The inter-university competition "LSA Junior Agency Award" brings theory and practice together. Under the supervision of experienced coaches from LSA agencies, students from Swiss universities of applied sciences develop a marketing communication strategy aimed specifically at their own generation.

The background to this is the change in young people's media consumption: social media is becoming the main source of news, while traditional offerings are used less frequently. 20 minutes aims to counter this with reliable, compact and neutral information.

After an internal preliminary round at the participating universities of applied sciences, the best teams will compete against each other in June 2025 in front of a specialist jury consisting of agency representatives, industry experts and the client.

The competition is intended to promote creativity and teamwork as well as provide a platform for direct exchange with the industry.

On September 9, 2025, the most innovative and outstanding projects in the Swiss LiveCom industry will be honored. The aim is to make the best live communication measures of the past year known to a broad public. The awards are presented by the industry association Swiss LiveCom Association Expo Event, which has been committed to promoting the interests of the industry for many years. Projects can be submitted by event agencies, exhibition companies, promotion agencies, suppliers, exhibition venues, locations and sponsoring agencies. Special Earlybird conditions are still available until March 17.

Additional category and new jury members

In total, Xaver Awards in gold, silver or bronze will be presented in the eight categories Best Corporate Event, Best Consumer / POS Event, Best Efficiency Project, Best Expo Project, Best Brandworlds & Temporary Installations and Exhibitions, Best Public Event and Best Exhibition Stand.

The new "Best Exhibition Stand" category focuses on the individual exhibition stand: it honors creative and strategically well thought-out solutions that maximize the impact of a brand or product in a small space. In addition, the community selects the winner(s) of the Public Xaver in an online vote. The Lifetime Achievement Xaver Award will also be presented: the winner will be announced in the run-up to the award ceremony.

This year's jury includes President Dany Waldner from Waldner Partner, Andrea Meier from Swisscom, Nadine Imboden and Maximilian Souchay from Live Lab. New members are Cédric Schlosser from MYI Entertainment and Iwan Funk from Bellprat Partner. "With their expertise in digital activation and gamification, Cédric Schlosser and Iwan Funk will provide us with valuable insights," explains Dany Waldner. Mauro Testerini and Norbert Egli are no longer taking part. The judging will take place on June 3 and 4, 2025 in the Hallenstadion.

Big stage for the Xaver

This year, the award ceremony will take place for the first time in the new festival hall on the Bernexpo site in Bern. This will open on April 25, 2025 as part of the BEA spring trade fair, heralding a new era of events in the federal city. "After holding the Xaver Award in Zurich for around two decades, we are very much looking forward to this move to Bern, which will also strengthen our proximity to French-speaking Switzerland. It is an honor for us to be one of the first events to be hosted in the new Festhalle. After all, it is not just Bern that benefits from the appeal of this impressive event platform, but the entire Swiss event industry," explains Expo Event President Christian Künzli.

The survey, which has been conducted quarterly since the beginning of 2024, provides insights into the attitudes of employees. On average, employees in Switzerland would like to work 35.4 hours per week - less than the traditional 40-hour week, but more than in Austria (33.3 hours) and Germany (32 hours). Working from home also remains in demand: those who have the opportunity to work remotely prefer an average of 45%, which corresponds to around two days per week.

The acceptance of long commutes is higher in Switzerland than in neighboring countries: Respondents state a maximum commuting distance of 32 kilometers, compared to around 22 kilometers in Germany and Austria.

"Work hard, play hard"

Almost two thirds of the working Swiss population can identify well with the philosophy "Work hard, live well" (65%). And another top score in a three-country comparison (Austria: 62%; Germany: 58%). "Commitment and performance are still considered important values in Switzerland. However, our data also shows that the focus is increasingly shifting from traditional career patterns to more flexible working models," explains Roland Zeindler, Managing Director of Marketagent Switzerland. "Companies that actively promote this flexibility not only secure an advantage in the competition for skilled workers, but also strengthen long-term employee loyalty."

High willingness to switch

Despite a high level of satisfaction with their current job (77%), the willingness to change jobs is high: 51% of employees can imagine changing jobs, even if they are more pessimistic about their chances on the job market than in Germany and Austria. An important incentive for changing jobs is the expected salary increase - Swiss employees hope for an average 31% higher salary.

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Marketagent Switzerland surveyed a total of 465 people for the current study in the survey period from July to December 2024.

The Swiss Brand Observer analyzed over 200 brands from various sectors in 2024 and evaluated them based on surveys of the Swiss population. The top performers in eight categories are honored by YouGov Switzerland with the Top Brand Award 2024.

Migros achieved first place in the categories "Consideration" (77%), "Value for money" (39%) and "Corporate social responsibility" (77%). SBB led in the categories "Ecological Sustainability" (36 percent) and "Brand Trust" (54 percent), while Twint was recognized for "Innovativeness" (46 percent) and "Positive Buzz" (10 percent). Lindt came top in the "Quality perception" category with 55%.

The eight categories analyzed cover key factors for brand success - from quality and value for money to social responsibility. The Swiss Brand Observer has been measuring 28 KPIs of relevant Swiss brands from eight sectors, including financial services, insurance, telecommunications, retail and FMCG, on a weekly basis since 2021.

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The data basis for the Top Brand Award 2024 is based on continuous, representative online surveys by YouGov Switzerland with around 13,000 interviews per sector and brand. Detailed results are available after registration.

Publicis Luxe offers comprehensive strategy, campaign development, digital business, CRM, social media, production and innovation for brands from all luxury segments. These include fashion, beauty, fragrances, jewelry, watches, lifestyle, culture and high-end hospitality. With the new locations in Zurich and Geneva, the agency aims to move closer to global luxury brands based in Switzerland. The agency combines traditional values of the luxury industry with modern digital solutions and supports brands in consolidating their position in global markets, addressing their target groups emotionally and with unique content while creating innovative digital experiences.

"Publicis Luxe creates strong, creative brand worlds that reflect both the character and the values of luxury brands," explains Charles Georges-Picot, CEO Global Luxury Practice Publicis Groupe, Global Client Lead. There is already "curiosity and willingness" on the part of Swiss premium and luxury brands to work with Publicis Luxe, says Georges-Picot.

Changing luxury narrative

The expansion of Publicis Luxe is taking place in a changing luxury sector. This change is characterized by a variety of dynamic forces: While the arrival of Gen Z brings with it new values such as sustainability, digital innovation and cultural authenticity, other trends are also coming to the fore. The booming economy of the second-hand market and the increasing demand for immersive experiences are reshaping the luxury landscape.

Publicis Luxe supports brands in navigating this change. Always with the aim of ensuring that luxury brands can retain their loyal customers and at the same time appeal to new target groups through special experiences.

"Switzerland has helped write the history of the luxury goods industry. At the same time, premium strategies are becoming increasingly important in many sectors," says Alexander Haldemann, CEO of Publicis Groupe Switzerland. "Until now, however, there has been a lack of an agency with dedicated luxury expertise and direct access to the key markets in Asia and North America. We are closing this gap with the launch of Publicis Luxe at our hubs in Geneva and Zurich."

The Swiss team at Publicis Luxe includes Groupe Client Lead Switzerland Türi Cengiz , Priscilla Rossi, Strategy Lead Switzerland, Deborah Marino, Global Chief Strategy Officer, and Alexis de Montaigu, Global Client Lead and Chief Growth Officer.

Team Farner has continuously worked its way up the creative rankings in recent years. From 10th place in 2020 to 8th place in 2021, 4th place in 2022 and 3rd place in 2023, Team Farner is now in 1st place in 2024. Two Cannes Lions, a Wooden Pencil at D&AD, one of the seven possible "Grand Prix" at the New York Festival and a total of seven Effies - these national and international awards add up to a "dream year" for Team Farner, according to Partner and Chief Creative Officer Philipp Skrabal.

What were the driving forces that unleashed creative potential in 2024? Philipp Skrabal is certain that it was and will remain technology. He sums it up like this; "We have been working intensively on the combination of creativity and digital technologies for several years now, and this is now paying off." Skrabal calls the avatar for Islam Alijaj's election to the National Councilthe personalized films for the UBS Kids Cup participants or the Winter campaign 2024 for Arosa Tourism. "These are all award-winning examples of how AI can be used to create completely new spaces for creativity."

Creative competitions create measurability.

Awards and the associated rankings are not equally valuable and relevant for all creative agencies, but Team Farner definitely sees them as a good tool for self-marketing. According to Philipp Skrabal, creative competitions create measurability. He congratulates Thjnk and TBWA on their top rankings and is happy that they can enjoy each other's success. Creativity must be practiced widely and is the best advertising for the industry (Read the winning interview with Philipp Skrabal on Markt-kom.com here).

The agency Thjnk Zurich achieved second place

With 391 points, Thjnk secured second place this year. The agency came fourth last year and topped the creative rankings in Switzerland in 2022. When asked about the best campaign of 2024, Co-Founder and Creative Director Alexander Jaggy pays tribute to the ranking winner Team Farner: "The campaign for the National Council candidate Alijaj. A creative election campaign! So it does work," he explains appreciatively.

A creative election campaign! So it does work!

Overall, Jaggy is rather sober about the awards and their meaningfulness. They are not known for their agility, they follow the money, not a vision - and that can only be reactive, according to Jaggy. Nevertheless, the creative director of Thjnk congratulates the winner Team Farner on their "brilliant and well-deserved" victory: "We feel comfortable in the wingman position on the podium. In the end, it's just a ranking, a current classification. The decisive factor is success in the market."

When asked about his agency's goals for 2025, he says: "As an agency, we set ourselves the goal of developing creative campaigns with demonstrable impact right from the start. In 2024, we had the greatest possible overlap between the ADC Switzerland creative competition and the Effie Switzerland efficiency competition. We will continue to follow this path consistently."

Third place goes to TBWA\Switzerland

In the last five years, TBWA\Switzerland has remained in the top 10 in the creative ranking. Since 2021 - with a small "slip" in 2023 - it has even been among the top 5. With 382 points, it was only just behind Thjnk in the top 3 again for the current ranking.

As with Thjnk, Team Farner's campaign for Islam Alijaj in 2024 stands out for TBWA as a whole. It's work that "gives you goosebumps and, in a positive way, also makes you a little envious. Simply because it used AI early on in an exciting and emotional way and really made a difference in society," says Creative Director Manuel Wenzel. Of course, the company is also particularly proud of the international Grand Clio for the own work "Cutcakes".

When asked about his own development, Wenzel says: "For us as TBWA, the biggest development was to have launched the first case that generated truly global PR - and that with a (fun) product we invented, the Nugget of Love. We scored international points in exciting and modern categories such as 'Creative Commerce' and 'Customer Experience'. And there was also a Gold Effie as the 'Cherry on the Cake'."

Wenzel sees the role of creative competitions in the MarCom landscape as positive. Wenzel is convinced that the more campaigns from everyday business win prizes for everyday tasks, the more relevant these competitions will also become for clients. In 2025, the agency will continue on its chosen path of winning prizes in as many different categories as possible with as many different pieces of work as possible, as this best reflects its own service portfolio. "We want to continue to be perceived as an agency that masters every discipline that is relevant to modern brand communication," he summarizes.

4th place goes to Jung von Matt Switzerland

Regarding rank 4 in the Swiss creative ranking, Christian Kies, Chief Creative Officer of Jung von Matt Switzerland, says: "Whether rank 1 or 10, we remain dissatisfied." This has been the claim since time immemorial and is now also valid here. From an international perspective, it is striking that Switzerland was only represented at the Creative World Cup in Cannes with two bronze medals and four shortlists. There is still a lot of room for improvement. However, Kies is pleased that there were many "real cases" and that the "tiresome topic of gold ideas is increasingly receding into the background."

More important than any award, however, is ensuring the popularity and visibility of the work in target group-relevant media - and beyond. "Our cases should become pop and not gold," as Kies succinctly puts it. In order to further raise the creative level in 2025, the team will be enriched with additional international talent, new unseen production partners will be added and the synergies of the international Jung von Matt network will be utilized. To summarize: "Zurich will soon be mentioned in the same breath as London or Amsterdam as a creative location."

Rank 5 for Publicis Groupe Switzerland

"Back from the brink." With these words, ECD Rob Hartmann comments on the fifth place for Publicis Groupe Switzerland, which collected 182 points in 2024. Their award formula is to continue to combine innovative ideas with measurable impact and to address socially relevant topics in an authentic way. Team Farner's "Making History" campaign for Islam Alijaj also stood out for Hartmann. "Creative history was written here," he is convinced. For the year 2025, Hartmann continues to see the need to uphold the "courage to be creative" "in order to be successful in today's communications landscape."

Strong top 10

Strong performances were also achieved in ranks 6 to 10 in the 2024 award year. In 6th place with 162 points is Dept. The agency network was the big winner of the national "Best of Swiss Apps" award, where it took home the title of "Master of Swiss Apps" in addition to numerous gold, silver and bronze awards.

Creative competitions are important. For comparability and visibility.

Wirz, in 7th place, is an old acquaintance in the top 10, although the agency had already announced last year that it would focus more on its clients than on awards - an aspect of its reorientation towards becoming a "Creative Business Partner".

Sir Mary took 8th place with 133 points. Executive Creative Director Adrian Merz explains that 2024 was a year like any other in terms of awards and submissions and emphasizes that the agency only participates very selectively. Creative awards are still a "sporting competition between ideas, creatives, brands and agencies", says Merz. "At its best, this form of appreciation and celebration of outstanding achievements can inspire and have a motivating effect on daily creative work." For Sir Mary, the campaign "The FlipCode Mystery" for Samsung stood out in particular last year. "Not a classic advertising campaign, but a fascinating fusion of pop culture and interactive entertainment," explains Merz. It is emblematic of the agency's claim to gain the attention of the target group in the long term through "memorable" entertainment.

Digitec Galaxus came in 9th place with 78 points. For years, the retailer has been ensuring a high level of creativity with its in-house campaigns, which was rewarded in 2024 with precious metal at the ADC Awards, the Edi. and the Swiss Out Of Home Awards and thus a place in the creative ranking. The fact that the ADC awarded Digitec Galaxus an Evergreen for the second time, this time for the "Voll das Leben" campaign, also underlines the sustained high level of creative work.

Finally, Neu Creative Agency took tenth place with 70 points. Due to the management buyout from the Omnicom Group in fall 2023, the agency formerly known as "Heimat Zürich" is considered the "youngest" and smallest representative in the top 10 - a symbol of its rise in the industry? Co-Managing Director Simon Rehsche recalls that the award for the "Werbung naja, Zins gut" campaign as Campaign of the Year at the Out of Home Award was celebrated particularly lavishly: "We are delighted to be the smallest and newest top 10 agency in Switzerland," says Neu's Head of Strategy. "We like the 1 in our rank better than the 0, which should be removed."

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This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 1-2/2025.

The EY Startup Barometer Switzerland 2025 shows: The number of financing rounds fell by 6.7% to 513 in 2024, while the invested capital decreased by 15% to 2.3 billion Swiss francs. "The Swiss startup scene has suffered a decline in financing rounds and volume for the second time in a row. However, this is leveling off significantly and cannot be compared with the slump in 2023," says Alexander Schatt, Head of Startups and Scale-ups at EY Switzerland.

A clear trend is continuing, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence: more than one in five financing rounds (22%) flowed into AI-oriented startups in 2024 - twice as many as in the previous year. "Despite the general decline in startup investments, we are seeing strong investor interest in AI-related startups. This indicates growing investor confidence in Switzerland as a prime location for investing in AI startups," Schatt continues.

The healthcare sector remains the dominant industry with a financing volume of 1.039 billion Swiss francs, followed by software & analytics (397 million Swiss francs) and fintech/insurtech (193 million Swiss francs). In the list of the ten largest financing rounds, biotech start-ups occupy the top spots, with Alentis Therapeutics (158 million Swiss francs) at the top.

Another focus is on the participation of women in founding teams: 7% of the funded startups were founded exclusively by women, 18% by mixed teams.

In an international comparison, Switzerland recorded the smallest decline in financing rounds at -6.7% (Germany: -12.3%, Austria: -19%). Even though the financing volume fell by 15%, the general conditions for investments in Swiss start-ups remain solid.

The newly published "Aachener Marktspiegel Business Software - Supply Chain Management 2025", published by Trovarit AG in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA and the FIR e.V. at RWTH Aachen University, offers a decision-making aid for all those companies that want to gain a competitive advantage with a new SCM solution.

Comprehensive market overview - orientation in a dynamic environment

The updated edition of the market review examines and compares almost 160 SCM solutions from over 130 SCM providers. This provides companies with a well-founded and independent guide for their software selection. The market review examines both specialized SCM systems and ERP systems with integrated SCM functionalities in order to show which solutions are suitable for which company requirements.

SCM software: increasing efficiency through digitalization

Modern SCM software supports companies in a variety of ways: from demand planning to production and distribution control to real-time monitoring of supply chains. Transparency, flexibility and resilience in the supply chain are essential, especially in view of global uncertainties and volatile markets. The market review analyzes the core functions of SCM solutions and provides companies with a systematic basis for comparison and evaluation.

Practical assistance for software selection

The large number of SCM solutions on the market does not make it easy to decide which software to use. The market review shows which solutions are particularly suitable for specific requirements and provides a structured methodology for the reliable and efficient selection of SCM software. The analysis is based on key criteria such as functionality, user-friendliness, integration capability and investment security.

The market overview is now available at https://www.trovarit.com/studien/marktspiegel/supply-chain-management/ be acquired.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/scm-fast-160-software-loesungen-im-vergleich/

Andrea Vetsch has been the face of Swiss Quality Day (TSQ) for many years and brings people and topics together as a presenter. In an interview with Prisca Zammaretti, Managing Director of SAQ, she talks about her view of quality, the challenges of presenting and her personal highlights.

Prisca Zammaretti: Andrea, the term "quality" often sounds abstract. What does it mean to you - professionally and privately?

Andrea Vetsch: For me, quality in my work is synonymous with care, correctness and accuracy. At Tagesschau, every word has to be right, which is why we work according to the 6-eyes principle. Two other people - the producer and the "correction service" - check the content and language of the presentations. In my private life, health is my top priority - for me, that is the ultimate quality in life.

You've been hosting Swiss Quality Day for several years now. What do you always find exciting about this task?

For me, every moderation is like further training. I learn an incredible amount - be it about the circular economy, new work or creativity techniques. It's also exciting to see what topics other companies are working on. This diversity is great fun!

How do you prepare for moderation? Do you have certain rituals?

I phone everyone I'm going to have longer conversations with on stage beforehand - that creates trust and a good basis. On the day itself, I try to be well rested and am grateful that someone takes care of my hair and make-up. That way I can concentrate fully on the content of the presentation.

A whole day at the congress - how do you stay calm and confident?

The biggest challenge is to maintain concentration and freshness throughout the day. Arriving well-rested is essential. Good preparation creates security. I have found that short breaks in the fresh air are particularly good for me.

What makes a good moderator for you, especially when it comes to a complex topic like quality?

A good moderator takes people along with them and addresses the questions that arise in the audience. It is varied - sometimes serious, sometimes humorous - and manages to look behind the facade of the other person. The most important thing is to create a genuine exchange, something that touches and moves.

Is there a moment on stage that you particularly remember?

At the last TSQ, neuroscientist Barbara Studer showed us how liberating it is to leave your comfort zone - so much so that we spontaneously sang "Blowing in the Wind" together on stage. Kathrin Lehmann, former top athlete and entrepreneur, also impressed us with her down-to-earth attitude and approachability. Her message about the importance of celebrating success left a lasting impression on me.

This year, the motto of the TSQ is "Take off with vision". What does that mean for you personally?

This year, I'm taking my vision to heart: in April, I'm going on a month-long trip to gain new perspectives and recharge my batteries. I will reflect on what is important to me and what goals I still want to achieve.

The topic of AI is omnipresent. What role does it play in your work as a presenter and media professional?

To be honest, I'm "old school" in this respect: I've never used tools like ChatGPT or similar before.

Finally, why should you not miss out on the TSQ?

The TSQ provides new impetus, takes you out of your bubble and offers the opportunity to meet inspiring people and projects. And of course: networking!

These are exciting insights, Andrea. It's impressive how you live quality on and off the stage and enrich the Swiss Quality Day. Thank you very much for the inspiring interview! 

About the person

Andrea Vetsch studied German language and literature, journalism and social pedagogy in Zurich. She has presented the Tagesschau since 2005, with stints on "Schweizweit" and "10vor10". After a break, she has been the face of the Tagesschau main edition again since 2020. She has been the presenter of Swiss Quality Day since 2021.

 

Swiss Quality Day

The Swiss Quality Day was launched in 2008 by the SAQ Swiss Association for Quality. The aim of the event is to promote a cross-industry exchange on the topic of quality as one of the cornerstones of the Swiss economy. The annual congress is organized by the SAQ Swiss Association for Quality in collaboration with Shift Switzerland.

More information and registration

 

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/frische-ideen-und-starke-begegnungen/

The image campaign is intended to convey the new positioning of PostFinance in an emotional way and with the guiding principle "Knowing what counts". The focus is on and understanding of the individual needs and values of people in Switzerland. As part of the campaign, the new PostFinance branding is now also appearing for the first time in the advertising environment.

With this strategic realignment, PostFinance aims to further expand its position as a customer-oriented financial expert and tailor its services more precisely to different target groups.

In partnership and at eye level

"We are very grateful for the trust placed in us by PostFinance and look forward to creatively implementing their new brand strategy," says Nicolas Hostettler, Managing Director of Sir Mary. "The image campaign sends out a clear signal with the motto 'Knowing what counts': The bank is geared towards the lives of its customers - approachable, authentic and at eye level."

There is also great anticipation at PostFinance: "In Sir Mary, we have found a strong partner who understands our values and brings innovative ideas to implementation," says Dennis Lengacher, Head of Marketing Communications (co-lead). "This image campaign is the first step in a long-term collaboration in which we will continue to strengthen and develop our marketing communications," adds Yves Ekmann, Head of Marketing Communications (co-lead).

Numerous other campaigns planned

Following the image campaign, further measures are already planned for the entire strategy period - for holistic and integrated marketing communication across all strategic target groups and topics of PostFinance.

The image campaign can be seen on TV, in cinemas, OOH, digital and on social media in the coming weeks.

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Responsible at PostFinance: Jelena Mesic (Marketing Manager / Project Manager), Dennis Lengacher and Yves Ekmann (Head of Marketing Communications as co-leads), Taru Koch (Head of Branding & Communications), Andreas Badstoeber (Senior Brand Manager), Alessandro Di Leta (Head of Customer Centricity & Innovation Design), Julia Mehr (Market Manager), Sarah Bucher (Head People Attraction), Laura von Allmen (Employer Branding Specialist). Responsible at Sir Mary: Adrian Merz (Executive Creative Director), Katrin Espelage (Creative Director), Lukas Wietlisbach (Art Director), Sandro Heierli (Art Director), Tobias Natterer (Copywriter), Caro Ellert (Copywriter), Sebastian Bouchareb (Copywriter), Jacqueline Willimann (Account Director), Nicolas Hostettler (Managing Director), Daniel Zuberbühler (Managing Partner). Production: Akkurat Studios; Nina Klein (Producer), Marc Fischer (Head of Post Production), Kyra Bartley (Director), Carlos Feher (DOP), Leonidas Befeldt (Edit), Gustav Karlström (Composer), Dubdub Studios (Sound Design & Mix), Sam Gilling (Grading), Delia Baum (Photography). Media: Havas Media, Webrepublic.

m&k: Roger Hämmerli, it's been five years since we conducted our first interview in your first office on wooden pallets.

Roger Hämmerli: Ah, the good old wooden pallets. Honestly. I can't even remember what I did before Andy. Either that's a good sign - or a very bad one and I'm getting old (laughs). An incredible amount has happened in that time and sometimes you think to yourself "What? Only 5 years" and at other times you already feel like an old hand in the market environment. I would be lying if I said it was an easy time. From a few months before Covid-19 to the Ukraine war to Donald J. Trump's second term in office, we've been through it all - I dare say there are easier market situations.

You simply have to go in with the firm conviction that you have the better idea.

 

But doesn't it speak for you that it worked out anyway? With clients such as UBS, Axpo or Fisherman's Friend, you could be accused of "complaining at a high level".

The great mandates that we were able to win in 2024 in particular, with Axpo and UBS as social leads, naturally stand out in the portfolio. Or Fisherman's Friend, which we have been supporting for years - almost since it was founded - but you only see the result (smiles). It took a lot of work in the background. Hours and hours of discarding ideas - as well as investments made in the hope that it would work. We always had to sail close to the wind. As an independent young agency, you don't have any advance praise or budget reserves like the established players you're competing against. You simply have to go in with the firm conviction that you have the better idea for the problem. But in summary, you're right: if you had asked me five years ago whether I would sign up to today's starting position, I wouldn't have hesitated and picked up the pen. But now we're ready for the next chapter.

 

The next chapter?

Young agencies and their founders - including me - still believe that they do things a little differently and better. That's part of the charm of the new. From a certain size and position in the market, however, you also have to follow the rules and standards so that you can take part in larger tenders and more complex mandate structures. And we worked on this in 2024. With a new brand identity, new structures and new disciplines in our teams, we are taking the step to the big table.

 

In concrete terms?

Andy will be bolder in 2025 and approach the market landscape with a clear edge. Our new look is a first step - and there are a few more projects to come that we'll soon be able to talk to you about.

 

You get the feeling that things are still moving forward with Andy. Do you never settle down?

To be honest, we've been quiet for too long. That annoys me. That's why we're talking now (laughs). But it was self-inflicted. We invested a huge amount of time in the new "Andy consciousness" in 2024. Winning major mandates has forced us to grow up. And that takes a lot of energy, time and patience within the company.

I am still driven by the idea that there are ever more innovative approaches to telling stories digitally - and we must not and cannot stand still. The era of AI agents and the like is upon us. Now is the time - even if it hurts - to challenge structures, processes and old ways of thinking. Even for an agency that has only been on the market for five years. I am firmly convinced that 2025 could be a groundbreaking year for us agencies.

Social platforms are holding a mirror up to our faces right now - and it paints a pretty dirty picture.

 

What's in store for us in 2025 - especially with regard to social media?

2025 and beyond will certainly be challenging in many respects. However, I am confident that we will tackle this as an industry and as a society. As a communications service provider, it is in our hands to develop suitable solutions together with our partners.

 

Which topic stands out for you here?

I am currently seeing a lot of movement and a shift in behavior in the ecosphere of social media platforms. From X to Meta and TikTok, conversations, content and community feedback are changing. The Silicon Valley tech bros and the new US government have a lot of plans right now, but regulation is certainly not one of them. Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are hinting at what society will have to prepare for in the coming years: Untruths, stupidity, bullying, propaganda bots and the pure unfiltered internet. Social platforms are holding a mirror up to our faces right now - and it's a pretty dirty picture.

 

What do you mean by your last statement - the mirror in front of society's face? Are we ourselves to blame for our misery?

To put it pragmatically: yes, we are. No platform forces you to write jokes or derogatory comments about an influencer's appearance on someone else's profile or to harass a person with hundreds of comments because they made a mistake in public. But the internet has never shown us any real consequences for this behavior - except in a few extreme cases that have been prosecuted. With fact-checking, moderation teams, machine learning, education and much more, social platforms have always tried to take action against hate speech, pornographic content, violence and the like. With moderate success - and this success is now being put on hold in some parts of the world as Meta and other platforms dismantle fact-checkers, initiatives and moderation teams.

Social media is now becoming a real digital regulars' table - with all the participants you only know from awkward family gatherings.

 

What will be the result of this?

That we can follow the unfiltered social thought process on social media. But with one crucial difference to real life: There is no barrier or hurdle to making one's views known. I would argue that we've all had our thoughts on something and then thought it best not to share them with the person in the same room, right? Well, yes. Social media is now becoming a real digital regulars' table - with all the participants you only really know from awkward family gatherings. And the opinions that leave you gritting your teeth with nerves of steel.

 

So the whole thing is pretty gloomy?

Not at all. I simply don't believe that you can spend your time with platitudes and kumbaya chants at a time like this. After all, fact-deniers, flat-earthers and Elon Musk disciples don't do that either. You have to call a spade a spade. And I am convinced that we as a society, but especially our industry, now have the opportunity to shape this new social landscape. And brands will play a decisive role in this. Brands need to own the narrative and the facts again and not just let it happen. At a time when trust in politics and traditional media is on shaky ground, companies can step into the gap and convince with clear values and arguments. It has never been more important than now.

 

Is there a hint of optimism here?

I would describe myself as a pragmatic optimist. I couldn't be an entrepreneur any other way. Imagine I was a pessimist. Then founding an agency at that time would have been my personal downfall (laughs). But to come back to your question: Yes, there is optimism there. Because I know from social behavior that an overwhelming proportion of users are silent readers and don't actively contribute to the discourse or share content. These people need to be picked up. Not the very loud, sometimes extreme minority. There is no point in discussing or "fighting" with fact-deniers in comment columns. It is important to score points with well-prepared information, exciting and well-told stories. And we agencies, together with our brand partners, can do that better than anyone else, can't we? We now have a duty to sustainably improve media consumption and the behavior of the next generation on social media. So that politics, the fourth estate and ultimately our society once again have the communication landscape we deserve.

 

Was that your final word?

My final word? 2025 will be tough, but what year in the recent past hasn't been? Now is the time to move forward with courage and character - also and above all as a brand. Andy and I are looking forward to the challenge and I'm sure that this year still has a lot up its sleeve for us. A little note in advance: we already have something in the works when it comes to leading the way with courage and character. More on that soon. As always, it was a pleasure chatting with you. Thanks for coming by - even if it's no longer the somewhat uncomfortable but charming Euro pallets (smiles).

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Andy Was Right is an independent content agency that unites all disciplines relating to digital stories under one roof. The agency lives and loves pop culture and trends, and content is the main thing, not a side issue. While others manage stakeholders, Andy prefers to manage communities and reach them with content that really moves them.

Once again this year, the Swiss Dialog Marketing Association SDV is awarding prizes for innovative, creative and strategically well thought-out work in the field of dialog marketing.

Entries have been open since Friday. Campaigns that were realized and published between 1 January 2024 and 31 January 2025 can be submitted.

The Registration takes place online. In a virtual "Vernissage" the SDV also shows the winning campaigns from the past year, where participants can find inspiration.