Not a nice old man

Anton Glanzmann "actually slipped into the PR industry", as he says. Since then, however, this work has never let him go. The great thing about PR work is that you gain insights into almost every sector of the economy and every other industry. "There's nothing I haven't done - just ask me," he affirms challengingly. After 50 years in PR, Anton Glanzmann is now starting out again. Various projects are in the pipeline. One of them is about to be launched - an online portal similar to Facebook, the four-year development work for which has been supported by marketing and communication students from the University of St. Gallen over the last six months. However, the shrewd PR man does not want to reveal much more about it yet. Just this much: it is a follow-up project to the Golden Years Master Card that he launched and does not yet have much to do with Facebook in the initial development phase. Although Glanzmann is present on Facebook, there are no corners in his well-rounded media presence. Glanzmann is an image professional, he knows how the media works and has already been involved in every other sector.

(Anton Glanzmann has hung up some of his posters on the premises of PRW Public Relations + Werbe AG. These include the accident prevention campaign above and a picture of the Pilatus Railway Board of Directors in original costumes for the 100th anniversary celebrations).

"No bans"

Glanzmann discovered public relations when he started working in PR at Knorr in 1964 (Head of Cooking Studio, Culinary Information Center). But then everything continued in a very targeted way. In 1970, he was offered a position at PRW, and ten years later he headed the agency, which provided corporate and political consultancy. His agency PRW Public Relations + Werbe AG launched the "Trumpf Buur" advertisements of the "Aktion für freie Meinungsbildung" ("Campaign for the Free Formation of Opinion") - for years the in-house agency of the FDP - and in 1986 he began to fight the ban on casinos, only to introduce casinos in Switzerland after winning the referendum in 1993. He is particularly proud of the referendum he won against a ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising with the simple but direct slogan "No bans". In 1997, he caused a sensation with a training program for board members at university level. His network reached all the way to the top of the Chinese government.

With his PRW, Anton Glanzmann launched the Betty Bossi cookbooks, which he still enjoys leafing through. He still talks about the Nestlé baby food affair with such conviction that he could immediately defend the company again - as he did at the WHO in 1981. In the tourism industry, Glanzmann worked in destination marketing, advised tourism organizations and transport facilities and looked after the tourism representative office of the government of Mauritius for over 30 years. He founded the Club of Skiing Editors-in-Chief, was secretary of the Club of Cooking Journalists for 20 years, presided over various PR industry associations and founded the BPRA, the association of PR agencies. He also enjoys sporting activities such as jogging, mountain biking, hiking, skiing and snowshoeing. As President of the Lucerne Ski Club, he has also been involved in social commitment for over 10 years.

"Everyone wants to be loved"

Anton Glanzmann is not only known and friends with opinion makers and leading personalities, he also knows exactly who he wants to be and how he should not be perceived under any circumstances. Because at the end of the day, everyone is a little vain. For one simple reason: "Everyone wants to be loved and therefore wants to be perceived as they see themselves." How does Anton Glanzmann see himself? "I'm not a nice old man." On the contrary, he is full of energy and forward-looking, rarely at a loss for ideas or inspiration, and he doesn't think much of prohibitions instead of personal responsibility. Anton Glanzmann is still driven by a never-ending energy to make a difference. But nice - no, he is not nice. Even if he looks like one at first glance. But there is a good deal of attention, business acumen and curiosity behind it. Anton Glanzmann knows exactly what he wants and follows this path rigorously and without hesitation, but mostly with stringent authenticity. But he doesn't exactly have a thick skin, he adds. He admits that he is not at all good at dealing with negative press, criticism without a constructive approach and unfair attacks. He would much rather concentrate on new projects and positive reactions. And there is more than enough of that.

Ursina mason