Years of marketing experience
Over 13 years of practice in digital marketing and digital products. What we recommend has proven itself in real Swiss SME contexts.
Digital agency & network — strategic advisory and execution.
Together we shape your digital future: with strategy, innovation and measurable marketing success.
Strategy, Marketing, AI, Software — all from one source.
Strategy, consulting, and execution belong in the same hands at AHEAD OF TIME — as an integrated approach, not three separate packages.
As a Swiss digital agency, we accompany you and your SME through digital transformation and digital marketing: from the first strategy workshop to ongoing operations. For your project, we assemble a hand-picked network of specialists — the right people per discipline, not generalists who can do everything just a little bit. Our standard is Digital Excellence in everyday operations — Empowering in the literal sense: your team can do more after the engagement than before.
What you actually gain from working with us.
Holistic consulting & ongoing support
Consulting and execution from one hand — no separate agencies for plan and delivery. We support you from initial assessment all the way through to ongoing operations.
Your right team of experts
For each project, the team that fits your task exactly — SEO, performance, UX, or tech. Real specialists, not a generalist mix.
Efficient. Transparent. Results-driven.
Clear communication, measurable results, no overhead. You know at any moment what we're working on and what impact it's having.
Four disciplines, one team — no agency juggling.
Strategy & Transformation
A digital strategy that thinks business model, processes and marketing together — and still holds up after the workshop ends.
Learn moreDigital Marketing
Performance marketing that brings real numbers, not just impressions. SEO, SEA, content, newsletters — one team instead of four tools.
Learn moreCoaching, Workshops & Advisory
Strategy sparring, AI workshops and advisory mandates. From 13 years of teaching at Swiss universities — not from a consultant's playbook.
Learn moreSoftware Projects & Digital Product Innovation
From whiteboard sketch to running software. MVP, PWA, custom builds — concept, build and scale in the same team.
Learn moreWhat's worked for other Swiss SMEs.
View all cases →
Client voices — trust built over a decade of practice
Simon Hofmann
Head of Marketing, VCS
“Clear and actionable recommendations for performance”
AHEAD OF TIME quickly identified the strengths and weaknesses of our previous digital marketing measures and convinced us with clear, actionable recommendations. The detailed analysis of our online and social-media activities in particular revealed concrete potential for sustainable performance improvement.
Dr. Daniel Bracher
E-Book Author
“Warmly recommended for complex digital projects”
Implementing my digital guide turned out to be difficult — Michael Schranz quickly got up to speed on the project, made a well-founded case for an e-book as the best solution, organized efficient support, and accompanied the process. I warmly recommend him for complex digital projects.
Marisa Müller
Management Board Member & VP
“Tailored omnichannel strategy with noticeable returns”
AHEAD OF TIME convinced with a friendly, professional style and a tailored omnichannel strategy. The close support, efficient execution, and ongoing optimization by the specialist team noticeably increased our marketing return.
Prof. Dr. Nicole Stuber-Berries
HSLU · Co-Head of Tourism Competence Centre
“Practical content with real added value”
As co-head of the Tourism Competence Centre at HSLU, I have valued Michael Schranz as a dedicated guest lecturer for years. His practical content on digital products, technology trends, and mobile marketing offers our master's students real added value. I recommend him as a competent coach for digital transformation.
Roman Hugi
Key Account Manager · Product Manager
“Inspiring approaches for innovative ideas”
During my continuing education, Michael Schranz shared sound marketing knowledge and practical insights with me. His unconventional approach and inspiring methods broadened my perspective and fostered innovative ideas — especially in developing a blockchain solution for my diploma thesis.
Bruno Bucher
Guest lecturer · BFH (CAS Digital Marketing & Transformation)
“Practical, inspiring, with real added value”
Since 2016, Michael has been teaching solid digital knowledge as a guest lecturer in BFH's CAS Digital Marketing & Transformation — practical, inspiring, and with real added value. He complements his enthusiasm for digital innovation, technology, and processes with many practical examples from apps, web platforms, and strategic online marketing.
Cécile Fuchs
Management Board Member · art24 (Head of Art Team & Artists)
“Grounded, pragmatic, and results-oriented”
With a new digital strategy and audience focus, the team at AHEAD OF TIME significantly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of art24's online marketing — particularly in user experience (UX), social media, SEM (SEO and SEA), and newsletter marketing — through a well-thought-out strategy and matching tactics. At the same time, communication with art24's various target groups was improved through new segmentation. AHEAD OF TIME stands out for holistic marketing consulting, creative solution approaches, and strong expertise in digital strategy, marketing, and the development of digital two-sided platforms. Groundedness, pragmatism, and an understanding of the human needs of both staff and customers make the team reliable, results-oriented partners for holistic digital transformations and modern digital marketing implementations.
Haris Hondzo
Founder & CEO of Edirex
“A valuable support from day one”
Since the beginning of my project, Michael has been a valuable support. With strategy, expertise, and commitment, he accompanied us from market analysis through to implementation and also played a central role in developing our platform-based business model.
Personal consulting. Pragmatic solutions. Effective results.
Michael Schranz started teaching at Swiss universities in 2012 — after building the first mobile apps at Swisscom and growing a 50-person digital agency.
AOT isn't one person with PowerPoint: for each project we pull the specialists and partner agencies from our network who actually fit your task. We speak plainly, work pragmatically and build relationships that last beyond the first engagement. Who we are, who we work with, and what we believe in — the whole story on the About-us page.
Series · Multi-part
When a topic needs more than one article.
Multi-part series where we go deeper — AI agents, security, customer journey.
Series · 4 parts
AI Agent Practice Series for SMEs
Four posts: fundamentals, mail inbox, B2B sales, marketing performance
Series · 2 parts
The 13 Biggest Cognitive Biases in SME Digital Business
Two-part practice series — classic cognitive biases plus pitfalls in AI, strategy, and marketing
Reading for your next marketing meeting.
All articles →
AI & Automation
Influencer marketing with AI — what works, what doesn't, what harms
Where Swiss SME budgets end, the interesting AI-powered influencer setup begins: realistic targeting, co-creation over broadcast, clear ethics guardrails. What works, what doesn't, what poses reputation risks — and which tools you actually need.
AI & Automation
AI outputs you can actually use — Prompt Engineering for SMEs
Five building blocks, seven strategies, one 2026 model matrix — plus concrete templates for email, sales, and AI-agent setups. End of output that sounds like a marketing intern: how to prompt AI so the answers are immediately usable.
Strategie & Modelle
SOSTAC — strategic marketing planning for SMEs, without the consultant buzzwords.
PR Smith's SOSTAC framework structures six phases of a marketing plan — from an honest situation audit to performance measurement. Pragmatically adapted for SMEs, without consultant buzzwords.
We teach what we practise — at Swiss universities.
Our approach: SOSTAC
Situation — Where are we now?
Starting point, audiences, channels, market and competition — analysed without illusions.
Objectives — Where do we want to be?
From a clear vision we derive measurable, business-relevant SMART goals.
Strategy — How do we get there?
A focused omnichannel strategy along the customer journey — from reach to retention.
Tactics — With which means?
Channels, campaigns, content and automations — matched to your resources and goals.
Action — Who does what, and when?
Concrete measures, clear ownership and a timeline that holds.
Control — How do we stay successful?
We measure impact, optimise continuously and scale what works.
Let's talk — no sales pressure.
Tell us about your project. We'll come back with a concrete answer, not a sales email.