Moving communication for Kölle aktiv

Kölle aktiv is an initiative of the Sports Office of the City of Cologne and the Stadtsportbund Cologne (the umbrella association of Cologne Sports) . The goal: move the people of Cologne with free sports activities. For three months every summer, Kölle aktiv offers many daily outdoor classes everywhere in the city. The sports classes are suitable for everybody and each fitness level and include Zumba, yoga, body combat, boules, or trend sports like roundnet and padel. The classes are always accessible for people with disabilities and everybody can join without registering first. Qualified trainers from participating sports clubs in Cologne direct the classes. In addition to its popular summer program, Kölle aktiv also offers other activities throughout the year, for example the "Sundaach aktiv" winter program (which loosely translates as “Active Sundays” in the regional Kölsch dialect) for children and seniors and the Schoolyard Opening Project (Projekt Schulhoföffnung). Sports opportunities such as a mobile fitness container, pump tracks, sports boxes, or the running tracks at Sportpark Müngersdorf complete the program.

Kölle aktiv first offered its sports classes in the summer of 2019, and alle freiheit joined as a communication partner in 2021. Our goal is to create awareness for Kölle aktiv within the population of Cologne and to increase the participation in the classes.

At the beginning of our partnership, we created a distinctive corporate design that can be adapted for all Kölle aktiv formats and advertising materials. We also defined wording, no-goes and tonality in a communication guideline. To achieve our primary goal of awareness, we chose a communication mix of Instagram marketing, Google ads, citywide posters and billboards, city cards, and guerrilla campaigns. The launch of a new website was another essential step.

At heart of our communication lies Instagram. Especially in summer, we communicate daily with our participants and followers. We use stories, posts, reels and Instagram ads to get our message out to people, and since we believe that content truly is king, we regularly visit the sports classes in person to capture photo and video footage. In addition, we organize events every summer for press, participants and trainers which are also documented on social media. We also use Kölle aktiv's Facebook channel, publish regular press releases and launched a Kölle aktiv newsletter in 2023.

Kölle aktiv's free sports activities have become very popular – so popular, in fact, that we were able to create, plan and shoot a testimonial video featuring well-known Cologne sports personalities for the launch of the Kölle aktiv summer 2022. 1. FC Köln goalkeeper Timo Horn, World Cup medal winner and boxer Nadine Apetz, Kölner Haie player Alexander Oblinger, commentator legend Tom Bartels and others beat the big publicity drum for Kölle aktiv with us.