Co-Creation-
Session «Brand and Hidden
Champions»

There are companies that are global market leaders in their sector, but their names are unknown to many Swiss people. These hidden champions are niche providers that create invaluable added value with their unique products and services.

Our co-creation sessions bring together experts from the fields of branding, marketing, and sales to generate practical insights for everyday life and ideas for the future.

AI, employee retention and smart branding

In our first co-creation session, we discussed the following topics with representatives from a wide range of hidden champions.

• Artificial intelligence as an efficiency booster
• Increasing employee loyalty through social intranets
• Smart branding in the digital era

We have summarized insights from various industries and discussions about common problems and possible solutions below.

The AIMMENSE impact of artificial intelligence

According to brand eins' September 2023 issue, the AI revolution is currently presenting opportunities for smaller entities. Our session participants are taking advantage of this trend by actively incorporating AI into their professional environments. This allows them to gain experience and optimize AI's integration as a new team member. The team is addressing questions such as 'How can AI be effectively utilized in daily work?', 'When is the data considered up-to-date?', and 'How can we ensure the accuracy of results?'.

The message is clear: we must become more knowledgeable about AI capabilities to accurately evaluate challenges and manage the collaboration between human and artificial intelligence. To fully exploit the potential of AI while minimizing challenges and risks, it is essential to leverage ecosystems and partnerships. Crowd intelligence can be used to achieve this. It is impossible for anyone to master the disruptive power of AI alone.

Employee retention: The VAT Group relies on social intranet

Committed employees are typically more productive, creative, and tend to stay with the company for longer periods. In times of skilled labour shortages, employee retention becomes crucial as companies must compete more intensely for qualified personnel.

The VAT Group, a leading global developer and producer of high-vacuum solutions, uses a social intranet, among other tools, to achieve this. Anja Brun, Head of Corporate Communication, shared her experiences regarding the introduction and initial successes.

Relevant content management, sustainable engagement strategies, and sound analytics are crucial. Early involvement of opinion leaders, HR and IT departments, as well as employees themselves, are also key aspects. Anja and her team organized a naming contest for the social intranet with the workforce to generate interest from the start. Since the social intranet went live, tool-based communication has reduced email traffic. Production employees, in particular, are more easily reached. Employees can find information, exchange ideas, and interact in one place that is easily accessible.

The brand as a tool: smart brand management at Energie 360°

To turn our brand into a useful tool for our customers, it must be visible, understandable, and applicable.

During a presentation by Daniela Mininni, Head of Communications at Energie 360°, she demonstrated how her company brings the brand to life on an interactive platform. The brand is narrated and explained, the most important brand elements are derived, and their application is explained. Employees can quickly and easily download brand assets, content, or links to other tools. This enables the workforce to embody the brand, while allowing the communication and branding teams to efficiently manage their work. Achieving this is an ongoing process that does not conclude with the creation of a brand portal. Embedding the brand within the organization requires time and constant stimulation.