Brand Congress 2025: AI, content, cultural change
At the Swiss Brand Congress 2025, it became clear that artificial intelligence is not only changing the how, but also the what of brand management. If you want to survive, you need clarity of purpose, precision in the process - and the courage to realign.
High above the city, with a view over the lake and the Alps, the brand elite met at the Dolder Grand. The Swiss Brand Congress once again brought together around 650 managers, agency heads and brand experts to discuss what makes brands strong today - and irreplaceable tomorrow. In the midst of times of exponential change, it became clear that those who manage brands need foresight - technologically, culturally and creatively.
Excellent brand management - from Malters and from HSG
Two personalities were in the spotlight at the Swiss Academy of Marketing Science's brand awards ceremony:
Marc GläserCEO of Stöckli Swiss Sports AG, was honored with the "Marketing Thought Leader Award" 2025. His track record: the company's consistent focus on skis, coupled with a strategy of excellence driven by craftsmanship, innovation and athletes. Under his leadership, Stöckli developed from a broad sporting goods brand into a highly specialized provider of premium skis - with Marco Odermatt as a shining testimonial.
Prof. Dr. Johanna Gollnhofer, consumer researcher at the HSG, was honored with the "Rigor & Relevance Research Award". Her studies on "consumption in abundance" show how strongly material things are linked to order, identity and emotional support - a topic that even brands cannot ignore. Her conclusion: full cupboards tell us more about ourselves than we think. For brands, this means that if you want to understand how people buy, you have to understand how they live.
AI at Beiersdorf: structured transformation instead of hype
The extent to which AI is already being used in companies was demonstrated by Jasmin Quellmann, Head of MarTech & AI at Beiersdorfin one of the most impressive presentations of the day. The traditional Hamburg-based company behind brands such as Nivea, Eucerin and Labello does not rely on loose tests, but on a sophisticated framework called "Amy" - a combination of technological excellence and internal change management.
Amy stands for "AI" and "me" - the conscious connection between technology and people. More than 40 specific use cases were identified, validated and evaluated in a structured governance process. These range from intelligent font recognition in DAM systems and AI-supported storyboarding with tools such as Bria to ethics guidelines for AI-generated images, particularly in sensitive areas such as skin depiction.
Beiersdorf is pursuing a clear goal: AI should not only bring efficiency, but also create space for more creativity - by automating repetitive tasks and through better insights from R&D and market research.
One highlight was the example of the localization of product visuals: where previously dozens of variants had to be created manually, AI now generates localized formats in seconds, for example for e-commerce or social media. AI is also used specifically for voiceovers, model rights management and quality assurance.
However, Quellmann also made it clear that over 50 % of all AI projects fail. The reasons are a lack of fit, legal risks or a lack of integration. "AI is not a dressage horse," she said, "it's a wild ride. But one that is worthwhile - if you are prepared to take responsibility."
Publicis: Campaigning to the beat of algorithms
Also with Publicis AI is no longer an optional extra, but part of day-to-day business. Pascal Winkler, Chief Strategy Officer of the Group, painted a clear picture of the new reality: the consumer journey is fragmented, platforms decide what is seen - no longer brands. Anyone who still thinks in terms of annual plans is losing out.
Publicis has therefore worked with "Jane Canvas" developed a tool that orchestrates the entire creative process - from insight to conception to visual implementation. Thanks to central AI tools, campaigns can be created iteratively, tested more quickly and adapted in series. The combination of Gen AI, analytical AI and media intelligence creates new possibilities - for example in post-campaign analysis, where a commercial mix model calculates the best ROI across all channels.
The message: creativity remains human, but it changes. Not through renunciation, but through a new approach to ideas.
Lindt: Between stretch and stability
Andrea Hänggi from Lindt gave an insight into how the traditional brand Innovation score around 13.2 % in particular thanks to the attention-grabbing "Dubai chocolate". The campaign struck a chord with a younger target group and showed that even established brands are capable of cultural impulses.
Nevertheless, it is a balancing act, says Hänggi: working with creators requires clear briefings, freedom - but also veto rights. Lindt wants to keep its finger on the pulse without losing the brand framework. Social Listening remains central - new campaigns are open, but not a sure-fire success.
Post advertising: cross-media at the heart of the action
For Sabrina Wettstein, representative of the main sponsor Post Advertisingthe congress is a "strategic homebase event". Having been on board for three years, it is clear that the partnership is paying off - both in business and cultural terms.
With strong performances and dialogs - for example with Denner on the topic of customer centricity - Post Advertising has shown itself to be a cross-media provider with proximity to retail and moving images. The topic Retail Mediais omnipresent - as is the passion for new campaigns, says Wettstein. Inspiration and networking are ideally combined at the Dolder: "You meet familiar faces - and gain new customers."
ESB: The revolution doesn't have to be rushed
Hans-Willy Brockesorganizer and CEO of the ESB Marketing Networkpleaded for a clear head in turbulent times:
"We are in the middle of a revolution - but the great art is to remain calm."
The marketing world is more complex than ever. There is no longer "the" highlight, but a multitude of relevant topics - from AI to bionics to live marketing. The danger? Getting bogged down. Brockes advised setting priorities and moving into the new world step by step.
His reminder about creativity came without AI: "The best ideas don't come from models, but from real minds." And his personal favorite brand? Red Bull - because of the consistency with which it creates worlds with emotion, experience and sponsorship. "I'm surprised that hardly anyone imitates this - but maybe that's a good thing."
The brand as a cultural system
Anina Segat (MetaDesign) and Marko Bjelonic (RIVR) concluded by discussing how brand management can be rethought in the AI age - not as a purely communicative, but as a cultural task. Brands are interfaces between people, technology and society. If you want to manage them well, you need more than tools - you need attitude.
Conclusion
The Swiss Brand Congress 2025 impressively demonstrated this: Brand management today is no longer a linear business, but a polyphonic process. AI, cultural change, new touchpoints - everything is changing. What remains is the importance of attitude, creativity and structure. And perhaps it is precisely this view from the Zürichberg that helps us to see the big picture.
