At the beginning of January, Sir Mary Media launched with a 20-strong team and a new management structure. With this expansion, the agency is driving forward its growth and aims to strengthen its position in the area of media strategy, planning and implementation.

Sir Mary Media's offering includes specialized 360-degree media solutions from a single source - for TV, digital, (D)OOH, social and audio. The new unit will be headed by an experienced management trio from within the agency's own ranks, who have already been working successfully at the agency for several years and have in-depth expertise in media strategies and campaign management: Vanessa Habisreutinger (Media Operations & Data), Katharina Günther (Planning & Consulting) and Fabian Habisreutinger (Strategy & Client) will jointly manage the new agency. All three are long-standing leaders at Sir Mary and have helped shape the agency from the ground up.

"We are the new generation of media agency. Because we understand creation better, we take brands where they work - not where we earn the most," explains Vanessa Habisreutinger, Co-Managing Director of Sir Mary Media. "In recent years, we have been able to win top-class media accounts and continuously expand our offering. We want to meet the growing demand for our media expertise with an independent offering: the launch of Sir Mary Media is the next logical step for us."

The integrated approach is already being used by clients such as Sunrise, Twint, Ovomaltine and Switzerland Tourism. The pitch wins and campaign successes illustrate the strengths of a holistic media approach: "Sir Mary Media supports us in creating sustainable brand loyalty and effective engagement through targeted media strategies. The jointly implemented campaigns achieved measurable success thanks to intelligent media solutions and a strong reach strategy," says Eva-Maria Mörtenhuber, Head of Marketing at Twint.

Sir Mary intends to remain true to its approach of closely interlinking creation and media in order to realize campaigns that stand out and have a measurable impact. The new set-up should allow the agency to operate more flexibly on the market and win new media budgets for its media services.

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Read here the in-depth exclusive interview with Vanessa Habisreutinger, Katharina Günther and Fabian Habisreutinger on the idea and strategy behind Sir Mary Media.

Some visitors may have left this year's Swiss Cyber Security Days with a queasy feeling: Are my passwords still secure? Can I still trust e-banking? And which Tinder profiles are real and which are fake? The threat situation has become even more diverse compared to previous years. Program Director Nicolas Mayencourt emphasized in his opening speech that the cyber security situation is alarming: "Technology is developing exponentially, our thinking is linear. We urgently need to act and boldly shape the digital future - a secure cyberspace and confident use of technology will become a decisive factor for success."

"Democratization" of new technologies

Jean-Marc Rickli from the Geneva Center for Security Policy, for example, underlined the fact that the use of technology is by no means as sovereign as it seems. He showed how the blessing of technological development can easily become a curse. 3D printing? A great thing for prototyping or the production of special components for industry. But also a way to quickly produce a functional weapon made of plastic that outwits any metal detector and can be easily disposed of "after use". Or equipping a drone with facial recognition software and unleashing it on an appropriately "personalized" target is also possible with comparatively little effort. In this way, warfare is no longer just a matter for armies.

Similarly in cyberspace: it is no longer just about phishing emails or other scams. AI is opening up new possibilities, especially for disinformation. The advances in so-called deep fakes are immense and are leading to increasingly unrestrained use - both by petty criminals and state institutions, as examples from the war in Ukraine or the conflict in the Gaza Strip show. Jean-Marc Rickli sees a major danger in the fact that people will ultimately no longer be able to trust any information. "The social contract between citizens and democracy is under threat," says the expert. "Weapons of mass destruction" would be replaced by "weapons of mass disinformation".

Better protection for children and young people

A rather dystopian world in which the younger generation also has to grow up. Regula Bernhard Hug, Head of the Swiss Child Protection Office, and Christian Brenzikofer, Commander of the KAPO Bern, stated at a media conference on site that children and young people are increasingly exposed to dangers in cyberspace. The increasing online addiction of young people, as well as the rising cases of sextortion and paedocrime, are of concern to the specialist unit and the authorities. "In the canton of Bern, the KAPO Bern deals with between 200 and 250 suspected cases of paedocrime," says Christian Brenzikofer. Major efforts to prevent and raise awareness of this issue remain important. Parents and schools are the most important partners in showing young people how to use online media responsibly. But it is also a task for society as a whole, as Regula Bernhard Hug emphasized. The manufacturers of devices and providers of social media portals must also be involved by setting up safety-by-design standards and data protection-compliant age verification. A general ban on social media for young people under the age of 16 would be the last resort.

Swiss cyberspace: still easily vulnerable

Another highlight of SCSD 2025 was the analysis of Switzerland's cyber security situation, carried out by Dreamlab Technologies. Every year, the company uses specially developed software to scan the infrastructure connected to the internet throughout Switzerland. This involves over 3.2 million ports, of which over 2 million are vulnerable and over one million ports are even open and could be misused without any special IT knowledge. Over 250,000 hosts also work without encrypted communication. There are therefore many critical vulnerabilities. "We are doing anything but well," as Nicolas Mayencourt and Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter, who presented the results, found out. Government-related IT infrastructures are no exception, as the two explained. For example, there are still a number of weaknesses at the federal government that have been known for years but have not yet been eliminated. The high level of dependence on foreign providers is also problematic, which jeopardizes the government's own digital sovereignty. Overall, the cyber security situation in Switzerland is sobering. "Despite the tense overall situation, no major improvements are discernible," Nicolas Mayencourt noted. This is all the more regrettable because 80 percent of vulnerabilities could be avoided with simple measures. It also shows that while most SMEs are technically well on their way, there is still a lot of catching up to do in terms of organization. "Cybersecurity is a matter for the boss," says Mayencourt.

Encryption must now be quantum secure

Quantum computer technology poses a further threat to cyber security. The immensely faster computing power of quantum computers means that it will one day be possible to crack all conventional encryption. Experts assume that this moment, known as "Q Day", will take place in 2030. But regardless of this, all encryption systems used today will be obsolete by then anyway, because conventional computer technology will also become increasingly advanced. This means that future-proof encryption systems must be "quantum-proof" in any case. According to the analysis by Dreamlab Technologies, around 85% of servers in Switzerland could already guarantee quantum-safe communication today, but only around 10% are already actively doing so. The good news, however, is that Switzerland is playing a leading role in the development of new post-quantum cryptography standards. For example, the IBM research center in Rüschlikon played a key role in the development of new algorithms that can replace conventional 2048-bit encryption technology.

Satisfied exhibitors and organizers of SCSD 2025

In addition to these focus topics, the SCSD 2025 also had a number of other highlights: There were interesting insights from the FBI's Cyber Division, for example, and the remarks by Corps Commander Thomas Süssli and panels on disinformation or radicalization on the Internet also met with great interest from the approximately 2,500 visitors in total. The interdisciplinary exhibition "Alternate Realities" was a novelty. This was realized in collaboration with the Museum of Communication, the gibb vocational school in Bern and the Bernese motion designers Kaspar Kilchenmann and Yan Hirschbühl and impressively showcased the creative possibilities of AI.

Overall, the 90 or so exhibitors and the organizer also drew a positive balance. The SCSD took place at the BERNEXPO site for the second time in a row and built on last year's success. "Especially in the current times, which are characterized by protectionist developments, the Swiss Cyber Security Days impressively demonstrate the importance of cooperation and exchange in order to meet the challenges of the digital world," said Tom Winter, CEO of BERNEXPO AG. Hornetsecurity, a leading provider of cyber threat solutions, took part as an exhibitor for the first time. Country Manager Switzerland, Roger Staub, speaks of a complete success: "With our product solutions, we were able to show how companies can comprehensively protect themselves against cyber threats. We are proud of the networking party, which created a great platform for professional exchange and new contacts. Our commitment to a more secure digital future continues - which is why we expect to be back at the SCSD in 2026." The next edition of the SCSD will take place on February 17 and 18, 2026.

More information: www.scsd.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/scsd-2025-quantensicherheit-und-jugendschutz-im-fokus/

The most important facts in brief:

• The nominees for "Advertiser of the Year" 2025 are
  • Gordon Nemitz, Head of Strategy at Thjnk Zurich
  • Lorenz Clormann, Executive Creative Director at Wirz
  • Philipp Skrabal, Chief Creative Officer, Partner and Team Member of the Management Board at Team Farner
• The subscribers of the m&k-Swiss Newsletter and the "Advertiser:in of the Year" jury each have a 50 percent share in determining who will be named "Advertiser of the Year" 2025.
• The online election starts on Monday, February 24, 2025 and ends on February 28, 2025 at 23:59. Anyone who has been eligible to take part in the online voting since January 20, 2025 at the latest for the free m&k-newsletter and receives the newsletter during this period.
• For each newsletter subscriber a vote is counted. Forwarding your own newsletter to other people does not work either: every voter must have subscribed to the newsletter with their own email address.
• The Award Night will take place on March 20, 2025 at Razzia Zurich.

In December 2024, the m&k-community to nominate various industry leaders for the "Advertiser of the Year" 2025. Based on this list, the expert jury in an exciting discussion three high-caliber personalities: Gordon Nemitz, Head of Strategy at Thjnk Zurich, Lorenz ClormannExecutive Creative Director at Wirz, and Philipp SkrabalChief Creative Officer, Partner and Management Board team at Team Farner, are entering the race for the coveted title of "Advertiser of the Year" 2025.

Thinking about problems is his strength. Since 2018 Gordon Nemitz at Thjnk Zurich. He is Managing Director Strategy and co-owner of the agency. His career path led him from Jung von Matt Hamburg via TBWA Düsseldorf, Wirz/BBDO Zurich to Thjnk Zurich. He has also been Chief Strategy Officer of Thjnk Germany since 2023. His ability to make complex relationships understandable, coupled with a critical but optimistic attitude towards change, makes him one of the defining voices in the industry.

Lorenz Clormann loves big ideas and knows how to sell them convincingly - something he would also love to do for an opulent perfume campaign. With his flair for 360-degree concepts, his commitment to the future of the industry and an unshakeable sense of humor, he brings a breath of fresh air to the advertising world. Clormann has been Executive Creative Director and Partner at the Wirz Group Zurich since 2020. His career path has taken him from Weber, Hodel, Schmid Zurich to Scholz&Friends Berlin, Ruf Lanz Zurich, Jung von Matt Switzerland, Publicis Zurich, back to Jung von Matt Switzerland and his current place of work.

For over a decade Philipp Skrabal He works for Team Farner, where he is responsible as Partner and Chief Creative Officer. He sees communication as a powerful tool and wants to give the industry more self-confidence. Before Farner, Skrabal worked at Wirz, Advico Young & Rubicam, Publicis and Matter & Partner. He is ADC Vice President, Ad School Board Member, Member of ADC Europe and Member of the Creative Club Austria CCA. In 2025, he is nominated for the title "Advertiser of the Year" for the fourth time.

In In this in-depth interview, we introduce you to the three nominees in more detail:

• Interview with Gordon Nemitz
• Interview with Lorenz Clormann
• Interview with Philipp Skrabal

Voting starts on February 24, 2025

The final winner of "Advertiser of the Year" 2025 will be decided by voting as usual. The jury has 50 percent voting rights, the other 50 percent will be determined in the familiar newsletter voting. Eligible to participate is anyone who free of charge m&k-Switzerland Newsletter has subscribed with their own e-mail address and has been registered since January 20, 2025 at the latest. Only those votes that fulfill this requirement will be counted. If you vote more than once, only the most recent vote will be counted. The newsletter election will run from Monday, February 24 to Friday, February 28, 2025 at midnight.

Award night at the Zurich Razzia

Since 2021, the "Advertiser:in of the Year" award has once again been held as an independent event. As in the previous year, this year's winner will be announced on March 20, 2025 as part of an award night at the Razzia restaurant in Zurich's Seefeld district.

The inter-university competition "LSA Junior Agency Award" brings theory and practice together. Under the supervision of experienced coaches from LSA agencies, students from Swiss universities of applied sciences develop a marketing communication strategy aimed specifically at their own generation.

The background to this is the change in young people's media consumption: social media is becoming the main source of news, while traditional offerings are used less frequently. 20 minutes aims to counter this with reliable, compact and neutral information.

After an internal preliminary round at the participating universities of applied sciences, the best teams will compete against each other in June 2025 in front of a specialist jury consisting of agency representatives, industry experts and the client.

The competition is intended to promote creativity and teamwork as well as provide a platform for direct exchange with the industry.

On September 9, 2025, the most innovative and outstanding projects in the Swiss LiveCom industry will be honored. The aim is to make the best live communication measures of the past year known to a broad public. The awards are presented by the industry association Swiss LiveCom Association Expo Event, which has been committed to promoting the interests of the industry for many years. Projects can be submitted by event agencies, exhibition companies, promotion agencies, suppliers, exhibition venues, locations and sponsoring agencies. Special Earlybird conditions are still available until March 17.

Additional category and new jury members

In total, Xaver Awards in gold, silver or bronze will be presented in the eight categories Best Corporate Event, Best Consumer / POS Event, Best Efficiency Project, Best Expo Project, Best Brandworlds & Temporary Installations and Exhibitions, Best Public Event and Best Exhibition Stand.

The new "Best Exhibition Stand" category focuses on the individual exhibition stand: it honors creative and strategically well thought-out solutions that maximize the impact of a brand or product in a small space. In addition, the community selects the winner(s) of the Public Xaver in an online vote. The Lifetime Achievement Xaver Award will also be presented: the winner will be announced in the run-up to the award ceremony.

This year's jury includes President Dany Waldner from Waldner Partner, Andrea Meier from Swisscom, Nadine Imboden and Maximilian Souchay from Live Lab. New members are Cédric Schlosser from MYI Entertainment and Iwan Funk from Bellprat Partner. "With their expertise in digital activation and gamification, Cédric Schlosser and Iwan Funk will provide us with valuable insights," explains Dany Waldner. Mauro Testerini and Norbert Egli are no longer taking part. The judging will take place on June 3 and 4, 2025 in the Hallenstadion.

Big stage for the Xaver

This year, the award ceremony will take place for the first time in the new festival hall on the Bernexpo site in Bern. This will open on April 25, 2025 as part of the BEA spring trade fair, heralding a new era of events in the federal city. "After holding the Xaver Award in Zurich for around two decades, we are very much looking forward to this move to Bern, which will also strengthen our proximity to French-speaking Switzerland. It is an honor for us to be one of the first events to be hosted in the new Festhalle. After all, it is not just Bern that benefits from the appeal of this impressive event platform, but the entire Swiss event industry," explains Expo Event President Christian Künzli.

The survey, which has been conducted quarterly since the beginning of 2024, provides insights into the attitudes of employees. On average, employees in Switzerland would like to work 35.4 hours per week - less than the traditional 40-hour week, but more than in Austria (33.3 hours) and Germany (32 hours). Working from home also remains in demand: those who have the opportunity to work remotely prefer an average of 45%, which corresponds to around two days per week.

The acceptance of long commutes is higher in Switzerland than in neighboring countries: Respondents state a maximum commuting distance of 32 kilometers, compared to around 22 kilometers in Germany and Austria.

"Work hard, play hard"

Almost two thirds of the working Swiss population can identify well with the philosophy "Work hard, live well" (65%). And another top score in a three-country comparison (Austria: 62%; Germany: 58%). "Commitment and performance are still considered important values in Switzerland. However, our data also shows that the focus is increasingly shifting from traditional career patterns to more flexible working models," explains Roland Zeindler, Managing Director of Marketagent Switzerland. "Companies that actively promote this flexibility not only secure an advantage in the competition for skilled workers, but also strengthen long-term employee loyalty."

High willingness to switch

Despite a high level of satisfaction with their current job (77%), the willingness to change jobs is high: 51% of employees can imagine changing jobs, even if they are more pessimistic about their chances on the job market than in Germany and Austria. An important incentive for changing jobs is the expected salary increase - Swiss employees hope for an average 31% higher salary.

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Marketagent Switzerland surveyed a total of 465 people for the current study in the survey period from July to December 2024.

The Swiss Brand Observer analyzed over 200 brands from various sectors in 2024 and evaluated them based on surveys of the Swiss population. The top performers in eight categories are honored by YouGov Switzerland with the Top Brand Award 2024.

Migros achieved first place in the categories "Consideration" (77%), "Value for money" (39%) and "Corporate social responsibility" (77%). SBB led in the categories "Ecological Sustainability" (36 percent) and "Brand Trust" (54 percent), while Twint was recognized for "Innovativeness" (46 percent) and "Positive Buzz" (10 percent). Lindt came top in the "Quality perception" category with 55%.

The eight categories analyzed cover key factors for brand success - from quality and value for money to social responsibility. The Swiss Brand Observer has been measuring 28 KPIs of relevant Swiss brands from eight sectors, including financial services, insurance, telecommunications, retail and FMCG, on a weekly basis since 2021.

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The data basis for the Top Brand Award 2024 is based on continuous, representative online surveys by YouGov Switzerland with around 13,000 interviews per sector and brand. Detailed results are available after registration.

Publicis Luxe offers comprehensive strategy, campaign development, digital business, CRM, social media, production and innovation for brands from all luxury segments. These include fashion, beauty, fragrances, jewelry, watches, lifestyle, culture and high-end hospitality. With the new locations in Zurich and Geneva, the agency aims to move closer to global luxury brands based in Switzerland. The agency combines traditional values of the luxury industry with modern digital solutions and supports brands in consolidating their position in global markets, addressing their target groups emotionally and with unique content while creating innovative digital experiences.

"Publicis Luxe creates strong, creative brand worlds that reflect both the character and the values of luxury brands," explains Charles Georges-Picot, CEO Global Luxury Practice Publicis Groupe, Global Client Lead. There is already "curiosity and willingness" on the part of Swiss premium and luxury brands to work with Publicis Luxe, says Georges-Picot.

Changing luxury narrative

The expansion of Publicis Luxe is taking place in a changing luxury sector. This change is characterized by a variety of dynamic forces: While the arrival of Gen Z brings with it new values such as sustainability, digital innovation and cultural authenticity, other trends are also coming to the fore. The booming economy of the second-hand market and the increasing demand for immersive experiences are reshaping the luxury landscape.

Publicis Luxe supports brands in navigating this change. Always with the aim of ensuring that luxury brands can retain their loyal customers and at the same time appeal to new target groups through special experiences.

"Switzerland has helped write the history of the luxury goods industry. At the same time, premium strategies are becoming increasingly important in many sectors," says Alexander Haldemann, CEO of Publicis Groupe Switzerland. "Until now, however, there has been a lack of an agency with dedicated luxury expertise and direct access to the key markets in Asia and North America. We are closing this gap with the launch of Publicis Luxe at our hubs in Geneva and Zurich."

The Swiss team at Publicis Luxe includes Groupe Client Lead Switzerland Türi Cengiz , Priscilla Rossi, Strategy Lead Switzerland, Deborah Marino, Global Chief Strategy Officer, and Alexis de Montaigu, Global Client Lead and Chief Growth Officer.

Team Farner has continuously worked its way up the creative rankings in recent years. From 10th place in 2020 to 8th place in 2021, 4th place in 2022 and 3rd place in 2023, Team Farner is now in 1st place in 2024. Two Cannes Lions, a Wooden Pencil at D&AD, one of the seven possible "Grand Prix" at the New York Festival and a total of seven Effies - these national and international awards add up to a "dream year" for Team Farner, according to Partner and Chief Creative Officer Philipp Skrabal.

What were the driving forces that unleashed creative potential in 2024? Philipp Skrabal is certain that it was and will remain technology. He sums it up like this; "We have been working intensively on the combination of creativity and digital technologies for several years now, and this is now paying off." Skrabal calls the avatar for Islam Alijaj's election to the National Councilthe personalized films for the UBS Kids Cup participants or the Winter campaign 2024 for Arosa Tourism. "These are all award-winning examples of how AI can be used to create completely new spaces for creativity."

Creative competitions create measurability.

Awards and the associated rankings are not equally valuable and relevant for all creative agencies, but Team Farner definitely sees them as a good tool for self-marketing. According to Philipp Skrabal, creative competitions create measurability. He congratulates Thjnk and TBWA on their top rankings and is happy that they can enjoy each other's success. Creativity must be practiced widely and is the best advertising for the industry (Read the winning interview with Philipp Skrabal on Markt-kom.com here).

The agency Thjnk Zurich achieved second place

With 391 points, Thjnk secured second place this year. The agency came fourth last year and topped the creative rankings in Switzerland in 2022. When asked about the best campaign of 2024, Co-Founder and Creative Director Alexander Jaggy pays tribute to the ranking winner Team Farner: "The campaign for the National Council candidate Alijaj. A creative election campaign! So it does work," he explains appreciatively.

A creative election campaign! So it does work!

Overall, Jaggy is rather sober about the awards and their meaningfulness. They are not known for their agility, they follow the money, not a vision - and that can only be reactive, according to Jaggy. Nevertheless, the creative director of Thjnk congratulates the winner Team Farner on their "brilliant and well-deserved" victory: "We feel comfortable in the wingman position on the podium. In the end, it's just a ranking, a current classification. The decisive factor is success in the market."

When asked about his agency's goals for 2025, he says: "As an agency, we set ourselves the goal of developing creative campaigns with demonstrable impact right from the start. In 2024, we had the greatest possible overlap between the ADC Switzerland creative competition and the Effie Switzerland efficiency competition. We will continue to follow this path consistently."

Third place goes to TBWA\Switzerland

In the last five years, TBWA\Switzerland has remained in the top 10 in the creative ranking. Since 2021 - with a small "slip" in 2023 - it has even been among the top 5. With 382 points, it was only just behind Thjnk in the top 3 again for the current ranking.

As with Thjnk, Team Farner's campaign for Islam Alijaj in 2024 stands out for TBWA as a whole. It's work that "gives you goosebumps and, in a positive way, also makes you a little envious. Simply because it used AI early on in an exciting and emotional way and really made a difference in society," says Creative Director Manuel Wenzel. Of course, the company is also particularly proud of the international Grand Clio for the own work "Cutcakes".

When asked about his own development, Wenzel says: "For us as TBWA, the biggest development was to have launched the first case that generated truly global PR - and that with a (fun) product we invented, the Nugget of Love. We scored international points in exciting and modern categories such as 'Creative Commerce' and 'Customer Experience'. And there was also a Gold Effie as the 'Cherry on the Cake'."

Wenzel sees the role of creative competitions in the MarCom landscape as positive. Wenzel is convinced that the more campaigns from everyday business win prizes for everyday tasks, the more relevant these competitions will also become for clients. In 2025, the agency will continue on its chosen path of winning prizes in as many different categories as possible with as many different pieces of work as possible, as this best reflects its own service portfolio. "We want to continue to be perceived as an agency that masters every discipline that is relevant to modern brand communication," he summarizes.

4th place goes to Jung von Matt Switzerland

Regarding rank 4 in the Swiss creative ranking, Christian Kies, Chief Creative Officer of Jung von Matt Switzerland, says: "Whether rank 1 or 10, we remain dissatisfied." This has been the claim since time immemorial and is now also valid here. From an international perspective, it is striking that Switzerland was only represented at the Creative World Cup in Cannes with two bronze medals and four shortlists. There is still a lot of room for improvement. However, Kies is pleased that there were many "real cases" and that the "tiresome topic of gold ideas is increasingly receding into the background."

More important than any award, however, is ensuring the popularity and visibility of the work in target group-relevant media - and beyond. "Our cases should become pop and not gold," as Kies succinctly puts it. In order to further raise the creative level in 2025, the team will be enriched with additional international talent, new unseen production partners will be added and the synergies of the international Jung von Matt network will be utilized. To summarize: "Zurich will soon be mentioned in the same breath as London or Amsterdam as a creative location."

Rank 5 for Publicis Groupe Switzerland

"Back from the brink." With these words, ECD Rob Hartmann comments on the fifth place for Publicis Groupe Switzerland, which collected 182 points in 2024. Their award formula is to continue to combine innovative ideas with measurable impact and to address socially relevant topics in an authentic way. Team Farner's "Making History" campaign for Islam Alijaj also stood out for Hartmann. "Creative history was written here," he is convinced. For the year 2025, Hartmann continues to see the need to uphold the "courage to be creative" "in order to be successful in today's communications landscape."

Strong top 10

Strong performances were also achieved in ranks 6 to 10 in the 2024 award year. In 6th place with 162 points is Dept. The agency network was the big winner of the national "Best of Swiss Apps" award, where it took home the title of "Master of Swiss Apps" in addition to numerous gold, silver and bronze awards.

Creative competitions are important. For comparability and visibility.

Wirz, in 7th place, is an old acquaintance in the top 10, although the agency had already announced last year that it would focus more on its clients than on awards - an aspect of its reorientation towards becoming a "Creative Business Partner".

Sir Mary took 8th place with 133 points. Executive Creative Director Adrian Merz explains that 2024 was a year like any other in terms of awards and submissions and emphasizes that the agency only participates very selectively. Creative awards are still a "sporting competition between ideas, creatives, brands and agencies", says Merz. "At its best, this form of appreciation and celebration of outstanding achievements can inspire and have a motivating effect on daily creative work." For Sir Mary, the campaign "The FlipCode Mystery" for Samsung stood out in particular last year. "Not a classic advertising campaign, but a fascinating fusion of pop culture and interactive entertainment," explains Merz. It is emblematic of the agency's claim to gain the attention of the target group in the long term through "memorable" entertainment.

Digitec Galaxus came in 9th place with 78 points. For years, the retailer has been ensuring a high level of creativity with its in-house campaigns, which was rewarded in 2024 with precious metal at the ADC Awards, the Edi. and the Swiss Out Of Home Awards and thus a place in the creative ranking. The fact that the ADC awarded Digitec Galaxus an Evergreen for the second time, this time for the "Voll das Leben" campaign, also underlines the sustained high level of creative work.

Finally, Neu Creative Agency took tenth place with 70 points. Due to the management buyout from the Omnicom Group in fall 2023, the agency formerly known as "Heimat Zürich" is considered the "youngest" and smallest representative in the top 10 - a symbol of its rise in the industry? Co-Managing Director Simon Rehsche recalls that the award for the "Werbung naja, Zins gut" campaign as Campaign of the Year at the Out of Home Award was celebrated particularly lavishly: "We are delighted to be the smallest and newest top 10 agency in Switzerland," says Neu's Head of Strategy. "We like the 1 in our rank better than the 0, which should be removed."

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This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 1-2/2025.

The EY Startup Barometer Switzerland 2025 shows: The number of financing rounds fell by 6.7% to 513 in 2024, while the invested capital decreased by 15% to 2.3 billion Swiss francs. "The Swiss startup scene has suffered a decline in financing rounds and volume for the second time in a row. However, this is leveling off significantly and cannot be compared with the slump in 2023," says Alexander Schatt, Head of Startups and Scale-ups at EY Switzerland.

A clear trend is continuing, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence: more than one in five financing rounds (22%) flowed into AI-oriented startups in 2024 - twice as many as in the previous year. "Despite the general decline in startup investments, we are seeing strong investor interest in AI-related startups. This indicates growing investor confidence in Switzerland as a prime location for investing in AI startups," Schatt continues.

The healthcare sector remains the dominant industry with a financing volume of 1.039 billion Swiss francs, followed by software & analytics (397 million Swiss francs) and fintech/insurtech (193 million Swiss francs). In the list of the ten largest financing rounds, biotech start-ups occupy the top spots, with Alentis Therapeutics (158 million Swiss francs) at the top.

Another focus is on the participation of women in founding teams: 7% of the funded startups were founded exclusively by women, 18% by mixed teams.

In an international comparison, Switzerland recorded the smallest decline in financing rounds at -6.7% (Germany: -12.3%, Austria: -19%). Even though the financing volume fell by 15%, the general conditions for investments in Swiss start-ups remain solid.

The newly published "Aachener Marktspiegel Business Software - Supply Chain Management 2025", published by Trovarit AG in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA and the FIR e.V. at RWTH Aachen University, offers a decision-making aid for all those companies that want to gain a competitive advantage with a new SCM solution.

Comprehensive market overview - orientation in a dynamic environment

The updated edition of the market review examines and compares almost 160 SCM solutions from over 130 SCM providers. This provides companies with a well-founded and independent guide for their software selection. The market review examines both specialized SCM systems and ERP systems with integrated SCM functionalities in order to show which solutions are suitable for which company requirements.

SCM software: increasing efficiency through digitalization

Modern SCM software supports companies in a variety of ways: from demand planning to production and distribution control to real-time monitoring of supply chains. Transparency, flexibility and resilience in the supply chain are essential, especially in view of global uncertainties and volatile markets. The market review analyzes the core functions of SCM solutions and provides companies with a systematic basis for comparison and evaluation.

Practical assistance for software selection

The large number of SCM solutions on the market does not make it easy to decide which software to use. The market review shows which solutions are particularly suitable for specific requirements and provides a structured methodology for the reliable and efficient selection of SCM software. The analysis is based on key criteria such as functionality, user-friendliness, integration capability and investment security.

The market overview is now available at https://www.trovarit.com/studien/marktspiegel/supply-chain-management/ be acquired.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/scm-fast-160-software-loesungen-im-vergleich/

Andrea Vetsch has been the face of Swiss Quality Day (TSQ) for many years and brings people and topics together as a presenter. In an interview with Prisca Zammaretti, Managing Director of SAQ, she talks about her view of quality, the challenges of presenting and her personal highlights.

Prisca Zammaretti: Andrea, the term "quality" often sounds abstract. What does it mean to you - professionally and privately?

Andrea Vetsch: For me, quality in my work is synonymous with care, correctness and accuracy. At Tagesschau, every word has to be right, which is why we work according to the 6-eyes principle. Two other people - the producer and the "correction service" - check the content and language of the presentations. In my private life, health is my top priority - for me, that is the ultimate quality in life.

You've been hosting Swiss Quality Day for several years now. What do you always find exciting about this task?

For me, every moderation is like further training. I learn an incredible amount - be it about the circular economy, new work or creativity techniques. It's also exciting to see what topics other companies are working on. This diversity is great fun!

How do you prepare for moderation? Do you have certain rituals?

I phone everyone I'm going to have longer conversations with on stage beforehand - that creates trust and a good basis. On the day itself, I try to be well rested and am grateful that someone takes care of my hair and make-up. That way I can concentrate fully on the content of the presentation.

A whole day at the congress - how do you stay calm and confident?

The biggest challenge is to maintain concentration and freshness throughout the day. Arriving well-rested is essential. Good preparation creates security. I have found that short breaks in the fresh air are particularly good for me.

What makes a good moderator for you, especially when it comes to a complex topic like quality?

A good moderator takes people along with them and addresses the questions that arise in the audience. It is varied - sometimes serious, sometimes humorous - and manages to look behind the facade of the other person. The most important thing is to create a genuine exchange, something that touches and moves.

Is there a moment on stage that you particularly remember?

At the last TSQ, neuroscientist Barbara Studer showed us how liberating it is to leave your comfort zone - so much so that we spontaneously sang "Blowing in the Wind" together on stage. Kathrin Lehmann, former top athlete and entrepreneur, also impressed us with her down-to-earth attitude and approachability. Her message about the importance of celebrating success left a lasting impression on me.

This year, the motto of the TSQ is "Take off with vision". What does that mean for you personally?

This year, I'm taking my vision to heart: in April, I'm going on a month-long trip to gain new perspectives and recharge my batteries. I will reflect on what is important to me and what goals I still want to achieve.

The topic of AI is omnipresent. What role does it play in your work as a presenter and media professional?

To be honest, I'm "old school" in this respect: I've never used tools like ChatGPT or similar before.

Finally, why should you not miss out on the TSQ?

The TSQ provides new impetus, takes you out of your bubble and offers the opportunity to meet inspiring people and projects. And of course: networking!

These are exciting insights, Andrea. It's impressive how you live quality on and off the stage and enrich the Swiss Quality Day. Thank you very much for the inspiring interview! 

About the person

Andrea Vetsch studied German language and literature, journalism and social pedagogy in Zurich. She has presented the Tagesschau since 2005, with stints on "Schweizweit" and "10vor10". After a break, she has been the face of the Tagesschau main edition again since 2020. She has been the presenter of Swiss Quality Day since 2021.

 

Swiss Quality Day

The Swiss Quality Day was launched in 2008 by the SAQ Swiss Association for Quality. The aim of the event is to promote a cross-industry exchange on the topic of quality as one of the cornerstones of the Swiss economy. The annual congress is organized by the SAQ Swiss Association for Quality in collaboration with Shift Switzerland.

More information and registration

 

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/frische-ideen-und-starke-begegnungen/