PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCY
«When Engagement has an Impact.»
PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN A NUTSHELL
Public affairs is the strategic management of decision processes at the interface between politics, business and society. Public affairs agencies are mandated by companies, associations and other stakeholders to represent their interests.
Our strengths lie in the development and implementation of holistic public affairs strategies (especially when accompanying legislative projects at federal level), negotiations with authorities and the organisation of events. In addition, we are well suited as sparring partners, e.g. for members of executive boards.
Here you will find explanatory case studies.
CASE STUDIES
RAISE AWARENESS IN LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES
A multinational company in the FMCG sector with a branch in Switzerland approaches us because a draft law has been passed in the Council of States which could have a lasting negative impact on the company's business. Our task is to design a public affairs concept and implement it. This includes raising awareness of our client's concerns among the various stakeholders involved in the legislative process.
ACTIVELY SHAPING REGULATION
A major Swiss financial services provider is concerned that the Swiss pension system be further developed in such a way as to ensure that pensions are also secured for future generations, thus also facilitating the economic advancement of society. Our task is to outline a possible course of action, to derive a public affairs strategy from it and to accompany the company in implementing it over several years.
MAKING OPINIONS
A multinational chemical company based in Switzerland fears major disadvantages if a popular initiative is adopted. We develop an integrated concept to identify measures that increase the chances of the initiative being rejected by the electorate. We contribute to this through the activation of various affected social groups as well as engagement with relevant stakeholders and active media work.
FIND SOLUTIONS
A global pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland is particularly affected by a planned ordinance amendment due to its product portfolio. Accordingly, we try to make the administration aware of the challenges that this change in regulation would pose for our client. This is done with the aim of finding a rapid solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders involved.
FIX IT
A foreign life science company with its European headquarters in Switzerland has a challenge to overcome in the context of an administrative procedure. We support the company concerned in protecting its interests vis-à-vis the authorities involved. Specifically, we are entrusted with identifying the right contact persons at the level of official management in order to define, together with our client, a course of action that will lead to a satisfactory conclusion of the said procedure.
INTERNAL LOBBYING
The branch of an international company producing in Switzerland for the global market is confronted with the possible loss of production capacities within the group. We draw up a concept on how the country market concerned can meet this challenge and secure corresponding capacities at its location in the long term. For this purpose, we work together with international partners who support us in the implementation while safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.
ENABLING CONSTRUCTION
A large institutional investor has bought a site that is to be developed. In this respect, there are various challenges to be overcome with different stakeholders. Our task is to design a public affairs strategy that will enable the site development to proceed as quickly as possible.
SPARRING
The CEO of a larger listed SME approaches us. There are various reputationally damaging incidents that put the company and especially the CEO under pressure and are exploited in the media. We offer the company CEO coaching. Together with the CEO, we develop a strategy aimed at averting the impending loss of reputation. The strategy includes various measures, in particular engagement, active media work and a media law approach.
«The mandating of external lobbyists is appropriate when a company or an association can only insufficiently safeguard its interests itself.»
OFFERED SERVICES
Political lobbying
Protecting the interests of our clients through exchanges with various stakeholders, especially in the executive and legislative branches and with public authorities
Issue management
Systematic examination of future challenges that a company, association or public authorities may face
Media engagement and media training
Public relations work aimed at the targeted placement of specific key messages in the media
Monitoring
Fully automated observation and AI-integrated analysis of political developments and legislative changes at federal, cantonal and communal level
Stakeholder mapping and analysis
Identification, analysis, and categorization of relevant stakeholders
Engagement strategies and implementation
Development of holistic stakeholder engagement strategies and their implementation
Third-party advocacy
Indirect engagement via independent third parties to strengthen and broaden the position
Policy workshops
Introduction of international leadership teams to Swiss politics and its importance for Switzerland as a business location
Association management
CAMPAIGNING
Campaigning can change people's thinking, attitudes and behaviour. Campaigning is multi-faceted, interdisciplinary, target group-oriented and anchored in the fields of communication, politics, leadership and marketing.
We offer campaigning activities in the area of public affairs, for example when implementing a reputation campaign.
«Successful campaigning is a mix of strategy, marketing and luck».
POUND FOR POUND
Pound for pound is our credo. The term comes from boxing. In this sport, there are many different weight classes. Normally, a boxer weighing 120 kilograms wins against an opponent weighing 60 kilograms less. And this is true even if the lighter boxer clearly has the better athletic skills. The expression pound for pound puts the difference in weight into perspective: the best boxer is not the heaviest, but the one with the greatest class; or in other words: the best per pound.
Applied to our public affairs activity, this means two things: First, size does not matter. Regardless of the size of a public affairs agency, the skills of the consultants are crucial. The consultant who develops the best strategy, understands the subject matter, has the right network, implements the strategy stringently and carries out adequate public relations work can best protect the interests of the client. And secondly, it is also a question of input and output, because less is often more. A public affairs consultant who sends a letter to all 246 members of the federal parliament, sends the same letter by email and addresses them personally in the lobby five minutes before the vote in parliament is not a good consultant. This is not a very appropriate way to protect the client's interests. In most cases, the only outcome will be a high consultancy fee.
We claim to be at the top of the pound for pound ranking list: We are a small agency and we only offer a limited number of services. We only do what we can. And at a reasonable price.
«Successful lobbying is when everybody beliefs to have won in the end.»
ABOUT US
We are an owner-managed public affairs agency. Our strengths lie in conceptual skills, an excellent network and the stringent implementation of the individual strategy for each client.
Dr. Sebastian Frehner (Senior Public Affairs Consultant) holds a PhD in law. He has many years of experience in business consulting for SMEs as well as multinational companies. He was also a member of the board of directors of a large Swiss bank for ten years and president of a medium-sized pension fund for six years. Frehner was also a member of the Swiss National Council from 2010 - 2019 and as such a member of the Committee for Social Security and Health and the Finance Committee. He has in-depth knowledge of the legislative process in the health, finance and pension sectors and a broad network in politics, with authorities and the business community. He teaches Public Affairs at the Private University of Applied Sciences PHW Bern. Sebastian Frehner is also socially committed, including as a member of the Business Advisory Board of Swisspeace.
Lea Bünter (Public Affairs Consultant) holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen. In her Bachelor’s thesis, she wrote about “Digital Diplomacy”. After graduation, she first completed an internship in Brussels and another in the public affairs department of Nestlé Switzerland. In addition to her work as a Public Affairs Consultant at Paxedra AG, she is studying European Global Studies at the University of Basel.
Aaron Agnolazza (Public Affairs Consultant) is a lawyer and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen. He has several years of experience in public affairs and communications, both on the consulting side and in various roles in multinational companies. Most recently, he managed the external engagement of a multinational company at group level for 29 countries. In addition to his work as a public affairs consultant at Paxedra AG, Aaron Agnolazza gives media training courses as part of his military service in the command for leadership and communication education of the Swiss Armed Forces.
Daniel Wingeier (Communications Specialist) is a qualified communications planner and has almost 40 years of experience in the communications industry. At the beginning, he worked as a consultant for various agencies. Later he founded his own communications agency.
«Good lobbying is not cheap. But no lobbying can cost you dearly»
OUR CLIENTS
Our clients are mainly large, internationally active groups based in Switzerland and Swiss branches of internationally active companies based abroad. We also serve individual associations and SMEs. We are mainly active in the health, chemical, financial and consumer goods sectors.
Selection of our clients:
• Roche Pharma (Schweiz) AG
• Syngenta Crop Protection AG
• Japan Tobacco International AG
• Nagra
• Vereinigung Pharmafirmen in der Schweiz
• santésuisse – The Swiss health insurers
• Uber B.V.
• Swiss Life AG
• Avenergy Suisse
• MSD Merck Sharp @ Dohme AG
• Zehnder Group Schweiz AG
NETWORK
We are a member (Special Advisor) of «The FIPRA Network», which has partners in 50 countries around the world and specializes in public affairs consultancy. FIPRA enables us to address international issues competently and to find suitable solutions.
