From the escape recruiting game to brand communication

The trophies at the AI Communication Award, organized by Ziehl-Abegg. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Category Creative / Interactive Application: Kevin May and Marlene Scharlott (both born2design) accept the award for the escape game at Volksbank Bühl from Ziehl-Abegg CEO Dr. Marc Wucherer (left) and Jury Chairman Johannes Keller (appliedAI). (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Category Marketing / Communication Strategy: Julia Schuhwerk (second from the left) and Tanja Ferrucci (both Rational AG) receive the award from jury chairman Johannes Keller (left, appliedAI) and Ziehl-Abegg CEO Dr. Marc Wucherer. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

AI products / platform solutions: Robert Schröter (second from the left) and Marc Böhm (both SMA Development) receive their award from Ziehl-Abegg CEO Dr. Marc Wucherer and Jury Chairman Johannes Keller (appliedAI). (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Category Students: Mario Mirschberger (center) celebrates the trophy and the prize money of 2,000 euros between Johannes Keller (left, Jury Chairman) and Dr. Marc Wucherer (CEO). (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Group photo of the winners at the AI Communication Award with several jury members. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Fun is a must: Winners and jury members at the AI Communication Award in Kupferzell. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg / Ufuk Arslan)

Artificial Intelligence as an Assistant in the Podcast Jungle, in Escape Games for Recruiting, and in Creative Work for Instagram – these are the winning projects of the first AI Communication Award. A student also explored how AI influences brand communication. The awards have now been presented in Kupferzell. Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Economics, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, is pleased with the award ceremony: "As with all future technologies, pioneering and inspiring examples are needed when deploying AI to encourage others – and with the projects awarded today, this has truly been achieved."

"Many people and companies still have reservations about using AI," says Chairman Dr. Marc Wucherer of the organizer Ziehl-Abegg in Kupferzell. "We want to encourage courage and showcase exemplary solutions where AI is used in communication." Because communication is particularly suitable for the use of artificial intelligence. The industrial company Ziehl-Abegg has been a trendsetter in corporate communication on TikTok and with e-sports for several years. "This experience shows how important it is to address new topics early," says Dr. Wucherer. The heart of Europe's AI will increasingly beat in Heilbronn at the IPAI in the coming years. Therefore, the award fits perfectly into the Heilbronn-Franken region.

"The range of awarded solutions shows how diverse AI can be used to generate real added value for companies," emphasizes Johannes Keller. The jury chairman leads about 50 technical AI experts at appliedAI, the largest initiative in Europe for the application of trustworthy AI technology in companies. Since 2022, appliedAI has operated as a joint venture between UnternehmerTUM (a non-profit GmbH founded by Susanne Klatten) and Heilbronn's IPAI (Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence).

Minister Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut emphasizes the fundamental approach: "Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a foundational technology has long found its way into various industries. We need an attitude that focuses on the opportunities AI offers for the economy and the world of work, while also seeking solutions for the challenges posed by this technology." Harnessing AI's potential therefore means actively engaging with the possibilities of AI deployment. This applies especially to creative areas such as marketing and communication. "With the AI Communication Award, Ziehl-Abegg sends a clear signal," says the minister, adding: "Congratulations to Ziehl-Abegg and all the winners of tonight's event for this pioneering initiative!"

The awards were given in four categories:

Category: Creative / Interactive Application

Escape Game / Volksbank Bühl
An online escape game for an event by Volksbank Bühl featuring influencer Bob Blume.

Volksbank Bühl planned an event with influencer Bob Blume, who delivered a lecture on AI in schools. Students had the chance to win up to 555 euros for their class fund.

Participation of young people in traditional competitions at previous events was low. How can interest be sparked so they actively participate in the contest? Immediately after the lecture, students had 30 minutes for an online escape game. Through interactive storytelling and the use of AI puzzles, the lecture content was reinforced playfully. Those who successfully completed the game were automatically qualified for the prize draw. This activity was not only entertaining but also motivated students to actively participate in the event and apply their knowledge.

The implementation of AI played a crucial role in developing the escape game. A significant portion of the content, including graphics, dialogues, and photos, was created with the help of AI. The versatile application of AI enriched the escape game and significantly contributed to creating an exciting gaming experience.

Category: Marketing / Communication Strategy

Revolution in B2B Marketing: Achieving Instagram Success with AI & Creativity / Rational AG

Rational AG, a market leader in professional cooking systems, revolutionized its Instagram marketing using AI tools – all without extra budget. An example of how outstanding communication success can be achieved in the B2B sector through technology and creativity.

The Rational Instagram channel aimed to reach new heights in the 2023 fiscal year, with the same budget and in-house production. The challenge was clearly defined: more performance with the same resources.

The company integrated AI into its social media team, not just as a tool but as a new team member. "AI is our digital partner, a loyal colleague supporting us to use our time more efficiently and creatively – from developing a new strategy to assisting in community management: AI is our additional, new brain to achieve top results despite limited resources," writes Rational.

The results are clearly documented with numbers: over 35,000 new followers, an 87 percent growth compared to the previous year; 270 more videos and a 120 percent increase in views; and a 44 percent higher engagement rate on the channel. Through intelligent use of AI, Rational saves more than 25 percent of the time compared to previous processes.

Category: AI Products / Platform Solutions

PodMon Penetrates the Podcast Jungle / SMA Development GmbH

The decentralized, fragmented podcast world makes it difficult to find relevant content. With PodMon, users discover relevant snippets without listening to a single minute. PodMon analyzes topics and trends so everyone can quickly find suitable content.

The AI-based podcast content monitoring offers real-time context analyses at episode level and with second precision; it also provides podcast market analyses on thematic focuses and trends in over 80,000 podcasts; additionally, insights and contextual data are available for advertisers to improve context-sensitive ad placements. Furthermore, it offers companies podcast selection, brand fit, and brand safety analyses.

Category: Students

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Rules of Brand Communication / Mario Mirschberger

Mario Mirschberger examines in his master's thesis how AI technologies can be integrated into the fundamental components of brand development processes to support these processes effectively and efficiently. His findings: AI technologies have significant potential in brand management and offer new insights and efficiency gains. Brands can also be developed effectively with minimal human intervention through AI. Ultimately, there is no significant difference in societal perception between AI-generated brands and those developed by traditional agencies. The prize in the students' category is endowed with 2,000 euros.

The award ceremony, held at the DeSi restaurant in Kupferzell, was not only a celebration of the winners but also an opportunity for networking and idea exchange. The event was embedded within the second Social Media Days, creating additional synergies and networking opportunities. During the Social Media Days, 140 experts from companies, authorities, and associations from the DACH region gathered in Hohenlohe to learn about AI in communication and current trends in digital marketing. The organizer was again Ziehl-Abegg.

Jury of Experts

The jury was composed of leading personalities from the fields of AI, digitization, and marketing. The jury chairman was Johannes Keller from appliedAI. Experts in AI/digitization included: Prof. Dr. Seon-Su Kim (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg), Prof. Dr. Daniel Werth (Steinbeis Institute Heilbronn), Prof. Dr. Alexandra Reichenbach (Hochschule Heilbronn), and Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar (TU Munich). For marketing/creativity, the jury included: Prof. Dr. Markus Besenbeck (President of Marketing Club Main-Franken), Corinne Nauber (President of Marketing Club Stuttgart-Heilbronn), Prof. Volker Helzle (Head of Research and Development, Animation Institute of Baden-Württemberg Film Academy), and Dr. Christina Blumentritt (President of Marketing Club Nuremberg).