGG: René ab Egg, Head of Marketing. Contact person at ZEAM: Yaël Meier, co-founder.

The NextGen consultancy ZEAM has won over the Association of Swiss Master Carpenters and Furniture Manufacturers VSSM in a pitch process. The collaboration is intended to reposition the carpentry trade for young target groups and counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the long term. The VSSM is focusing on a social-first strategy in order to be present where Generation Z spends its time.

Generation Z between digitalization and the search for meaning

Generation Z has grown up with the internet and at the same time shows a growing need for physical, tangible work. DIY projects and manual work are gaining in importance. At the same time, artificial intelligence is changing the perception of traditional career paths: many young people increasingly see office-based activities in particular as automatable and question their future viability.

"We are the first generation to have grown up completely digitally. That's exactly why many people are longing for something real that they can actually touch," says Yaël Meier, co-founder of ZEAM.

Social First as a strategic lever

In order to reach young people in a targeted manner, the VSSM will focus on a social-first strategy in future. ZEAM is responsible for the strategic and creative implementation. "ZEAM represents Generations Z and Alpha and knows exactly what appeals to them, and implements the content in a targeted and attractive way - that's what convinced us," says the VSSM.

Addressing the shortage of skilled workers sustainably

The partnership aims to get more young people interested in the carpentry trade and counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the long term. "Skilled trades have the potential to offer guidance and prospects to an insecure generation. We need to seize this opportunity now," says Meier.

The former Love Life population campaign is now focusing on adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 26. The aim is to inform and raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and safer sex among the next generation of sexually active people in Switzerland. To this end, the further development of online channels and measures is planned, as well as new partnerships with institutions in the leisure sector for young people aged 16 to 26.

Love Life is a partner campaign of the supporting organizations Federal Office of Public Health, Swiss Aids Federation and Swiss Sexual Health.

]]> https://www.markt-kom.com/en/markom/business/harry-potter-geht-auf-tiktok-mit-unterstuetzung-von-zeam/ Tue, Oct 10, 2023 07:39:52 +0000 https://www.markt-kom.com/?p=204518 More than 25 years ago, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was published - and now the world around Harry Potter is one of the most popular brands worldwide and Warner Bros. Discovery's most important franchise.

To mark the anniversary, but also as part of its ongoing mission to make the Wizarding World and its offerings more accessible and experiential for the next generations, Warner Bros. Discovery has now launched dedicated German-language social media channels on Tiktok (@harrypotterde) and Instagram (@harrypotterde). In the future, these German-language channels will supplement the content of the digital Wizarding World (www.wizardingworld.com), the global home of Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts, with relevant local content.

Digital home

The channels will feature entertaining content about the Wizarding World, developed specifically to inspire young German fans with the magic of the characters, stories and adventures. But existing fans will also find a digital home in the channels to interact with the Harry Potter community. As part of the strategy, fans will be introduced to a new team of content creators, each representing a Hogwarts house. In the future, they will create content inspired by the stories and themes of the Wizarding World. In addition to initial experience in the area of social media, such as the production of platform-relevant content, one characteristic in particular was important in the selection of the channel's faces: They themselves should be big fans of the magical world of Harry Potter and thus authentic brand ambassadors for the channels.

Warner Bros. Discovery enlisted the support of agency partners Odaline, Zeam and Justaddsugar for planning, launch and ongoing implementation. Zeam is responsible for fine-tuning the concept, community building, content production and community management. Michèl Kessler - Head of Creative, Zeam, says: "Our goal is to build an active and engaged community of Harry Potter fans in Generation Z who are not only fascinated by the magic of the stories, but also interact with each other and share their passion for Harry Potter."

Simon Günthard of Projekt Interim explained that his company offers temporary interim uses of vacant spaces and Zeam had requested the space on Zeughausstrasse for shared use. That opportunity led to the creation of the downstairs co-working space in partnership with Zeam. The project aims to explore the new generation's needs for office space, Günthard said.

Yaël Meier, founder of Zeam, shared her vision of creating a space where people can work on their ideas, regardless of their financial resources. The focus is on creating a community of makers.

The rush for the co-working space was impressive, as Yaël told Werbewoche.ch in a video interview. Applicants were selected based on their skills and willingness to support each other. This approach is meant to foster an environment where ideas can be put into action. The room's furnishings come from IKEA and are in line with the vision of creativity and productivity.

Werbewoche also listened to the first users of the co-working space. Leandro Rufo, founder of Vita Vera, sees the space as a chance to get out of his own four walls and learn from others while pushing his own project. Sheila Bugal, who is active in marketing and the music world, specifically looked for an inspiring place where he could work with like-minded people, and found it in coworking just a few minutes from Zurich's main train station.

Linge Jonker, responsible for teamwork in the co-working space, was enthusiastic about the diversity of projects and the positive collaboration among users. Hannes and his colleague are planning to set up their video production company in the co-working space and see it as the ideal environment for idea development and networking. Overall, the co-working space already seems to be attracting a diverse and creative community of makers who support and inspire each other to move their projects forward.

Pascale Wahl, Jo Dietrich, Mo Tongmool, Belinda Weibel and Stephan Mignot provide exciting insights into the pioneering partnership between the growing pharmacy network and the emerging GenZ agency Zeam. Together, they apply innovative concepts to bridge the gap between business and technology and understand the expectations of Generation Z. From agile working methods to the crucial role of communication, the article highlights how this collaboration is set to lay the foundation for a promising future.

The importance of listening to young people and engaging in dialogue with them is at the root of all efforts. Instead, all too often they are still only talked about. In order to take a look into the future, it helps to look at the behaviors and developments of young people. They serve as signposts for their own further development. This message was the focus of the opening presentation by Zeam Co-Founder Jo Dietrich.

Pascale Wahl, Head of Business Architecture & B2C Value Stream Manager explains that two years ago Galenica decided to change its workflows and fundamentally transform the way it works. This was realized by introducing Scrum (SAFe), an agile framework for product development. Agile product teams, consisting of 160 employees from different business units and technology experts, who gather for two days every ten weeks, develop digital products in an agile manner. Communication within these teams and between departments is crucial, says Wahl. This is because transparency reduces frustration that used to arise due to a lack of insight into the activities of other teams.

Zeam is accompanying the Scrum teams for the first time and is thus involved in the development of new topics that are important for the future direction of Galenica. In the process, information is collected attentively, questions are asked and insights are gained. In conjunction with the results of representative studies that are regularly carried out with the market research company LINK, as well as cooperation with other companies, ZEAM is intended to provide concrete impetus for action by the management.

Generation Z was targeted according to the choice for talent acquisition and employer branding as well as for shaping the future customer base. Zeam was chosen as a partner because of their approach, flexibility and spontaneity, which fit well with Galenica's needs.

Although Zeam is known as an agency that works especially for Generation Z and runs successful campaigns, especially on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, their work goes beyond tactical marketing. Since its inception, HR issues and strategic considerations have been as important as marketing issues. Often, Zeam acts as a critical sparring partner when companies develop products or initiatives aimed at a young target audience. This ensures that feedback is obtained before significant resources are invested and the needs of the target group may not be adequately addressed.

Zeam's approach is based on extensive data analysis, especially in collaboration with its main partner Link. At the same time, however, the agency also acts like traditional consultancies that can identify benchmarks and best practices based on their industry experience. With four years of experience dedicated exclusively to the young target group, it can thus offer sound insights.

In discussing the particular challenges, Mo Tongmool, Zeam's director of product development and business development, emphasizes the simultaneous nature of multiple aspects in this project. It combines consulting and creativity, which adds complexity to the undertaking. Balancing information gathering, strategy formulation, and content alignment is a challenge.

Tongmool, who also contributes his Gen Z expertise to the C-level marketing community for GfM, explains in conversation the scalability of Zeam's combined consulting and creative model for other clients and industries. The model is highly adaptable and draws on research-based studies of Generation Z that are relevant across industries. The Love Job model, for example, developed by Zeam, enables companies to adapt their structures to meet the needs of Generation Z. Although customizable, industry-specific elements require close collaboration and continuous feedback. Results are presented in workshops, underscoring the importance of collaboration throughout the results process.

Tongmool concludes by saying companies that don't have a digital presence essentially don't exist in the Gen Z world, which is critical for branding and awareness. He therefore encourages companies to gain a foothold in digital spaces as an important first step for a successful engagement strategy.

Werbewoche.ch also had the opportunity to speak with Belinda Weibel, the senior expert for employer branding at Galenica. She provided insights into how HR's interests are being incorporated into the current process and how Galenica is being positioned as an employer brand for employees and apprentices.

Describing what distinguishes Galenica as an employer brand for employees and apprentices, Weibel mentioned individual workspaces, the opportunity for development and the chance to bring about change. Openness to different ways of working and flexibility were also core values. Galenica not only offers jobs, but also a creative playground.

In terms of communicating these values, projects such as the collaboration with Zeam serve to convey this message both internally and externally. Galenica's extensive network is often little known to many, he says. It is therefore important to get the message across that at Galenica there is the opportunity to make things happen, to develop and to take advantage of a wide range of development opportunities. This message is carried outward to appeal to talents of all ages and target groups, Weibel concludes.

Stefan Mignot is Head of B2C Cutomer Marketing at Galenica. With regard to the transformation process, he emphasized that this process is not only a technological evolution, but above all aims to adapt to changing customer requirements. As digitalization is strongly shaping the environment, it is necessary to find a response that meets these new needs, he said.

His goal is to ensure that customer experiences and marketing tools reflect the needs and language of customers. He sees the current marketing mix at Galenica as still heavily influenced by classic measures and accordingly sees great potential for a transformation toward more digital approaches to better reach current and future customers.

Mignot also spoke about the importance of Generation Z in the marketing context. Although they are not the main target group, they serve as a point of reference for future marketing tools to meet modern consumers.

In the past year Zeam and Link conducted a large representative study of young Generation Z in Switzerland for the first time (advertisingweek.ch reported) and are now relaunching their collaboration. According to the companies, the cooperation will result in a recurring study, which will be called the "Generation Future Study".

This year's study focuses on all questions in the area of People & Culture relating to the young generation. Together, Zeam, Link and YouGov want to shed more light on the actual needs and demands of young employees today and how companies can successfully attract and work with young talent.

Current data from the federal government show that for the first time this year there are more representatives of Generation Z on the labor market than the once dominant baby boomer generation. At the same time, the young generation has many new expectations and demands of employers, which is a constant source of discussion.

2'000 respondents

The new study builds on the findings of the first study and expands on them. For example, the first study found that the working atmosphere is the most important factor for young people in determining the attractiveness of an employer - this year's study surveys what this specifically includes. In addition, topics are surveyed that are widely discussed in society in the context of young people as employees, such as factors for choosing a job or preferred forms of application.

The study is sponsored by Swissstaffing, the Swiss employers' association for personnel service providers. Around 2,000 Generation Z respondents in Switzerland (all language regions) and Germany will be surveyed. Excerpts of the study results are expected to be presented from August.

The study is again being conducted in Switzerland and Germany. In Germany, data collection is carried out by YouGov, an international online market research and analytics technology company of which LINK is a part.

According to Marc Zurbrügg, brand manager at Migros, M-Budget cookies are extremely popular with Gen Z and were among the best-selling cookies in the entire range.

The mini-cookies are not the first product to make its way onto Migros shelves via consumer voting. In the past, there have already been democratic votes on foods such as Blévita Gruyère, "Non" beer, and M-Budget "Tastea," among others. "Our customers and their needs are always at the center of Migros. That's why we like to leave it up to our young customers to decide which product should end up on the shelf. That's part of the Migros DNA, so to speak," says Zurbrügg.

Campaign is played out in three languages

Last year, Zeam had already successfully implemented the first joint content creations around the M-Budget brand. Recipes from the M-Budget range were recreated on TikTok and Instagram and posted via Street survey offered to the young target group for tasting.

For the next round, Zeam is bringing on board Swiss content creators such as Nathistyle, Wemmse, and Noah Bachofen. In addition, Swiss musician Nemo is on board to pick up Gen Z with the campaign's in-house "cookie beat." "You can look forward to some surprises," announces Michèl Kessler, Head of Creative at Zeam.

The screens of young people in Switzerland are to be reached primarily in 9:16 format. The Zurich agency Webrepublic is taking care of the distribution of the media content. The online-only campaign will run from June to the end of September and reach young people in Switzerland in Swiss German, Italian and French.

"We are thrilled to be working with the iconic brand and team at M-Budget again. We know how influential and demanding Generation Z is as a target group and look forward to providing them with content that meets their interests and needs," says Yaël Meier, Co-Founder of Zeam.

Werbewoche.ch: Four full days lie behind you and your colleagues from the Zeam agency, during which you taught interested parties how to work with and on Generation Z. The focus was on marketing and HR and Generation Z. The focus was on marketing and Generation Z and HR and Generation Z. What is your conclusion?

Michelle Mueller: It was an exciting and horizon-expanding experience for all sides, i.e. our Zeam team, the HWZ and the participants. Some of our team have already been guest lecturers at various colleges and universities and for others it was the first time. For example, I just started a Bachelor's degree a few weeks ago and found it very exciting that I was able to plan a seminar and teach at a university at the same time.

Could you see the seminar leading into a degree program?

That would be very cool, of course! In 2023, however, we would like to offer the seminar again for the first time in a similar framework, we are currently evaluating the dates. The market helps to decide whether the topic is "ready" for a course of study. However, we will soon talk with the HWZ about further possibilities of cooperation.

What feedback did you receive from the participants?

We have received a lot of positive and constructive feedback from all participants. They are enthusiastic about the inspiration of the Zeam team and that the HWZ offers this seminar to build the bridge between the generations. Nevertheless, we have to mention that there were certainly some skeptical voices among our participants:inside at the beginning and of course it happened that doubting counter-questions were asked. However, we very much appreciated this interaction and consciously used it to generate an active exchange. Not only the seminar participants, but also we were able to learn and take away a lot.

After extensive reflection, where is there room for improvement if the seminar is held again next year?

Of course, there is always potential for optimization in a first implementation. One would be time management, for example, as we were very surprised with the great interactivity of the participants. As a result, the schedule was sometimes spontaneously adjusted. But this spontaneity is also something that is typical for Generation Z. And since we wanted to invite the participants not only thematically, but also with other means more into the world of Gen Z, it almost fit into the program again ;) For example, we prepared typical Gen Z snacks and snacks in order to bring the participants more into this world. However, we would pay more attention to the time management for a further implementation!

Within three and a half days, the roles are reversed at the HWZ, and the young company Zeam implements the first seminar by young people for decision-makers in business with exciting guest lecturers. Participants are to make their companies fit for the future with the knowledge they have acquired about Generation Z. The seminar will be held in two specializations: "HR & Organization" and "Marketing & Product".

 Over the next ten years, 30 percent more workers will retire than enter the market. At the same time, Generation Z will become one of the most affluent target groups. But as the story goes, few companies have a strategy for winning over this important target group.

The GenZ consulting firm Zeam, founded in 2020, has set itself the goal of changing this. After carrying out over 40 customer projects with companies such as Mercedes Benz and Ikea Switzerland, numerous appearances and quite a few guest lectures, it now wants to make its knowledge accessible. In cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, HWZ for short, Zeam wants to provide an in-depth insight into the lifeworld of Generation Z within the framework of a seminar, build bridges and create understanding so that nothing stands in the way of successful cooperation and reaching Generation Z(u future).

Exciting young zoomer

The content of the seminar is based on the practical experience of the numerous projects, exclusive primary data such as from the Gen Z study by ZEAM and LINK as well as the bestseller "Gen Z für Entscheider:innen", which was co-edited by the founding duo Yaël Meier and Jo Dietrich. The seminar will also feature guest lecturers who will share their experiences from successful collaborations with Gen Zs. The seminar will be rounded off by a roundtable with some of the most exciting young zoomers.

The participants of the seminar are divided into two focus groups. In the "HR & Organization" group, for example, the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of workplace needs. There will also be a focus on the topics of Gen Z employer branding and new recruiting. The "Marketing & Product" focus group concentrates more on the needs of young customers and how to reach them. In this focus group, participants will gain a deeper understanding of various social media platforms, with deep dives into TikTok, the Metaverse, and content creation.

More about the seminar "Gen Z Strategy..

There was a great demand for places on the guest list: Around 120 invited guests gathered on the 1st floor of the Jelmoli department store. At an interactive event, guests had various opportunities to enter the Metaverse: A workshop was held where guests could set up a cryptowallet within five minutes. Directly next to this, VR glasses were used to enter the Metaverse on site, which was created as part of the cooperation with ZEAM. In the Metaverse, virtual versions of the garments are exhibited as NFTs. One NFT of each garment can be purchased. With the purchase of the NFT, one receives the physical counterpart delivered to one's home.

The STF x Jelmoli x ZEAM metaverse is an exercise platform for the various partners to gain knowledge of what this trend means for a retailer like Jelmoli and what a possible future of shopping could look like. With this project, the parties involved are one of the first in the fashion industry to position themselves in the metaverse.

A total of 4,150 people were surveyed, 2,080 from Switzerland and 2070 from Germany. Of these, over 1,000 were from Generation Z (15 to 26 years old) and over 1,000 from the 23 older generations, with at least 300 each from Generation Y (17 to 40 years old), Generation X (41 to 56 years old) and the so-called baby boomers (57 to 75 years old).

When asked on which channels they have seen and heard advertising in the past four weeks, among Swiss representatives of Generation Z (15- to 26-year-olds), YouTube is at the top of the list with 72 percent, followed by social media (69 %), websites (66 percent), billboards (64 %), television (63 %) smartphone apps (62 %), and radio (36 %), influencers (30 %) and podcasts (16 %).

Stefan Reiser, Managing Director Marketing Research Link, says: "YouTube is the new top medium in Gen Z - but influencers have the biggest growth with decreasing age. If you analyze only those 20 and under, about 4 in 10 already remember advertising through influencers - that's more than radio."

Baby boomers pay most attention to TV advertising - influencers are ignored

The situation is quite different among the oldest generation surveyed, the baby boomers (57 to 75 years): For them, traditional television tops the list at 92 percent, followed by billboards (74 %) , websites (66 %) radio (45 %) and smartphone apps (43 %) . YouTube is at a low 27 percent among this generation, social media at 20 percent - and influencers are paid attention to by just 2 percent of those over 57.

"To understand generations, you need to know their similarities as well as their differences. With our study on Generation Z, we have succeeded in building a steering wheel that can be used to optimally manage advertising spend to reach the young target group," says Jo Dietrich, co-founder of Zeam.

In terms of advertising recall, which was also surveyed, YouTube is also ahead with 30 percent, but closely followed by television with 28 percent. Among baby boomers, the TV figure is a high 61 percent, while only 2 percent of this generation can remember YouTube advertising.

Stefan Reiser from Link explains, "If we examine only those up to 20 years of age, a dynamic development becomes clear even within the GenZ: there, as many as 33 percent remember a specific YouTube advertisement; TV is already well behind here at 23 percent."

Another striking result is that traditional billboard advertising still attracts an average of 70 percent of all generations and, at 17 percent, can also keep pace with the other advertising channels surveyed.