As the parliamentary services announced on Tuesday, the Council of States' Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-S) believes that advertising is also necessary in a system of regulated competition and offers added value. The committee also emphasizes that advertising costs would only amount to around 0.2 percent of premiums.

By 7 votes to 4 with one abstention, the Council of States Committee rejected the decision of the National Council's sister committee to follow up on a parliamentary initiative. It was put forward by former National Councillor Baptiste Hurni (SP/NE), who wants to prevent the use of premium money for health insurance advertising.

Following the decision of the SGK-S, the proposal will now return to the responsible National Council committee. The National Council's Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-N) approved it by a wafer-thin margin in February. The decision was made with 12 votes to 12 and a casting vote by committee president Barbara Gysi (SP/SG).

In February, the majority of the SGK-N pointed out that basic insurance is compulsory and that advertising serves neither prevention nor health promotion and therefore brings no added value. Therefore, the corresponding expenditure should not be financed by premiums. The current practice is "no longer acceptable" in view of the continuous rise in premiums.

Today, advertising for compulsory health insurance can also be booked by insurers as an administrative expense and is therefore financed via the premiums of the insured persons. In 2022, these advertising costs amounted to just under CHF 73 million, as the SGK-N wrote at the beginning of the year. (SDA)

Which dialog marketing campaigns impressed with creativity, cleverness and measurable success? The wide-ranging jury presented a total of 56 awards - 34 of them in shiny precious metal for many happy winners. Melanie Winiger hosted the evening in a light-footed, entertaining awards ceremony.

17 x gold/industry, 12 x silver and 14 x bronze!

From classic mailings to Creative Use of Data, the jury was unanimous: what a year, truly Best of Swiss Dialogue! The best examples of this include the campaigns "Coop Christmas" (TBWA for Coop, 3 x gold/industry), "The Cuckoo Mailing" (Metzger Rottmann Bürge for Post Advertising, 2 x gold/industry), "Giving a Voice to the unheard" (Farner Consulting for Islam Alijaj, 2x gold/industry), "McDonald's Chicken McNuggets of Love" (TBWA for McDonald's, 2x gold/industry) and "Viseca Travel Plans" (Bühler & Bühler for Viseca Card Services, 2x gold/industry). Congratulations to all the other winners!

Full house and great atmosphere

The club edition of this year's Award Night offered plenty of room for lively discussions and networking at the drinks reception and after the show, as well as extensive celebrations. There was also room for selfies with Melanie Winiger or exuberant trophy presentations of entire teams in the snap box - the guests were treated to culinary delights with a flying dinner from dreierlei. An all-round successful, radiant evening - also thanks to the many participants, helpers and sponsors, above all the premium partner Swiss Post.

All winning works at a glance

Creativity and technology combined: the success story of #Bergtraum

Arosa Tourism set a new benchmark in 2024 with a unique blend of creativity and technology. Switzerland's first crowd-generated AI campaign transformed guests' wishes into breathtaking works of art, which were presented both digitally and in print media. Over 43,000 images were created in just a few weeks - an impressive success that was also reflected in the marketing industry. Following national and international awards, the campaign has now been awarded gold in the "Multichannel / Crossmedia Campaigns" category and silver in "Creative use of Data and / or Marketing Automation" in Zurich.

Marion Schmitz, Deputy Director of Tourism, is delighted with the renewed success: "The response to the Bergtraum campaign has been overwhelming and motivates us to think about continuing it."

Dreams come true: Arosa makes it possible

A highlight of the campaign was the realization of over 100 dreams of the participants - be it with ski passes, wellness weekends or special events. The Bergtraum motifs not only adorned digital and printed media, but also merchandising products and even gondolas, buses and stamps. Thanks to a cooperation with Ifolor, participants were able to have their own creations printed on products.

SDV Awards: The award in dialog marketing

The SDV Award is one of the most prestigious awards in Swiss dialog marketing. For over 20 years, an expert jury of almost 100 members has been judging the best work in the industry in terms of impact, success and creativity.

Chief Commercial Officer Michel Mariani, Chief Technology Officer Carlo Fässler and Chief Product Officer Theo Esenwein have acquired a stake in the Capture Media Group. This is a significant step for both parties, according to a company statement.

"We are convinced that their participation as shareholders will help us to achieve our common goals even more effectively and to move the company forward," says Sandro Albin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Capture Media Group. Their commitment and investment is a sign of confidence in the future of the company as well as a confirmation of their important role in Capture Media's success story.

Marketing has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly due to topics such as digitalization, sustainability and product meaningfulness. The "CMO of the Year" award recognizes the Chief Marketing Officer of the Swiss economy. Nominees are people who are particularly committed to their brand, focus on customers and their needs, show foresight in the area of sustainability and are also role models as managers. These are people who move outside their comfort zone, create something new and generate real added value for the company and consumers.

This year the jury sent Joséphine Chamoulaud from Smile, Jan De Schepper from Swissquote, Christian Gut from Stöckli Swiss Sports, Nathalie Noël from V-Zug and Saskia von Moos from Intelligentfood Switzerland. Saskia von Moos won the "CMO of the Year" award against her strong competitors.

Successful head of marketing

Winning the title of "CMO of the Year" is part of Saskia von Moos' personal success story: she has been working at Intelligentfood Switzerland for around ten years and has been Head of Marketing and Product Innovation since 2018. Under her leadership, the El Tony Mate brand has established itself on the market and triggered a real hype for mate drinks. "Our goal was to revolutionize the energy drink market," says von Moos. Her passion and innovative strength have played a key role in establishing El Tony Mate as the most dynamic brand. The intelligentfood Switzerland company has already won the "Brand of the year" title twice.

The award ceremony took place on Thursday evening at an exclusive gala dinner in the Papiersaal Zurich. The evening was hosted by Vanessa Meier. Guests were given exciting insights during the keynote speeches by Sven Labenz from Serviceplan Culture and football expert and former national team player Rachel Rinast on the topic of "Beyond advertising: the influence of cultural marketing on brand loyalty".

The CMO of the Year is an initiative of Serviceplan Group Switzerland in partnership with Admeira, APG, Meta, m&k, Persönlich and the University of St. Gallen. A jury of 23 personalities from the fields of corporate management, marketing, research, media, HR consulting and teaching nominates potential candidates. These nominees are analyzed and evaluated by the Institute for Marketing & Consumer Insight at the University of St. Gallen. Based on the work of the University of St. Gallen, a maximum of six nominees will be shortlisted for the award.

The initiative from the ranks of the SVP specifically demands a change to the municipal regulations: the municipal authorities should use clear, understandable and legible language and refrain from using special characters within individual words.

The City of Zurich updated its regulations on linguistic equality, which had been in place since 1994, in 2022. In the process, the previously permitted internal I in "MitarbeiterInnen" was removed again. Since then, either "Mitarbeitende" or "Mitarbeiter*innen" may be used if required.

"What is a farmer?"

Texts with a gender star are difficult to understand for people with a migration background who are learning German as a foreign language, the initiative committee has now criticized. In addition, this star also creates incorrect forms, said Stefan Urech from the SVP in the council debate. He referred to terms such as "farmers" and "doctors". And he asked: "What is a farmer? What is a doctor?"

The FDP also expressed reservations: This language dictate would lead to incomprehensible, unclear language and thus to misunderstandings, said Yasmine Bourgeois. In addition, an asterisk does not make the world a better place - it depends on attitude and values.

However, the Liberals were not entirely convinced by the "Bye bye gender star" initiative: "We want neither a ban nor a compulsion." However, a motion to this effect appeared to have no chance in the Council, which is why the FDP supported the SVP initiative after all.

Hardly negative feedback

The Zurich City Council spoke out clearly against the initiative. It pointed to "relative application difficulties in implementation". This is because special characters that should be banned within a word include not only a (gender) asterisk, but also hyphens or diacritics such as "ï", "ç" or "ž".

He went on to say in his application that he had received very little negative feedback on the revised regulations from the public and employees. And there is no known case in which a text was not understood correctly because of an "*".

By deliberately allowing the gender star, the administration is showing "that it recognizes and respects non-binary and trans people", said City President Corine Mauch of the SP. The regulations only apply to official communication. The people of Zurich, businesses or the spoken language are not affected.

Memories of the "Fräulein"

The majority of the municipal council took a similar view to the city council. The language should include everyone, said Urs Riklin from the Green Party. A language that includes everyone does not harm anyone, added Anna-Béatrice Schmaltz, also from the Greens.

Ann-Catherine Nabholz said that the GLP, with its "progressive idea of society", did not understand that a culture war was being waged over the little star. The language was changing and the "Fräulein" could be overcome without any problems.

Corine Mauch also noted that "typographic signs for a trans-inclusive language have long since arrived in everyday life". She cited job advertisements and advertising, for example. "Language is a living thing, it evolves with our society."

After around an hour and a half of debate, the FDP, SVP and Center/EPP parliamentary groups voted in favour of the initiative in the final vote. Those of the SP, Greens, GLP and AL rejected it. The date of the vote is not yet known. (SDA/swi)

How annoyed we were back then when pitches suddenly filled our everyday lives at the beginning of the 90s. When contracts were no longer awarded on the basis of sympathy or gut instinct, but through agency evaluation or tendering. "We're pitching" was suddenly the order of the day, rather than "I've got a good feeling" - this not only sounded more contemporary, but also signaled the end of coziness. It was a time when increased interaction with English-speaking markets meant that bankers became bankers and many Swiss technical terms and customs were replaced by Anglo-Saxon ones in everyday life. The marketing and advertising industry is known to be particularly susceptible to Anglicisms. Chemistry Meeting" is no exception. Agencies offer it, including an integrated tool for booking an appointment for it. Well-intentioned - but in the end, it's the clients who have to request such a meeting, ideally instead of a pitch, worst case following a pitch. These are already associated with enough work for little or no money. For some time now, the aim of pitches seems to be to get as many ideas presented as possible, only to then not know what you actually want. Most likely a mix of everything good, but that doesn't work, so in the end the same people always win. Either those with the best relationships with the decision-makers or those with the lowest prices. It really used to be easier and less of a business waste. Back then, when customers still had a "good feeling".

When the chemistry is right

Perhaps a chemistry meeting will actually help us to get there again. The aim of such a meeting is to give the parties and people involved the opportunity to get to know each other and to check the interpersonal chemistry and determine whether there is a good personal and cultural match ("guez Gfühl" or "cultural fit"), which is the basis of any successful collaboration. The more insecure and incompetent the client, the greater the number of agencies that are invited to pitches. The more self-confident and courageous the client, the smaller the selection and the greater the chance that they will choose the chemistry meeting route.

But chemistry? Wasn't that the subject we all failed to pay attention to at school? The word comes from the ancient Greek "χημεία" (chēmeía) and actually refers to the science that deals with the properties, composition and transformations of substances.

What the hell does that have to do with an agency evaluation? Awarding a budget of millions (if they even still exist) on the basis of a one-hour meeting? One that could possibly only take place online? No. But it would be very simple. By getting people from the client and the agency together, who should then effectively do the work together and solve a task together at such a meeting. That way, each side can feel what makes the other tick. How briefings are formulated and understood, how problems are recognized and solved. A task that is not known in advance, but is set during the meeting. Once from the client to the agency. And vice versa.

After all, chemistry is also the study of substances and the chemical reactions that transform them into new substances. At a meeting like this, it quickly becomes clear whether these new substances are any good or just produce smoke. So instead of just exchanging pleasantries and bragging at the Chemistry Meeting, let's try some real work. It's worth it. And saves work. And money. But it takes courage. And that is urgently needed, if you look at the soft-pedaled results of the agencies evaluated through pitches.

* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.

The cross-media campaign for 4B with a regional focus aimed to increase brand awareness and improve lead generation. In German-speaking Switzerland, TV, print and digital media aimed to increase unaided awareness, sharpen the brand profile and increase brand preference. In French-speaking Switzerland, the focus was on increasing supported awareness via similar channels. In addition, a digital always-on campaign was implemented throughout Switzerland with the aim of generating leads in the form of contact requests.

Existing content is optimized

A key component of this strategy was the use of moving images in TV and digital channels. Existing video material was optimized in the best possible way using Neurons' predictive AI technology. The Teads Atelier co-creation workshop, in which the advertising agency, the media agency, the client and Teads actively participated, played a central role.

Neurons combines artificial intelligence and neuroscience to predict customer behavior and improve advertising performance. Because it was not possible to create new image and video material, existing content was analyzed and improved through targeted adjustments such as scene changes, the addition of start and end cards and subtitles. These measures were aimed at increasing the attention and understanding of the target group.

Optimization based on two scores

Neurons uses two central metrics to evaluate and optimize advertising media: The Focus Score indicates the intensity of the viewer's attention to specific image or video areas; a high value indicates concentrated attention. The Cognitive Demand Score measures the visual complexity and information density that viewers have to process. The more complex an image is, the higher the cognitive demand score and the more difficult it is for viewers to quickly recognize the relevant information.

After the first neuron analysis, the video revised by Teads Studio already achieved an uplift in the Focus Score of +14 % and a reduction in Cognitive Demand of -2 %.

Based on the neuron analysis, a complex creative setup was then developed in the Teads studio, consisting of various mobile-optimized assets as a dynamic hybrid solution of display and video ads. The campaign motifs addressed all funnel objectives - from awareness and consideration to performance and lead generation. The subsequent Teads benchmark tests made it possible to create campaign forecasts and identify the most efficient forms of advertising in terms of attention and dwell time.

Results scientifically analyzed

The results of the neuron analysis were linked to the Kantar Brand Lift study "4B Switzerland - Creative Lab: ABC Testing", which examines the advertising impact of digital ads in various contexts with a focus on brand awareness. Using ABC testing, several ad variants can be tested simultaneously in order to determine the best-performing one.

The optimization of the advertising media in the Teads Atelier proved to be crucial for increasing brand awareness. Specifically, this can be seen in the results of the Teads inRead Video Square and Teads inRead Video Landscape formats compared to the standard formats. Overall, the campaign, including all measures implemented by Konnex and Teads, led to a significant increase in leads and a reduction in the cost per lead for the digital campaign.

Preview inRead 3D Cube Square

Preview inRead Spin Card Square

In the film, Swiss Life Asset Managers uses the revitalization of the Swiss Life Brannhof on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich to show how it takes a wide range of requirements into account in its comprehensive real estate management and incorporates them into a building renovation. The challenges are extensive: urban planning, monument preservation, energy-related issues, changing shopping behavior, structural framework conditions.

Seed developed and produced the film in close collaboration with Swiss Life Asset Managers. Filming took place over a period of three and a half years. In addition to the eight-minute original version, Seed also produced a two-minute short version. Several social media clips on selected topics were also produced in the course of filming.

Responsible at Swiss Life Asset Managers: Karin Pache, Tatjana Schachenmann. Responsible at Seed Audio-Visual Communication: Simon Koller (director, screenplay, editor), Atila Ulcay (camera), Julian Joseph, Mourad Keller (sound), Roman Linder (color grading), Matthias Müller (music composition, sound design, sound mixing), Bastian Hertel (production/recording manager), Felix Courvoisier (producer).

This forecast applies despite the fact that only 56.4 percent of the martech tools purchased are actually used, according to the survey. Furthermore, almost half of marketing managers see a significant discrepancy between the benefits of marketing technology and their hopes for these benefits.

Large language models rarely in use

At the same time, the survey shows that US marketers are unsure how to harness the full potential of the technologies to improve performance. The survey also found that only ten percent of companies are using large-scale language models for marketing activities, even though generative AI is already having a positive impact on companies in terms of lower overhead costs (seven percent), higher customer satisfaction (6.1 percent) and increased sales productivity (5.1 percent). "Our data shows that there is huge potential for the further introduction of AI in companies and therefore a great opportunity for marketing," says Christine Moorman, head of the CMO survey.

However, marketing managers who have integrated generative AI into their processes report significant hurdles in the survey, such as scarce funds for investment in the necessary hardware. In addition, "even the scores for key strategic challenges, such as ensuring that generative AI is a good fit for the brand and target markets, are only average, suggesting that the tools need to be optimized for better performance," Moorman said. (pte/swi)

The recently published CMO Survey was conducted for the 32nd time. For the survey, 292 marketers in management positions were interviewed.

Under the motto "Cirque d'Illusion", the LiveCom industry can expect a "circus-inspired and mystical atmosphere" on September 10, writes the organizers of the Expo Event Swiss Livecom Association in a press release. Guests at the 22nd Xaver Award are encouraged to dress in red and black in accordance with the "Circus Chic" dress code.

As in previous years, the decision as to which project team will take home the "Public Xaver" is in the hands of the public. Voting takes place via the new Xaver website.

"The Xaver Award 2024 is once again a symbol of excellence and innovation in the Swiss LiveCom industry. In a constantly changing world in which creativity and experience orientation are more central than ever, the Xaver Award offers a stage to celebrate the best projects, ideas and visions," says Andreas Kern, project manager and board member of the association about this year's Xaver edition.

This year's 34 submissions once again demonstrated the impressive diversity and innovative strength of the industry, Kern continued: "The Xaver Award is more than just an award - it is recognition for the courage to break new ground and for the passion that is invested in each individual project."

Lifetime Achievement Xaver Award for Rémy Crégut

In 2024, the Lifetime Achievement Xaver Award will go to French-speaking Switzerland: 64-year-old Rémy Crégut, an "impressive and multifaceted personality", writes the association. Crégut has worked in the international hotel industry, at Disneyland Paris and at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, among others. For the past 19 years, Rémy has shaped the Montreux Music & Convention Center 2m2c as Director, and he has played a decisive role in the organization of events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Montreux Comedy Festival.

The award ceremony will take place on September 10 at Jed Events Schlieren and starts at 6:30 pm. Tickets are available online.

For Nathalie Noël, being nominated CMO of the Year is more than just personal recognition. She sees it as confirmation of V-Zug's strategy to modernize, differentiate and expand the brand internationally. Above all, however, she celebrates the hard work of her teams, who have achieved great things in a short space of time.

Noël's "elevator pitch" for V-Zug is clear and convincing: customers not only invest in elegant and innovative appliances, but also in the highest standards of quality, environmental responsibility and durability.

Uplift for the brand: customer centricity and global expansion

For Noël, the biggest "uplift" of the past year was the general strengthening of the brand. V-Zug has used its core DNA to build a differentiated brand and a true global player. A particular focus was on customer interaction, which is reflected in the opening of numerous V-Zug Studios worldwide and the redesign of all digital touchpoints.

Gut feeling and data: The formula for marketing success

The "Switzerland, our home" campaign triggered a particularly positive gut feeling. It celebrated the values that drive V-Zug - Swiss values. Confirmation came from positive customer feedback and excellent KPIs, particularly in terms of engagement.

For Noël, gut feelings are the beginning of everything in marketing. At V-Zug, however, these are "elaborated", i.e. underpinned by market research, customer feedback and data analysis. This minimizes the risk of relying solely on the intuition of a few.

Getting stuck and getting ahead: The culture of testing and learning

Marketing can also come to a standstill. Noël then relies on the motto "do undo to better redo". Everything can be improved, and projects are never really finished. To overcome the fear of "never being finished", she promotes a culture of testing, failing or succeeding and learning from it.

Sustainability at V-ZUG: more than just a trend

For Noël as a marketer, sustainability is an important responsibility towards society. V-Zug goes above and beyond legal requirements and customer expectations. Sustainability is deeply rooted in the company's DNA, from the 15-year guarantee on spare parts and its own V-Forest to recyclable product designs and resource-conserving production.

Gratitude and collaboration: the key to success

Nathalie concludes the interview with a big thank you to her team and her colleagues. Great marketing is created through strong collaboration - with the markets, sales, technology, IT and all other areas. V-Zug's "magic formula" is a culture of respect, collaboration and customer focus.

With this combination of gut feeling, data and sustainability, Nathalie Noël and V-Zug have succeeded in creating an inspiring success story that shows what marketing can look like today.