Three candidates, previously selected from all applicants by a jury, presented their projects to the audience, who then voted for their favorite. The first Swiss MarTech Award was won by Swiss Life and its “From Zero to Wow” project. Swiss Life’s digital experience and campaign team sought to demonstrate the capabilities of marketing automation through a proof-of-concept. Their goal was to show that successful results do not require high investment or projects lasting years. Despite the challenging data situation, a customer data platform was successfully integrated within three months, yielding initial results. After just a few days, several hundred user profiles were linked via the existing customer portal. “The change in thinking among the participants was particularly formative. Marketing automation was not only discussed but experienced and understood,” explained Fabio Cianciola from Swiss Life, who presented the project at the summit. 

Other candidates included social media agency Brain & Heart Communication, which collaborated with client MySports to develop a content catalog that facilitates the automated creation of content for social media, resulting in an impressive business impact. Implenia AG presented the new structure of its “Intranet for Everyone and for Everything” on stage. By creating a personalized, emotionally charged intranet with an optimized user experience, they were able to increase the platform’s usage by 80 percent.

Following the award ceremony, Urs Blickenstorfer, CEO and owner of iundf Marketing Technology, recognized the importance of the newly created award for the industry: “The Summit is the home of the Swiss MarTech community - the award clearly shows the key role that technology plays in modern marketing today.”

As an expert in digital ethics, Cornelia Diethelm deals with strategic trends in her work and serves as a mediator between the expectations of the economy and society. In her keynote address, she urged companies to be transparent in their dealings with AI and to take customers and their expectations seriously. These technologies bring us “great power” and, with it, “great responsibility.” AI results are often based on stereotypes and can be distorted, which is something users should always bear in mind. In the subsequent 23 breakout sessions with external MarTech experts, over 250 participants at the summit gained valuable, practical insights. The topics of these sessions were diverse and varied, with global marketing planning, social media tactics, and accessibility being just a few examples. 

Things got romantic in the keynote speech by Thomas Schwetje, Head of Digital & Customer at Coop. He emphasized the importance of effective cooperation between marketing and IT. “Collaboration between marketing and IT, which often leads to disagreements, should become a romantic love story between the two areas. A marriage between marketing and IT!” said Schwetje. He went on to explain the importance of developing an understanding of one another and encouraging exchange. Companies should develop common MarTech goals that marketing and IT employees work towards equally. Chief marketing officers must adapt accordingly and develop a deeper understanding of the technology. 

What trends should we expect? In the concluding panel discussion, the experts ventured a look into the future. In addition to a further expansion of tools and applications that increase complexity, there will be a specialization of existing tools. And the next big trend? Robotics! Thomas Schwetje from Coop is sure of this. For those looking for something easier to predict, the next MarTech Summit will take place on 28 May 2026.