An exotic with all the features
Bolzern Kommunikation celebrates its 20th anniversary and grows into a full-service agency
Bolzern Kommunikation celebrates its 20th anniversary and grows into a full-service agencyBy Luca Aloisi Three years ago, Atelier Bolzern merged with Syntexta PR AG to form Bolzern Kommunikation AG in Kriens/Lucerne. The move was as obvious as it was lucrative. The agency thus increased and concentrated its competencies in consulting, PR and new media. After a consolidation phase, Bolzern Kommunikation repositioned itself as a comprehensive full-service agency.
It is one of the peculiarities of companies that they often assert themselves as self-sufficient and dynamic systems in so-called "remoteness". A recently published UBS study on Central Switzerland as a business location also concluded that this area holds good cards compared to the Swiss average.
So it's no surprise that companies like Bolzern Kommunikation, located at the foot of Mount Pilatus in the idyllic rural town of Kriens, have grown in their 20-year history from an execution agency to a full-service agency that serves all areas, from market analysis, brand identification and marketing strategy to creation and media planning. Significantly, the conceptual implementation of the UBS study came from Bolzern Kommunikation.
Continuous growth of the value chain
"Over the past year and a half, we have been in a consolidation phase," says Erich Rava, communications consultant, summing up the period of raising awareness among existing and potential new clients. It should be made clear to them that the new agency no longer corresponds to the formerly execution-oriented studio, but from now on can offer comprehensive support for communication strategies on all levels and media.
Bolzern has therefore given itself a new image to mark the milestone and the anniversary. According to Emanuel Bolzern, Chairman of the Executive Board, nothing will change in the agency's philosophy. Partnership will continue to be a top priority, both externally with clients and internally with employees.
This attitude is expressed in the flat structure and family atmosphere that prevails in the agency. Not only have the structural requirements for this been met - the office building houses all departments of the continuously growing value chain spread over two floors: from the photo studio to prepress to the open-plan office of the creative team and the new media department, where three programmers realize clients' Internet presences.
With the merged agencies and new customer demands, the value chain has become longer and longer. But a spin-off of any area has never been up for debate, says Emanuel Bolzern. He is convinced that such a structure with these manageable dimensions would provide advertising clients with optimum benefits thanks to the fast internal workflows and the supporting interdisciplinary solutions. This means that the advice of various specialists can be called in as early as the conception phase.
In 1999, the 26 employees increased their own output by around 8.5 percent to 4.5 million Swiss francs and produced commercial communications in all forms for companies from a wide range of industries: for the pharmaceutical and consumer goods sectors as well as for food manufacturers, publishing houses, banks and transport.
Three professional worlds - connected in one place
To meet the needs of different customers, heads are often put together at Bolzern Kommunikation. This partnership-based and networked way of thinking and acting is also evident at management level. In and among the four teams Advertising, PR, New Media and Contact, there is a lively exchange that originates at the grassroots level.
All employees are involved in the projects in order to tap into their specific expertise and let them participate in the business. With long-standing customers, this proximity seems to have worked so well that sometimes the consulting level is no longer involved. With some customers, this has become so well established that only the design level is used. In the future, however, Bolzern wants to position itself even more strongly in holistic support, because its know-how has increased as a result of expansion and new specialists.
"The New Media team in particular is the best place to present the range of services that has grown," says Erich Rava. It often has to be explained to the customer that, in terms of management, a presence on the Internet is the same as managing a branch. That's why Bolzern's offering is also broad and includes pretty much everything from electronic identity concepts and updating services to training.
And since there are professional copywriters in the advertising and PR teams, the company is not above knocking on their doors when it is necessary or urgent. Thus, in addition to the obligatory range of products, links and portraits of the sponsored athletes, the Stöckli ski site also contained the latest results of the Ski World Cup. Whether Didier Plaschy was boosting the reputation of the Swiss ski team or Paul Accola was taking a shot at the coach, the copywriters and programmers in Kriens were busy updating.
It is one of the peculiarities of companies that they often assert themselves as self-sufficient and dynamic systems in so-called "remoteness". A recently published UBS study on Central Switzerland as a business location also concluded that this area holds good cards compared to the Swiss average.
So it's no surprise that companies like Bolzern Kommunikation, located at the foot of Mount Pilatus in the idyllic rural town of Kriens, have grown in their 20-year history from an execution agency to a full-service agency that serves all areas, from market analysis, brand identification and marketing strategy to creation and media planning. Significantly, the conceptual implementation of the UBS study came from Bolzern Kommunikation.
Continuous growth of the value chain
"Over the past year and a half, we have been in a consolidation phase," says Erich Rava, communications consultant, summing up the period of raising awareness among existing and potential new clients. It should be made clear to them that the new agency no longer corresponds to the formerly execution-oriented studio, but from now on can offer comprehensive support for communication strategies on all levels and media.
Bolzern has therefore given itself a new image to mark the milestone and the anniversary. According to Emanuel Bolzern, Chairman of the Executive Board, nothing will change in the agency's philosophy. Partnership will continue to be a top priority, both externally with clients and internally with employees.
This attitude is expressed in the flat structure and family atmosphere that prevails in the agency. Not only have the structural requirements for this been met - the office building houses all departments of the continuously growing value chain spread over two floors: from the photo studio to prepress to the open-plan office of the creative team and the new media department, where three programmers realize clients' Internet presences.
With the merged agencies and new customer demands, the value chain has become longer and longer. But a spin-off of any area has never been up for debate, says Emanuel Bolzern. He is convinced that such a structure with these manageable dimensions would provide advertising clients with optimum benefits thanks to the fast internal workflows and the supporting interdisciplinary solutions. This means that the advice of various specialists can be called in as early as the conception phase.
In 1999, the 26 employees increased their own output by around 8.5 percent to 4.5 million Swiss francs and produced commercial communications in all forms for companies from a wide range of industries: for the pharmaceutical and consumer goods sectors as well as for food manufacturers, publishing houses, banks and transport.
Three professional worlds - connected in one place
To meet the needs of different customers, heads are often put together at Bolzern Kommunikation. This partnership-based and networked way of thinking and acting is also evident at management level. In and among the four teams Advertising, PR, New Media and Contact, there is a lively exchange that originates at the grassroots level.
All employees are involved in the projects in order to tap into their specific expertise and let them participate in the business. With long-standing customers, this proximity seems to have worked so well that sometimes the consulting level is no longer involved. With some customers, this has become so well established that only the design level is used. In the future, however, Bolzern wants to position itself even more strongly in holistic support, because its know-how has increased as a result of expansion and new specialists.
"The New Media team in particular is the best place to present the range of services that has grown," says Erich Rava. It often has to be explained to the customer that, in terms of management, a presence on the Internet is the same as managing a branch. That's why Bolzern's offering is also broad and includes pretty much everything from electronic identity concepts and updating services to training.
And since there are professional copywriters in the advertising and PR teams, the company is not above knocking on their doors when it is necessary or urgent. Thus, in addition to the obligatory range of products, links and portraits of the sponsored athletes, the Stöckli ski site also contained the latest results of the Ski World Cup. Whether Didier Plaschy was boosting the reputation of the Swiss ski team or Paul Accola was taking a shot at the coach, the copywriters and programmers in Kriens were busy updating.
