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Agency News

Communication Is No Longer Enough

Businesses have never had to make so many decisions under so much scrutiny. Geopolitics, AI, regulation, protectionism, increasingly fragmented public opinion Every strategic move is analyzed, debated and, sometimes, challenged within hours.
  • 15.09.2026|·

“It’s the information, stupid”

This statement shouldn’t be taken personally, as you can probably imagine. It’s actually a play on the catch phrase “It’s the economy, stupid”, which went down in history in 1992. The casual statement uttered by James Carville, a strategist on Bill Clinton’s campaign team, underscores the economy’s political significance to the American people at that time and helped Clinton win the election.
  • 13.05.2026|·

Leadership health: the invisible link in governance 

Long considered a taboo, leaders’ health is now a key issue in governance and communication. How can a leader’s vulnerability be addressed without weakening the organization? This article offers practical guidance for balancing human dignity, stakeholder trust, and business continuity.
  • 26.01.2026|·

Happiness lies in a simple gesture

Maneki-neko, the iconic «lucky cats», have long been symbols of good fortune, instantly catching the eye with their simple yet powerful gesture. A perfect metaphor for our work, where the right sign, the right story, or the right subtle wink can make all the difference. Meaningful, visual, and emotional communication creates moments that matter, brings people together and inspires.
  • 07.01.2026|·

In the Beginning Was the Consultant

Who handled the first communications crisis in history? Spoiler: It wasn’t a PR guru from Geneva or Zurich. Leadership needs people who provide direction, sharpen the narrative, and enable real impact.
  • 04.12.2025|·

Agency exchange: PR in Switzerland vs the UK

An agency exchange between Prova in the UK and open up in Switzerland revealed many similarities — and a few subtle differences. In this audio feature, Evelyne Oechslin and Ryan Witton share their impressions.
  • 22.10.2025|·

In the minds of designers

Writers provide texts, designers present layouts. Nothing easier than that, right? An article about the fascinating and challenging interplay of text and design.
  • 02.10.2025|·

What we can learn about communication from using AI

We optimise prompts for AI chatbots right down to the smallest detail, but send contradictory emails and are surprised if the recipient misunderstands them. Many basic rules for using AI also apply to interpersonal communication.
  • 28.07.2025|·

In Good Company: Highlights from Our 2025 Event

For us, personal encounters are just as important as effective communication. This is why, once a year, we take great pleasure in bringing together our clients, business partners, and friends. On June 12th, Zurich’s Helvtibar provided the perfect setting: we exchanged ideas and enjoyed a summer evening marked by a vibrant atmosphere and inspiring conversations.
  • 19.06.2025|·

Stakeholder journey to the Matterhorn

With the upcoming construction of the Mattertal Tunnel between Täsch and Zermatt, open up is supporting the stakeholder communication of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway in a project that will have an impact far beyond national borders.
  • 14.04.2025|·

The Overton Window: when the unthinkable becomes acceptable

This concept describes how once marginal ideas gradually become debatable, accepted, and eventually dominant in public opinion. This dynamic is leveraged in politics, in the media and even in business to shape perceptions and debate, often without us even realising it. As public relations specialists, it is our duty to remain vigilant.
  • 13.02.2025|·

The power of iconic images

Whether they depict historic situations like the attempt on Donald’s Trump’s life or major global events such as the Olympics, images that capture special moments and emotions remain in our minds for years and shape our collective memory. To make an impression these days, they should be memeable.
  • 15.10.2024|·

Annual event 2024: Memorable Gatherings at the Agency

Every year, we meet with our clients, partners, and friends, emphasizing our belief that people are at the heart of everything we do, not just in terms of communication. On June 13, we gathered once again. The evening was filled with joyful moments, engaging discussions, and culinary delights.
  • 26.06.2024|·

Ignoring the news is no solution

Quite a lot of people deliberately avoid the news. What does that feel like? A self-experiment and a call for the critical consumption of information.
  • 27.11.2023|·

Do we still need photo shoots or is artificial intelligence taking over?

With the advent of generative AI in everyday creative life, a completely new category of visual material is available. But what does that mean for corporate communications? And what’s the raison d’être of the original sources of photos, in other words professional photographers, stock agencies or your own smartphone? Here’s a survey of the field.
  • 05.09.2023|·

The media need more women

Women are still underrepresented in the Swiss media. A look at the figures shows just how significant the media gender gap is.
  • 25.07.2023|·

I also expect an agency to take a critical stance

What’s our clients’ experience of working with open up? We asked Angela Scalese. She’s the media spokesperson for Senevita, a provider of nursing care to the elderly that we’ve been helping with media relations since 2022.
  • 12.07.2023|·

It pays to be brief

If you master the art of keeping a topic short and presenting a complex issue so that even a layperson can understand it, you’ll never get bored and you’ll reach your goal faster.
  • 28.06.2023|·

PR-agencies and lawyers: a strategic alliance

It’s often thought that public relations and legal departments are always at odds. The classic cliché is of a PR person suggesting an idea only to be rebuffed by the lawyer in the room because it could, from his or her point of view, expose the organisation to enormous liability.
  • 21.02.2023|·

abrdn Investments Switzerland has chosen open up

International investment manager abrdn is now relying on the expertise and network of the communications and PR agency open up for its communication in Switzerland. abrdn is one of the largest active asset managers in the world with over CHF 10 billion in client assets under management in Switzerland alone.
  • 07.02.2023|·

What does the giraffe say?

What first comes to your mind when you see a giraffe? Probably not “nonviolent communication”. What giraffes have to do with communication and what we can learn from them.
  • 16.01.2023|·

Breaking with stereotypes

Many conceptual ideas start with psychological personas. They’re a good way of simplifying things and firming up the audiences you’re targeting. This is why it’s worth questioning personas and giving them greater depth.
  • 24.11.2022|·

Annual event: Boundless freedom and cloudless skies

On 8 September we celebrated one of the last late summer evenings of the year in the agency’s office and on our terrace over the rooftops of Zurich with laughter, lively discussion, good food and drink. Our 2022 annual event was a great opportunity to spend a relaxed and entertaining evening with our guests.
  • 21.09.2022|·

Portraits: we love them because they’re so human

We humans are curious and interested in our fellow humans. Sometimes we like to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, understand them and learn something from them. Journalistic portraits cater to this need. They also have a firm place in corporate commu-nications.
  • 20.09.2022|·

Images and the stories they tell

Whether they’re spectacular wildlife shots on Instagram or creative portraits on a business website, images exercise a fascination. It’s hard to imagine life without them, either on social media or in corporate communications. Even so, people still underestimate their power.
  • 09.08.2022|·

Only a gentle nudge!?

When my daughter pushes someone I feel it’s wrong. But there is a behavioural theory that recommends a form of pushing as a means to an end. So is it okay for her to do so?
  • 31.05.2022|·

Public service media under pressure

The traditional media landscape is under serious threat. Public service media in particular are under pressure from all sides, from authoritarian and populist governments, purely profit-driven media companies, and internet and social media giants. High time, then, to take up the cudgels for media diversity.
  • 11.04.2022|·

open up establishes office in Geneva

The communications agency open up is expanding into French-speaking Switzerland. The new office at the heart of the city of Geneva is headed by the experienced consultant Nabila Bouzouina. This is the nationwide agency’s response to a major client need.
  • 15.03.2022|·

Yearbook for entrepreneurs gets more multimedia

Every February, Credit Suisse publishes «escher», a comprehensive yearbook for entrepreneurs. The heart of the publication is a watch list of exciting Swiss enterprises, plus an SME study. This year’s edition has been expanded online to now also include video content.
  • 02.03.2022|·

Writing text with figures

Figures enrich storytelling and can arouse emotion. Rounding, comparing and putting them in context can multiply the impact of your writing.
  • 02.03.2022|·

Youth language: remaining open to new things

The power of youth language to stir the emotions is evident in the comments on newspaper articles about young people’s use of language and in conversations with friends or work colleagues. Among the people around me, the debate reaches its peak every year when the Langenscheidt publishing house announces its Youth Word of the Year.
  • 19.01.2022|·

Global X ETFs engages open up for media relations

The rapidly growing New York-based asset manager Global X ETFs is now relying on the expertise and network of the communications and PR agency open up. Global X ETFs has already listed two ETFs on the Swiss stock exchange SIX in summer, further UCITS ETFs will follow later this year.
  • 16.11.2021|·

Converting responsibility into positive energy

We’re taking the 20-year anniversary of our agency to share some thoughts about what it means to be self-employed, entrepreneurial and in business. To make things clear from the outset, neither Melanie or Kilian had the declared aim of becoming an entrepreneur.
  • 02.11.2021|·

open up celebrates 20-year anniversary

Zurich agency open up can look back on a 20-year journey through time and the world of communications. The owner-managed company, with a staff of 14, advises organisations on all matters related to communications, with the emphasis on long-term content strategy.
  • 06.10.2021|·

Let’s talk about Hashtags

According to Wikipedia, a hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash symbol “#”, Hashtags are widely used as a form of user-generated tagging that enables cross-referencing of content sharing a subject or theme. But the hash also has other functions. I embarked on some research.
  • 06.09.2021|·

Freedom of the press under pressure. What comes next?

The number of countries where journalists can exercise their profession without repression saw yet another decline last year. In the annual index produced by Reporters without Borders, the situation in only 12 of the 180 countries surveyed ranked “good”.
  • 22.07.2021|·

Hawa’s Slide magazine goes for change

Slide magazine from Hawa Sliding Solutions has been completely reworked. It’s a space for stories around architecture and design. The concept was developed by the Zurich design agency SOURCE, with communi-cations agency open up responsible for implementing the editorial side.
  • 14.07.2021|·

Keeping the conversation going

Directly or indirectly, thought leadership is often the top priority in corporate communications. But it requires expertise as well as having the courage of your convictions.
  • 02.03.2021|·

Something for the ear

In recent years the podcast trend has arrived in Switzerland. Many are now asking whether their organisation also needs them. Our audio piece provides some answers.
  • 04.02.2021|·

I can see clearly now

After a year where so many things were murky and unclear, in the new video and new year’s greeting the entire open up team takes an optimistic look ahead to 2021.
  • 07.01.2021|·

Digital overtransformation in corporate communications

In recent years we’ve kicked off articles for many customers in a whole range of industries with sentences like “Digital transformation is changing the Swiss market more and more rapidly...,” or words to that effect. What companies should be aware of when it comes to communicating about digital transformation.
  • 16.12.2020|·

Switzerland’s no. 1 Swiss PR agency

Every year the trade magazine Schweizer Journalist surveys business and specialist journalists on the quality of media relations in Switzerland. Besides the work of corporate spokespeople, they also rate the performance of PR agencies. Following a no. 1 ranking in 2017, open up has again placed top in the 2020 ratings. We’re delighted with this result and would like to thank journalists for their votes.
  • 29.09.2020|·

Fact-checking social media

COVID-19 has turned the world on its head: in the flood of facts, theories and wild speculation, it can be hard to know what is true. Fact-checking has become more important than ever.
  • 05.08.2020|·

Home alone in the office

Despite the home office revolution of recent weeks, it’s too early to speak of the death of the of-fice. In the long run, humans are social beings who need personal contact.
  • 04.06.2020|·

Principal Global Investors entrusts media relations to open up

Principal Global Investors is one of the world’s biggest asset managers, with assets under man-agement of USD 476.4 billion (31 December 2019). Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the US company has had a branch in Switzerland for more than three years. It has entrusted open up with its Swiss media relations.
  • 03.03.2020|·

VanEck entrusts Swiss media relations to open up

In recent months global financial services provider VanEck has more than doubled its offering of exchange traded funds (ETFs) in Switzerland. The New York-based family-run firm, which has assets under management of around USD 51 billion, is further building brand awareness in Switzerland, and has commissioned PR and communications agency open up to take charge of its media relations.
  • 22.01.2020|·

Does AI write better copy?

Machines are making inroads into our lives and turning everything on its head. What about communica-tions, where the interpersonal dimension is apparently so important?
  • 15.01.2020|·

Relaunch of Swissgrid annual report

Swiss electricity grid operator Swissgrid presented its relaunch at the company’s annual media conference. The new identity is compelling, reflecting Swissgrid’s core competencies.
  • 15.10.2019|·

Infectious enthusiasm

open up might not be a bookstore, but we do deliver exciting content. Since time immemorial people have always wanted to listen to a good story.
  • 15.10.2019|·

Video killed the radio star?

Moving pictures are the king of content. Thanks to digitalisation, videos are available everywhere. By 2021, video content is set to make up 82% of all internet traffic.
  • 15.10.2019|·

In search of perfection

Our 2017 Christmas card took two attempts. Sometimes the right solution – whether it’s a photo, a title, or a content strategy – takes more than one go.
  • 15.10.2019|·

It’s all in the mix

The fact that there’s less and less diversity, both in nature and the media landscape, is worrying. But if you look you’ll find projects that promote and encourage diversity.
  • 15.10.2019|·

Why look far afield …

At our annual event we and our guests lingered long into a balmy evening at Certo, the Italian restaurant next door. Check out the pictures.
  • 08.06.2017|·
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