CASE STUDIES

DRESDEN CHRISTMAS

CAKE FESTIVAL

Industry: Food

Period covered: 1995 - 1999

Published: 2023

Updated: 2023

Organization: Zastrow & Schandera Public Relations

Website: www.zzdd.de

BACKGROUND

East Germany after the German reunification in 1990 is a fascinating story of hope and new beginnings, but also of frustration and upheavals in personal stories. This is likely true for many, if not all, countries in the former Eastern Bloc.

West German companies mostly saw East Germany as a new market for their products. However, they didn't need new competitors. My hometown, Dresden, is known for its baroque architecture and as the largest cluster for semiconductors and microelectronics in Europe. What is less known outside Germany is that Dresden hosts the oldest and, for many, the most beautiful Christmas market in Europe. Also, the famous German Christmas cake, Stollen, originates from Dresden.

CHALLENGE

After German reunification, Dresden bakers quickly realized that their new West German competitors could make good money with the Dresden Christmas cake. Advertising was needed, but where to get the money for it? Nationwide or even international advertising campaigns are quite expensive. And after the German reunification, the East German economy lacked one thing above all: money.

SOLUTION

To cut a long story short: Our PR agency, Zastrow and Schandera, which was co-founded by my business partner Holger Zastrow and me back in 1995 (while still studying at university), took over the organization and worldwide PR for a Stollen parade. The Dresden bakers collectively baked a gigantic Christmas cake, which immediately made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Surrounding events such as a festive parade in the historic old town were created for this purpose. A success story was born. Since 1994 and up to the present day, the festival has been growing. Key impact:

• German-wide and global branding for the Dresdner Stollen cake with an outstanding cost-benefit ratio;
• Tourism-destination branding for the City of Dresden;
• Collaboration: Anchor event for the Dresden Bakery Association (Bäckerinnung).

On a side note: In 1995, we managed to persuade the Dresden bakers to donate the proceeds from the sale of the giant Stollen to an orphanage in Sarajevo. Together with Young Liberals of Saxony and Liberalna Stranka BiH, we organized the convoy and personally delivered it to the then-besieged Sarajevo (but that's already a story in itself).