Soul OF Hessen: Second image campaign now promoting the city center
31.03.2023 – Anyone strolling through Offenbach, Frankfurt and the surrounding area has probably already seen them: The posters and motifs with the memorable blue frame and the "Soul OF Hessen" slogans. Offenbach as the soul of Hessen? Sounds bold, and it should be. A second image campaign has been running since March 27, this time for Offenbach's city center: the campaign shows people who work enthusiastically in the city center or run their own businesses.
The five city center motifs shine in a bright pink; brand ambassadors include Martina Holzer and her son Benjamin Birk from Sportsline, Petra and Bernhard Heckelmann with their horticultural stand at the weekly market and Eyad Hamadei from Damaskus Falafel Haus in Frankfurter Strasse.
Offenbacher Stadtmarketinggesellschaft mbH was given the task of developing a new brand positioning with a suitable communication concept in cooperation with the economic development department. The aim: to position Offenbach as an attractive business location and an up-and-coming city in Hesse. The city center is the heart of every city, and Offenbach is no exception. For example, the city is committed to rethinking the city center and developing it further together with its citizens with the City Center Future Concept. For this to succeed, it needs committed people who are passionate about the city and want to work together to make it more future-oriented step by step - just like all those who are committed to their city in this campaign.
Developing the city centre and making it more attractive is important to Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke because he is aware of its importance for people: "Offenbach's city centre is better than its reputation - but I walk through the city with my eyes open and see that the situation is currently far from what would be desirable. The central aim of our city center future concept is to ensure that people continue to enjoy coming to the city center and enjoy living here. We want to give them additional and new reasons to do so. This is where the new image campaign within the framework of Soul OF Hessen comes in: It shows success stories and people who identify with Offenbach and its businesses. It is therefore possible to establish yourself in the city center with commitment and passion. This deserves our support. Because if the city center has something to offer, it is also worth living in."
The Kaufhof Group recently announced that the Offenbach store will close on June 30, 2023. "As a city, we did everything we could to save the location. But it's clear: the acceleration of e-commerce due to the coronavirus pandemic, the problems in retail due to lockdowns and later inflation - nothing is the same as it was and it won't be the same again. That was clear even before Kaufhof closed. That is why we have launched a clear strategy for the development of the city center with the city center future concept in order to respond to the nationwide decline in retail. In plain language, this means that other offers are needed in the city center, the truth is that simple. This includes the structural developments around the market square, the planned upgrading and relocation of the city library to the pedestrian zone as a central station, the perspective of the Green Belt and cooperation with the University of Design. The new city center campaign shows the strengths and opportunities of the city center," says Mayor Schwenke.
The five new motifs of the city center campaign will be played out via out-of-home media such as CityLight posters, print ads, targeted online advertising, on buses, a homepage and via social media.
However, "Soul OF Hessen is more than just a campaign that runs for a few weeks and then disappears again. It is the start of a sustainable image development and a long-term project to establish Offenbach as a business and company location. The development of a claim and the campaign placement is therefore just the beginning: after all, an improved image is not created overnight," says Mayor Schwenke and emphasizes that the town hall is aware of the perseverance required to achieve this.
Background to the campaign:
The brand, claim and campaign were developed by the "boy Strategie und Kommunikation" agency on behalf of Offenbacher Stadtmarketinggesellschaft mbH (OSG) and in cooperation with the city's business development department and with the involvement of the "Offenbach offensiv" association. The project manager is marketing expert Bettina Schell. The OSG is managed by Regina Preis and Fabian El Cheikh, who have launched the brand development concept for Offenbach in a multi-year process involving many stakeholders from the city, business and the urban community. Offenbach wants to reposition itself in the competition between municipalities and become a brand with identification potential. This includes attracting companies to Offenbach as part of the Master Plan 2030. This is why cooperation with the Economic Development Agency is so important.
