The desire for thrills and adrenaline. Action sports such as freestyle mountain biking or motocross, snowboarding, skating, ice cross downhill, kiteboarding, or air racing inspire athletes and spectators alike with astonishing performances. They are exciting counterpoints to an everyday life that often leaves little room for such sporting challenges. Red Bull recognized the potential of this extraordinary movement early on and has consistently committed itself to action sports. This has made Red Bull not only the benchmark for large-scale events, but also for consumer activation and high-speed, image-rich communication. Together with Red Bull, we have been bringing numerous events to the attention of the media since 2008, ensuring broad visibility and activating visitors.

Red Bull Pool Drop, Red Bull Paddelfest, Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, Red Bull Roller Coaster, Red Bull District Ride, Wings for Life World Run, and many more: although action sports are booming, the sector has had to fight for media attention. Sports sections in particular usually focus completely on the Bundesliga, Champions League, Formula 1 or other major sporting events, so what can be done? In such situations, action sports enthusiasts test the limits of what is possible. And that’s exactly what we did by redefining PR as action PR.

Our most important tool is story angles, which are creatively developed for each medium requested and tailored precisely to their profile. We get important players involved in our PR stunts, offer portraits of characters previously unknown, get journalists excited about and onto the racetracks of this world, create emotional experiences, break topics down to a local level, and create ideas for highlight shots.

The list of examples could go on and on. For years, we have been using our creativity and ingenuity to find new opportunities and fitting stories to win over journalists across all media genres for coverage of action sporting events, and to inspire thousands of participants and spectators.

The results: a sold-out crowd at the Red Bull Paddelfest, 12,000 participants in the Wings for Life World Run in Munich, and 23,500 spectators at the Red Bull Crashed Ice. It’s clear that storytelling brings the action not only to PR, but also to the streets and to the racetracks.

The best time is now. At least it is for talented people who are looking to power up their careers in the present. That’s because they are no longer the ones who have to go hunting for a job. Today, the jobs come hunting for them. HR experts often talk about the war for talent, which is inspiring forward-thinking companies to approach suitable candidates rather than waiting for them to apply. Employers take advantage of career websites like LinkedIn, Xing and Kununu – as well as social media networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – to showcase what they have to offer. Maintaining a presence in these marketplaces of social recruiting is a must for any business that wants to be taken seriously.

That is true of ams OSRAM as well – and perhaps even more so. The merger of ams and OSRAM in 2021 marked the amalgamation of two major players to form a global innovation leader in the fields of sensor technology and photonics. As a result, the new company finds itself in the midst of a fundamental transformation process that offers exciting new opportunities, both for the 23,000 or so people who already work for it and those interested in getting on board. asm OSRAM stands for innovation come to life, a fascinating glimpse at the world of tomorrow and the boundless possibilities that exist today. Harnessing that momentum takes the right specialists. Without them, the pace of progress grinds to a halt, making the human factor a risk for growth.

At LHLK, we’ve been working with OSRAM for eight years now. In that time, we’ve partnered up to turn quite a few spectacular projects into major successes, such as the unforgettable #LeadingLights campaign to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest. This time, it’s our agency’s job to support our client as it rolls out its new identity. Pretty much everything has changed, from the name, product portfolio and positioning, to the company’s look and our contacts. Our job has also become far more challenging. The sporadic Facebook posts of the past have evolved into international social media campaigns with strong, full-video content and community management across every conceivable channel.

Our approach to B2E digital communication leverages two of our main areas of expertise to achieve a single goal. As experienced social media experts and specialists for employer branding, we are now working to get the best new employees interested in this future-focused company. We are managing all HR-related social media activities and actively making sure that we bring potential applicants together with the right contacts at ams OSRAM. We are enabling deep insights into people’s everyday work and giving the brand not just one face, but as many different faces as possible. In addition, we are tapping into our creativity to support current employees as they use a wide range of platforms to report on the exciting things they get to do, the career options and the many opportunities for growth. By doing so, we have unleashed a wave of identification within the company. And what could be more valuable in times of change than employees who love their jobs?

It fills Franzi, Khanh Vi, Sophie and Susanna with a special sense of pride to see how HR social media basics have evolved over the course of just a few years to become B2E communication on a massive scale that combines two corporate cultures and creates a feeling of unity. And it makes us happy to see how ams OSRAM is climbing employer rankings like Potentialpark and earning praise as a social media hero.­

This was the challenge Garmin faced a few years ago when the pioneer of GPS-based navigation systems expanded its portfolio to include premium wearables. Garmin doesn’t just help people fly planes, steer ships, navigate to their destinations in cars, or assist professional athletes anymore. Garmin now also helps people achieve an active, healthier lifestyle with the goal of bettering themselves a little more every day. With the challenge #BeatYesterday, it particularly targets recreational and professional athletes alike, who like to run, bike and train to stay fit. With its smart products, it supports them through their everyday lives, at work, and in their leisure time. And aside from that, their products also just look good.

We have been accompanying Garmin in its transformation from a GPS specialist provider to a globally sought-after lifestyle brand in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2015. And we’ve been doing it with a feel for current and future trends, with creativity, and with perseverance. Our motto is that transformations are like running a marathon: the only way to get to the finish line is by putting one foot in front of the other. And our mental armor for the long haul: storytelling. Storytelling that is tailored to the special features of each product, the needs of different media, and the desires of consumers. Equipped in this way, we continue planning the media launches of newer, ever better products. We focus on classic PR and media relations as well as (digital) events, product tests, trade fairs, media and brand cooperations, influencer relations, interview placements as well as editorial tours and come up with creative concepts and format design.

The clear and primary focus for our team of nine throughout every step and process is effectiveness. And it’s been successful. In 2020 alone, there were thousands of different press releases mentioning Garmin. In terms of product tests, a Garmin product is reviewed by a media outlet almost every single day. We also put Garmin on the social media map by cooperating with over 100 influencers. We’re not just proud of the numbers, but especially of the results of our work that are now visible: Garmin’s transformation into a lifestyle brand has taken hold.

Sure, there were enough reasons for plenty of people to feel down in the mouth during the pandemic. Covid brought everyday life to a grinding halt and loneliness to the fore. High-quality home entertainment was the only way to avoid losing our minds entirely. We read every post, blog and article online, embracing the artiest of films on television channels hitherto seldom watched just to forget the misery all around. Even a living room full of designer furniture had the potential to become hell on earth.

By early 2021, nearly eight months into the pandemic, there was still no light at the end of the tunnel. With no end to the virus in sight and no government prospects for shared arts and entertainment, HD+ decided to lighten the mood. HD+, Germany’s leading platform for satellite TV, set out to confront the situation head-on – with the right kind of attitude for a brand that promises the best in entertainment. The mission was to bring a little fun back to the world with a healthy portion of unconventional communication, and consciously without any marketing or sales intent.

And that is where LHLK came in. We asked ourselves: What would we do if we could share a bit of fun, off-the-wall art with our favourite people to show them we care and send them our love – all while keeping the socially prescribed physical distance? Together with artist and HD+ advertising spokesman Friedrich Liechtenstein, we came up with Germany’s most entertaining video jukebox.

Thanks to easy-to-use web application and data-based video engine technology from Wonderlandmovies, users were able to generate personalised clips in a matter of seconds and send them to friends by messenger, e-mail or social media. The result was a unique and special way of keeping in touch.

The joy came through in mini videos featuring different preset lockdown characters in which the fabulous Friedrich Liechtenstein addressed the recipients personally and put on brief performances for them. Star DJ Richard Dorfmeister provided the soundtrack, while creative director and producer Christoph Sinemus made sure Friedrich Liechtenstein’s show looked right.

For us, the final weeks of the third-wave lockdown were the perfect time for this superspreader event. And by superspreader, we mean: spread the clip and have super fun. The launch took place on 19 May 2021. By mid-August, nearly 300,000 videos had been requested, reaching more than 25 million people in total. We drew up an integrated marketing plan consisting of media relations, influencer partnerships, social media communication and performance marketing (in collaboration with iCrossing) to underpin and distribute the campaign. Ultimately, the clips were also an ideal tool for HD+ field sales staff in their efforts to approach contacts, partners and multipliers.

Sabina, Khanh Vi, Susanna and Jan are particularly proud of having HD+ as a client – one with the sense of fun to not say we’d gone mad. And one willing to agree to the idea of offering a bright light at the end of the Covid tunnel that would magically draw people in. The feedback delivered by HD+, a brand with an expert feel for the world around it and a good sense of humour, is the cherry on the top of a strategic coup for us at LHLK. It shows how much joy and success can result from thinking far, far outside the box.