One Year After The Rebranding, Kitzbühel Tourism Takes Stock
On June 20, 2024, Kitzbühel Tourism opened a new chapter – a comprehensive rebranding to reposition the brand. Now, one year later, we're taking stock of the progress.
With its new corporate design in the style of a fashion brand, Kitzbühel Tourism is setting standards in Alpine destination marketing. This reorientation not only underscores its claim to a pioneering role, but also marks a milestone in its long-term brand strategy.
#wirsindKitzbühel – Strategically on course for the future together
Since the launch of the branding process initiated by Kitzbühel Tourism in 2021, much has developed in the region in a common direction. One key result: The successful models developed in numerous workshops have been successfully integrated into Kitzbühel Tourism's strategy and now shape both product development and organizational structure.
Collaborations in the areas of Outdoor Active, Culinary Delights, Inspiring Networks and Workation are driving forward the vision of a sustainable tourism destination.
For Dr. Viktoria Veider-Walser, Managing Director of Kitzbühel Tourism, the brand relaunch on June 20, 2024, was a logical step in the region's strategic development: "With the new brand identity, we have opened a new chapter in our communications strategy. In keeping with our brand identity, we also want to be bold, clear, and future-oriented in our communications."
Brand relaunch as a strategic restart
Numerous surveys, workshops, and discussions during the branding process made it clear: The Kitzbühel brand was showing its age. In order to remain innovative and competitive in the future, the Board of Directors, Supervisory Board, and Management – after reviewing several concepts – unanimously decided on a brand relaunch, which was implemented in 2024.
The new identity was launched at the beginning of June 2024 with a multi-stage teaser campaign.
Under the motto "Something NEW is coming," a deliberately mysterious message attracted attention – from locals, guests, and industry insiders alike. Branded out-of-home spaces in and around Kitzbühel, advertisements, newsletters, and the first video snippets on social media announced the upcoming change.
An evening full of emotion, a night full of energy – and a morning when Kitzbühel awoke with new strength
A date steeped in symbolic significance: On June 20, 2024, the summer solstice—the astronomical climax of summer—Kitzbühel celebrated not only light and tradition, but also a bold new beginning. The brand relaunch was staged with an impressive event in the heart of the town.
More than 500 invited guests flocked to the exclusive event at the construction site of the legendary Hotel zur Tenne – a place undergoing change, like the brand itself. The parallel was intentional: Kitzbühel Tourism and the Tenne, both undergoing transformation, symbolically met at the height of a new era.
Under the moderation of Arabella Kiesbauer, Chairman Dr. Christian Harisch presented the new brand identity – powerful, modern, and confident. Rosi Schipflinger delivered emotional highlights with a remixed version of her classic "Kitzbühel, mein Augenstern," which musically encapsulated the evening's theme, "From Tradition to Transition." Together with DJ Marvin Aloys, she brought the energy of the new Kitzbühel to the stage.
But the real spectacle took place overnight.
While the celebrations were taking place in the hotel, Kitzbühel Tourism employees and numerous dedicated helpers in the background launched an unprecedented guerrilla campaign: the rebranding of the entire town – in a single night. When the sun rose the next morning, Kitzbühel was already radiating its new design.
6,000 caps, shirts, and promotional materials were distributed overnight to 140 companies, clubs, and partners – as a visible sign of a collective commitment to the new brand.
High-reach campaign
As early as June 21, 2024, leading Austrian daily media outlets such as the Tiroler Tageszeitung, the Krone, and the Salzburger Nachrichten prominently featured the new Kitzbühel design on their front pages. At the same time, OE24 generated digital attention and reach with an animated online presentation.
But the presence doesn't end at the national borders: With eye-catching bus advertisements in London and Berlin, as well as large-scale advertising spaces at Frankfurt Airport, Kitzbühel is now also positioning itself internationally as a modern, dynamic brand.
Impressive reach and media presence during the brand relaunch
Throughout the entire teaser and relaunch campaign, Kitzbühel reached a total of over 54 million people. The media interest was particularly remarkable: The press releases about the relaunch generated a reach of over 87 million – completely free of charge. This record is virtually priceless and is normally only achieved over the course of an entire year.
Long-term preparation for the relaunch - Die Walde Gams
One of the biggest challenges during the brand relaunch was securing the rights to the original Walde Gams for our members. In previous years, the rights holder had repeatedly issued cease-and-desist letters due to misuse. Over three years, intensive negotiations were conducted with the rights holders – especially Michael Berger-Walde – to enable the legal use of the chamois created by Alfons Walde for all members. For the first time, Kitzbühel Tourism was able to acquire comprehensive rights to the protected Walde Gams. Members and clubs can now use the logo easily and with licensing protection for non-commercial purposes. It was therefore clear to everyone involved from the outset that the chamois would also play a central role in the new brand identity.
Constructive and less constructive criticisms
When implementing bold strategic decisions, it is inevitable that not all stakeholders will fully agree. Differing interests and perspectives are a natural part of change processes and should be viewed as important elements of organizational development. Complete consensus is rarely achievable and is not required, as constructive differences often lead to valuable impulses for innovation and progress.
The relaunch also sparked strong reactions – even a petition for the preservation of the "old chamois." After a somewhat controversial summer, Kitzbühel Tourism used the opportunity at the general assembly to provide all interested parties with detailed information. A one-and-a-half-hour question-and-answer session and two information letters sent in advance about the chamois and its use played a crucial role in bringing objectivity and clarity to the discussion.
Was the relaunch successful?
The success of a brand presence depends on the consistency of its messages and motifs. Therefore, depending on how consistently the relaunch was pursued, it will only be possible to truly determine whether the brand presence was successful in a few years.
A major objective of the relaunch was to stand out from the uniform advertising of all destinations in the Alpine region, to use the power of the brand to address new - including younger - target groups and to increase awareness of the advertising formats.
At the end of June 2024, an initial advertising effectiveness measurement was conducted, confirming the campaign's strong awareness. Kitzbühel stands out as a unique brand that clearly distinguishes itself from other destinations. In addition to conveying the brand value of "a charming mix of tradition and modernity," the themes of tradition and customs are the primary focus—both as the main message and as a key factor for strong brand fit.
In the first two months, the campaign significantly increased brand strength among the defined target groups. Individuals who had experienced previous campaigns showed improved scores on key brand metrics such as attractiveness, likability, likelihood of visits, and likelihood of recommendation. Furthermore, recognition, awareness, brand loyalty, and engagement all increased significantly.
Additional monitoring by the Cologne Sports University confirmed these results through eye tracking, recall tests, and in-depth interviews following the completion of the first campaign series. The campaign is perceived as striking, bold, and confident, particularly appealing to a younger, more urban target group. Above all, the set goals—increased differentiation, attention, and perception—were achieved.
The relaunch is also generating significant international interest. The underlying strategy and concept have been presented at numerous conferences, including in Norway, Switzerland, and Italy, with consistently positive feedback. Numerous delegations from Germany and abroad have sought direct exchange and gained first-hand experience in recent months.
Awards for the relaunch
In February 2025, the relaunch was awarded the coveted “German Design Award” for outstanding and exemplary design achievements.
The German Design Award is considered one of the leading prizes of the German Design Council and, with its international reach, is one of the most recognized awards in the design industry. Since 2012, it has annually recognized groundbreaking trends in product, communication, and architectural design and presented them to a broad public.
In addition, the relaunch has been nominated for the “German Brand Award,” which will be presented at the end of June 2025.
Further information about the Kitzbühel destination can be found at kitzbuehel.com
