Gehrig brings with him almost two decades of communications experience in various industries, as detailed in a press release. He previously worked as a manager and press spokesperson for companies such as Broncolor, Parashift and Invacare. He also gained experience in the media world - including at Faces and Trend magazine. From 2010 to 2019, he ran his own lifestyle magazine together with Rahel Martens.

His international experience will be Paprec This will be of great benefit to Paprec because the company is pursuing dynamic growth, the report continues. Paprec is also pursuing the goal of making a significant contribution to a greener planet. With his extensive network, Gehring will "make a significant contribution to firmly anchoring the topic of sustainability and recycling in the everyday lives of the Swiss population".

Vaugne joined the agency in March 2019 as Client Service Director and steadily took on more responsibility over the course of her career. She led the entire consulting team for campaigning and technology, was appointed COO in November 2019 and has led the agency together with Swen Morath as Co-CEO since 2021.

"It was a well-considered decision to leave Ingo Zurich, even though it was a very difficult one for me," said Giselle Vaugne in a statement. "The past five and a half years have been an extremely rewarding time. Together, after the rebranding to Wunderman Thompson, we led the agency into the top 5 creative agencies, won great new clients and were awarded Gold Effies for our work with Geberit and HEKS."

The name change to Ingo Zurich in spring 2024 was also a success, Vaugne continues, looking back with pride on what she has achieved. But now it's time for a new adventure: "After these six intense years, I would like to focus on my private life first and then reorient myself professionally from 2025."

Co-CEO and CCO Swen Morath regrets Vaugne's departure: "I will probably just continue to call her every morning on the way to the agency, as we have done every day over the past few years (laughs). I am very grateful for the trusting, constructive and, above all, successful collaboration. I wish Giselle all the best for the future. At the same time, I am looking forward to the coming months. Ingo Zurich has some exciting projects with exciting clients coming up. The team is highly motivated and I personally am also looking forward to working closely with our new Global Chief Creative Officer Dan Fisher."

Giselle Vaugne will continue to actively support the agency until the end of September 2024 and will hand over her responsibilities in the meantime.

Sandro Tschuor is currently taking on her client-related tasks as Chief Client Officer. Tschuor joined the agency in 2015 after finishing his professional ice hockey career. During this time, he has managed national and international clients such as PostFinance and Microsoft and was responsible for Migros Fachmärkte as WPP Lead.

Meschenmoser was most recently editorial director of the consumer magazines K-Tip and Balance. Before that, he worked at Swiss television SRF for 14 years. He succeeds Gerda Königstorfer, who held the position for just under three years.

Jürg Grob, who will also join Stadler on October 1, has been appointed as his deputy. Grob was most recently Head of Newsroom and Editor-in-Chief at SBB. (SDA/swi)

The three new additions complement the existing commercial team of Jan Bachmann, Nicole Ruckstuhl, Guillaume de Grave and Ana Knezevic.

Reinaldo Colaço took over the position of Commercial Director at Capture Media in August 2024. Most recently, he was Head of Sales at CH Media. "Reny is a natural leader with broad expertise and a keen sense for people," says Michel Mariani, CCO of Capture Media.

Marga Cupin joined the team as Senior Commercial Manager in August 2024. She most recently worked as Key Account Manager at Zattoo and previously built up extensive knowledge in the IT sector. Sandro Albin, Managing Partner, comments: "We are delighted with her energy and the market savvy she has demonstrated over the years."

Yves Troxler joined the team as Senior Commercial Manager in June 2024. He brings a wealth of expertise and a strong network of contacts from his time at Tamedia, Publisuisse, 20 Minuten, Ringier, Mediacom and other companies. Michel Mariani adds: "We already know Yves from our time together at Tamedia and value his qualities."

Alexandra Münch left the company after six years to spend more time traveling.

Why do patients have to wait in the emergency center even though they were there first? How does the triage system work? An animated explanatory video by Videodesign for the Kantonsspital Baselland addresses the often misunderstood triage system, which determines the order of treatment according to urgency - and not the time of arrival.

The video explains to patients why more serious cases have priority and how waiting times can occur. The aim is to promote understanding of the process and minimize potential dissatisfaction.

The video is used on the screens in the waiting areas of the emergency wards as well as on the KSBL website. It makes a valuable contribution to communication between the emergency teams and patients.

Responsible at KSBL: Astrid (Deputy Head of Marketing). Responsible for video design: Tamara + Lorena (Project Management), Reiza (Illustration), Surya (Animation), Graziana (Key Account Management).

The postulants from the SP and the Greens stated that the information provided by the city - for example on municipal votes - does not reach everyone today.

The city must strive to communicate even more inclusively, said Anna-Béatrice Schmaltz (Greens). People with a mental impairment, reading difficulties or with a non-German first language also need to understand the information in order to be able to contribute. More measures are therefore needed to "improve the accessibility, clarity, comprehensibility and legibility of official communication", added Leah Heuri (SP).

Only the SVP spoke out against the postulate: Samuel Balsiger said that the proposal was a left-wing culture war. "That's not necessary." However, a clear majority deemed the proposal worthy of consideration and referred it to the city council. (SDA/swi)

m&k: Gesa Lischka, neuromarketing combines two fascinating disciplines - neuroscience and marketing. What inspired you personally to bring these two fields together and build a career in this area?

As a cultural and media scientist, I have always been interested in how people make decisions - not only consciously, but also unconsciously. I find it particularly fascinating how colors, shapes, codes and language work on a subtle, unconscious level and influence decisions without us noticing it directly.

Where did your journey into neuromarketing begin?

On a boat in New York. After a successful conference, Prof. Dr. Bernd Weber and I found ourselves on a relaxing cruise around Manhattan Island. During this trip, we decided to pool our expertise and carry out studies and projects together. We quickly realized that our collaboration could yield valuable insights. This work has been a steep learning curve for me. I have attended countless conferences, studied scientific papers and given my own presentations on our experiences. One of the biggest challenges is that while there is a lot of talk about findings, few actually put the research results into practice. This is exactly what I am trying to change with our team at Kochstrasse.

How do you implement this?

With a team of over 70 creative and strategic minds and national and international clients, some of whom we have had relationships with for decades, I have the opportunity not only to understand scientific findings but also to put them into practice. I often see myself as a kind of translator between science and practice, making sure that groundbreaking research findings don't just remain in theory, but also have a tangible impact in the real world.

How can companies use neuromarketing to better understand and address their customers?

Based on neuroscientific findings, we can make statements about the unconscious drivers behind purchasing decisions and use these specifically in design and brand communication. When relaunching a major travel brand, for example, we were able to immediately increase the brand's appeal and willingness to pay just by slightly changing the color and type of the logo.

Neuromarketing is still a relatively new and complex topic for many. What simple principles or techniques could companies apply immediately to improve their marketing strategies?

There are many heuristics and biases* that people unconsciously apply when making purchasing decisions, for example the availability heuristic, where people make judgments based on the ease with which they can think of relevant examples, or the confirmation bias, where people tend to look for or interpret information that confirms their existing beliefs. These heuristics and biases are a good and low-threshold starting point without the need to use complex technologies.

In an increasingly digital world, consumers are constantly exposed to new stimuli. How can neuromarketing help a brand stand out from this flood of information and be remembered?

Through neuromarketing, we have gained a deep understanding of how processes take place in the brain - what the brain takes in and how it processes this information. We use this knowledge to develop campaign strategies that are precisely tailored to these neuronal mechanisms. While creatives and designers often used to rely on their gut feeling to design successful campaigns, we can now make well-founded and data-based design decisions thanks to neuroscientific findings.

Your presentation at Woohw! will certainly also deal with the ethical aspects of neuromarketing. How can companies ensure that they use this powerful tool responsibly and transparently?

This is a central point in our work. Despite all the technological possibilities and fascinating insights into the human brain, we must never lose sight of the human being. We strive to use our findings responsibly and strictly adhere to ethical standards. Our aim is to develop marketing measures that support and enrich people rather than manipulate them. This also means that we are constantly reflecting and developing our methods to ensure that people and their needs are always at the center. As an agency, we have a very clear position here: Enter tomorrow. Brave and safe. That is our promise. To our clients and to the society in which we live.

Neuromarketing expert Gesa Lischka will be appearing at the Woohw! event in Zurich on September 19. If you would like to find out more about the event online all information. As a media partner, m&k will be reporting on the event in detail.

* On the website Kochstrasse.agency/neuro/ the agency has listed 100 neuroinsights free of charge and explained how they can be applied to everyday marketing.

PR and positive communication expert Claudia Gabler complements the team around organizational and MarKom strategist Dr. Uwe Seebacher and e-commerce, sales and cyber expert Bernd Trummer with her communicative expertise. This will create a unique synergy for clients that encompasses organizational, communication and tech expertise.

"We are delighted to have Claudia Gabler on board, a proven communications expert with a strong network in Switzerland. The mix of PR and communications expertise combined with technical knowledge, conceptual marketing, sales, AI and organizational development offers our customers unique added value," says co-founder Uwe Seebacher.

"Friendship turned into business. I have been watching the team with great enthusiasm for some time now. Together, we can offer our customers everything from AI to marketing, communication and sales from a single source across all countries. What's more, working with the Fynest experts is a lot of fun," emphasizes Claudia Gabler.

"As an Agency-as-a-Service (AaaS), we want to make our customers happy in all MarCom disciplines. In Claudia Gabler, we have found the ideal person to achieve this goal. Our first joint and enthusiastic customers confirm that we are on the right track. We look forward to advancing many more companies with our overall MarCom and sales approach and making them even more successful," explains Bernd Trummer, Managing Director at Fynest International.

52 percent of the PR professionals surveyed stated that they only occasionally use gender language or gender-sensitive language in their professional communication. Only just over a quarter (28 percent) use gender consistently. This contrasts with 5 percent who do not yet use gender at all and 13 percent who do not plan to do so in the future. 2 percent of respondents stated that they would revert to non-gender-inclusive language in their communication.

Relevance recognized

However, the results also show that almost half (49%) attribute relevance to gender in communication and consider it to be very important or somewhat important. On the other hand, just over a third (35%) rate gender in external and internal communication as rather unimportant or completely unimportant. In turn, 15 percent of respondents have a neutral attitude: for them, gender-sensitive communication is neither important nor unimportant.

Companies set explicit guidelines

It is striking that significantly more than half of the companies and PR agencies surveyed (59%) already have explicit guidelines for gender-sensitive communication. This still contrasts with 40 percent who have no guidelines for gender-sensitive language in the company.

The pros and cons of gender-appropriate language

Looking at the pros and cons in detail, the reasons for not using gender language and, on the other hand, for using it can be attributed to both internal and external influences.

Those who do not use gender language cite the difficulty of reading texts as the main reason (69%). Other reasons include a lack of conviction on the part of those responsible for communication (45%) and management (42%). Companies also refrain from using gender language because they fear reservations on the part of employees (41%) or customers (36%). A further 16 percent avoid gender language because there are no clear guidelines in the company and 8 percent lack the time to deal with the topic appropriately.

Fear of an increased need for internal coordination or failed test runs, on the other hand, are less likely to lead to the abandonment of gender language (5 percent each). Respondents were even less likely to cite a lack of knowledge about gender-sensitive language (3 percent) or a public shitstorm (2 percent) as reasons for not using gender.

Those who consciously use gender language in communication do so mainly to reflect their corporate values (46%) or because they see an advantage in addressing different target groups (43%). In each case, 35 percent cite the conviction of those responsible for communication or social expectations as reasons. Many PR professionals also see advantages in gender-sensitive language for the image and reputation of the company (33%) and for employer branding (32%). Clear guidelines within the company and the expectations of employees (30 percent each) and customers (23 percent) also play a role. At 27%, management conviction is also in the bottom third of motives.

Results in detail

Do you use gender-neutral and/or gender-sensitive communication in your external and internal communications?

• Yes, throughout 28%
• Yes, partially 52%
• No, not yet 5%
• No, not planned for the future either 13%
• No, not in the future 2%

How important is gender language or gender-sensitive language in your view?

• Very important 17%
• Rather important 32%
• Neither 15%
• Rather unimportant 13%
• Completely unimportant 22%
• Don't know 1%

Does your company have explicit guidelines on gender-sensitive language?

• Yes 59%
• No 40%
• Don't know 1%

Why does your company refrain from using gender language or gender-sensitive language? (multiple answers possible)

• Readability of texts is made more difficult 69%
• Does not correspond to the conviction of those responsible for communication 45%
• Does not correspond to the management's conviction 42%
• Employees refuse to 41%
• Customers reject it 36%
• There are no clear guidelines in the company 16%
• There is not enough time to deal with the topic 8%
• Internal coordination requirements increase significantly 5%
• Test run was not successful 5%
• Lack of knowledge about gender language or gender-sensitive language 3%
• Fear of a public shitstorm 2%
• Don't know 3%

Why does your company use gender language or gender-sensitive language? (multiple answers possible)

• Corresponds to the company values 46%
• It pays to address different target groups 43%
• Corresponds to the conviction of those responsible for communication 35%
• Company expects it 35%
• It pays off in terms of the company's image and reputation 33%
• It pays for employer branding 32%
• There are clear guidelines for this in the company 30%
• Employees expect it 30%
• Consistent with management's convictions 27%
• Customers expect it 23%
• Do not know 4%

For the PR Trend Monitor News Aktuell and Per conducted an online survey in February 2024 among 327 communications professionals from companies, organizations and PR agencies in Switzerland and Germany.

Being transported to another world for a brief moment. One that inspires, motivates, evokes emotions of all kinds, can leave you both elated and saddened to death - that is the magic of events. Creating an illusion that makes the audience forget reality for a moment was also the inspiration behind this year's XAVER motto: "Bienvenue au Cirque d'Illusion".

"Creativity, charisma and innovation - these are the hallmarks of a good XAVER project. Once again this year, we were able to evaluate numerous submissions that meet these criteria and thus capture all the brilliance and talent of the industry," says jury president Dany Waldner.

Gold for Symbiotopia: Winner of the hearts and the XAVER Award

Symbiotopia, an award-winning installation in the new pediatric psychiatry building of the University Hospital of Geneva, won gold at the XAVER Awards in the category "Best Brandworlds & Temporary Installations and Exhibitions". Developed by Dorier SA for the Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève, Symbiotopia uses a combination of therapeutic spaces and innovative gamification to reduce the stigmatization of psychiatric care for young people. The installation creates a vibrant space that actively engages children, their families and the community and promotes a new understanding. "Symbiotopia has found an answer to the complex question of destigmatization - it deserves a XAVER," said the jury.

Gold for the Lenzerheide Magic Forest: a magical winter experience

The Lenzerheide Magic Forest, which won gold in the "Best Public Event" category, has been delighting visitors with its unique mix of live concerts, light art, culinary delights and children's programs since 2013. Every year, a magical world is created in the wintry forest of Lenzerheide, enchanting thousands of people during the Christmas season. "Despite the icy cold, the Lenzerheide Magic Forest always brings to life a fairytale landscape full of creativity and diversity," says jury member Nadine Imboden.

Lifetime Achievement XAVER Award for Rémy Crégut: A life for culture

Rémy Crégut, long-time director of the Montreux Music & Convention Center 2m2c, receives this year's Lifetime Achievement XAVER Award. Over the past 19 years, the 64-year-old has shaped iconic events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Montreux Comedy Festival and helped the Montreux brand achieve international fame. Crégut is regarded as one of the key players who put Switzerland on the world cultural stage. Even today, Montreux is celebrated in music circles in England and the USA as a "safe space" that has always placed art above commerce. A detailed portrait of the winner can be found on the XAVER Award website.

Project wins public online voting

Holding your own against the two popular sports of football and ice hockey is anything but easy. However, this year's floorball Superfinal 2024 (agency: evenjo ag | client: Swiss Unihockey) impressively demonstrated that this is exactly what is possible with a successful live production. Around 9,000 people in the stadium and 139,000 viewers watching on their screens witnessed the showpiece of the Swiss floorball club championship live and, in particular, the superbly staged intro show. "When a sport that is not football or something similar captivates almost 150,000 people - it definitely deserves the public's adulation," concludes jury president Kern. Second and third place in the audience award went to Winterland Locarno (enjoyArena SA) and the gold award winner Zauberwald Lenzerheide.

An evening full of glitz, glamor and GV: XAVER Award inspires

The XAVER Award attracted around 700 guests to the JED Events in Zurich, hosted by Swiss drag queen Gossipa. Christian Künzli, President of the Swiss LiveCom Association, was delighted: "The XAVER has been showing what our industry can do for 22 years." The General Assembly of the Swiss LiveCom Association before the award ceremony offered insights into upcoming highlights, including the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, presented by Edi Estermann (SRG). In addition, the new Managing Director Martin Troxler was presented and projects on sustainability and promoting young talent were highlighted.

Xaver Award moves to Bern: a step towards French-speaking Switzerland

For 30 years, the Sport Forum Switzerland has been shaping the discussion about the future of sport. The anniversary edition in Lucerne offers a comprehensive overview of the current trends and challenges in the industry with panels, presentations and discussions. Whether top-class sport, popular sport, sponsorship or new technologies - the congress brings the key topics to the stage.

One of the highlights will be the presentation of the three candidates for the Swiss Olympic presidency, who will outline their visions for the future of Swiss sport. The focus will also be on the possible Olympic bid for 2038 and the question of how major events can be organized sustainably.

Data-driven decisions, innovative technologies and best-practice examples are the focus when experts shed light on the latest developments in sponsorship and performance marketing. With exciting insights into how the digital dashboard from Media Focus contributes to measuring success, the forum will show how data-based approaches support sponsors and brands in their decision-making.

Women's sport is experiencing an upswing worldwide, and Switzerland is at the center of this development. In the context of the upcoming Women's EURO 2025 and other major sporting events, the experts shed light on the impact on women's football, sponsorship and the sustainable promotion of women's sport.

Tourism is also benefiting from new technologies: from personalized route suggestions for cycling fans to AI-supported offers that increase the attractiveness of destinations. Experts such as Nathalie Schneitter provide exclusive insights into sustainable tourism projects that combine sport and the environment.

In addition to exciting presentations, the ESB Sports Night offers the opportunity to network and exchange ideas in an exclusive atmosphere. A high-caliber line-up, including prominent athletes, former top athletes and industry representatives, make the Sport Forum Switzerland a must for all decision-makers and sports enthusiasts. Click here for the program.

The new Spicy McCrispy from McDonald's is not only a culinary highlight, but also the star of an innovative advertising campaign. To raise awareness of the fiery burger in Switzerland, the ad tech start-up C Wire and the media agency OMD Switzerland developed an interactive, game-based advertising format that was played out on the leading Swiss news websites.

The idea behind the innovative campaign: users should discover the new burger in a playful way. At the heart of the advertising format is the click game "Grab the chili!": To find out more about the Spicy McCrispy, users have to click on the chili pepper at lightning speed between different types of vegetables.

Playfully attracting more attention and interaction

The campaign, inspired by the gaming world, ran on Switzerland's best-known news platforms and met with a great response from readers. The interactive advertising format showed significant success and impressive KPIs that prove the positive impact of the campaign: With a share of screen of 90%, a very high level of attention was achieved, while the engagement rate measured by games started was 1,36%. Users actively engaged with the advertising message for an average of 10 seconds. Brand Metrics also determined a brand lift of 11% in terms of awareness of Spicy McCrispy.

Alexander Schmitt, Managing Director OMD Switzerland, is enthusiastic: "Thanks to C Wire's gamified advertising and AI-optimized environment planning, we are addressing our target group in a personal and attention-grabbing way. This is unique and works without cookies."

Brand safety and precise playout thanks to AI matching

Contextual AI matching ensures that the campaign is only integrated into relevant articles that match the brand. This leads to increased attention, engagement and landing page KPIs. Martin Garling, Managing Director at C Wire, explains further: "We do not deliver in a negative news environment. We stand for maximum brand safety." Thanks to C Wire's characteristic cookieless delivery, the creative is played out on a large scale and with a wide reach, regardless of the user's cookie and browser preferences, and only on Swiss premium websites. Another advantage of the format: gamification campaigns promote interaction with users, stand out from the advertising monotony and are memorable. "Gamified advertising campaigns are particularly suitable over the summer with the European Football Championships, the Olympic Games and numerous festivals," says Garling