Yesterday Poster, Today Pixel
Interview with Adriano Beti, CEO of Livesystems Group AG
In outdoor advertising, a fundamental change is underway: Instead of static posters, digital screens that display content flexibly, data-driven, and with precision are increasingly dominating. In Switzerland, Livesystems AG is driving this change with a spirit of innovation and technological know-how. With a network of over 13,000 digital advertising spaces in public areas, the company showcases how outdoor advertising is conceived and executed today.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Beti, Livesystems Group operates in digital outdoor advertising. How did it all begin?
Adriano Beti: Livesystems was founded in 2007 by Olivier Chuard and Yves Kilchenmann – two real pioneers of digitalization. Back then, traditional posters were still dominant, and digital solutions were hardly widespread. Our founders deliberately chose a different path: they installed digital screens in public transport and combined advertising with editorial content such as news, games, or puzzles — almost like a small MTV in public transit. This idea was right on the zeitgeist — and it is this spirit of innovation that still shapes us today.
Wirtschaftsforum: Livesystems is now active throughout Switzerland. What does your structure look like today?
Adriano Beti: We are present at nine locations across Switzerland. The headquarters is in Liebefeld, another central location is near Zurich – close to the headquarters of the largest agency networks with which we work closely. Our team consists of about 100 employees and covers the entire spectrum: from site evaluation and installation to content planning and sales.
Wirtschaftsforum: How has your offering evolved in recent years?
Adriano Beti: We have consistently digitized classic poster advertising. In addition to screens on public transport, we now operate over 13,000 programmable digital advertising spaces. With this, we reach over 96% of the Swiss population. We are currently the largest programmatic network in Switzerland. This allows us to enable targeted, data-based addressing – by time, location, or target group. In Switzerland, the programmatic market is still in its infancy, but interest is noticeably growing. In Germany, over 40% of outdoor advertising is already booked this way – we expect the same development here.
Wirtschaftsforum: Who are your customers, i.e., which target group do you specifically address?
Adriano Beti: About 60% of our customers are direct clients – from local restaurants to internationally active companies. The rest comes through agencies, especially for larger campaigns. Our proximity to customers is a key success factor: we provide individual consultation and use comprehensive mobility data to define the appropriate advertising format and optimal time of delivery for each target group.
Wirtschaftsforum: How does your approach to outdoor advertising differ from that of your competitors?
Adriano Beti: We see ourselves as true 'Digital Natives'. While many competitors come from a background of analog outdoor advertising, our approach has been consistently digital from the start. This shapes our entire company – from technology and strategic decisions to corporate culture and our understanding of customers. We combine technological competence with customer proximity – this makes us flexible, customized, and solution-oriented. This combination is our unique selling point. To meet these high standards, our performance data is based on the largest mobility study in Switzerland. The thoughtful methodology allows for differentiated control by season, day of the week, and time. The data is continuously updated – our planning bases are therefore always up-to-date and responsive to changes in mobility behavior. Existing, industry-standard approaches could not meet our requirements for precision and currency. That is why we now work with one of the most modern measurement approaches in the DOOH area.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you view the topic of sustainability in the field of digital outdoor advertising?
Adriano Beti: Especially in Digital Out-of-Home, there are prejudices – for instance, about power consumption. In fact, digital advertising spaces are among the most sustainable forms of advertising, especially in terms of CO2 emissions. The Green GRP Calculator also confirms this: The carbon footprint of Digital Out-of-Home is significantly better than traditional outdoor advertising, TV, and even online video and radio. We exclusively use renewable energies and thus actively contribute to the energy transition. For us, sustainability is not a trend, but firmly anchored in our corporate strategy.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does artificial intelligence play at Livesystems?
Adriano Beti: AI is an exciting field for us with great potential. We are already using it – for example, to select appropriate advertising spaces faster and more precisely. In the future, we want to expand this further to provide our clients with intelligent, automated solutions that offer even more added value. Our goal is to maximize the impact of campaigns while simultaneously reducing the effort for our clients.
Wirtschaftsforum: What is your vision for the coming years?
Adriano Beti: We aim to grow sustainably and in the long term – in terms of the number of our advertising spaces as well as revenue, market presence, and reach. Ongoing digitization continuously opens up new opportunities for flexible, data-driven advertising solutions. With our expertise, understanding of innovation, and the trust of our clients, we want to actively shape this transformation. Our vision is to further establish Livesystems as a digital leading brand of outdoor advertising in Switzerland – as a technological and conceptual leader of innovation. Those who want to reach their target group at the right time and place are exactly right with Livesystems.