Concept Summary

“Value to investors” – this is the pledge Vanguard makes with its financial services. During a two-day financial fair in Zurich in April 2022, Vanguard made this promise a reality by acting as the driving force behind a platform for exchange and networking: the Vanguard Investor’s Café. After a two-year hiatus, FINANZ’22 descended on the former ABB factory building in the Oerlikon district of Zurich. Our task was to design a stand that would provide Vanguard’s sales unit and management team with a straightforward, friendly point of access to the fair’s visitors and to the many financial service providers in attendance. Our goal was to stand out from the crowd of financial providers. We created a strong brand presence for Vanguard over 230 m2, establishing the space as the focal point of the event. Our strategy was to position the brand’s promise of “value to investors” in a strategically intelligent way within the industry that customers could actually experience. The event location “Halle 550” – an old industrial factory warehouse – was perfect for creating a spacious networking zone. We quickly managed to win over the fair’s management team, and Vanguard became the host of a special area known as the Vanguard Investor’s Café: with baristas, pastries and lunch boxes, it served as a unique platform catering to the 2,500+ visitors to FINANZ’22. To cover all the angles inherent to the “value to investors” brand promise, we went one step further than the classic café/bar setup and offered a range of amenities, including staircase seating (6 m in length, 4.5 m in height), a coworking zone, meeting lounges and swings for guests to take creative breaks during the fair.