The Campus Services department supports ETH members with services in the areas of logistics, mobility, communication and event management. After the advertising for the various services became increasingly independent, the communicative appearance of Campus Services was to become more consistent again and thus create more visibility for the department as a whole and its diverse services. Campus Services should be perceived as a central service provider that competently takes care of the needs of its clients and relieves them of their core tasks.

A performance within a performance

The ETH CD guidelines still had to be guaranteed, but a certain independence and recognizability had to be achieved. A modular concept was to unite the various service offerings and the entire range of topics under a concise formal bracket. A new, binding appearance was to be created for the department, which could be systematically structured and clearly define all applications and offers.

The result: "Service made by ETH"

Together with the communications team, the core messages, topics and offers were defined, which are to be communicated internally and externally. ETH Campus Services offers services that are precisely tailored to the special issues and needs on campus. Services that can only be created and offered at ETH. This claim should be expressed in all communicative measures.

Every idea starts as a sketch

Every project begins as a concept and sketch, even at ETH Zurich. The Campus Services department supports the implementation of these ideas with its services. Translated into a new design system, this means that the basic grid of the ETH CD templates is now used as a formal bracket. The grid lines symbolize a sketchpad and become the defining visual element of the
ETH Campus Services.

The grid connects

The new matrix becomes the connecting design element. This creates a consistent sender across all services and applications. Based on the new framework, a modular system was developed within the ETH CD that provides a clear guidance system for each application while still leaving a certain amount of creative freedom. All elements are precisely aligned and defined according to this grid, and call-to-action elements and disruptive elements are now also integrated.

The complete package realized

The agency also worked closely with the communications team on the implementation. A basic package with templates for all relevant applications and ETH channels was created and a manual for users and designers within ETH, including training, was developed to make the variety of services visible at all central touchpoints.

The services and department now have a uniform appearance and are perceived as much more present, up-to-date and professional.

The Giardina garden fair takes place annually in Zurich. The fair is valued above all for its high-quality, often spectacular show gardens. Because not only gardens but also brands need to be regularly maintained, the MCH Group has hired Yellow for Giardina.

In a first step, the Basel agency compared the existing elements with the brand personality and positioning and defined various fields of work on this basis. As part of a multi-stage process, the foundations of the brand were revised and refreshed in the various areas of communication. In the same context, Yellow developed the measures for trade fair communication as well as for visitor advertising and information. As part of an all-round service, the Yellow team also took on tasks in the areas of trade fair communication and signage.

---

Responsible at MCH Group: Encarnación M. Dellai (Brand Director). Responsible Agency: Yellow.

Constantly changing customer expectations and economic instability are driving factors behind consumers' declining loyalty to their brands. This is the result of the Consumer Voice Report 2024 by Servicenow.

According to the survey, 71% of all respondents stated that they are less loyal to companies than they were two years ago. The main reasons for this are financial aspects such as the increased cost of living (35%) and growing competition and therefore greater choice (19%). However, disappointing experiences with certain brands and companies (15%) also play a role.

Optimized customer experience for more brand loyalty

The results prove it: Companies need to move away from reactive measures towards a long-term CX strategy. When asked what companies should do to increase brand loyalty again, 28% say they should look for ways to offer a better service without using more customer data, 26% want websites and apps to be made more user-friendly and 32% want a better after service.

The right balance between people and technology

Technology plays a decisive role here. The significant majority of respondents state that a high level of problem-solving expertise (93%), seamless services (93%), fast response times (90%) and the ability to choose the communication channel that suits them best (77%) as well as self-service options (64%) are particularly important to them when it comes to customer service. Many of these aspects can be optimized through the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), for example.

However, consumers are still cautious when it comes to interacting with AI. Especially when it comes to making a complaint or solving a specific problem, customers prefer personal interaction with a service employee to AI. Technological solutions such as chatbots (53%), intelligent search engines (29%) or automated phone calls (20%) are more likely to be used when it comes to obtaining general information.

The study also asked participants about their views and wishes regarding the future use of technologies in customer service. 47 percent state that they do not want customer service to be based entirely on AI in the future. In addition, 52 percent say they would like to reduce automated processes and return to an employee-based service. However, many consumers also see that technology can improve the customer experience. By 2025, for example, they can imagine virtual reality (VR) being used to test products before they are purchased (34%), complaints management being handled by smart assistants such as Amazon or Alexa (23%) or AI making precise, personalized product recommendations (22%).

---

The survey, in which 15,000 adults (aged 18 and over) in ten EMEA countries - including 1,000 respondents in Switzerland - were asked about their attitudes towards customer and employee experience, was commissioned by Sevicenow and conducted by Opinium Research between 3.01.24 and 11.01.2024.

The Swiss sports market is apparently no longer flying high: according to a survey by GfK Switzerland, the Swiss sports market (excluding bikes) declined by 1.5% in 2023, although it did increase by 2% in 2022 and 14% two years ago. The sales volume amounts to around 2.17 billion Swiss francs.

The outdoor submarket remains significant, with sales of around 450 million Swiss francs, which corresponds to just under 20% of the entire sports market. Sales in the textiles segment remained constant at a high level, while the hardware segment lost sales, particularly in the camping segment, which had increased significantly in the previous year. Sales of outdoor footwear also declined, although this was partially offset by the trend in trail running shoes. In general, "running" remains on trend and recorded growth of 4 percent.

The Leisure segment, which includes everything for leisure time and is sporty, comfortable and casual, continues to grow. This is particularly evident in footwear, where sales increased by 5 percent. However, the line between leisure shoes and regular street shoes is becoming increasingly blurred.

In calendar year 2023, sales for snow fell by 2%, despite a mild "non-winter" in 2022. Nevertheless, the demand for winter sports remains unbroken, as the booking figures in winter sports resorts show. Sales in the fitness sector also continued to decline (-3%). The fitness equipment purchased during the coronavirus pandemic appears to have reached its maximum useful life.

Online sales in the sports market are on the rise again - are the turbo years over?

After a breather in 2022, when the importance of online sales declined for the first time, sales increased again: 28% (+1%) of all sports sales were made online in 2023. Shopping behavior is becoming increasingly digital: a GfK study shows that in 2023, sporting goods were increasingly purchased both "hybrid" (i.e. both online and stationary) and exclusively online (71% in total). Before the pandemic, this figure was 62%.

Massive overstocking leading to price reductions and market saturation led to a significant decline in sales in the bicycle market in 2023. In contrast, sales of bicycle accessories, servicing and repairs increased. The market for used bikes should not be underestimated either, as many used bikes came onto the market during the pandemic. While some cyclists may have lost interest, others have upgraded after buying an entry-level model.start of form

Forecast for 2024

Poor consumer sentiment, rising costs in various areas and the resulting reluctance to buy as well as increased search for promotions indicate that the market will tend to decline in 2024. Although a growing population and online business as a driver will probably not be able to fully compensate for this.

 

The exclusive interview on the Brand Asset Valuator with Swen Morath and Martin Keller was conducted as a video and in written form.

 

Werbewoche.ch: Swen Morath, the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV), how are the rankings determined?

Every year, we survey almost 10,000 Swiss people on around 600 brands. In addition to more than 60 image attributes, the dimensions of relevance, differentiation, esteem and familiarity are also surveyed. These four core values are used to calculate the brand strength and thus the rankings.

 

Martin Keller, what does the FOT cover?

The BAV includes dedicated statements on brand strength and brand momentum, an extremely granular analysis of a brand's image factors - as mentioned, more than 60 attributes - as well as an examination of the brand funnel, both in terms of usage and emotional proximity to a brand.

 

Your biggest surprise in the FOT 2024?

Swen Morath: A number of food brands performed strongly in this year's survey. The fact that some household brands such as Kärcher and Dyson were also able to improve suggests that there is currently a trend towards cocooning in Switzerland.

 

Now we have the main ranking "The strongest brands in Switzerland" With Google, Rega, Lego, Migros, Lindt, Ricola, Zweifel at the top. Your comment?

Martin Keller: Google, Rega and Migros have always been very strong in the FOT. The fact that Lindt, Ricola and Zweifel are three brands that are all about community and belonging confirms the trend towards cocooning.

 

"The most trusted brands in Switzerland" mit Zweifel, Ovo, Lindt, Lego, Migros, Google, Ricola, Migros, Google and Victorinox at the top. The development of Ricola is remarkable. What have they done better to climb 22 ranks?

Martin Keller: This ranking provides information about brand stature, i.e. the combination of esteem and familiarity. Especially in times of crisis, people look for support from brands that can give them a feeling of security. The brands in this ranking, including Ricola, have managed to build up a very strong store of emotional capital over the years and this is now having a positive effect.

 

What characterizes a trustworthy Swiss brand?

Swen Morath: As I said, trust is not created overnight. The top brands in this ranking have consistently cultivated their brand essence over the years and, above all, have earned a firm place in the hearts and minds of consumers in the long term. They are proof that consistent brand work pays off in the long term.

What value does trust still have in a world that is changing so rapidly?

Swen Morath: Research shows that nowadays, a single media contact can be enough to switch from one brand to another. We see an incredible number of new brands, for example from celebrities and influencers, that can secure market share very quickly. However, these effects are often not sustainable. On the other hand, there are brands that have been at the far right of our power grid for many years, i.e. have a high brand stature. This capital has a major influence on overall brand strength - and if these brands manage to stay "fresh", then they are among the absolute power brands.

 

Now there's a new "Love Brands" category? With the brands Lindt, Twint, Ragusa, Gruyere, WhatsApp, Migros, Cumulus, Coop, Ovo and Raclette at the top - your comment?

Martin Keller: Swissness, Swissness and more Swissness. We already noticed last year how important Swissness is for Brand Love in this country - unlike in other countries such as Germany or France. This year, there are now even more local brands among the Love Brands than last year. This could also be evidence of the trend towards cocooning - just a kind of national one

It is interesting to note that Coop only appears in the top ten for the Love Brands. So Coop has gained five places, Migros has lost five. Your explanation?

Swen Morath: Of course, it is always desirable to be able to give a simple and clear explanation for such movements in the ranking. But of course it's not quite that simple. Especially when it comes to individual factors such as brand love, there is often not THE ONE explanation. However, we do know that there is a high correlation between brand love and the authenticity of a brand. Perhaps MIGROS is currently not perceived as being quite as authentic as Coop.

 

Ogilvy and Wunder Thompson are creative agencies in their DNA. What role does creativity play on the way to the top of the BAV rankings?

Swen Morath: The creativity of a brand plays a very important role in brand strength. Firstly, creative power has a strong influence on the differentiation of a brand: the more creative, the greater the chance of clearly differentiating itself. Secondly, we know that creativity and innovative power have a strong influence on a dimension we call "influence", i.e. the ability to set positive impulses in the cultural discourse and thus strengthen the brand in the long term. We are currently preparing a white paper on this topic, which we will present at the Swiss Brand Congress in June.

 

What are the main findings of the BrandAsset study? Valuator (BAV) 2024 with regard to the brand landscape in Switzerland?

Martin Keller: As just mentioned, there seems to be a current trend towards cocooning. We also see this in our recently published Future 100 Report: there is currently a strong need for more "mental health" and more emotional security. Brands that satisfy this need certainly have great potential at the moment. We have also noticed that digital brands such as Apple, Microsoft and Samsung, which were among the clear winners last year, have surprisingly lost brand strength this year. It is not yet clear whether this means a fundamental recommendation for less digitality - for example in media selection. However, we also see an increased need for experiences "in real life" - i.e. IRL instead of URL.

 

What are the implications of the dominance of local brands in the "Most Loved Brands" list for international brands in Switzerland?

Martin Keller: It is obvious that brands that do not have any inherent Swiss DNA should think about how they can at least create associations with "Swissness". This could be achieved through collaborations with local influencers, but also through active involvement in local communities.

 

How can companies use the findings from the study to adapt their future brand strategy and strengthen their competitiveness?

Swen Morath: We have a whole range of clients - including those that we do not support as an agency - for whom we regularly survey the BAV. We discuss the results very intensively with these clients and provide so-called "strategic starters" as impulses for brand management. Many of these clients track certain attributes over time to check whether, for example, the brand personality is moving in the right direction. One of the great strengths of the BAV is that we have been collecting it in this country since 1995. We can therefore make very valid statements about the development of individual brands over time. In our view, this makes much more sense than a single "temperature check". 

Trauerkranz.ch is a new webshop for funeral floristry such as funeral wreaths, funeral arrangements and urn decorations. The brand is now being relaunched under the Bühler & Bühler branding, including the webshop. And that requires a very special flair in this industry: "Our service requires a great deal of empathy. We consider it a valuable task to be able to create something beautiful and comforting at the moment of farewell. The visual appearance should also reflect this," says Nicole Cartier. "This starts with the autumnal color scheme, continues with the visual language and extends to the way we take users by the hand."

The branding is intended to create space for a conciliatory mood and not focus on the product, but on the comforting power of flowers, combined with the symbolism of the wreath. A light monogram echoes the shape of the wreath and functions as a seal of quality for traditional craftsmanship.

---

Responsible at Trauerkranz.ch: Nicole Cartier. Responsible at Bühler & Bühler: Raphael Bühler, Concept & Creative Direction. Salvatore Viola, Design. Stefan Berdat, Programming (networking.ch).

For years, the Geneva watch show was in the hands of the Richemont Group with world-famous brands such as Cartier, Piaget, IWC and Jaeger LeCoultre. Following the demise of its Basel counterpart "Baselworld", "Watches&Wonders" was launched in 2022, with big names such as Patek Philippe, Hublot, Tag Heuer and Chopard taking part alongside industry leader Rolex.

However, smaller brands are also using the newly created platform to present their latest products. For example, Charriol, which is also strongly represented in the jewelry segment, the Lucerne watch manufacturer Chronoswiss and the Geneva-based luxury watch brand Artya. Watches&Wonders" opened last Tuesday and will continue until Monday.

Place for contacts

"The trade fair is a good opportunity for us to present our new products. We meet other representatives of the industry, sell watches and make important contacts that will lead to further sales," explained Coralie Charriol, Managing Director of Charriol, in an interview with the news agency AWP.

Charriol took over the management of the family business after the death of her father in 2019 and initiated a comprehensive restructuring of the company. This was necessary for the company's development and has led to success.

The expansion of the sales network was also important. In India alone, 14 new sales outlets were added last year, and the brand is also represented again in Thailand and Poland. "This year and next, we will focus on the USA, where we are already achieving good sales," says Charriol. The aim is to open our own stores in addition to the long-standing sales partnerships.

Half of annual sales in Geneva

Chronoswiss also counts the USA among its most important sales markets and has a lot to gain from its appearance in Geneva. "A watch brand has to rely on various strategies to make a name for itself," Chronoswiss CEO Oliver Ebstein is convinced in an interview with AWP.

Direct customer contact is an important factor at the trade fair, as almost half of the annual turnover is generated at the fair, Ebstein continues. "We can make new contacts here, because this is where all the industry players and the press are gathered."

To give visitors to the trade fair an understanding of the profession, Chronoswiss will be demonstrating the work and steps involved in watchmaking at its stand. "We only produce around 100 pieces per year and focus on the uniqueness of the product and the family history it conveys," explains a watchmaker. A watch costs between 9,000 and 15,000 francs.

Luxury for customers in Dubai

Another brand that is hardly known to the general public is Artya, which is taking part in "Watches&Wonders" for the first time. "This gives us the opportunity to present our watches and meet customers," says Marketing Manager Guillaume Fonti. "With sales in the first 48 hours of the fair, we have already exceeded our weekly target."

The customers of the luxury brand founded by Yvan Arpa in 2009 mainly include collectors and watch enthusiasts, many of whom live in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Artya watches are not cheap: they cost up to 500,000 Swiss francs each and are sold at 70 points of sale worldwide. (AWP/Leila Fernández)

It is a fixed date in the calendar of many QA experts: Control in Stuttgart - this year from April 23 to 26, 2024. The range of topics includes technologies from the fields of vision, image processing, sensor technology as well as measuring and testing technology. According to the trade fair organizers, trade visitors can look forward to top technologies and a high level of internationality. One of Control's strengths is the cross-industry presentation of systems and solutions for quality assurance. QA managers from all areas of the company will find answers to their questions here - both in industrial and non-industrial sectors. This is also confirmed by trade fair director Bettina Schall in an interview.

 

Ms. Schall, what trends do you currently see in quality assurance and quality management?

Bettina Schall: Modern quality assurance measures play an important role in overcoming production challenges in terms of efficiency, resource conservation and sustainability. The aim is to minimize waste, defects and errors in the production process and to design processes economically. But many different safety aspects also play a major role. Quality assurance measures contribute in various ways to avoiding errors, improving processes and promoting environmentally friendly practices. Measuring, testing, checking, evaluating, documenting - end-to-end solutions for these functions are required in all industries and business areas. This is because more and more data is being recorded, evaluated, linked and fed back to the systems. This is why software and intelligent evaluation algorithms are playing an increasingly important role at Control.

How does Control cover these trends?

For many companies, the annual Control is a fixed, indispensable trade fair date. It is so interesting because it showcases different types of measurement technology and presents them in a way that is relevant across all industries - this is an important feature of Control. Experts from all over the world come here to discuss new requirements and new possibilities for quality assurance at the highest level of expertise. The practical, pragmatic working atmosphere combined with a high level of internationality makes Control a unique meeting place for QA professionals worldwide.

What are the special thematic highlights this year?

Overall, progressive automation, digitalization and networking are the big headlines across all topics. Specifically, the highlights will include inline inspections, state-of-the-art vision systems, advanced AI-based analyses, advanced software and process improvement through simulations. The ease of use of machines and testing tools is also a hot topic. This is because the shortage of skilled workers also needs to be compensated for in quality assurance. In 2024, the Fraunhofer Vision division will once again be organizing a special "Non-Contact Measuring Technology" show, which will present a cross-section of new technologies, applications and system components for non-contact measuring and testing technology. Here, users will receive concrete support in selecting the right testing technology for them. An exciting start-up area is also being prepared once again to expand the topics relating to measurement technology and quality assurance with ideas and new perspectives from young companies.

This year, the trade fair will only occupy two halls. Will Control focus on specific topics?

The range of topics at Control 2024 is undiminished and covers various types of measurement technology for different industries. Those companies taking part will once again celebrate the internationally highly regarded industry highlight as a festival in an outstanding working atmosphere. High internationality, great interest from trade visitors, top-level QA technologies - Control scores with quality and relevance, not just quantity. Trade visitors will benefit from a relaxed, concentrated and efficient visit to the trade fair.

In the run-up to the event, there were discussions about a possible two-year cycle for Control. What are the plans in this regard?

We are in close contact with the exhibitor advisory board and the exhibitor community as a whole regarding the trade fair cycle. So far, the majority are in favor of retaining the annual cycle because Control is a fixed date in the annual calendar as a meeting point for bundled QA expertise. However, some of those involved in the industry prefer a two-year cycle for individual reasons. As a trade fair organizer and service provider, we will of course remain in contact with them and are open to all useful and beneficial developments.

The role of quality assurance in companies is changing. Can this also be seen in Control - possibly in a change of topics or visitor groups?

It's quite clear: production processes are changing, the scope of quality assurance measures is increasing and new areas are being added that previously had little or no QA measures in place - all these changes can be observed as a matter of course, and of course Control is keeping pace. Above all, it has been an important topic for years that measuring and testing are no longer separate processes, but are integrated "inline" into the process. This in turn results in specific requirements for the test equipment - for example in terms of robustness and sensitivity. The developments of "Industry 4.0" have also resulted in "QA 4.0" - i.e. overall integration, networking, automated queries and evaluations, etc. QA is becoming increasingly important because it is a key basis for conserving resources, eliminating errors, reducing rejects and overall efficiency, as well as in terms of reliability and safety. This is why QA topics are exciting, they are developing rapidly and are future-oriented. All of this is also reflected in Control.

How do you perceive the mood in the QA sector?

QA measures are essential for companies and determine the future, which is why the industry is well positioned and a growth sector. QA topics are cutting-edge technology with a lot of progress and research, so they are consistently innovative and forward-looking. Nevertheless, manufacturing companies are currently under a lot of pressure from many factors - such as cost pressure, a shortage of skilled workers, supply chain uncertainties and geopolitical uncertainties. This affects everyone. At the same time, consistent QA means greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency for companies and takes the pressure off them. So if companies want to achieve their sustainability goals - i.e. improvements in ecological, economic and social terms - QA measures are a prerequisite at a wide variety of levels and in a wide variety of areas. This makes QS more important than ever. 

Two fully occupied exhibition halls

Control 2024 will once again have its usual core of participants with many well-known exhibitors, almost half of them from abroad. According to the list of exhibitors (as of March 2024), 25 companies from Switzerland will be on site, including e.g:

• BETA CAE Systems International AG (Hall 10, Stand 1011) will be exhibiting a virtual clamping tool that can be used to simulate a physical clamping device for the quality inspection of parts.
• Comet X-Ray (Hall 10, Stand 1213): This company develops and manufactures metal/ceramic X-ray sources and associated components for the non-destructive testing of materials in the electronics, automotive, aerospace, pipeline and steel industries, as well as for stationary and mobile inspection of baggage and cargo at airports and borders.
• Peter Lehmann AG (Hall 10, Stand 1405) has developed a new rotary table range optimized for measuring technology. This simplifies production-related measuring.
• Maprox (Hall 10, Stand 1400) will be presenting its ultra-precise UP chuck in Stuttgart, which is self-centering and ensures repeat accuracy in the µ range.
• Marcel Aubert SA (Hall 8, Stand 8301) will be at the trade fair with the tool tester 70. This is a measuring machine for measuring cutting tools. Measurements can be carried out without changing the tool orientation.
• Sontec Automatisierte Prüftechnik AG (Hall 10, Stand 1109) will be exhibiting various automatic testing machines, e.g. for the acoustic testing of series parts.

 

www.control-messe.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/vorfreude-auf-das-treffen-der-qs-experten/

Vincent Rameau, Country Manager Coca-Cola Switzerland, explained Coca-Cola's three-tier business model, which is based on global strategy and local value creation. The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, as the owner of the brand rights, produces the beverage concentrate and develops the consumer marketing. Licenses are granted worldwide to bottling companies such as the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, which also operates its own bottling plants as a licensee in Switzerland - along with 28 other countries.

Local anchoring of Coca-Cola

One important aspect of the media talk was the emphasis on the Swiss added value of Coca-Cola products. Present in Switzerland since 1936, 80 percent of the products are manufactured here, with 95 percent of the ingredients coming from Swiss suppliers. This local presence not only creates jobs, but also strengthens the company's relationship with the Swiss economy and society.

Coca-Cola's commitment to sustainability

Another key topic was Coca-Cola's commitment to sustainability. Vincent Rameau and Patrick Wittweiler presented the company's efforts to integrate more sustainable practices into various areas. These include the use of 100 percent rPET in the carbonated portfolio, the introduction of Pfizer Labelfree as the first mineral water in Switzerland without a label and the development of new products with a lower sugar content.

Dr. Joachim Stuessi, Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, shed light on fascinating aspects of water - from the history of mineral water in Switzerland to current trends. Per capita consumption of mineral water has increased from 65 liters in 1989 to an impressive 103 liters in 2021.

Challenges in the marketing sector

With regard to marketing strategies, Natasja Sommer-Feldbrugge, Director Public Affairs Switzerland Coca-Cola Switzerland, presented the challenges facing Coca-Cola, particularly in connection with the sugar content in its beverages. The Best Coke Ever?" campaign was introduced in response to the challenge of changing the perception that sugar-free drinks are not as tasty as the original drinks with sugar. Innovation also played an important role, with the announcement of seven new product variants with lower sugar content, especially in the low sugar and zero sugar segments, being highlighted.

Another major challenge in marketing and advertising is the foreseeable advertising restrictions, namely the planned revision of the Foodstuffs Ordinance (Article 14). This would allow the Swiss Federal Council to restrict the advertising of foods for children under the age of 13 if the foods do not meet specific criteria, particularly with regard to fat, salt or sugar content. This article of the law would in particular restrict the advertising of drinks containing sweeteners, regardless of whether they contain conventional sugar or sugar substitutes.

In summary, the Coca-Cola Media Talk provided a comprehensive insight into the company and its activities, from its global business model to its local impact in Switzerland. The event emphasized the importance of sustainability and innovation in the beverage industry as well as the challenges and opportunities in marketing. The exclusive video interview with Marco Manzo, Senior Manager, Marketing Frontline Activation Austria & Switzerland Coca-Cola Switzerland, delves deeper into the marketing and advertising aspects addressed in the talk (see above).

Innovation is the focus of this year's 'Swiss Quality Day', which will take place on April 23, 2024 in Bern's Kursaal under the moderation of Andrea Vetsch. The event attracts over 350 participants from more than 180 companies every year and offers broad industry representation. Valuable networking opportunities provide space to maintain existing customer relationships and make new contacts. The Swiss Quality Day was founded in 2008 by the SAQ Swiss Association for Qualitythe association for Swiss 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.

Inspiration from practice and science

Under the motto "Innovation - driving the Swiss economy", the 2024 event offers an insight into the diverse world of the Swiss innovation landscape. Companies that continuously invest in research, development and creative services are the focus of this high-caliber congress. The presented Program is just as versatile and inspiring as the renowned Speakers from business and research: From current robotics trends (Prof. Dr. Roland Siegwart, Director Autonomous Systems Lab ETH Zurich), the courage to change and the tireless perseverance to overcome obstacles (Thomas Binggeli, CEO and owner of Thömus AG), on the development and promotion of creative ideas (Barbara Studer, neuroscientist specializing in mental fitness and health) to the topic of 'radical innovation', where 'young guns' and 'old hands' explore innovative business models and product strategies together. These are just some of this year's program highlights.

The congress is open to the public. Further information and registration here.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/innovation-im-fokus-tag-der-schweizer-qualitaet-2024/

The adjective random comes from the English language, but has been in the Duden dictionary for some time and is therefore also acceptable in the German language. Translated, it means "random course", Old French randir = to run, related to Old High German rinnan, to run. In other words, something that has no permanence or lasting value. The Duden describes the meaning as arbitrary, random; mixed up and adds examples such as "it occurs to me randomly that ...", "we set off randomly" or "you are so random (crazy)". So far, so clear. So Duden is right on trend. Because random can be heard everywhere at the moment.

A word that - I admit it - also aptly describes the choice of words for this column. It doesn't follow any particular pattern, but is actually random. The inspiration for each choice comes from everyday business life and sometimes even has a topical relevance. Meetings, calls, emails, posts or public transport are reliable sources of new words. Using the latter is recommended to all those who deal with target groups. Nowhere else is it easier to obtain information free of charge without having to pay for it with your own data. And the compilation of informants takes place randomly every day and on every route. Not like in social media, where the order of posts is based on a sophisticated algorithm with the sole aim of showing us what will keep us engaged for as long as possible. Nothing is left to chance. Which could be a little worrying.

Communicate - no matter how, the main thing is by chance

Perhaps that's why it seems to be extremely popular at the moment to call everything random. If everything is predetermined and calculated, then at least celebrate randomness in a communicative way. But random can mean much more.

Firstly, for example, it is a useful means of strengthening resilience. With all the problems in this world, which at times have an overwhelming effect on our mood, it is the ideal way to escape from them. None of my business, it doesn't matter anyway. We can't solve all of the world's problems ourselves, so we prefer to turn away from them and towards things that happen to come our way and make us happy. That makes us less ill. And ideally even strong.

Secondly, it's a great excuse if you can't think of the right thing to solve an everyday problem. For example, writing the right headline, finding the right typeface for an advertisement design or developing the right strategy for a campaign. Then you can suggest something at random and, with a bit of luck, a workable solution will emerge.

And thirdly, it's a good way to dwarf things. Yes, even in our industry there are people who have doubts about what they create. This ability is less well known to men than women, but it also exists. So if you are plagued by insecurity, you simply describe your work as random. This makes it smaller and is usually well received because it triggers the reflex in the other person that they have to say it better. Unfortunately, sometimes better than it actually is. In this sense, these lines are also random. Thanks for reading, though.

Do you start your ChatGPT prompts with a friendly greeting? Have you asked for the output in a specific format? Or do you even promise a tip for a particularly good response? Users interact with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in a variety of ways, including to label their data for machine learning tasks. There are few answers to how small changes to a prompt can affect the accuracy of these labelings.

How do variants of prompts change the output quality?

Abel Salinas, a researcher at the University of Southern California (USC), says: "We rely on these models for so many things and require outputs in certain formats, and we wonder in the back of our minds what the actual effects of variations in prompts or output formats are. That's what we wanted to find out." Salinas and Fred Morstatter, research assistant professor of computer science at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering and leader of the research team at the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), asked themselves the question: how reliable are LLMs' responses to variations in prompts? Their results, published on the preprint server arXiv, show that subtle variations in prompts can have a significant impact on LLMs' predictions.

"Hello, give me a list and I'll tip you a thousand dollars"

The researchers examined four categories of prompt variations. First, they examined the effects of prompting responses in specific output formats commonly used in data processing (lists, CSV, etc.). Second, they examined minor changes to the prompt itself, such as adding extra spaces at the beginning or end of the prompt or inserting polite phrases such as "Thank you" or "Hello!". Thirdly, they investigated the use of "jailbreaks", i.e. techniques to bypass content filters on sensitive topics such as hate speech detection, for example by asking the LLM to respond as if it were evil. Finally, inspired by the popular notion that an LLM will respond better if given the prospect of a reward, they offered different sizes of 'tips' for a 'perfect answer'.

The researchers then tested the prompt variations against 11 benchmark text classification tasks - standardized data sets or problems used in natural language processing (NLP) research to evaluate model performance. These tasks typically involve categorizing or labeling text data based on its content or meaning.

The researchers examined tasks such as toxicity classification, grammar evaluation, humor and sarcasm recognition, math skills and more. For each variation of the prompt, they measured how often the LLM changed its response and what effect this had on the accuracy of the LLM.

Does saying "Hello!" influence the answers? Yes!

The results of the study brought to light a remarkable phenomenon: slight changes in the structure and presentation of the prompt can significantly affect the predictions of the LLM. Whether it is the addition or omission of spaces, punctuation, or specific data output formats, each variation plays a crucial role in shaping model performance. In addition, certain prompt strategies, such as incentives or specific greetings, showed marginal improvements in accuracy, highlighting the nuanced relationship between prompt design and model behavior.

The following results were remarkable:

• Just by adding a specific output format, the researchers found that at least 10 % of the predictions changed.
• Minor disturbances to the prompt have a smaller impact than the output format, but still result in a significant number of altered predictions. For example, inserting a space at the beginning or end of a prompt resulted in more than 500 (out of 11,000) prediction changes. Similar effects were observed when common greetings were added or ended with "thank you".
• The use of jailbreaks in the tasks resulted in a much larger proportion of changes, but was highly dependent on which jailbreak was used.

Tips for ChatGPT? Hardly any influence on performance...

In 11 tasks, the researchers found different levels of accuracy for each prompting variant. They found that no single formatting or perturbation method was suitable for all tasks. Remarkably, the "no specified format" variant achieved the highest overall accuracy, outperforming the other variants by a full percentage point.

Salinas: "We have found that there are some formats or variations that lead to poorer accuracy. For certain applications, very high accuracy is crucial, so this could be helpful. For example, if you format in an older format called XML, that leads to a few percentage points lower accuracy."

As for tipping, only minimal changes in performance were observed. The researchers found that adding "I don't tip, by the way" or "I tip $1,000 for a perfect answer!" (or anything in between) had no significant effect on the accuracy of responses. However, experimentation with jailbreaks showed that even seemingly harmless jailbreaks can lead to a significant loss of accuracy.

Possible explanations for the behavior of LLMs

Why LLMs behave differently is unclear, but the researchers have some ideas. They hypothesize that the instances that change the most are the things that are most "confusing" to the LLM. To measure confusion, they looked at a specific subset of tasks on which the human annotators disagreed (i.e., the human annotators may have found the task confusing, so perhaps the model did too). The researchers found a correlation suggesting that instance confusion has some explanatory power for why the prediction changes, but it is not strong enough on its own. There may be other factors at play, the researchers hypothesized.

Salinas suspects that one factor could be the relationship between the inputs used to train the LLM and the subsequent behavior. "In some online forums, it makes sense for someone to add a greeting, such as on Quora, an American knowledge-sharing platform. There it is common to start with 'hello' or add a 'thank you'." These conversational elements could influence the learning process of the models. If greetings are frequently associated with information on platforms such as Quora, a model might learn to favor such sources and potentially bias its responses based on Quora's information about that particular task. This observation points to the complexity with which the model ingests and interprets information from different online sources.

Practical tip: Keep it simple for best accuracy

An important next step for the research community as a whole would be to create LLMs that can withstand these changes and provide consistent responses in the face of formatting changes, glitches and jailbreaks. To achieve this goal, a better understanding of why responses change is needed in the future.

Salinas gives the following tip for prompting in Chat GPT: "Our simplest observation is that the simplest possible prompts seem to deliver the best results overall."

Source: Techexplore.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wie-bei-chatgpt-die-eigene-wortwahl-die-qualitaet-von-antworten-beeinflusst/