The Migros Group Human Resources Management Directorate and the quality organizations SQTS and Quality Management will remain in the previous department. The newly created Directorate for Social Commitment includes the Directorate for Society & Culture, Miduca AG and the Park im Grünen and Ferrovia Monte Generoso AG foundations. In future, it will report directly to the President of the Executive Board, Mario Irminger.

Irminger emphasizes the merits of Andrea Krapf, who is taking over as Director of Social Engagement: "Andrea Krapf has built bridges within Migros, created trust and strengthened cooperation." Under her leadership, the AHV21 pension reform was implemented at Migros and a national social plan was adopted for the first time.

Change of focus after more than 20 years

The 55-year-old Krapf, who has held various positions at Migros since 2001, says of her new role: "After more than two decades in a variety of management positions, I am delighted to be able to focus on social commitment." She will remain at the head of the HR department until the handover.

The changes are to be implemented by the end of 2025, and a successor is now being sought for the department that will focus on the future.

6.12 billion Swiss francs - that's how much was generated in the Swiss advertising market in 2024. This was announced by Media Focus in its recently published annual résumé. The CHF 6.12 billion corresponds to an increase of one percent compared to 2023.

The market owes the increase in total advertising pressure primarily to the digital business. This is because the so-called traditional advertising market - which includes print media, cinema and out-of-home - shrank by 0.9% overall. The only exception: out-of-home (+4.9 percent) and cinema (+4.4 percent) benefited from a moderate increase, writes Media Focus.

By contrast, revenue in the digital advertising market increased by 4.6% and amounted to CHF 2.1 billion in 2024. The majority of this (66%) - or over CHF 1.4 billion - was generated by advertising on search engines ("Search" segment). This is followed by display advertising with a share of 25.7% (CHF 547 million). The last and smallest segment is YouTube - with a share of 8.2% and sales of CHF 175.1 million.

The ratio between the three segments remained largely stable compared to the previous year. In percentage terms, YouTube saw the strongest growth, with an increase of 9%. In the search segment, the increase was 5.5% and in display advertising 1%.

FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) products and retailers dominate the rankings of the most advertised brands and products, according to Media Focus. The Apple iPhone 16 Pro was the most advertised new product. Telco Swisscom secured a place in the top 10 most advertised brands in the Display Ads category, while rival Sunrise appeared in 3rd place in the Search Ads category. Temu, the Chinese online store, is also one of the most advertised brands and ranks in the top 10 lists for display ads and YouTube. (René Jaun/dwi)

This article first appeared in Netzwoche.

The Executive Board of the University has appointed Martin Nellen as the new Head of Communications. The 59-year-old is moving from Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition, where he was responsible for external and internal communications and investor relations as a senior consultant. Prior to this, he worked for around four years as Head of the Communications and Media Directorate of the FMC, after two years as Head of Corporate Communications at Suva.

Martin Nellen began his professional career at Credit Suisse, where he held various positions in communications and marketing. In 2007, he moved to the Helvetia Group, where he headed Corporate Communications and Brand Management until 2017. The communications expert studied economics, political science and media studies at the University of Bern. He is married and has two sons.

The pitch was conducted as part of an intensive collaboration between the international media department of the Deichmann Group in Essen and the Dosenbach team in Switzerland, accompanied by Imediag from Hamburg. At the Deichmann headquarters in Essen, Mediaschneider impressed with a multi-channel strategy designed to position Dosenbach as a brand for shoes in Switzerland.

Focus on data-driven media planning

Zanet Zabarac, Head of Marketing at Dosenbach-Ochsner AG, emphasizes the importance of a flexible, market-driven strategy: "It was important for us to work with a media agency that not only understands the Swiss market perfectly, but can also respond flexibly and innovatively to our individual needs."

CEO Moritz Schneider emphasizes Mediaschneider's data-based solutions: "Our tailor-made dashboard solutions and our modern, cloud-based media planning tool have struck a chord."

Arcidiacono took office on October 1, 2024. He is now leaving the Federal Chancellery at his own request. He is not commenting on the exact reasons, but refers to private reasons, according to a statement.

Transitional solution and succession process

The current Head of Communications at the Federal Chancellery, Ursula Eggenberger, will take over the role ad interim from April 1, 2025 and will not be available for a permanent appointment.

The position will be officially advertised in February 2025. Chancellor Viktor Rossi is setting up a search committee to appoint a successor.

Maks Giordano: AI as a transformative technology and sparring partner

In his interview, Maks Giordano, founder of the innovation studio juuman'okudo, reflects on the extraordinary momentum that artificial intelligence is currently developing. He attributes this accelerated development to the combination of powerful computers, enormous amounts of data and billions in investment. Technologies such as ChatGPT have shown how quickly AI can set new standards. In just two years, AI has developed from an emerging field to an integral part of numerous industries.

Giordano explains the so-called hype cycle: technologies are initially massively overestimated before a phase of disillusionment sets in. In the long term, however, a realistic and sustainable level of use settles in. He warns against viewing AI as a universal problem solver that completely replaces human expertise. He illustrates this with examples such as AI tools that can create PowerPoint presentations or legal texts, but in many cases cannot match human precision and intuition.

Nevertheless, he sees AI as an enormous asset for creativity and efficiency. It makes it possible to design multilingual campaigns and create large amounts of content quickly - a dimension that was previously unthinkable. It remains clear to him that the role of humans is crucial. Creative processes, strategic decisions and emotional storytelling cannot succeed without human sensitivity.

One example is the Coca-Cola commercial, which was produced with the help of AI. Although technically of a high standard, the commercial lacked the depth and emotional connection that can only be achieved through human creativity. Giordano therefore sees AI more as a sparring partner that supports rather than replaces.

Finally, he appeals to the creative industry to see AI as an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the tools and actively integrate them into their everyday work. Only those who try out the possibilities can really assess the benefits of the technology and use it successfully.

Pascal Winkler: Operationalization of AI as a goal for 2025

In his interview, Pascal Winkler, Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe, focuses on the practical implementation of AI technologies in the advertising industry. For him, 2025 is all about operationalization: previous experiments with AI are to be transformed into concrete applications that create measurable added value for both customers and internal processes.

Winkler emphasizes that Publicis Groupe in Zurich benefits from its global network, which provides access to tried-and-tested AI tools. These tools enable the agency to develop customized solutions for its clients. The focus here is on identifying specific use cases that harness the potential of the technology for different industries.

One important aspect is cooperation with customers. Winkler describes how they are at different stages in dealing with AI. While some companies are already actively experimenting, others are still at an early stage. For both groups, it is essential to create concrete application examples that show how AI can increase efficiency, support creative processes and enable new business models.

Another key issue is the development of common standards and legal frameworks for the use of AI. Questions relating to copyright and data protection play a crucial role here. Winkler emphasizes that the industry still has a lot to learn here, but that great progress is possible through joint efforts.

His conclusion: The advertising industry is at a turning point. The technology is ready for productive use and it is up to the agencies to develop the right strategies. This requires openness, pragmatism and a willingness to learn continuously. Winkler sees the creative industry as a key driver for the successful integration of AI into everyday life.

The Swiss beverage manufacturer Rivella AG relies on innovative AI technology to promote its vitamin water brand Focuswater. In collaboration with Teads, a video and display campaign was developed that achieved an attention uplift of 85% through targeted optimization. The aim was to increase brand awareness and target health and wellness-oriented consumers more effectively.

The optimizations were based on predictive AI testing and eye tracking, which was carried out in cooperation with Neurons. The analysis provided important insights into how visual content is perceived and which adjustments maximize attention. Cyril Hänggi, Strategic Account Director at Teads, explains: "The use of a start card ensures that the viewer is immediately framed correctly. In the first two seconds of the video, we were able to achieve a great attention uplift of 187 percent."

In addition, display ads were developed from key scenes in the video that were specially tailored to their respective platforms. These measures led to a 15 percent increase in view time and a four percent increase in viewability. Claudio Lumbiarres, Managing Director CH, AT & Nordics at Teads, emphasizes: "Attention was the decisive KPI for us and the Focuswater team. Thanks to the targeted optimization, we were able to achieve impressive results."

A brand lift study by Kantar confirms the success of the campaign: 29% more people remembered the brand after the video, and the association between the campaign and Focuswater was increased by 24%. Marianna Länsitalo, Head Brand Management Communication & Digital at Rivella AG, is satisfied: "Attention as the most valuable metric has helped us to differentiate Focuswater more strongly from the competition and promote brand loyalty."

The Cantonal Court of Zug has ruled in favor of Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin's claim for disgorgement of profits against Ringier in the first instance. The ruling stipulates that Ringier must pay CHF 309,531 of the CHF 431,527 claimed to the plaintiff. Ringier criticizes, however, that the decision largely ignored the disclosed business figures and an expert opinion by PwC. According to Ringier, the profit actually achieved amounted to a fraction of the sum awarded.

Ladina Heimgartner, Head Media and CEO Ringier Media Switzerland, comments as follows: "The reporting on the events surrounding Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin and the Landammann celebration in 2014 is not one of this country's and Blick's finest journalistic moments. The way it was reported at the time is an expression of a tough tabloid style that Blick no longer practices, and that's a good thing."

The Cantonal Court of Zug had already confirmed in 2020 that Blick had violated the personal rights of the former cantonal councillor with its reporting at the time - a ruling that Ringier accepted. From the media company's point of view, the ruling that has now been handed down on the issue of profits is dangerous: "This ruling jeopardizes media freedom in our country," says Heimgartner. "If journalism is threatened with such fines, the willingness to report critically will be severely restricted."

Ringier has announced that it will appeal the ruling to the High Court of the Canton of Zug, as the company believes it lacks any factual basis and sends a dangerous signal for Swiss media freedom.

The competition "Best of Content Marketing" (BCM) From February 1, content marketing projects of all kinds can be submitted on the platform bestofcontentmarketing.com. The BCM Award is considered the largest competition of its kind in the German-speaking world and consistently places content at the center of the evaluation.

Peter Matz, BCM representative on the board of the organizer Content Marketing Forum e.V. (CMF), explains: "Just as content marketing is constantly evolving, our award also gets a little refresh every year." New this year is the distinction between regular communication and campaigns. Olaf Wolff, Chairman of the CMF, emphasizes: "A campaign simply works differently to regular communication. Both are essential in the marketing mix, and with the new differentiation we are giving both the stage they deserve."

The new categories reflect current trends: "Art of Storytelling - Tech-driven Storytelling" replaces last year's special "Best of AI" award and focuses on creative applications of generative technologies. In addition, the "Content Operations / Newsroom" category sheds light on the organization and tools behind successful content marketing strategies. A new special award, "Best of efficient Creation Excellence", recognizes projects that combine excellence and efficiency - an important signal in economically challenging times.

The B2B categories will be particularly strengthened by the cooperation with the Bundesverband Industrie Kommunikation e.V. (bvik). Entries for the BCM Award can be submitted until April 30. Other competitions in the BCM family, including the BCP and the BICC Award, will run in parallel. The award ceremony will take place on October 9 in Munich.

Procap is the largest membership association of and for people with disabilities in Switzerland with around 24,000 members in around 40 regional sections and 30 sports groups. Procap Travel specifically supports people with disabilities in making their vacation dreams come true.

The Procap Travel & Sport vacation catalog includes trips for people with disabilities as well as older people with limited mobility. "We check all our offers to see whether they are suitable for people with disabilities," explains Helena Bigler, Head of Travel and Sport at Procap. We also offer supervised group trips where people with different disabilities can travel together - in Switzerland and all over the world. Procap's mission also includes training courses for barrier-free travel - for example at tourism schools.

"Procap Travel is always looking for motivated people who would like to get involved as vacation companions or for sports camps and, of course, donors. We therefore very much hope that we can achieve greater public awareness of this important topic through greater media presence," says Deputy Managing Director of Primcom Sabine Biedermann, who is managing the mandate as a PR consultant. "As Procap Reisen will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025 and Procap Sport will even be 65 years old, the timing is just right."

WPP Open is an AI solution specially developed for the communications industry that combines data, creativity and technology. In addition to general data, the platform draws on WPP studies such as the "BrandAsset Valuator" or the "Media Use Index". Virtual "agents" can also be used to simulate scenarios and make data-based decisions, for example on brand strategy or addressing target groups.

The AI also supports the brainstorming process by generating headlines or creating visual suggestions based on target group preferences. Features such as "Shower Thoughts" enable a creative exchange between humans and machines in order to develop innovative approaches.

End-to-end optimization along the entire process
WPP Open goes beyond creative work: it optimizes the planning, resource allocation and performance measurement of projects. The platform interlinks creative, media and production processes within the WPP network and is designed to ensure efficiency gains and higher campaign performance.

"AI is not just a trend, but a transformation that we are actively shaping in order to achieve our clients' communication goals even more effectively and efficiently," says Martin Keller, CEO of Ogilvy Switzerland.

For Swen Morath, CEO of Ingo Zürich, WPP Open is more than just a tool: "It's a creative partner. It broadens our horizons, pushes our imagination and enables us to realize ideas that were previously unthinkable. AI frees us from repetitive tasks and gives us the freedom to focus on what we do best: Inspiring people with great stories."

In the pitch process, the agency was able to hold its own against three competitors, as detailed in a press release. The mandate is for four years and includes the management of international search campaigns in 13 markets - from Europe to the USA and Southeast Asia.

Jung von Matt Impact has positioned itself in the tourism industry in recent years, including through partnerships with Cervo Zermatt, the Tschuggen Collection and regional destination marketers such as Zermatt Tourismus and Engadin Scuol Zernez. As a Google Premium Partner, the agency offers tourism-specific data insights, for example with the help of "Google Travel Analytics", which analyzes and provides worldwide travel data from users.