- \n
- What the research project is about<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How the study was conducted<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Insight 1: No one said no<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Insight 2: Concerns are not about data privacy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Insight 3: Today, gut feeling often decides<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- And what about data privacy?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What happens next<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Conclusion and next step<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
What the research project is about<\/h2>\n\n
In February, we announced that Aivie was starting a research project with the Institute for Marketing Management at the ZHAW. Innosuisse is supporting us with an innovation check.<\/p>\n\n
The idea is simple: An AI suggests what you should do next with a contact. What content you send, when you send it, and to whom. However, a single SME usually has too little data for this. Hence the second idea: Several companies learn together. Each of them passes on what its model has learned and benefits from what the others have learned. The customer data itself, however, remains with the individual companies.<\/p>\n\n
I didn’t know what the outcome would be. I was primarily interested in one thing: Do people even want to work together? I could only go by my own feelings. I would share if it brings me something. If it’s a kind of infrastructure on which I can then build something unique. Something that still sets me apart from other companies. And I hoped that enough people would see it similarly.<\/p>\n\n
How the study was conducted<\/h2>\n\n
In July and August 2026, the ZHAW conducted eight individual interviews with Aivie customers. Each company comes from a different industry: fiduciary services, continuing education, communication agencies, fintech, consulting, and a non-profit network.<\/p>\n\n
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<\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\nImportant for context: Eight interviews are not representative. These are not statistics. But they show quite honestly how SMEs think about the topic.<\/p>\n\n
Insight 1: No one said no<\/h2>\n\n
The first thing that stands out: None of the eight rejected the idea. The first reaction was positive every time. Someone from a communication agency put it this way:<\/p>\n\n
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“Basically, I think it’s good because small companies in particular often don’t have the data or the resources to evaluate it.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
And then, every single time, the critical follow-up question came immediately, in all eight interviews. So people want to work together. But only under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n
Insight 2: Concerns are not about data privacy<\/h2>\n\n
Every company had its concerns. What was striking, however, was that hardly any of them related to the topic of data privacy, as one might actually think. Instead, it was about three completely different questions.<\/p>\n\n
Can a small Swiss provider keep up?<\/h3>\n\n
The first question: Can a small provider like Aivie keep up with the big AI companies? I think a small Swiss provider cannot do it alone. That might sound strange coming from the founder of Aivie.<\/p>\n\n
But that’s exactly why Aivie relies on Open Source<\/a>. This way, we stand on a huge, global foundation and are not just a small Swiss provider. For me, this is the way to get the best of both worlds: the power of a global community and a Swiss provider that is close to you and where you retain control. I believe everyone who sees this realizes: This is the right way.<\/p>\n\n
Does it work with little data?<\/h3>\n\n
One person said quite openly that they “definitely don’t have enough data to inspire any model.”<\/p>\n\n
My answer to that: We all have too little data. That’s exactly why we should join forces. It gets exciting when it comes to the question of how we work together and how we compensate for the differences. Because they do exist. One company clearly said: Those who contribute a lot should get more than someone who contributes little. Another would drop out immediately if a direct competitor shared less. For me, that’s the real tough nut to crack: We need a fair model that everyone can agree on.<\/p>\n\n
Does one model fit all industries?<\/h3>\n\n
A fiduciary office has completely different customers than a fintech. They tick differently, and they buy differently. Several companies therefore suggested dividing the participants by industry.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.aivie.ch\/media\/wp\/2026\/10\/15162230\/V8_Ein_Modell_vs_Cluster.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n\nOne agency also advised us to run the pilot with companies from the same industry. Otherwise, the results won’t mean much.<\/p>\n\n
Insight 3: Today, gut feeling often decides<\/h2>\n\n
Only one of the eight companies currently decides what to do next in marketing based on data. For the others, it’s experience, manual follow-up, or simply gut feeling that decides.<\/p>\n\n
I think we all know that. We change the call-to-action or the text, maybe quickly in a meeting, and hope that things go better. Or vice versa: something suddenly spikes in the data, and we try to find out where it’s coming from. No one knows; everyone has a theory. It would be great if you actually knew.<\/p>\n\n
Several companies said something else: They want to follow up on leads but don’t have the time. Someone downloads a white paper on the website, and then nothing happens because no one gets around to it. That’s exactly where an AI can help by making suggestions and taking work off your hands.<\/p>\n\n
And what about data privacy?<\/h2>\n\n
Does that mean data privacy doesn’t matter? No. Companies clearly prefer their data to be in Switzerland, or at least in the EU. Some even use this as a selling point with their own customers. We described why the location of your data is more than just a technical detail using the example of a US court ruling<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
But people didn’t doubt data privacy. They doubted the benefit. We will take a closer look at this question in a future post.<\/p>\n\n
What happens next<\/h2>\n\n
At the moment, many things are still open. We are now building the roadmap, and this feedback is heavily incorporated, just like all feedback from our customers. Because at Aivie, everyone helps shape the future.<\/p>\n\n
Conclusion and next step<\/h2>\n\n
No one said no. People doubted the benefit, not data privacy. And in marketing today, gut feeling still often decides.<\/p>\n\n
Next comes the pilot. For this, we are looking for SMEs that want to build their own AI for their marketing, using their own data. Do you want to help shape it? Then write to me or book a call directly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
And if you want to know why I always ask “Whose AI?” when it comes to AI, read on: Your data is your treasure. Don’t just give it to the AI.<\/a><\/p>\n\n
- How the study was conducted<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n