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2020 is over, 2021 is still in its infancy. A good opportunity to reflect on the past year, to appreciate the beautiful moments and to focus on a positive outlook for 2021. In September 2020, I went on a great multi-day hiking trip in the Italian Dolomites, one of the most impressive and beautiful mountain ranges that I have ever seen (and I say that as a Tyrolean!). The tour was organized and hosted by my dear friend Karrie Gregson from Alpenboxx , whom I know from my Hot Yoga Studio Yogahealth . We were a small, nice group of different nationalities, all living in Innsbruck: Karrie from Canada, Olli from Bavaria (Germany), Nolwenn from France, her husband Marek from Poland and I, the only Austrian. The starting point was the Passo Sella Resort - a fantastic resort in an equally fantastic location. High up in the mountains you have a wonderful view. A lot is put into perspective when you change your perspective - what a lovely play on words ;-) ! A different point of view is always positive and also promotes creativity - so especially for me as a designer, hiking in the mountains is a great thing. In the Dolomites I had some time to relax and to reflect on ten years of HCG corporate designs #10yearsHCG . Many doubts plagued me when I started my own business. Because: I started my graphic design business at the beginning of 2010, in the midst of the financial crisis, with just one customer. Not exactly the best conditions. Today I run my one-person company in the 6-digit sales range, as a woman, in an industry with a lot of competition and dumping price providers. Okay, the one-person company status will change ;-). What I have learned over the years - and I would like to pass this on to you as a blog reader: There are always people and companies who need good products and services and are willing to pay for them. The better your product or service, the more professional you are perceived (your brand design makes a significant contribution to this), the more your competitors will be left behind you. So if you're wondering why you should invest: Because you are investing in your future. And that's the best investment you can ever make. The investment in this hiking holiday in the Dolomites was, too, one that I definitely wouldn't want to miss. I spent wonderful days in a beautiful landscape with wonderful people. Thanks at this point to Karrie, Olli, Nolwenn and Marek. And of course we must not forget about Lilli - Karrie and Olli's dog, who entertained us very well with her daring attempts to chase the marmots in the Dolomites. (Video by Karrie Gregson / Alpenboxx ) Thanks to Karrie, Olli, Lilli, Nolwenn, Marek, Peter and all the others of the hiking group for this wonderful time together! After a great 2020, I am now looking forward to 2021, in which many wonderful, creative design projects are waiting for me - and maybe another hike in the Dolomites. And of course I'm also looking forward to a generally more positive mood in the world out there, which will certainly come after all the turbulence of the past year. I am very certain about that.

There are over 2,200 fonts in my digital font library at the moment. They include all-time classics, well-done newbies and outstanding specialities. In this blog article I want to introduce you to six of the fonts that I currently like most: 1. NOYH Noyh is quite a new font which was developed by the Thai Chatnarong Jingsuphatada and published by Typesketchbook . It has a huge bandwidth of different styles (72 to be precise!) and combines a geometric, cool look with subtle round edges. This gives Noyh a nice and modern touch. Currently, Noyh is my absolute favourite in my font library. By the way, a new, more rustic alternative has joined the family quite recently: Noyh A . Combined with Noto Serif Bold (set in majuscules), Noyh looks wonderful, see an example here in one of my latest client projects: 2. NOYH SLIM Staying with Noyh - this time in a condensed style called Noyh Slim. It’s perfect in combination with Noyh Regular for T&Cs or Terms of Use for example. 3. NOTO SERIF I mentioned Noto Serif in point 1. But also on its own, Noto Serif is lovely. A classic elegance, dominant and strong though thanks to quite a high x-height. This makes Noto Serif perfect for reading especially in small sizes and on screens. (PS: Noto Serif was designed by Google Inc.) 4. ANIUK The Viennese typography studio Typejockeys describes their font Aniuk as "quite a cool font family", which it definitely is. Aniuk was designed by Thomas Gabriel and I like the very well executed mix of strength of character, round shapes with a serious touch. When looking at it, you might discover that a lot is bent upwards, making the font kinda smiling at you. And this puts a smile on my face as well. 5. AKKO Akko was created by Akira Kobayashi back in 2011, 2015 it underwent a facelift. I used Akko in the course of a magazine redesign in summer 2017. I bought the font on Fontshop and instantly fell in love with Akko (in my blog post of 19 June 2017 you can find out why). The technical understatement combined with a distinctive look makes this font an all time favourite for me. 6. HENRIETTE Another great piece of work by Typejockeys is Henriette , the reinterpretation of a classic. Something for retro lovers and geeks! How do you like my currently 6 favourite fonts? I’m looking forward to your comments on Facebook and Twitter! #typography #fonts

Microtypographic details (or the mighty tiny details when working with fonts) are probably the supreme discipline in typesetting and brand design. Regardless of whether it is website design , brochure design , logo design or flyer design - a font is not only a transmitter of information, but a very important design element that conveys a feeling for the text and can massively increase the recognition value of a brand - sometimes even more than the logo design itself. We do not want to confuse you with typographical terms. Using some practical examples from our customers, we would like to show you how we use fonts to create special stylistic experiences for our customers. A CASA The brand design of the holiday apartment group A CASA conveys a feeling of exclusivity and luxury. We achieved this by using a serif typeface called Cormorant Garamond by type designer Christian Thalmann. This serif font looks particularly elegant in upper case for headings. In addition, we integrated elegant lines and logo elements for the individual holiday homes as an optical anchor point with the headings. Legally required copy such as general terms and conditions, data privacy information and so on has to look great too. Brand design doesn't stop there. Even in a small font size, the typography has to transport the desired feeling. BLICKPUNKT LKW & BUS Blickpunkt LKW & BUS is Austria's largest transport magazine. In addition to the brand design relaunch , we were also responsible for the new, adapted editorial design of the magazine. The sans-serif font Akko by Japanese font designer Akira Kobayashi is used for the logo, headings and sub-headings. Akko is particularly strong when it comes to the bold style, making it a perfect fit for the transport and logistics industry. The symbol that marks the end of the article is an element derived from the logo font for which Akko Pro was used. Individual but significant features of the brand design are subtly incorporated into the rest of the product. HERBSTFREUDE A handwriting for the logo as well as specially highlighted headlines were particularly important in the brand design of Herbstfreude . After all, Herbstfreude is about humanity, cordiality and caring for (in particular old) people. Halo Handletter by Mario Arturo does a good job here. The serif font Literata by TypeTogether is used for the main copy to convey a feeling of calm and trust. Particular attention is paid to the italic style, which stands out due to its extraordinary characteristics. In addition to that, special ligatures and old-style numerals are very beautifully designed, which gives the copy a very special note. As you can see in the picture below, special ligatures are a special way of combining two consecutive letters. And old style figures are numbers (compared to uppercase figures) that fit harmoniously into the main copy to ensure a more pleasant reading flow. See more about it in this video (in German language): HOLZBAU WEGSCHEIDER Holzbau Wegscheider build houses from natural building materials wood and clay. Values such as durability, longevity and closeness to nature stand in the foreground here. This was achieved by using an impressive typeface called Vollkorn by type designer Friedrich Althausen - a typeface with a strong character. SPEDIFORT In late 2020, e-Learning provider Spedifort hired us to redesign their brand to visualize the transition from a start-up to a premium provider. The sans-serif font Saira with its different styles combines serious objectivity with cool elegance and is ideal to give the brand an IT / tech touch. Take a look at how weak and strong emphasized text looks like in the image above. Wide-spread, bold capital letters or capital letters in a light weight fit extremely well into the overall image of the brand and harmonize with all other design elements. TIROL BOX Trattatello plays a major role in the logo design and brand design of Tirol Box . Trattatello is a beautiful decorative font that is reminiscent of handmade. This was important because Tirol Box almost exclusively contained products that were lovingly made by hand. When you read a text, the look of this text automatically must remind you of a certain brand. That's good brand design. Book your free consultation call to get your very own high-class brand design:

Is your company stuck in the swamp of mediocrity and just can't make it to the next level of sales and status? Do you think a new logo and maybe a new website can fundamentally change that? Wrong thought. Imagine a brand like a human body. The logo is essentially the heart. But it is the branding that brings the entire body together into what it is and ensures that all components work together perfectly. The decisive factor is the transferability of the logo into a brand, i.e. into a corporate design. Why? A logo design may be the heart of a brand, but in the end it is just a symbol. And a symbol alone does not convey any feeling or emotion. Ultimately, it is always emotions and feelings that turn people into paying customers. Even if we believe we are making rational decisions, we make decisions based on gut feeling within a very short space of time and only then try to explain (or "justify") our decision using rational logic. Only a branding that is professionally developed and consistent creates a harmonious whole in the entire company presence - cross-media at all touchpoints, online and offline. If we compare this again with the anatomy of the human body, the logo is the heart of it. The branding is the complex system of organs, fascia, muscle fibers, veins, etc. - everything that makes the human body and makes it unique, makes it functional and capable of survival. Just like with human anatomy, it is the same with a brand. A logo design is all well and good - but without branding it cannot survive. THE TRANSFORMATION TO A TOP BRAND IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF As part of our branding development, our customers receive a clearly structured design system with practicality, including a corporate design manual , which meets the highest quality standards and appeals to the target group on an emotional level. In plain language, this means: You get an external image that really works and raises your company to a completely new level of sales and status. As a top brand, you will experience a completely new quality in many areas of life. Doors will open for you that you thought were firmly closed. You will feel like you have finally arrived .

In manufacturing companies, slow deliveries of raw materials or components lead to situations that were previously unimaginable: the (at least temporary) shutdown of production because orders can simply no longer be met. Added to this is the lack of (suitable) staff - which of course also affects the service sector. A lack of staff causes capacity bottlenecks. Applicants stay away and prefer to go to the "sexy" competition. This mix leads to dangerous capacity bottlenecks, which set in motion a downward spiral that can - and will - break the back of companies in the long run. The competition has more capacity (because there are more applicants) and you are on thin ice. The result: Many companies can no longer take on new customers and are therefore at their limit. Potential customers therefore become customers of the competition . In addition, such a dangerous capacity bottleneck is noticeable among existing customers. It is only a matter of time before they too move to the competition, where they are better served due to the capacity. Independence from suppliers and business partners from abroad is a complex issue in times of closely intertwined business relationships and tight margin calculations. In addition, bottlenecks in the supply of raw materials and components must be resolved primarily at the political level. But what can you do to break this downward spiral? There are two significant adjustments that have been proven to work. MORE APPLICATIONS THAN EVER BEFORE – MORE SEXYNESS WITH EMPLOYER BRANDING The most important step to stop dangerous capacity bottlenecks is to find suitable staff and retain them in the long term. Motivation and emotional attachment to the employer play a crucial role. This is where first-class employer branding comes into play, as we implemented for our client Spedination . Thanks to its branding, Spedination appears super-sexy as a modern employer and receives more applications than ever before. Thomas Kogler, founder and managing director of Spedination GmbH, can choose the best people for his team. "On target and perfectly executed. We get emails from people who have nothing to do with our industry just to say that the website makes them want to work for us." A nice “side effect” of the new branding was a 180% growth in sales just one year after the introduction of the new branding and a successful establishment as a top brand in the region . HIGHER MARGINS THANKS TO TRANSFORMATION INTO A TOP BRAND It should be clear to everyone by now that we cannot work with knock-down prices in Europe. So how can we increase margins accordingly? The best way is to optimize your own product or service in terms of the customer experience. Crises or not, there are always people who are prepared to dig deeper into their pockets and pay a corresponding price for quality - provided you keep your quality promise and give the customer a positive experience that they will not forget. Experience shows that in the long run, quality always prevails. But what is the point of the best quality, the best product, the best service if it is not communicated accordingly? Absolutely nothing. Quality must be made visible to the outside world. This is what first-class branding is for, which we implement for our customers not only in theory but also in practice as part of our 4-step method . The clear positioning as a quality provider is based on the visual transformation to a top brand . We achieve this for our target group in 90 days.

Financial crisis, climate crisis, economic crisis, record inflation, war in Europe, recession warnings, refugee crisis, shortage of skilled workers... we live in turbulent times. The media are adding fuel to the fire with deliberately provocative headlines, after all, that's good for reach and boosts sales. All of this has an effect on us. We feel increasingly uncomfortable and anxious. What can we still trust? In times of (seemingly never-ending) crises, we long for something we can build on. Something or someone we can trust. THE THING ABOUT TRUST "Trust refers to a certain type of subjective, emotionally colored, belief that guides one's behavior. Trusting another person includes beliefs about their honesty and their future actions: one expects that this person will be helpful to one or at least not harm one. Trust therefore brings about cooperation. In this case, the trusting person makes aspects of his own well-being and security dependent on the behavior of the cooperation partner, and thus also takes a risk with his trust." (Source: Wikipedia) Trust is about emotions and beliefs. But it is also about minimizing your own risk when making decisions. TRUST AS A CURRENCY WITHOUT INFLATION RISK Trust has always been the safest currency that companies can build on; a currency without the risk of inflation. This is particularly evident in turbulent times like these. Companies that manage to permanently and sustainably strengthen their target group's trust in their product or service are the winners - even (or especially?) in times of crisis. After all, money is not lost, it just changes hands. Which company do you buy from? Companies that you feel emotionally connected to, that you understand , that you feel addressed and taken care of . If your money is going to change hands, then please choose an owner that you trust, right? ARE YOU TRUSTWORTHY? Do you promise first-class quality as a service provider? How do you signal this to your target group? Through lame advertising slogans like "we are the best", which is what so many people claim? Trust is much more subtle; it has to be a deep gut feeling that converts people into paying customers. Trust is not gained through lame advertising slogans, but through emotional connection at all points of contact between a company and its target group. The visible answer to this is a serious and well-thought-out brand presence - a branding that runs like a common thread through all touchpoints. This is how trust is built. MAKING TRUSTWORTHINESS VISIBLE Everything you promise your target group must be credible and understandable for them - and that is before (!) someone becomes your customer. Because convincing existing customers is all well and good, but in order for them to become your customers, you must have already gained important trust points - in all places where your target group has contact with your brand (cross-media, i.e. online and offline). We specialize in making trustworthiness visible by transforming companies into top brands in 90 days using a branding system . HOW OUR CUSTOMER SPEDIFORT REDEEMS ITS PREMIUM PROMISE WITH BRANDING Spedifort is an e-learning provider in the freight forwarding sector and was always perceived as a start-up - cool and new. They started with a self-made logo, and various advertising materials were created in-house using various templates from the Internet; by people on the team who had some graphic design knowledge. Andreas Rinnhofer, Managing Director of Spedifort, contacted us with a clear scale-up goal: the step from start-up to premium brand and (with that) strong growth. The aim of finally making e-learning socially acceptable in the freight forwarding industry should be manifested accordingly through rebranding. The result of our collaboration with Spedifort was a successful image transformation from start-up to established product after just three months, while maintaining the recognizability of the original brand. Since then, Spedifort has been perceived as an established company with a functioning platform that is unmissable in the industry. The numbers speak for themselves: One year after our collaboration, Spedifort was able to record a whopping 300% profit growth thanks to the re-branding in conjunction with various marketing and sales activities. "The re-branding served as a kick-off to reach the next sales plateau. Thanks to the new branding, we are now perceived as a professional service provider, and no longer just a start-up. And the manual saves us a lot of time and hassle in ongoing operations."

Getting or having great customers is important, no question about it. But what is often overlooked is the importance of the sales network. At the beginning of 2023, we conducted interviews with dozens of entrepreneurs. What was particularly striking was that important doors remained closed to many companies - regardless of the quality of the product or service (which even surprised us as a design agency). One of our interview partners, a software manufacturer from Israel, had excellent contacts with Microsoft regarding a strategic sales partnership. As you can imagine, such a partnership with Microsoft is an immense step forward for a software manufacturer. However, the interview revealed that despite the excellent and innovative software product, the Israeli software manufacturer is not taken seriously by Microsoft and is ridiculed as a "small fish". The company from Israel does not act professionally enough (direct quote from management). As a result, important doors remain firmly closed. BRANDING AS A DOOR OPENER The right sales network can be a real catalyst for achieving business goals. The basic requirement for this to work is trust. This is where a coherent company presence based on a branding system comes into play. We specialize in developing and implementing branding holistically to enable the transformation to a top brand in 90 days and to use branding as a targeted door opener for our customers. As a top brand, companies are proud to be on a par with the "big players". This enables important collaborations with business and sales partners. HOW OUR CLIENT USED BRANDING AS A DOOR OPENER TO INVESTORS An example from our practice is Senioren Matinee , founded by the Swiss Fredy Staudacher. The starting point was a self-made logo design and web design. Mr. Staudacher finally wanted to be taken seriously by investors and the "big players" in the industry in order to generate more reach and bookings. The result of our collaboration: The new branding enabled us to target sponsors and investors. In addition, there was an 80% increase in bookings very quickly after introducing our branding. One year after the rebranding, there were already 20 times as many bookings as at the beginning. CONCLUSION A good product and good contacts with the "right" people are good. However, this does not mean that you or your company will be taken seriously enough to attract investments and cooperation with the "big players". Professional branding has proven time and again to be a door opener to lucrative business partners.

Complete design freedom paired with the highest state-of-the-art technology is not only important to us as a branding and web design agency – no, it is more of a promise to our customers that we can implement top-quality branding in reality in order to establish ourselves as a top brand. From 13 years of experience, we know that design and technology from one provider offers unbeatable competitive advantages for our customers. How do we put this into practice? With Wix, Editor X and - now - WIX STUDIO. THE WEB DESIGN EVOLUTION FROM "WIX" TO "EDITOR X" TO "WIX STUDIO" It all started with the "classic" Wix Editor. Back when HCG corporate designs was founded in May 2010, the Wix Editor was still in its infancy. A lot has happened over the years - a lot! - and we quickly learned that it is extremely important not to outsource web design, but to offer design and IT from a single source in order to get the maximum quality for our customers . After all, it's no use if you have great branding but can't implement it on the website because the website CMS is rigid and inflexible. (We always think it's a shame when some companies shoot themselves in the foot here.) Shortly before the Corona pandemic, Editor X was launched – a completely new product from Wix, with full responsiveness and other features that we have already reported on in more detail . WIX STUDIO (also from Wix) has also been available since August 2023. As a 5-star Wix partner (“Wix Legend”), we were invited before many other agencies to put WIX STUDIO through its paces, learn about it and work with it. And after just one day of training, we have to say: Wow! Based on Editor X, but with even more power, WIX STUDIO is the best website platform we know to date. This allows us to make our customers' branding more visible and faster. OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WIX STUDIO TRAINING Our personal highlights of WIX STUDIO are so-called section grids, AB design patterns, the enrichment with AI (artificial intelligence) and a wide range of new animations, user interactions, micro-wow moments and scrolling functions that make visiting a website a completely new experience. Section grids provide even more modularity. We predicted the modular design approach back in 2016, when this trend was still very new and was called "card design". As one of the first design agencies in German-speaking countries, we deliberately used this card design. We simply knew that this would become the "new normal". And that's exactly what happened. A trend that became the standard. Today, it is impossible to imagine websites without card design or a modular card design approach. WIX STUDIO takes this topic to a whole new level. The new AB Design Patterns in WIX STUDIO provide better visual differentiation between individual card design elements – made for the ever-increasing amount of content and information that you want to present to website visitors. THE RESULT OF OUR TRAINING DAY You can see the results of our WIX STUDIO training day on this test website . You can also view the website on your tablet or smartphone. We are as proud as Oscar to be a Wix partner and absolutely thrilled with WIX STUDIO. A new era in web design has begun. We can hardly wait to create the first websites on WIX STUDIO for our customers. You can see how this works in practice and how we transform our customers into top brands here .

Especially for small and medium-sized companies in the service sector, the question arises as to how one can transform into a top brand (in view of the strong competition from the "big players" on the market). At HCG corporate designs, we have established a method that leads to the desired result in four steps and in just 90 days: From the swamp of mediocrity to a top brand that you can no longer ignore. WHAT LOGO AND WEBSITE CANNOT DO – BUT NOBODY TELLS YOU It is a mammoth task to become an absolute top brand – it is a marathon and not a sprint. The problem is that a new logo and a new website alone cannot handle this mammoth task, but they still cost a lot of money. "Run-of-the-mill" designers want to convey that a new logo and a new website are enough to make a brand a top brand. But that's not true. On the other hand, there are well-known advertising and design agencies that are extremely overpriced due to unnecessarily bloated organizational structures and expensive PR measures. Often you have to pay between 5,000 and 10,000 euros for a workshop, only to find out that you need a branding system. In addition, the problem of high employee turnover in the agency industry is also becoming more and more of a problem for customers, as a lot of valuable knowledge about projects is lost, thus causing unnecessary problems. OUR 4 STEP METHOD TO TRANSFORM INTO A TOP BRAND WITH A BRANDING SYSTEM STEP 1: ANALYZE STATUS QUO The first step is to ask yourself which values are actually being conveyed by the current company image. Are you really being perceived the way you want to be perceived? In addition, it's about crystal-clear fact checks on the functionality of your current logo, the design success of your current website and a striking comparison of how your current company presence actually works in comparison to the competition. STEP 2: DEVELOP BRANDING The second step begins with a psychologically sound development of your brand personality - without the need for a time-, personnel- and cost-intensive workshop. In this way, we determine how your future top brand must be positioned in order to emotionally "pick up" your target group and convert them into paying customers. This is followed by the core theme of the entire process – the development of a holistic branding system including practical documentation in a web-based corporate design manual. STEP 3: IMPLEMENT BRANDING After theory comes practice. In the third step, the branding system is transferred to various touchpoints (online and offline) and implemented where it is needed now and in the near future. These include websites, social media profiles, brochures, business cards, forms and so on. In addition, the success of the branding developed in step 2 is measured in this step. 30 days after the website goes live, it is also thoroughly tested again and examined for possible design optimizations. STEP 4: CONTINUOUS IMPLEMENTATION BRANDING It's great to transform into a top brand. However, it's also important to remain a top brand. This depends on the continuous use of the branding system at all touchpoints. Documenting the branding system in the corporate design manual is enormously helpful here and ensures the company's 100% independence. Using a convenient design flat fee, various communication media can be created with consistent quality. This ensures time and financial planning as well as consistently high quality across the entire, holistic external appearance. HOW YOU CAN TRANSFORM INTO A TOP BRAND For a detailed insight into our 4-step method of how we use a branding system to achieve transformation to a top brand in 90 days – specifically for small and medium-sized businesses in the service sector – watch the video at topmarke.hcg-corporate-designs.com

What do millennials want? What does Generation Z want? Often there is the prejudice that they are lazy and unwilling to work. But is that really true? Or is it simply a prejudice of the 40+ generation? Time to take stock. First of all: I am 40 years old , my circle of friends and acquaintances ranges from mid-20s to to mid-60s. A colorful mixture of all age groups. FROM THE MASTER PARTY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO INTERESTING INSIGHTS A few months ago my friend Pauline your master – congratulations again! As part of the master party in the evening, I had the opportunity to exchange ideas with the so-called millennials and representatives of Generation Z. As a 40-year-old, I broke the age limit and was otherwise mainly surrounded by mid-20-year-olds. I didn't want to miss the chance to get a deeper insight into the needs and views of the mid-20s. This resulted in some interesting discussions on the subject of work. This topic not only interests me personally, because I find it incredibly important to have an open, honest and appreciative communication between generations. No, it also affects me professionally, because we keep getting inquiries about employer branding . Plus: I keep hearing from friends, who are entrepreneurs themselves, that "young people just don't want to work hard anymore". But what is behind it? THE PROBLEM WITH THE EGO My generation (like I said, I'm 40) often makes the mistake of thinking "what are the young people supposed to tell me?". I think we don't listen to each other enough. There is a problem with ego and communication. The “older ones” are more experienced and mature, yes, of course that has advantages. Nevertheless, they are not omniscient and often run the risk of thinking too narrow-minded - true to the motto "it was always like that". I feel like Millennials and Gen Z question more than my generation or the older generation. Especially in conversations with friends who are 15 to 20 years younger than me, I notice how reflective the younger generation is - a quality that I often miss in my generation. So we can learn a lot from the younger generation. WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE REALLY WANT? The conversations at Pauline's master's party gave me an even better sense of what young people really want. They want meaning in their lives, including a job that they consider as meaningful. A big problem, I think, is the question of perspective. What do I mean? The young generation only knows crises, they are in permanent crisis mode and know practically nothing else: climate crisis, financial crisis, economic crisis, corona crisis, energy crisis. This is exacerbated by the media's negative focus. In addition, there is high inflation and the realization that you probably can't build up anything anymore these days. “I will never be able to afford a home of my own. So why try at all? With my parents I saw how bad excessive stress is (work-life balance). But at least they still knew what they were working for - owning a home was still affordable (sometimes even with only one full earner in the family). And today that is no longer possible. So why make an effort?” In addition, climate change will change a lot in the future anyway. So why have children? "I will probably never be able to go on vacation with my children, because there will be a desert then." Here we come to an interesting point: Perspectives are the most important motivating factor of all. If someone has no perspectives, why make an effort? For what? Doesn't make any sense. Thinking about this, I can understand the often described "lack of work ethic" among young people. On the topic of money: Yes, salary is also a big topic. Many employers pay low salaries. Especially with the current inflation, there is a wide gap between salary and cost of living. Salary is also seen as a kind of appreciation. The topic that I perceived as the main problem, however, can be summarized under the term "old white man": disrespect, especially towards women, already at the job interview, a bad working atmosphere (caused by the boss) and bullying are the main factors, why many young people do not take a certain job. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY "LAZY" PEOPLE! Yes, there are "lazy ones" - but in every age group. In my experience, this is more due to the parental example that was set, the social environment with which one surrounds oneself and the level of education. This is fueled by excessive social benefit payments (at least in Austria and Germany). The difference between unemployment benefits and the minimum salary is just too small to accept a full-time job. Motivation to go to work? Nope. HOW GOOD EMPLOYER BRANDING CAN HELP A few years ago we developed the branding for Spedination . Recruitment of employees, lived values internally and externally as well as a strong, family-like team spirit were decisive factors for the managing director Thomas Kogler. But if you think good employer branding alone is enough, you think too short-sightedly. Values such as respect, meaningfulness at work, compatibility of private and professional life must also be lived - day after day. Especially from the management level. Employer branding conveys these values to the outside world. "The feedback on the website is so good that sometimes you might think people just want to say something nice for the sake of it. But what's nice about it is that emails come via the contact form from people who have nothing to do with transport , just to say that the homepage makes you want to work for us.” – Thomas Kogler, Spedination GmbH The entire interview with Thomas Kogler on the subject of employee search and employer branding can be found in our blog. CONCLUSION We don't listen to each other enough. As a result, there is often a lack of understanding of the needs of the other person. And no matter how young or old someone is, a respectful and polite tone is the basis for positive interaction.

It's summer. The holiday season is just around the corner. Where do you plan you go this year? If you choose the metal bird for your trip and book a flight, you will again see an interesting phenomenon: the chic shop windows of luxurious global brands such as Gucci, Versace, Rolex, Burberry and so on. The interesting thing about it: Airport shops of luxury brands are mostly deserted - there are often more staff than customers. Have you ever asked yourself this question: How many people actually shop there and how many people just browse and look around (or even stand outside the shop window)? The rents for premises at airports are extremely high. From a purely rational point of view, this is a financial disaster for a shop owner. Not so for a brand . EMOTIONAL CHARGING OF A BRAND The number of touchpoints with a brand is a decisive factor for the willingness to buy in the target group. The more points of contact, the more trust and emotional connection, the better. The airport shops mentioned are not about the sales in this one shop, because most people just look around . It's about the brand being seen and noticed (!) - in all its glory. There are hardly any more points of contact between a brand and the widest possible range of people (worldwide) than at a busy airport. Millions of passengers bustle at airports. The number of contact points with a brand is therefore extremely high - no matter how great an online marketing strategy can be. People are in a travel mood, see beautiful things and experience them right in front of their eyes. Special lighting design, suitable background music and special room fragrances tailored to the brand are used to stimulate several sensory organs at the same time. After all, it's about feeling a brand with all your senses . EMOTION BEATS MIND The more senses are addressed, the more likely it is that a brand will be perceived and charged with emotions. An impression that is anchored in the brain. Ultimately, it is not the rational decisions that make us buy (or not buy) something, but the unconscious, emotional decisions. With our mind we only try to rationally explain or justify our emotional decisions afterwards. So what could be better than perfectly designed stores that appeal to customers with all their senses? And that in an environment in which millions of different and always new people who have the money for a plane ticket (purchasing power). With this in mind, we wish you a great start to the holiday season. And maybe you now perceive brand shops at airports from a slightly different perspective.

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