Companies are confronted with increasing competitive pressure, new business areas, unstable supply chains and the battle for talent on a daily basis. With "SME IT Solution", Swisscom offers a one-stop shop for IT, network, internet and telephony to help SMEs better meet these challenges.

The Zurich agency Bühler&Bühler translated the jointly developed value proposition quickly and comprehensibly into various subjects. In addition, the campaign was customized for Swisscom's partner marketing in order to maximize reach and inform customers personally. The campaign for the new B2B solution is primarily played out via social media and dialog marketing channels.

Bühler & Bühler has developed an independent moving image concept with the help of AI. Initially, the videos show a glitch that quickly dissolves and is intended to illustrate the advantages of "SME IT Solutions". The visuals represent the entire spectrum of the SME landscape.

"Bühler & Bühler succeeded in getting to the heart of the strengths of the service in a striking campaign. The fact that the visuals were generated with AI fits in with the spirit of the times - just like the new overall solution," says Roger Rietmann, Marketing Manager at Swisscom.

Responsible at Swisscom: Roger Rietmann (Marketing Manager ); Esin Emanetoglu (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Bühler & Bühler: Doris Bühler (Creative Direction); Vasco Bickel (Art Direction); Sofia Hornung (Design & Concept); Ronda Miller (Consultant); Joséphine Rohrer (Text & Concept); Clemens Fachinger (Text & Concept).

According to the survey, almost half (46%) of the 350 decision-makers surveyed expect the online advertising market to grow - albeit to varying degrees. 34 percent expect slight growth of up to five percent. Around seven percent of respondents anticipate growth of up to ten percent, while a further six percent expect market growth to exceed this mark.

However, there are also more skeptical forecasts: one in five predicts stagnation, while around one in four anticipates a drop in the online advertising balance. Five percent even see the industry plummeting by more than ten percent. One in ten are currently unable to assess the situation.

According to Thomas Mosch, Director Conference at DMEXCO, the survey results provide important impetus for the next DMEXCO: "The results show the heterogeneous mood in the market and the differentiated expectations. However, the majority are starting the new year optimistically, relying on advertisers' increasing willingness to invest in online marketing."

Around one in two experts forecast budget increases, particularly in the areas of social media (52.9%) and search engine marketing (46.5%). Around a fifth of respondents explicitly classify influencer marketing as the fastest-growing segment. Collaboration with influencers is playing an increasingly important role, especially for the 30 to 39-year-olds surveyed: 26% would invest more here. In terms of gender distribution, one figure stands out: 31% of female experts would plan to invest more in influencer marketing - compared to just 9% of men.

Top trends AI, sustainability and social responsibility

Artificial intelligence will remain the top trend in digital marketing in 2024. Sustainability and social responsibility are in second place and social commerce in third place. What is striking is the different assessment of the topic of mixed reality among the age groups of respondents. 62% of 18 to 29-year-olds rate VR, AR and other mixed reality applications as highly relevant for online marketing - a figure that is many times higher than the average across all age groups (11.3%).

"Artificial intelligence and sustainability are two megatrends that will shape not only our industry but society as a whole in 2024. AI is about business models, potential applications along the value chain and how we take people with us in this transformation. Sustainability is increasingly becoming a hard currency this year and is gaining a stronger foothold in the digital economy. We will help shape both developments in the BVDW and at DMEXCO," explains Carsten Rasner, Managing Director of the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW).

According to Thomas Mosch, the current study shows an increasingly heterogeneous mood in the industry compared to previous surveys. Fortunately, however, optimism prevails: "Effective marketing is crucial for navigating dynamic markets. Last year, we tended to confirm the suitability of artificial intelligence for everyday use in marketing. At DMEXCO 2024, we will see many concrete projects that demonstrate how productive and disruptive AI can actually be," concludes Mosch.

On behalf of DMEXCO, the market research company Civey surveyed a total of 350 marketing and advertising professionals online between November 23, 2023 and January 2, 2024.

A deep dive into the results can be found in the free whitepaper.

Although Gonon is regarded as an inventor and pioneer in the field of EPS insulation materials, the almost 100-year-old company itself is still little known and has to assert itself against the two dominant Swiss market leaders. Gonon therefore needs a new communicative bracket to position itself as a brand for the future. And an attention-grabbing campaign to differentiate Gonon in a competitive environment and create more visibility among the relevant target groups in the construction industry.

Positioning in a nutshell

From the very beginning, founder Monsieur Gonon focused on independent product development and pioneering innovations. Today, the company continues to live this inventive spirit just as consistently, as demonstrated by several world firsts. This high level of expertise and the great commitment of all employees are immediately noticeable in the factory: they identify one hundred percent with their mission. No one in Switzerland knows EPS better and does more for it. In short: Gonon are the EPS experts: inventive, committed, unique.

Small beads big time

Because the product always takes center stage at Gonon, this should also be the case in the advertising. Because there is also enough to tell about it. The communication therefore focuses entirely on the product and zooms in on every detail. The properties of the various Gonon innovations are dramatized using individual EPS granules. In this way, Gonon's inventive spirit is also conveyed directly through the product. The EPS beads become the stars of the campaign, bringing together all of Gonon's know-how. The casual tonality is also intended to ensure that Gonon not only convinces on a factual level, but also conveys its expertise as entertainingly as possible - and thus stands out in the B2B environment.

A well-rounded appearance on all channels

The new, self-confident image is being launched at the same time as the redesigned website. At the start of the campaign, several motifs bring the product diversity and EPS expertise to life - in addition to EPS qualities, topics such as recycling management, integrated fire protection and moisture control are dramatized.

The campaign is present on all communication channels - as header subjects on the website, as social media posts, as advertisements in specialist media and as product flyers for direct contact. The two animated product films for the EPS world premiere are a particular highlight.

The strategy, concept, art direction, photography and texts for the campaign were created entirely by TBS. The explanatory films were realized with Frame Eleven.

Have you ever wondered why there are people and institutions that have a tiny blue tick to the right of their profile on social media? Influencers, celebrities and large companies have them, for example. The former celebrate it like a crowning glory and show it off like others with their vintage cars or watches. The difference: you can't buy blue checkmarks. It simply means that the account is verified. This means that the account is legitimate and belongs to the person or company that it claims to be. So far so good, that would be all of us, except for a few lurkers or other miscreants on the net.

But why don't mere mortals also have a blue tick? It is only reserved for high-profile accounts, i.e. profiles of influencers, celebrities or global brands. Meta, Tiktok and X determine who is one of them.

Everyone knows Tiktok. These are the evil Chinese who spy on us while we endlessly scroll through videos. But who is Meta? It's not the mysterious higher level, the level that people like to refer to when they don't know what to do next. No, it's the company of that guy who still believes in the future of connection in the metaverse.

And what the hell is X? The platform of the madman who shot down the blue bird last year, and which nobody has known what to say about since then. With a paltry 250 thousand users, it may be a lightweight, but it is still of great importance because of a user that everyone knows and who may soon be ruling a world power again.

Private or blue - you can't have both

Meta, Tiktok and X therefore filter who of the 2.7 billion Facebook, 1.92 billion Tiktok and 1.33 billion Instagram users meets the following requirements. In order to be verified on social media, certain criteria must be met. The first criterion for Instagram, for example, is that the account must be public. It is therefore not possible to set a limit so that only those who are invited to see the posts can do so if a blue tick is being sought. But that is not enough. In addition to authenticity and completeness (profile picture, bio, website link), regularity (when posting and interacting with others) also counts.

You also need a certain number of followers, namely at least 10,000 on Instagram. Tiktok, on the other hand, does not care who follows you, as the number of followers is not decisive for verification. Instead, if a person or brand is of public interest - for example, by being mentioned in various news sources - a blue tick is also awarded.

So anyone who has applied for verification using an application form and waits a few days or weeks until he or she perhaps receives the blue tick can then rejoice. He or she is then admitted to the Olympics of social media.

Is it worth it? Yes, because a verified account gives you access to certain functions such as exclusive filters and analysis tools that can help you better understand target groups and gain more followers. So stop joking about people celebrating their blue tick like others celebrate their new electric Porsche.

It's better to make fun of why it's called a blue hook when the hook is actually white. Only the background is blue.

Together with the founders and the core team of Bauernschänke, which includes the Neue Taverne and Neumarkt restaurants as well as the restaurant of the same name, Branders has defined the brand identities for the new restaurants Brasserie Süd and The Counter. Both are based on the existing philosophy of creating inspiring culinary experiences and constantly setting new trends in Zurich's gastronomic landscape. While Brasserie Süd is dedicated to an urban flair inspired by French and international influences, The Counter aims to enrich Zurich's haute cuisine.

The brand identity of Brasserie Süd is inspired by the location and its atmosphere. The colors and fonts harmonize with the historic architecture and the newly created modern elegance of the space. The cosmopolitan ambience with its dynamic hustle and bustle that characterizes this meeting place in the heart of Zurich inspired the curved lines that characterize the corporate design as a design element in various forms.

The brand design for The Counter also creates a design reference to the interior architecture: the characteristic shape of the counter that gives the brand its name is echoed in the obtuse angle that makes the logo's lettering unmistakable and is used as a recurring design element in various applications. The dark color palette is intended to underline the dignified sensuality that also accompanies the culinary experience.

Both brand designs therefore have a high degree of independence, whereby the creative inspiration for both was derived from their immediate spatial environment.

Responsible at Bauernschenke: Valentin Diem (Partner); Nenad Mlinarevic (Partner, Creative Director); Sue Dervichian (CEO); Muriel Steenhaut (Project Management). Responsible at Branders: Thea Ferretti (DirectorCommunications), Philippe Knupp (Strategy Director), Sarah Hepp (Senior Brand Designer), Andrea Bissig (Senior Brand Designer).

CCFO claims to be the world's first family office for vehicle collectors and develops and combines the proven services of a traditional family office with a focus on the individual requirements of vehicle collectors. Based on its extensive expertise in the classic and luxury vehicle segment as well as its existing services, CCFO offers a complete package for the customized management of vehicle collections.

Charles Blunier, who is already responsible for the entire creative part of B.I. Collection, also designed the CCFO brand. "Our aim was to create a brand that exudes the credibility of a financial institution and at the same time evokes the emotions of a car collector," says the agency. Everything from the strategic brand positioning and naming to the 360-degree campaign was implemented in-house.

Responsible at B.I. Collection: Beat Imwinkelried (owner and CEO), Anke Fischer (Chief Marketing Officer). Responsible at Charles Blunier & Co: Charles Blunier (overall responsibility and creative director), Ricardo Ferrol (art director), Silvio Demuth (senior designer), Dan Roznov (storytelling, copywriting), Simon Tellenbach (managing director), Lena Staeheli (head of editorial & projects), Daniela Zivadinovic, Barbara Kallenberg (PR & Communication), Visual Park (Film Production) Luzian Schlatter (Director), Alex Kleinberger (Producer), Jan Holgerson (1ac), Sabina Nussbaumer (Wardrobe), Hastings (Wardrobe), Romain Roucoules (Photographer), Sébastien Michelini (Set Design), Iconoclast (production). Forward advertising: Sonam Wieland, Andrea Kloter.

The start-up "Heybee" was founded with the idea of creating a health and lifestyle product brand based on the natural power of bees. The aim is to become the market leader for propolis-based natural products in the areas of wellness, health and nutrition in Europe and worldwide. Propolis is a resinous substance that honey bees extract from buds, sap and other botanical sources. The organic components contribute to the antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant properties, making the ingredient a natural remedy.

To bring the natural power and natural product to life in a brand, MetaDesign created the Heybee brand in one month. In a highly collaborative and agile process, the strategy, brand name, visual identity and packaging design were developed from scratch.

The new name is the result of extensive creative exploration in parallel with intensive brand testing. "Heybee" is a tribute to the bees that make a valuable natural product like propolis possible in the first place. The word mark and the super symbol are intended to reflect the light and lively spirit of the bee dance. The color "Bee Yellow" characterizes the category code, complemented by the natural tones Nature Green, Berry Purple, Stone Grey and Earth Brown. The simple nature of the images should enable the startup to create effective visuals easily and independently with the help of AI. The typography features small elements reminiscent of bee antennae. Orchestrated like a beehive, Heybee reflects the surprising, inspiring and cheerful, yet efficient and reliable character of a brand at the intersection of health and lifestyle.

Michel Stecher, co-founder of Heybee, explains: "For us, MetaDesign was synonymous with global branding expertise right from the start - crucial for our global ambition. At the same time, we had our reservations as to whether MetaDesign could switch into a start-up mode, as we needed. We were pleasantly surprised from day one. We benefited from the very close, straightforward and honest sparring - crucial to give our brand the profile we expected; from the internal business strategy and brand positioning to the name and visual identity of Heybee."

MetaDesign CEO Lukas Eiselin adds: "With Heybee, we have shown how naturally we work in a highly agile and collaborative mode with start-ups. Together with Heybee, we succeeded in creating a new brand from scratch in just one month."

The signed agreement stipulates that Saas Valley Tourism will specifically include products and activities around Eisten in its communication. The activities, some of which have already been jointly developed in the product development phase, include the new mountain bike trail from Saas-Balen to Stalden along the valley road, the region's hiking trails, the husky tours in winter and other tourism-related products as agreed. The Saas-Fee/Saas Valley tourist office will also be available to guests in Eisten for tourist inquiries by telephone or e-mail. As a concrete sign of the close cooperation, the Saas-Fee/Saas Valley destination will also be a co-sponsor of the 81st Upper Valais Drum and Pipe Festival.

In order to create a consistent and exceptional customer experience, the experts at Jung von Matt Brand Identity developed MDH's entire customer journey from scratch. The strategy focused not only on presenting the MDH brand, but also on making it tangible - at every single stage of the interaction with customers.

This holistic approach has resulted in many changes. First and foremost is the increased proximity to the customer, which is also reflected in the new design. Inspired by Corbusier's "Modulor", which combines the human scale with the golden ratio, the design ensures aesthetic excellence. This is intended to give the architecture a human dimension and at the same time bring order to the visual concept. By using real client portraits in the imagery and storytelling that focuses on the needs of the clients, MDH also creates a deeper connection with its clients.

The brand's design concept comes into its own through a detailed customer journey that aims to impress through unique experiences. From personalized architectural plan rolls to tailor-made surprises and high-quality communication materials.

"With Jung von Matt Brand Identity, we have taken our brand and the customer experience to a new level. Now our customer journey reflects exactly what we achieve in our architecture and design: excellence, creativity and individuality," says Ivana Ristovic from MDH.

Responsible at MDH: André Kressebuch, Ivana Ristovic, Lea Kuzhini. Responsible at Jung von Matt Brand Identity: Philipp Siegenthaler (strategy), Diana Geissel (project management), Monica Bühlman, Pablo Scheidegger, Didier Quarroz, Christina Widmann (design), Julius Jäger (mandate management).

Since it was founded in 1882, Möbel Pfister has been continuously developing to offer the best possible shopping experience. The furniture store wants to be relevant for all customers, which is reflected in its modernized corporate identity (CI).

The revised logo is a central element of Möbel Pfister's new corporate design. It presents itself in a fresh, light, friendly and accessible style. The previous red bar next to the initial letter has been removed and the lettering is now consistently lower case. The characteristic Pfister red, the main color of the brand, has been subtly revised and noticeably refreshed. These changes are intended to emphasize Möbel Pfister's modernity and innovative strength.

"We want to appear more confident, bold and determined, while showcasing our unique expertise. In doing so, we are keeping both our existing customers and the next generation of Pfister shoppers in mind. Vasataschröder understood this mission and further developed our corporate identity in such a way that this promise is also kept visually," explains Pfister CEO Paul Holaschke.

With its new brand identity, Pfister is staying true to its origins while preparing for the challenges of the digital age. The company continues to keep its promise to offer attractive furnishing solutions for every customer.

The starting signal for the new CI is the campaign for the sleep range, which will be launched on Tuesday and will be used in print and digital measures on all channels in February.

Under the creative direction of art director Meret Hammel, a fresh, dynamic image was created that focuses on the association's members.

The colors and imagery at the heart of the new design are intended to reflect the diversity and dynamism of the dance community. An outstanding feature of the new corporate design is the opportunity for association members to actively participate in the visual appearance. By integrating an individual image world, members can submit their own images, which are then added to the association's library. This dynamic interaction is intended to give the association a lively appearance and strengthen the bond between members.

The graphic elements of the design provide a framework that creates uniformity and recognition without suppressing artistic diversity. The harmonious combination of structure and dynamics makes the appearance both appealing and professional.

"The world of dance is rich in emotion, expression and movement. Our aim was to capture these elements in a visual concept that authentically represents the members of the Federal Dancers' Association," says Nicolas Wolf, Creative Director at Schmid+Wolf. "We are convinced that the new visual identity reflects the energy and passion of the dance community."

The revised corporate design has been officially introduced in all association communications and materials since January 2024. Members are encouraged to actively participate in the new visual identity and contribute their unique perspectives through their own images.

According to the study, those affected are not necessarily reducing essential expenditure. They make savings where they have the costs under control, explained the consulting firm Deloitte on Tuesday.

According to the survey, a good half (52%) of respondents have eaten out less in the last 12 months and visited bars or clubs less often. And 40 percent each had saved money on clothing, vacations, travel and leisure activities. More than a third (34%) had cut back on food.

All in all, 57 percent of those surveyed would have reduced their spending on non-essential items.

Hardly any cutbacks in education

The proportion of inflation-influenced savers is lower in the areas of education (10 percent), public transport (14 percent) and telecommunications (16 percent). According to Deloitte, this suggests that these areas obviously enjoy a higher priority.

Another strategy to cope better with inflation is to shop more cheaply. According to the survey, special offers and promotions have become more important for more than half (51%). Many also deliberately bought cheaper products (44%) or switched to cheaper suppliers (37%).

However, only a small minority of people are opting for second-hand goods, making things themselves or simply borrowing them in response to inflation. There does not appear to be a fundamental change in consumer behavior, says Deloitte.

Western Switzerland suffers more

In the survey, 27% of respondents across Switzerland stated that inflation had been a major burden for them in the last 12 months. A further 38% felt that rising prices were a medium burden.

Western Switzerland seems to be particularly hard hit, with 33% of respondents saying that inflation is a high burden and 40% saying it is a medium burden. Across Switzerland as a whole, almost two thirds (65%) perceive inflation as a burden, with this figure rising to almost three quarters (73%) in French-speaking Switzerland.

Costs that cannot be influenced

But rising housing rents and health insurance premiums are also a cause for concern. However, these are politically influenced prices - it is more difficult to make savings on your own initiative.

The survey shows that public opinion is roughly split in half on this issue. One part of the population is in favor of long-term, sustainable solutions, while another part prefers measures that are effective in the short term. "This division is evidence of the complexity of these issues," concludes the consultancy firm.

In Switzerland, prices are currently six percent higher on average than at the beginning of 2021. "Pulse of Switzerland" survey by Deloitte surveyed 1900 people living in Switzerland last November. (SDA)