The agency Skipp Communications is increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence and neuromarketing. By opening its own neuromarketing laboratory, it aims to establish new standards in data-based advertising effectiveness research. The aim is to carry out AI-supported analyses in real time and thus make campaigns more precise and efficient. "We can carry out salience analyses in real time and with combined artificial intelligence," explains Skipp founder FiFi Frei. The accuracy rate is over 90 percent - regardless of whether it is a poster, a social media story, an advertising clip or a website.

The new laboratory in Fürstenau will also serve as a competence center for other agencies. Skipp is cooperating with universities of applied sciences and a company specializing in neuroscience in Scandinavia. "Our test runs in recent months have shown that significantly more than half of today's campaigns are not set up optimally and therefore do not have the desired effect.

achieve," continues Frei. With a data-based approach, the agency wants to help companies to use their marketing measures in a more targeted and cost-efficient manner.

Collective 57 sees itself as a creative meeting place for aspiring marketers who want to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The community is intended to meet the need of many young marketers for practical knowledge, mentoring and relevant networks - an area that has hardly been covered in the Swiss marketing landscape to date because the networking events are mostly aimed at experienced managers or large agencies, according to the initiators.

In contrast to formal conferences, the concept focuses on interactive formats and practical insights. "As the world increasingly shifts to digital and the concept of the 'third place' disappears, professional communities are becoming more important," says co-founder Joshua Gallacher. "Face-to-face meetings are becoming a sign of social status - they are the place where real connections are made and careers are advanced."

The first event in Zurich is limited to 40 participants. Due to the high demand, the plan is to double the capacity in future and offer further events.

The opening took place with Marco Wölfli, Nadia Goedhart and Sandro Galfetti, moderated by Tobi Flückiger. Highlights include a dedicated EA FC 25 championship with influencer Cubanito, the "Joganito Rush Cup by Knorr" in 2vs2 mode and the "Interdiscount Racing Championship" with prizes and goodies for the best drivers. In addition to gaming tournaments, cosplayers, influencers and e-sports professionals are also part of the program.

Thomas Haslimeier, Head of Shopping Centers at Coop, sees the Game Days as a logical development following the success of Game Week in Volkiland: "Gaming inspires generations, promotes creativity and brings people together - that's exactly what we want to celebrate with the Game Days."

The event is supported by partners such as Sony, Sinalco, Knorr and Interdiscount. The exact dates and programs are available at Game-days.ch available.

Jan Maurer has decided to leave Swiss Marketing at the end of January to return to the private sector. From March 1, he will head the marketing department of the family-owned company Hauenstein in Rafz, which was founded in 1890.

Marco Ancora is a successor who ideally meets all the requirements, as Swiss Marketing writes in a press release. He has an impressive track record in sales and marketing across various industries, holds recognized certifications in these areas and has "done an outstanding job" as a member of the Board of Directors of Swiss Marketing Zurich and as a member of the new Central Executive Board. Before and during this time, he held various positions in marketing and sales at various national and international companies, including Hilti and James Hardie.

The introduction of TV advertising on the SRG stations DRS, TSR and TSI marked the beginning of a new era in brand communication. The first advertising block was broadcast there on February 1, 1965. Long commercials of more than 60 seconds in length were added in 1976, providing deeper insights into the brand stories. Four years later, short spots of just 7 to 14 seconds followed - to convey messages concisely.

The 1990s brought interstitial advertising with the new Radio and Television Act - a format that opened up new creative possibilities for advertisers. In 2005, an interactive live TV commercial campaign in a Migros branch attracted attention: viewers could not only watch, but also actively participate.

The 2000s were characterized by technological innovations. The introduction of the 16:9 widescreen format improved the visual quality of advertising, while the electronic delivery of commercials made processes more efficient.

TV advertising remains central

Despite changes in media usage, TV advertising remains an important part of the advertising landscape. Frank Zelger, CEO of Admeira, emphasizes: "Over the past 60 years, TV advertising has made a significant contribution to the awareness and successful positioning of our customers' products. This journey is far from over. TV advertising will remain an indispensable and important success factor for the foreseeable future."

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."