For her Berlin agency macheete and their clients, Mareen Eichinger is always on the trail of the latest trends. The marketing expert founded her company in 2010 and has since then implemented the conception and implementation of communication campaigns in the areas of brands, products, people and lifestyle. In conversation, she repeatedly reminds us that for long-term success, further development, communication and sustainability are the key points for a progressive and successful company.

Ms. Eichinger, you've been in the communications business for more than a decade. How did you originally get started?
Mareen Eichinger: Before I founded macheete in 2010, I was employed in a classic marketing agency. At that time, everything in the industry revolved around the topic of 360-degree communication. Integrated communication was the top priority for companies and agencies and was the big thing. The goal was to communicate with customers through various touchpoints anytime and anywhere - mostly offline - to create a holistic brand experience. As a project manager, I was responsible for all the issues within a campaign. By going through all these steps from start to finish, I gained a very strong understanding of holistic marketing.

What has changed compared to back then? How do you perceive communication today?
Mareen Eichinger: The term 360-degree communication is still relevant today, of course. But at macheete, we've been focusing more on the changes in society and media use, as well as changes in communication behavior, in recent years. This has resulted in a completely new approach to the communication process for us. The focus is on all online communication tools with the new digital media such as the Internet, e-mail or social media. There are brands that sometimes only rely on their own digital touchpoints and are incredibly successful with them. Conversely, this means that as a brand, I no longer have to look for my customer everywhere; ideally, just a few channels are enough to be successful. That's why we at macheete see ourselves as experts for a subarea of communication within the marketing mix.

Since 1995, the circulation of daily and weekend newspapers has fallen sharply. How do you see the development in the classic PR sector for corporate communications?
Mareen Eichinger: In my opinion, the change in media offers many opportunities for both sides. On the one hand, for newspapers, which have to reinvent themselves and find their place online. Because there's no way back. On the other hand, for many companies that unfortunately still haven't understood that press and public relations work today is more than just a placement in yesterday's newspaper. Classic PR work is almost dead, and I'm not being a revolutionary with this statement. This should have long been clear to anyone who has studied the subject of communication. In my opinion, the topic of strategic online PR should have top priority in every company from now on.

How can companies succeed in building a holistic strategy for the future here?
Mareen Eichinger: If you want to remain relevant in the future, you should build up various assets on the Internet to digitally strengthen your company, your brand. This involves using the right measures such as online PR, content marketing, SEO, multipliers and social media to strategically spread one's own message on the various platforms and channels. Online positioning is and will remain indispensable in the future in order to reach one's target group. This is because they are very likely to look for answers to their questions on the Internet and also interact there. Content can no longer be produced for just one medium. Instead, companies should develop content that they can use on several digital channels at once in order to pick up their target group where they are.

So everything is the same as before, but digitally?
Mareen Eichinger: Just like in the analog world, in the digital context it's all about reaching my target group. The Internet, with all its possibilities, even offers the chance to keep wastage as low as possible through precise targeting of the target group. I like to compare this with the poster at the bus stop. There, I am seen by many people as a brand and have actually achieved my goal of attracting attention. So I could be satisfied as a company or brand. But if I'm honest with myself, I should ask myself: Who of those who saw my poster is really interested in what I have to offer? And what is the response of those who are interested? This doesn't happen to me so quickly with strategic content placement on the web. I definitely get noticed by the right target group and receive responses in the form of traffic, views, likes, shares or even links. So as a brand, I make my target audience work for me by giving me feedback and put my products out there. Sounds easy now, but it's still a long way to go.

Why haven't many companies recognized this yet?
Mareen Eichinger: When I talk to customers, I notice time and again that many people, including CEOs and marketing managers, simply don't want to recognize the importance of online communication. They have not yet realized that we live in a digital world and that there is no turning back. Then they say, yes, but business is going quite well and there are always small fluctuations in sales. Or they say, "Our target group is not online. It is easy to forget that target groups also change over time. They get younger, or the target group they are used to goes digital, and their buying behavior changes as a result. Conversely, this means at least: If I don't present myself online, I miss the chance to reach even more people.

Society is currently undergoing enormous change, both politically and socially. What do you recommend to companies?
Mareen Eichinger: Younger consumers in particular expect companies and brands to take a stand on certain social and political issues. You can see that especially with topics like Fridays for Future or Pride Month. And I think it's great that there are brands like Nike or Ben & Jerry's that are clearly positioning themselves here. Brands are becoming friends and getting involved with their consumers, standing up for their interests and rights. There are already studies that prove that brands make more sales when they get involved in social issues, even if that sounds very immoral right now. And that's where my recommendation comes in: If you briefly champion issues like diversity, inclusion or environmental protection because it's hype at the moment, you can quickly fall flat on your face. I therefore recommend a PR strategy that is designed to be sustainable. Values must fit the company and its target group. Corporate social responsibility is not a carnival ride that a brand can just jump on.

Butter by the fishes: Has classic advertising as such had its day?
Mareen Eichinger: Yes and no. The consumer and buying behavior of all of us has simply changed a great deal. While we used to be very receptive to colorful advertising images and could sing along to almost every commercial on TV by heart, today we are mostly just annoyed by them. But even online, hardly anyone is impressed by a flashing banner on a website, unless they need the product anyway. The banners are also hardly seen anymore, because we have all become mobile users. High-quality content that adds value is more important than ever. And that's where PR, which can increasingly act as a sale channel through good stories, can shine in full bloom, in my opinion. Here, PR people have to think big and design topics in such a way that they can be used for various channels.

In conclusion, what do you see as the most important trends for 2022?
Mareen Eichinger: Public relations is becoming more and more numbers-driven and therefore even more closely linked to the marketing or even sales department. KPIs such as traffic, conversions, leads and ultimately sales will play an enormous role. Social media communities are growing and gaining influence. That's why personal contacts with journalists, bloggers and influencers are very important to me, because they are being inundated with offers more and more. Only a long-term and strategic partnership will achieve success here in the long run. Companies and brands will constantly have to deal with topics such as sustainability, empowerment or diversity. It is not only the climate and the economy that are changing, but also the way people think and act. Companies should seriously address this and incorporate it into their future strategy. Customers or consumers want to know what a company or brand stands for and whether it is in line with their own worldview. The most important thing will be to put consumers at the center and reach them via different channels and individual content.

Even in prehistoric times, those who had a tool at hand, such as a stone hammer, were at an advantage. Materials could be shaped and work results achieved more quickly.

Tools for professional integration

Today, there is hardly any activity for which there are no corresponding tools, aids or programs. However, the fact remains that the tool is only as valuable as the hand that guides it. So what happens when the person at the tool is no longer able to guide the tool? If, due to illness, accident or birth defect, the possibilities are not sufficient to cope with the complexity of the working world?

Answers to these questions will be provided by the Integration Forum on Monday, March 7, 2022 (4 to 6 p.m.) in the Pfalzkeller St.Gallen. On the one hand, the participants will be presented with "Compasso" and "REP", two tools that provide valuable information and support so that employees can be employed in a meaningful way in the company despite temporary or permanent restrictions. On the other hand, two concrete case studies will be presented at the event to show how integration has been successful for employers and employees and which tools have been used for this purpose.

Forum Integration with Integration Award 2022

The 2022 Integration Award will also be presented at the event. It will be interesting to see which company the jury will honor for its efforts to integrate young people with disabilities into the primary labor market.

After the official part, all participants are invited to an aperitif and have the opportunity to exchange ideas. The event is organized and supported by procap, Suva, obvita, Bühler AG, Migros Kulturprozent, and gewerbe st.gallen, among others. The event will be moderated by Matthias Flückiger. The event will be held in accordance with the current Corona guidelines.

Registration and further information: www.forumintegrationsg.ch

The QR bill is the eierlegende Wollmilchsau in Swiss payment transactions: It serves the old world of post office counters for people who like to pay their bills with cash on the basis of a paper receipt and receive a stamp on the receipt as a "reward". And yes, it still exists, the yellow booklet that knows a fan base that can't be quelled. Approximately 15% of the roughly one billion bills sent out each year are still paid at the post office counter (source: SIX Group AG). However, the QR bill also makes it easier to scan payment data for customers who have long since switched to digital channels such as mobile or online banking. For this customer group, the new format offers some new conveniences, but many banks are not (yet) taking advantage of them.

QR bill pay

The financial institutions have done their basic homework: they can record payments on the basis of a QR invoice. On the one hand, this concerns the classic channel, namely the submission of physical receipts by means of a postal remuneration order. On the other hand, the Swiss QR code can usually be scanned in the mobile banking app with the smartphone camera, which eliminates the tedious typing of account and reference numbers. However, the new format fails in the most important channel of all, online banking: Neither can the Swiss QR Code be scanned with the PC camera, nor can an invoice sent via e-mail as a pdf document be read. For most users, this still means manually typing in endless numbers or copy-paste orgies. The fact that individual banks have linked online and mobile banking in such a way that a QR invoice, which one would like to pay on the PC, must first be scanned in with the smartphone, makes things only marginally better, as one is forced to handle different devices and logins. The potential for increased efficiency that the QR bill would have had is thus wasted.

Create QR Invoice

It is practical for the banks, because it reduces costs, that they can now discontinue the order administration for the orange and red payment slips. While some are still waiting a few months, others have already discontinued the service. Instead, those banks that rely on avaloq or finova as their core banking system offer their online banking customers the option of obtaining pre-printed QR payment slips, as the slips are now called. However, this service is not designed to be very customer-friendly, because:

1. Preprinted is only the invoicing party, but not the payer and also not the invoice amount.
2. QR payment parts can be ordered with a reference number, but since these are produced in a vacuum, billers must laboriously assign them to the correct debtor in their customer accounting system.
3. Because the content of the QR code must match the plain text information on the receipt, billers are not allowed to subsequently print the payers' details. This task is outsourced to the latter, which is moderately customer-friendly.

Banks still have room for improvement

These three points alone illustrate that the banks still have room for improvement. Ironically, this system is not only not very customer-oriented, but also cements the time-consuming order administration and the cost-intensive printing and mailing service of physical receipts. However, since most business customers are currently still pushing out the changeover, there is little pressure calling for a more meaningful solution. This is likely to change in the course of this year, when even the last companies, self-employed persons, fiduciaries and associations can no longer ignore the fact that payment slips are really disappearing.

The remedy for the aforementioned service gaps lies in solutions such as those offered by startups like www.qrmodul.ch have developed. The "QR Module" solution came in first in the user voting for the Best Retail Cases Swiss Award took third place in the e-commerce category. It offers its customers a SaaS service not only for the creation of fully completed QR payment parts, but also, in addition, the creation of complete invoices in the customer's own design and language of choice. So once again, it is small, innovative fintechs that are providing the necessary efficiency gains.

Author:
Beni Schwarzenbach is the Managing Director of QR Modul in Zurich.

Round a quarter of the working population in Switzerland is affected by emotional exhaustion, the core characteristic of burnout. Another study proves the need for action to prevent burnout cases. Companies are watching the situation very closely: 51 % of managers believe it is likely that their employees may experience burnout this year. This is one of the findings of the latest labor market study by Robert Half, a specialized provider of talent solutions.

Pressure to deliver results, workload and lack of work-life balance

Managers suspect increasing pressure to achieve results (26 %) and high workloads (24 %) as the main reasons for burnout. In each case, 23 % see the lack of work-life balance and the difficulty of reconciling work in the home office with simultaneous childcare as the main reason for high stress. In addition, HR managers rate the lack of prospects in the company (22 %) as a decisive factor for exhaustion. Other triggers cited by managers include fear of dismissal, problems in communication between employees and the company or colleagues (21 % each), and the downsizing of teams and lack of recognition (20 % each).

"Burnout is not a purely personal problem of an individual employee. The causes usually lie at the individual and company level. Accordingly, it is also the responsibility of companies to fulfill their duty of care and actively take countermeasures," says Eva Mahoney, Associate Director at Robert Half. "Employees themselves should not ignore typical warning signs and should actively address and tackle problems to avoid getting into overload situations."

Support for parents and greater health offerings as a remedy for burnout cases

The particular problem of working parents has already been recognized by many of the companies surveyed by Robert Half. 43 % offer them more support and 41 % allow more flexible working hours. 34 % are increasingly providing wellness and health services for all employees. Regular exchanges (20 %) are also sought after. Nearly one in five companies (19 %) are turning to temporary staff and freelancers to better manage workloads and relieve permanent employees. Eva Mahoney: "The effectiveness of temporary staff and freelancers is still underestimated by many companies. They can be used to reduce the high workload on permanent staff. They provide flexible support in the event of bottlenecks and can thus make a significant contribution to burnout prevention."

Typical burnout indicators

There are some typical warning signs that can indicate burnout and that managers should look for in employees:

• Exhaustion, fatigue, inner emptiness
• Distance to the job, decreasing commitment, passive instead of active
• Poorer performance, tendency to work overtime

"Managers should be aware of the issue of burnout and know what warning signs to look out for. We also recommend putting the topic on the agenda in management committees," says Eva Mahoney. "Companies that take countermeasures in good time prevent long absences from work due to burnout and also benefit from lower employee turnover."

Source: Robert Half

CRM provider Salesforce has launched its new Global Digital Skills Index published. More than 23,500 professionals between the ages of 18 and 65 in 19 countries were surveyed for this study in November-December 2021. The study sheds light on digital literacy deficits that prove to be a challenge for many professionals but also for companies. This is because almost three-quarters of employees (73 %) do not feel they have the digital skills that companies need now and in the future. 76 percent therefore feel inadequately prepared for the digital future. Despite this, only 28 percent of them are actively participating in relevant learning and training programs to date. Accordingly, the study shows the growing Global capability gap in digital skills and the urgent need for action.

Emerging markets much more confident than industrialized nations

Respondents from emerging markets are generally more confident about their digital future than their counterparts from industrialized countries: India reaches the Global Digital Skills Index the highest value. Three quarters of respondents in India feel equipped for a digitally driven workplace today, and seven out of ten employees are actively learning new digital skills - the figures are four times higher than in Germany, for example. In addition to India, respondents from Brazil, Thailand and Mexico are also optimistic about a digital future. By contrast, respondents from Australia, South Korea and Japan are less confident.

Digital skills from everyday life do not help in the workplace

Everyday skills such as social media and web navigation are not the same as core digital skills in the workplace. The vast majority of respondents in North America (83 %), Europe (82 %) and Asia Pacific (70 %) say they have "advanced" or "intermediate" social media skills. At the same time, only about a third in each case (31 %, 24 % and 34 %, respectively) feel prepared for the digital demands their workplace will place on them in the next five years. These include tools for digital collaboration, data analysis, administration, e-commerce and project management.

The index also shows that younger professionals have more confidence and ambition to continue their education: over one-third of Generation Z respondents are actively learning and training for the skills they will need in the next five years. Among members of Generation X, only 12 percent plan to be active in this regard. "A large proportion of employees worldwide do not rate their digital skills as sufficient. In Switzerland, it is no different and there is immense pent-up demand. Support measures are now required at the political and corporate level," says Petra Jenner, Head of Switzerland at Salesforce.

Companies are called upon to combat digital literacy deficits

Bridging the digital divide is crucial for successful economic development. Far too often, employees are dissatisfied with the continuing education offerings in their companies or do not receive any offerings at all. The cooperation of companies with public agencies and educational institutions is central to this: This is the only way to create the right training and continuing education opportunities that reach all sectors of society equally, according to the study authors.

More information and source: Salesforce

The Corona pandemic has given online shopping a powerful boost: Online trade in Switzerland is expected to have grown to 15 billion francs in 2021, according to Handelsverband.swiss. In 2020, online shopping sales in Switzerland still amounted to CHF 13.1 billion, as surveyed at the time by the GfK market research institute. Digitec Galaxus alone increased its sales by 16 percent year-on-year to 2.1 billion francs in 2021.

"Strong demand for everyday goods".

Online shoppers have also changed significantly from the beginning of 2019 to the end of 2021. This is shown by the analysis of the online comparison portal Comparis in cooperation with the credit agency CRIF. Thus, the age structure was shaken by the pandemic: The proportion of 55- to 65-year-olds shopping online grew from 14.1 before the pandemic to 15.1 percent at the end of 2021, while the proportion of pensioners (aged 65 and over) buying over the Internet rose from 13.3 to 14.1 percent in the same period. Among younger people, only those aged 30 to 40 increased by 0.9 percentage points to 21.3 percent.

By contrast, the share of online shopping among young adults aged 20 to 24 fell relatively (-0.9 percentage points). In other words, the older generations have contributed disproportionately to market growth in the pandemic. The reason for this shift probably lies in the increased demand for everyday goods, as Michael Kuhn from Comparis explains. The online retailer Digitec Galaxus in particular has recorded the strongest sales growth in the supermarket, do it + garden, home, baby and toy sectors.

German-speaking Swiss and foreigners provided a boost

The strong growth in online shopping was largely driven by foreigners and people in German-speaking Switzerland. Accordingly, the share of the other language regions and of people with a Swiss passport fell overall. Before the pandemic, significantly fewer foreigners shopped online than their share of the total population (25 percent); namely, only 21 percent. In the second half of 2021, the share rose to 23 percent. Especially in the first lockdown (March 16 to April 26, 2020), the share of older people shopping online increased: 14.4 percent of the shoppers in this period fell on retired people, and that of the 55 to 65 age group was 14.9 percent, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to the second half of 2019.

The German-speaking population of Switzerland made strong gains: at the end of 2021, their share of all online purchases was around 79 percent - significantly higher than their share of the total population (74 percent).

Women responsible for boom in online shopping 

The proportion of women shopping online was already significantly higher than the proportion of men before the pandemic (55.1 percent versus 44.5 percent). In the online shopping boom during the first lockdown in spring, it climbed again to 56.1 percent. This means that women are significantly overrepresented among those placing orders, as the proportion of women in the total population is 50.4 percent, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

"Due to the closure of all non-essential stores, the fear of infection and generally due to the mobility restrictions, many goods of daily use, such as groceries, were bought on the Internet instead of in the store. This task has been taken over by women in the majority," says Comparis expert Michael Kuhn.

Second lockdown: foreigners with significant gain  

In the second lockdown (January 11 to March 1, 2021), older generations again drove online shopping growth. However, the effect was smaller than in the first lockdown. The share of over-65s and 55- to 60-year-olds increased again by 0.5 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively. The group of 20- to 24-year-olds lost a proportionate 0.2 percentage points.

The gain of foreigners in the online shopping market during the second lockdown was significantly more pronounced than during the first lockdown. Their share grew from 22 to 23 percent. The Swiss lost 1.1 percentage points accordingly, from 78 to 76.9 percent.

Retirees continue to have potential in online shopping

"As more and more older people and people with foreign passports store online, rifts are closing here between the breakdown in the population and shopping by mouse click," observes Kuhn. Because more and more of those over 65 shopped on screen compared to 2019, their share of 14.1 percent is already much closer to their potential of 18.8 percent share of the total population.

At the other end of the spectrum are the 40- to 55-year-olds. They were the most overrepresented in relation to the age pyramid in Switzerland at the end of 2021. They accounted for 28.7 percent of all online shoppers in the second half of 2021. Yet they account for only 21.4 percent of the population.

Source: Comparis

Classic structures are being replaced in companies by new work structures characterized by work-life blending, collaboration and remote work. Agile working methods in coworking spaces and factors such as meaningfulness, design options and work-life balance are replacing familiar structures and processes. Companies need to rethink their IT infrastructure, office concepts and leadership styles. Corporate culture is experiencing an enormous boost thanks to massively increased flexibility in terms of work content, time, place and form. The productivity of employees working in a healthy and meaningful work environment increases significantly, which ultimately benefits the company, the employees and society as a whole.

New Work is called upon to offer a sense of purpose instead of rules and regulations, which helps entire teams as well as individuals to move forward in an increasingly competitive environment. Courage, personal responsibility and creativity are the foundations that generate an attractive working environment. "Work and life are merging in the digital transformation, enabling employees to respond flexibly to private circumstances and to work in a self-determined manner. At the same time, this places greater demands on self-direction," emphasizes Dr. Sarah Genner, head of the CAS New Work HWZ program, which will start anew in September 2022. Generations Y and Z, who are also digital natives, make up the majority of employees in Switzerland today, with flat hierarchies, freedom and flexibility among their important qualities of life. The new world of work will have to adapt to these developments if it wants to remain successful internationally in the increasingly intense competition for the best specialists. The framework for action for companies and their employees is becoming agile, newly set and enables a vibrant work environment. "In addition to numerous practical examples, the CAS New Work HWZ offers a look behind the hip buzzwords of "Future of Work", points out useful trends and takes the wind out of the sails of hypes", says course director Sarah Genner.

Link to the study program: https://fh-hwz.ch/produkt/cas-new-work/

The Swiss financial center has experienced three turbulent years. In the new "Private Banking and Retail Banking Market Insight," auditing firm PwC Switzerland has examined the private and retail banks and provides assessments of profitability, business volumes, and income and cost drivers. The findings are based on the latest financial reports for 2018 to 2020.

The bigger the private bank, the more successful 

Despite a difficult market situation, large private banks were able to increase their business volume to an average of 271 billion Swiss francs in 2020 thanks to high net new money inflows. The operating RORE (return on required equity capital) of 38.1% is also significantly higher than that of small and medium-sized private banks. This is due to strong brand identities, international presence and differentiated service portfolios, the PwC study notes. According to the study, these developments would continue in the future and allow large private banks to flourish comparatively independently of events on the financial market. Smaller and medium-sized private banks, on the other hand, were unable to keep pace with the big banks, especially in the pandemic year 2020, and recorded a manageable net inflow of new money. In particular, mid-sized banks saw a steady deterioration in operating RORE to an average of 10.5% from 2018 to 2020 due to declining operating profit margins.

Retail banks continuously increase business volume 

In the retail sector, this discrepancy, which can be observed at private banks, is hardly noticeable. Operating RORE remained relatively unchanged over the observed years in all three size categories. Nevertheless, the retail banks were able to continuously increase their business volume with low volatility to an average of 148 billion Swiss francs (large retail banks), 31 billion Swiss francs (medium-sized institutions) and 4.5 billion Swiss francs (small retail banks). In addition to strong market positioning, the lower AuM share in retail banking and thus less dependence on the global financial market also played a role here. The share of assets under management is the primary growth driver, especially for the large and medium-sized banks with an AuM share of 50-60%. Smaller retail banks are more dependent on mortgage lending and generated their volume growth mainly through this. "In the coming years, these trends will continue," says Martin Schilling, Director Deals Financial Services - Asset & Wealth Management at PwC Switzerland. "However, large retail banks will pass the smaller banks in the long run, as they can further increase business volumes thanks to a broader range of services and a wider reach."

High operating profit margin of little use to small banks

In both the private and retail banking segments, the large banks have a lower operating profit margin due to the higher proportion of business customers. Over the period under review, it fluctuated accordingly between 57 and 62 basis points (private banks) and 68 and 75 (retail banks) in relation to business volume. However, small private and retail banks can derive little benefit from the higher margins, as they have the highest personnel costs in relation to business volume. In addition, due to their business model, small retail banks have to provide a higher relative share of capital adequacy than larger institutions, which further reduces operating RORE. However, the study also shows that staff costs have remained constant in the retail sector over the period under review - an indicator of a stable and profitable business environment.

Private banks struggle with higher cost-income ratio 

Over the past three years, the cost-income ratio (CIR) of private banks has been significantly higher than that of retail banks in all magnitudes. Medium-sized private banks even showed a continuous deterioration in CIR from an average of 79% to 86%. Swiss offshoots of major European banks were hit particularly hard, with their operating profit margins halving from 2018 to 2020. In contrast, small and medium-sized retail banks performed above average with clearly lower CIRs of 51% and 53%, respectively, and demonstrated high efficiency.

Source: PwC

The "Best Retail Cases Switzerland" initiative is behind the Best Retail Cases Swiss Award, which will be presented for the first time on February 4, 2022. It was launched in late summer 2021 as an interface between solutions, providers and customers. "Due to increasing digitalization, retail is undergoing rapid change. With Best Retail Cases Switzerland, we want to show these changes in concrete terms. In doing so, innovative omnichannel models, smart technologies, creative design and networked systems are to be given their own showcase, so to speak," explains main initiator Ewa Ming. "Best Retail Cases Switzerland is a showcase platform for innovative solutions and a source of inspiration for new approaches in retail. We want to give retail and e-commerce a face with it," she explains further. The platform sees itself as a year-round contact point for events and networking in the field of e-commerce and omnichannel. Thematic webinars will present trends and the best cases starting in March 2022. The aim is to impart knowledge and present innovative applications for retail using concrete examples.

Winner of the "E-Commerce" category

Eleven projects were submitted for the first Best Retail Cases Swiss Award, four in the e-commerce category and seven in the omnichannel category. A jury and user voting selected the first winners on February 4, 2022. In the e-commerce category, InnoFind won the user vote with its solution for a fully automated search function that works according to visual taste at the poster store trenddeko.ch. The jury in turn awarded first prize to the interactive InMail store of the wine store Paul Ullrich AG with mailix by Mayoris as implementation partner. In the eyes of the jury, this case rethinks newsletter marketing by allowing customers to place an order directly from the e-mail without having to go through a web store.

Also two winners in the "Omnichannel" category

In the omnichannel category, the case of the KLARA expert portal, implemented by Okomo, met with the greatest approval among users. Here, the online world and physical consulting are combined, with trustees or even representatives of small IT companies acting as experts. Zumtobel Licht AG took first place in the jury's evaluation with its case at E.Leclerc LANGON: an indoor navigation system was installed there via the lighting infrastructure. This intelligent lighting solution makes it easier to locate customers, who can be alerted to promotions in the store via a customized shopping app. In the eyes of the jury, this is an interesting added value that is given to the actually "trivial" topic of lighting.

Digital and analog are merging more and more

The first Best Retail Cases Swiss Award took place in the form of a virtual event. The projects submitted show how the analog and digital worlds in retailing are not mutually exclusive, but can successfully complement each other. The evaluation by around 1700 user votes also indicates a remarkable response to the platform, which was achieved after just a few months. It is certainly also worth mentioning that all the cases presented are backed by classic SMEs. This shows that innovative and smart solutions can also make small things look big.

Best Retail Cases Swiss Award: The ranking list

E-commerce" category, user voting:

1. trenddeko.ch: search 25,000 posters live and fully automatically according to visual taste (with InnoFind)
2. Bergfreunde: MS Direct One-stop-shop for Crossborder Logistics (with MS Direct AG)
3. QR Module (with KMU Digitalisierung GmbH)

Ecommerce" category, jury assessment:

1. Paul Ullrich AG: Interactive InMail Shop in E-Commerce (with mailix by Mayoris)
2. trenddeko.ch: search 25,000 posters live and fully automatically according to visual taste (with InnoFind)
3. Bergfreunde: MS Direct One-stop-shop for Crossborder Logistics (with MS Direct AG)

Omnichannel" category, user voting:

1. KLARA Expert Portal: Serving Customers Digitally and Still Personally (with OKOMO)
2. Scount - Data Driven Marketing Platform Thanks to Artificial Intelligence and Gamification
3. MOUNTAIN AIR: The latest ERP solution from Microsoft including LS Retail POS (with Navtech Suisse SA)

Omnichannel" category, jury assessment:

1. E.Leclerc LANGON: Digital Service Lighting Infrastructure (with Zumtobel Licht AG)
2. MOUNTAIN AIR: The latest ERP solution from Microsoft including LS Retail POS (with Navtech Suisse SA)
3. Scount - Data Driven Marketing Platform Thanks to Artificial Intelligence and Gamification

The next Best Retail Cases Swiss Award will take place on November 29, 2022. All cases can be viewed at https://bestretailcases.com/

Schütz Service AG is a family business founded in 1979 with 26 employees. With the promise "We'll handle it.", the company has successfully built up a loyal and long-standing customer base from Bern. The focus of the company's activities is building and industrial automation.

Philipp Schütz has led the company as Managing Director until now, but now steps into the second rank: With Erich Hausammann, a Managing Director could be found who brings many years of experience in the development and management of SMEs and who wants to further develop the company with his willingness to perform and motivation. "We are proud and very happy to have a competent managing director in Erich, who will help us to continue to master the operational tasks professionally, efficiently and effectively," says Philipp Schütz on the handover of the baton. "I myself will focus my time on strategic development so that we can serve our customers even better in the future." Erich Hausammann is looking forward to his new task: "I am enthusiastic about the pragmatic and effective way of working at Schütz Service AG, the team and the culture of doing things are lived here and we are there for our customers - that pleases me and excites me."

The owners of Schütz Service AG, Philipp Schütz and his sister Denise Jacob-Schütz, would like to develop the company from a family business to a family-owned company with this step of choosing the managing director Erich Hausammann. From their point of view, in addition to operational capacity, the company now also increasingly needs the ability to tackle strategic projects that are otherwise left unaddressed for too long in day-to-day operations. Philipp Schütz now wants to take this strategic task into his own hands and thus move the company forward. "The future," Philipp Schütz is convinced, "also requires greater automation in our own operations and the right processes and investments in technologies. In addition, an extension for growth and jobs is also on the agenda - against the backdrop of the operational burden, these important topics otherwise come up short."

Source and further information

People who want to re-enter the job market after an extended absence often find it difficult to find a job. "A gap in the resume is still perceived as a major obstacle when looking for a job," knows Evelin Bermudez, returnship expert at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The research team, consisting of Evelin Bermudez, Dr. Anina Hille, Prof. Dr. Gabrielle Wanzenried and Prof. Dr. Yvonne Seiler Zimmermann, has investigated which challenges are particularly great for those re-entering the workforce and how their chances for rapid re-entry could be improved.

Flexibility in time and place as a need

If the researchers have their way, there is great potential in the employment of returnees to counteract the impending shortage of skilled workers. "But the existing potential is far from being exploited," says Evelin Bermudez. Many of the so-called "returners" find it difficult to find a suitable re-entry position after their long break. According to the survey, returners have a particularly strong desire to work part-time and flexibly in terms of location. Most of them would like to be able to work at least partially in a home office. Thus, 38 percent of the respondents who are looking for a job again after a longer break stated that they would like to work between 60 and 80 percent. Around 35 percent of them are looking for an even smaller workload. So overall, 73 percent of those returning to work want to return to the workforce as part-time employees. "Many companies in Switzerland are not yet ready when it comes to part-time positions and flexible work models," says Bermudez. The HSLU expert adds, "During the Corona crisis, however, awareness of flexible working has increased. This development suits those re-entering the workforce."

Well trained and motivated for re-entry

According to the research team, companies could benefit from relying more on returnees. Returnees" are often characterized by a high degree of flexibility. Around 60 percent of respondents who want to return to work after a longer break are willing to attend an important meeting outside of agreed working hours. "Returnees are also often well educated, motivated and bring many years of professional experience from before the break," says Prof. Dr. Gabrielle Wanzenried, diversity expert at the Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud HES-SO.

Women particularly affected

The most common reason for a career break is childcare, as the survey shows. Other reasons cited in the survey include moving or caring for elderly family members. Women are particularly likely to take a longer career break. Interestingly, a partner's work activity doesn't seem to influence whether someone takes a break for child care, for example. "That surprised us. We assumed that people who have an earning partner would tend to take a longer break," says Wanzenried.

Source: Lucerne University

Association Companies & Returnships Network

The non-profit association Companies & Returnships Network has set itself the goal of sustainably disseminating programs for professional re-entry - so-called "returnships" or "supported employment" - in Switzerland. To this end, CRN shows companies and organizations the added value of return-to-work programs and supports them in the introduction, implementation and evaluation of these programs. The association was founded by four researchers from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts: Evelin Bermudez, Dr. Anina Hille, Prof. Dr. Gabrielle Wanzenried and Prof. Dr. Yvonne Seiler Zimmermann.

Further information is available at www.crn-verein.ch.

In Switzerland, up to 3.5 million masks are used every day. As a result of the pandemic, protective masks have also found their way into the everyday life of customer consultants - sooner or later, perhaps even soon, the obligation to wear them will be dropped. Irrespective of this: because colors are known to be psychologically very influential, consultants from a wide range of industries are now considering not only which shirt or blouse color they should wear - but also which mask color.

What makes an optimal consultation

The question of which mask color is best for the consultation must be answered in connection with another core question: What constitutes optimal consulting in the first place? Scientific studies have already shown in the past that trust is the key factor for an optimal relationship between advisor and customer. This trust, in turn, is based on the two consultant characteristics "sympathy" and "competence. In psychological experiments, sympathy turned out to be the more important factor. Customers trust a sympathetic advisor more than a competent one. The best-case scenario is, of course, achieved when a consultant appears likeable and competent at the same time (cf. Competence-Likability-Model by Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel Sousa Lobo). The optimal mask color should therefore pay attention to both characteristics and make the consultant both more likeable and more competent.

The neuromarketing consultancy Zutt & Partner has studied the emotional impact of different mask colors in an EmoCompass®-study and compared with the two characteristics "sympathy" and "competence". The emotional effect of the different mask colors was elicited completely non-verbally and monadically, i.e. not by simply assigning the colors to the two poles. This methodology allows the exploration of the emotions on a deep individual association level and practically under exclusion of cognition. The result shows which protective masks customer advisors should wear - and which they should better steer clear of.

It is not because of the mask color

The study results make it clear that sympathy and competence are emotionally two very different worlds. They are clearly distinct from one another and form two opposite poles. The mask colors can be placed between these two poles. The closer a mask is to one of the two poles, the more similar the emotional effect.

What is probably not entirely surprising is that masks - regardless of their color - always make customer advisors at least a little less likeable. Covering half the face and thus also a friendly smile has been proven to reduce a person's likability.

From a marketing perspective, however, masks also have an advantage. For example, the masked consultant automatically appears more competent - regardless of the color of the mask. One reason for this could be the association with medicine. Thus, the customer's brain associates masks with competent doctors and surgeons. In addition, the customer is not distracted, or is less distracted, by facial expressions, sympathy and antipathy, so that the focus is again more on the content of the conversation and thus on the consulting competence.

The best mask colors for the best consultation

For optimal customer consulting, those masks stand out that are emotionally as close as possible to sympathy and competence in the customer's brain. Since sympathy is the more important factor for successful consulting, the following masks are important. white and light blue masks the best choice. Although people without masks still look more sympathetic, white and light blue masks lose less sympathy than other mask colors.

The second best choice form dark blue and black masksbecause these increase the emotional competence effect of the consultant. A certain mask color comes to lie in the middle of the emotional map and thus triggers both sympathy and competence: Pink. But the emotional effect is too weak in this case. The consultant appears neither much more likeable nor more competent with a pink mask.

Clearly to be avoided are yellow, green and orange masks. Because these pull emotionally too strongly away from sympathy and competence. But since these two factors are decisive, the selected mask should at least pay attention to one of the two factors.

Conclusion of the study

The color choice of the protective mask has an influence on the consulting experience. The right mask can arouse emotions of sympathy and competence in the customer's brain and thus significantly influence the success of the consultation. In case of doubt, the sympathy factor should be given priority. Therefore, based on studies, the light blue and white masks are the best options for consultants.

But the perfect mask would be a combination of both worlds. Competence was mainly triggered by the darker masks, namely the dark blue and the black. Thus, the perfect mask would be a light blue or white with dark elements.

Source and further information: Zutt & Partner