Extramedia – Affordable signage designed by an SME for SMEs
In 2012, the founders of Mixmedia Swiss SA, the most innovative communication and public relations agency in Switzerland, began to think about designing an advertising medium for small and medium-sized businesses.
That year, Mokhtar and Lobna Rekhis came up with their Mobaffiche concept - a vehicle that displays advertising campaigns while travelling around Switzerland and neighbouring France, making deliveries and on business trips. The idea was a great success in French-speaking Switzerland, and proved popular with those at the cutting edge in various fields, such as charities, business, politics, the arts, education, sports, etc. www.mobaffiche.ch.
Looking to the future and conscious of the business environment in which they were operating, in 2016 the couple introduced digital display terminals that allowed SMEs in a particular region to have a permanent presence in busy locations at reasonable prices. In 2018, supported by hundreds of SMEs who loved the ingenuity and efficiency of the concept, the couple decided to develop more sophisticated distribution software, capable of offering users additional visibility beyond their municipality so they could reach a wider audience.
In 2019, this concept became known as Extramedia. Digital and dynamic display terminals using the latest technology were installed in public and private places, enabling SMEs from all business sectors to get closer to local communities in a way that is not only highly innovative and ethical but also neat and efficient. Those who are part of the poster network have since been able to campaign in and beyond their traditional catchment areas, thanks to new software which covers more than one region, allowing, for example, someone using a terminal in Rolle to find out what’s displayed on a terminal in Montreux, and vice versa.
In 2020, entreprisesdelaregion.ch a one-of-a-kind business directory with verified content, was created with the aim of allowing SMEs, as well as micro-enterprises and the self- employed, to be referenced on the web through qualitative content. Today, leading local businesses of all sizes are listed there. This time Mokhtar and Lobna were not just promoting regional businesses, they decided to list all the commercial and service providers in the region so that local users and visitors could access all the information they needed with a simple click.
The outdoor poster campaigns were coupled with campaigns in the entreprisesdelaregion.ch, web directory, which had excellent referencing thanks to the skilled engineers who worked constantly to improve and update both its content and the technology involved.
In 2021, a free Entreprises de la région mobile app was launched, available for iPhone and Android. Its first role was to provide a mobile connection to the content of the Extramedia terminals, between the business community and the local authorities. It also aimed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of supporting the local economy and the dangers of e-commerce – which contributes to pollution through transportation of goods, and has a damaging effect on the local businesses which are what give the streets in our towns and villages a lively atmosphere.
The app also helps visitors from outside to find out about the different business and organisations in a city or region, to organise their visit, find professional contacts, etc.
Mixmedia Swiss SA's goal for 2023 is to expand its network of physical and web displays and to make its paper magazines and newspapers available to subscribers to further increase visibility and help them resist the harsh economic repercussions of the pandemic and the current energy crisis. Today, in the La Côte region for example, an SME which wants to reach a large audience quickly and with a reasonable budget has the option of spreading its message via:
- 15 display terminals positioned in busy areas
- Mobaffiche, which criss-crosses La Côte with its distribution work,
- entreprisesdelaregion.ch, which accounts for approximately 325,000 connections per month
- Entreprises 4.0, the annual magazine distributed to households, with an audience of approximately 220,000 readers for its web and paper versions.
To get in touch, call 021 728 30 20.
Communication has never been so accessible!