Wellness hotels, wine, museums and smoked bacon under one roof
Tourism: South Tyrol, a successful Italian tourist region, brings its diverse offerings together under a single umbrella brand. This brand encompasses not only vacation destinations, hotels, museums, and cable cars, but also numerous agricultural products.
Tourism The successful Italian tourist region of South Tyrol bundles its diverse offerings under one umbrella brand. It not only identifies vacation resorts, hotels, museums and cable cars, but also numerous agricultural products. "South Tyrol - a land of contrasts and diversity. Hardly any other region in Europe is as varied as the area between Brenner and Salurn," says a self-confident PR text from the Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (SMG). The promoters of the northern Italian province do such a good job that some contemporaries believe that South Tyrol is a state in its own right. The cultural landscape with its rugged Dolomites, romantic castles and Mediterranean cities of Bolzano and Merano smelling of broom is an extremely successful vacation region. Every year, four million guests travel to this orchard steeped in culture, and the hotels record 20 million overnight stays. However, South Tyrol did not have good cards for a long time. Until 1918, the then predominantly German-speaking region belonged to the Austrian monarchy; after the First World War, most of it fell to Italy; the Italian population grew rapidly due to immigration. After the Second World War, South Tyrol was regarded as a province of unrest striving for independence, where activists blew up high-voltage pylons and police stations. After serious political disputes, a statute of autonomy came into force, which guaranteed equal rights for the German and Italian languages. The language groups now live well together and South Tyrol is one of the most prosperous regions in Italy.
A patchwork of logosTourism and agriculture are the main pillars of the South Tyrolean economy. Hundreds of hotels and guesthouses and the largest contiguous fruit-growing area in Europe, magnificent vineyards and green meadows form an attractive and exciting symbiosis. However, 90 tourist logos and a further 50 brands are increasingly confusing potential guests, a historically grown diversity, a tuttifrutti of labels into which those responsible wanted to bring order with the creation of an umbrella brand. Provincial Councillor Werner Frick took the initiative a year and a half ago and sat down with Christoph Engl, the agile head of Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (see interview on page 13). "One fist is stronger than five fingers," is how the marketing strategists formulated their concept - somewhat rigorously, but unmistakably.
Brand values identifiedIn the search for a suitable agency, the Berlin brand agency MetaDesign, which advises Audi, Apple and Siemens, among others, was found. A working group set up by the South Tyrolean government began by conducting surveys to determine the brand values of the region. Plus points such as "credible", "genuine" or "have time and enjoy" and "warm hospitality" emerged. Further values distilled from the guest surveys: "full of contrasts" and "rich in tradition", all of these qualities should be represented by the new umbrella brand.
The lettering designed by MetaDesign contains two different shades of green, plus a stylized mountain range striped in all the colors of the rainbow, which is integrated into posters, for example, but also appears on letters. The font chosen for the "Südtirol" logo conveys a woodcut-like pithiness rather than light elegance. In a detailed manual, MetaDesign developed a guideline for the various possible applications of the new typeface.
In Italy, the region is called "Alto Adige", which is why this logo, which is also legally protected, was chosen for the inland area in the same font; here, too, the pop mountain range serves as an eye-catcher.
In the German-speaking world, the "Südtirol" logo is often coupled with the headline "Magie der Vielfalt" (Magic of diversity); in the English-speaking world with "South Tyrol, the magic of diversity". Soon, the "South Tyrol" logo will have the same level of recognition as the "Italia" or "España" logos.
In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the umbrella brand will be quickly awarded by an "umbrella brand advisory board" to all regions, towns, businesses and organizations that work in harmony with the values and philosophy of South Tyrol. The spectrum ranges from the four-star hotel in Bolzano to the fruit-growing museum in Lana and the cable car in the Ötztal Alps. Of course, a guesthouse whose wine list does not include a South Tyrolean wine does not have the slightest chance of being able to adorn itself with the umbrella brand.
Broad umbrellaSouth Tyrol is also an agricultural heavyweight with its extensive apple orchards, vineyards and efficient dairy industry. The brand strategists cleverly integrate the agricultural sector into their concept. As some fruit growers and vineyard owners run a guesthouse as a second mainstay, it makes sense to use the umbrella brand for local agricultural products.
Smoked ham from the well-known producer Siebenförcher in Merano, cheese from the Vintschgau region and wine from Lake Kaltern can carry the umbrella brand, as can culinary South Tyrol weeks at Jelmoli. The broad umbrella of the new brand encompasses everything that South Tyrol has to offer: from elegant luxury hotels from the Belle Epoque to "Speck vom Feinsten".
Goodbye confusionHistorically, many local labels for health resorts, hotels, museums, castles and cable cars have emerged in South Tyrol. The new umbrella brand now brings order to this almost unmanageable proliferation, as service providers that meet a specific, high requirement profile are allowed to adorn themselves with the "South Tyrol" umbrella brand.
MetaDesign - top in corporate designFounded in 1990, the Berlin-based agency MetaDesign has a wealth of experience in corporate design.
Branches in San Francisco and since 2000 in Zurich (MetaDesign Suisse). Its core competencies lie in the areas of corporate identity, brand strategy, corporate design and industrial design. The agency has also made a name for itself in corporate publishing and naming. "Our claim: your distinctiveness" is the credo of the agency, which focuses on credibility and trust, the highest assets for securing the future of companies, institutions or tourism regions. MetaDesign aims to implement these success factors credibly and convincingly through corporate design.
With clients such as Volkswagen, Audi and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the agency has won several important awards and established itself among the top European branding agencies. "We appreciate clutter because we like to tidy up," says the agency's homepage. And: "We love aesthetic solutions because we are designers by conviction." (wc)
Authentic, genuine, hospitable: South Tyrol relies on its traditional qualities without frills.
Christoph Engl on the secret of South Tyrol's success.
WW In Switzerland, the number of overnight stays is falling, but in South Tyrol they increased by three percent last year. How do you manage that?
Christoph Engl South Tyrol positions itself as a land of pleasure, as the northernmost region in Italy with vineyards, palm trees and high mountains.
And how does the world find out about these benefits? Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (SMG), founded in 2000, is organized as a private company, but receives 11.2 million euros a year from the public sector. 3.5 million euros come from private donors such as South Tyrolean products, namely the wine, apple and speck industries and tourism organizations. Our campaigns are based on detailed studies in the most important countries of origin.
Can you give examples? In Switzerland, with its high newspaper density, where people read a lot, the emphasis of advertising and PR is on the print media. In Germany, 70 percent of the budget is used for TV commercials, in Italy we publicize South Tyrol in promotional shows on television, a mixture of PR, advertising and journalism that would hardly be appreciated in Switzerland but is very popular in Italy.
We have long since realized that we will not get anywhere with parochial politics. South Tyrol is promoted as a whole, as a contrasting symbiosis of nature, culture, agriculture and tourism. An advertising spot might feature blossoming orchards and tourists on bicycles. This is how we promote agricultural products and tourism together.
Why the strong connection to agriculture? In South Tyrol, tourism is closely linked to agriculture. Vineyards and orchards characterize the landscape, many owners of guesthouses have vineyards or a dairy farm as a second economic mainstay.
The number of three- and four-star hotels with wellness facilities is high and their occupancy rates are above average because the price-performance ratio is right.
How does the collaboration with MetaDesign work? The company developed the umbrella brand strategy with us. The image transfer with renowned brands is important for us. For example, top photographers shoot fashion photos in our region for Ermenegildo Zegna; the brochure might then say "Zegna and South Tyrol - the best of Italy". This transfer, which benefits both partners, works with high-quality brands, whether they are cars, fashion or watches.
How important is the Swiss market? In the last ten years, the number of overnight stays by Swiss guests has risen by a third. The Swiss market is the third most important after Germany and Italy. The Swiss like leisure vacations, are affluent and want quality, which they get from us at a reasonable price. As a multilingual country, Switzerland has a strong affinity with bilingual South Tyrol. Because the Swiss have the most beautiful mountains, we position South Tyrol there as a Mediterranean land of pleasure.
How do you rate tourism in Switzerland? We have always had great admiration for Swiss tourism. There were hotel palaces in a magnificent landscape when we hardly had any guesthouses to offer. But for South Tyroleans today, Switzerland is considered unaffordable.
Interview: Werner Catrina
Christoph Engl was born and lives in Bolzano. The lawyer has been director of the South Tyrol Marketing Company (SMG), which successfully markets the province internationally, since 2001.
Werner Catrina
A patchwork of logosTourism and agriculture are the main pillars of the South Tyrolean economy. Hundreds of hotels and guesthouses and the largest contiguous fruit-growing area in Europe, magnificent vineyards and green meadows form an attractive and exciting symbiosis. However, 90 tourist logos and a further 50 brands are increasingly confusing potential guests, a historically grown diversity, a tuttifrutti of labels into which those responsible wanted to bring order with the creation of an umbrella brand. Provincial Councillor Werner Frick took the initiative a year and a half ago and sat down with Christoph Engl, the agile head of Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (see interview on page 13). "One fist is stronger than five fingers," is how the marketing strategists formulated their concept - somewhat rigorously, but unmistakably.
Brand values identifiedIn the search for a suitable agency, the Berlin brand agency MetaDesign, which advises Audi, Apple and Siemens, among others, was found. A working group set up by the South Tyrolean government began by conducting surveys to determine the brand values of the region. Plus points such as "credible", "genuine" or "have time and enjoy" and "warm hospitality" emerged. Further values distilled from the guest surveys: "full of contrasts" and "rich in tradition", all of these qualities should be represented by the new umbrella brand.
The lettering designed by MetaDesign contains two different shades of green, plus a stylized mountain range striped in all the colors of the rainbow, which is integrated into posters, for example, but also appears on letters. The font chosen for the "Südtirol" logo conveys a woodcut-like pithiness rather than light elegance. In a detailed manual, MetaDesign developed a guideline for the various possible applications of the new typeface.
In Italy, the region is called "Alto Adige", which is why this logo, which is also legally protected, was chosen for the inland area in the same font; here, too, the pop mountain range serves as an eye-catcher.
In the German-speaking world, the "Südtirol" logo is often coupled with the headline "Magie der Vielfalt" (Magic of diversity); in the English-speaking world with "South Tyrol, the magic of diversity". Soon, the "South Tyrol" logo will have the same level of recognition as the "Italia" or "España" logos.
In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the umbrella brand will be quickly awarded by an "umbrella brand advisory board" to all regions, towns, businesses and organizations that work in harmony with the values and philosophy of South Tyrol. The spectrum ranges from the four-star hotel in Bolzano to the fruit-growing museum in Lana and the cable car in the Ötztal Alps. Of course, a guesthouse whose wine list does not include a South Tyrolean wine does not have the slightest chance of being able to adorn itself with the umbrella brand.
Broad umbrellaSouth Tyrol is also an agricultural heavyweight with its extensive apple orchards, vineyards and efficient dairy industry. The brand strategists cleverly integrate the agricultural sector into their concept. As some fruit growers and vineyard owners run a guesthouse as a second mainstay, it makes sense to use the umbrella brand for local agricultural products.
Smoked ham from the well-known producer Siebenförcher in Merano, cheese from the Vintschgau region and wine from Lake Kaltern can carry the umbrella brand, as can culinary South Tyrol weeks at Jelmoli. The broad umbrella of the new brand encompasses everything that South Tyrol has to offer: from elegant luxury hotels from the Belle Epoque to "Speck vom Feinsten".
Goodbye confusionHistorically, many local labels for health resorts, hotels, museums, castles and cable cars have emerged in South Tyrol. The new umbrella brand now brings order to this almost unmanageable proliferation, as service providers that meet a specific, high requirement profile are allowed to adorn themselves with the "South Tyrol" umbrella brand.
MetaDesign - top in corporate designFounded in 1990, the Berlin-based agency MetaDesign has a wealth of experience in corporate design.
Branches in San Francisco and since 2000 in Zurich (MetaDesign Suisse). Its core competencies lie in the areas of corporate identity, brand strategy, corporate design and industrial design. The agency has also made a name for itself in corporate publishing and naming. "Our claim: your distinctiveness" is the credo of the agency, which focuses on credibility and trust, the highest assets for securing the future of companies, institutions or tourism regions. MetaDesign aims to implement these success factors credibly and convincingly through corporate design.
With clients such as Volkswagen, Audi and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the agency has won several important awards and established itself among the top European branding agencies. "We appreciate clutter because we like to tidy up," says the agency's homepage. And: "We love aesthetic solutions because we are designers by conviction." (wc)
Authentic, genuine, hospitable: South Tyrol relies on its traditional qualities without frills.
Christoph Engl on the secret of South Tyrol's success.
WW In Switzerland, the number of overnight stays is falling, but in South Tyrol they increased by three percent last year. How do you manage that?
Christoph Engl South Tyrol positions itself as a land of pleasure, as the northernmost region in Italy with vineyards, palm trees and high mountains.
And how does the world find out about these benefits? Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (SMG), founded in 2000, is organized as a private company, but receives 11.2 million euros a year from the public sector. 3.5 million euros come from private donors such as South Tyrolean products, namely the wine, apple and speck industries and tourism organizations. Our campaigns are based on detailed studies in the most important countries of origin.
Can you give examples? In Switzerland, with its high newspaper density, where people read a lot, the emphasis of advertising and PR is on the print media. In Germany, 70 percent of the budget is used for TV commercials, in Italy we publicize South Tyrol in promotional shows on television, a mixture of PR, advertising and journalism that would hardly be appreciated in Switzerland but is very popular in Italy.
We have long since realized that we will not get anywhere with parochial politics. South Tyrol is promoted as a whole, as a contrasting symbiosis of nature, culture, agriculture and tourism. An advertising spot might feature blossoming orchards and tourists on bicycles. This is how we promote agricultural products and tourism together.
Why the strong connection to agriculture? In South Tyrol, tourism is closely linked to agriculture. Vineyards and orchards characterize the landscape, many owners of guesthouses have vineyards or a dairy farm as a second economic mainstay.
The number of three- and four-star hotels with wellness facilities is high and their occupancy rates are above average because the price-performance ratio is right.
How does the collaboration with MetaDesign work? The company developed the umbrella brand strategy with us. The image transfer with renowned brands is important for us. For example, top photographers shoot fashion photos in our region for Ermenegildo Zegna; the brochure might then say "Zegna and South Tyrol - the best of Italy". This transfer, which benefits both partners, works with high-quality brands, whether they are cars, fashion or watches.
How important is the Swiss market? In the last ten years, the number of overnight stays by Swiss guests has risen by a third. The Swiss market is the third most important after Germany and Italy. The Swiss like leisure vacations, are affluent and want quality, which they get from us at a reasonable price. As a multilingual country, Switzerland has a strong affinity with bilingual South Tyrol. Because the Swiss have the most beautiful mountains, we position South Tyrol there as a Mediterranean land of pleasure.
How do you rate tourism in Switzerland? We have always had great admiration for Swiss tourism. There were hotel palaces in a magnificent landscape when we hardly had any guesthouses to offer. But for South Tyroleans today, Switzerland is considered unaffordable.
Interview: Werner Catrina
Christoph Engl was born and lives in Bolzano. The lawyer has been director of the South Tyrol Marketing Company (SMG), which successfully markets the province internationally, since 2001.
Werner Catrina
