Kitzbühel Tourism | A rebranding for the next generation

Kitzbühel is internationally renowned for its impressive mountain scenery, first-class winter sports and unmistakable lifestyle.

Initial situation & objective

Initiated by an intensive brand development process, the need to make the Kitzbühel brand fit for the future and attractive to young target groups became apparent in 2021. The result: a groundbreaking rebranding of the traditional Kitzbühel brand, which was developed in the strictest secrecy and presented in June 2024 with a brilliant relaunch event. As part of the rebranding, Wilde & Partner was commissioned to develop and implement a stringent communication concept (B2B and B2C) for the relaunch.

Rebranding strategy & teaser campaign

The new appearance of the destination brand sets new standards in Alpine destination marketing, is bold, brash and international and marks a paradigm shift in the brand appearance of the destination brand. Kitzbühel is the first destination ever to move away from the presentation of natural beauty and elements close to nature and instead focuses on a stylistic artificial design. The rebranding process was accompanied by a multi-stage teaser campaign. The special feature: no specific content was revealed until the very end. With the cryptic message “Something New is Coming – 20.06.2024”, the campaign consisting of social media communication, classic PR and live communication built up an impressive arc of suspense that captivated locals, tourism professionals, industry insiders and Kitzbühel fans alike.

The campaign caused a stir on social media as well as among tourism and marketing experts and generated a broad response among the local population and an international audience.

Results & reach

The success of the campaign was not only reflected in the positive reactions of the target groups, but also in the extensive media coverage. Renowned magazines and platforms such as Bunte, Meedia, W&V, Horizont and Handelszeitung as well as numerous international B2B and B2C publications reported extensively on Kitzbühel’s new brand image. Overall, the project achieved strong visibility with 65 print and online publications across the DACH region. With over 54 million contacts through campaigns and more than 87 million through editorial media coverage, the brand relaunch achieved an impressive reach.

Thanks to the strategic orientation and successful implementation of the brand relaunch, Kitzbühel positioned itself as a modern and attractive destination for a wide audience. Wilde & Partner used targeted media work and strategic PR measures to ensure that the new brand image was recognized throughout the DACH region and beyond.

Awards

In 2025, Kitzbühel Tourismus also received the German Brand Award in the category “Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation – Brand Design – Corporate Brand” and the German Design Award for excellent design quality for its new branding.