2024 was a year full of creative challenges, new encounters, and amazing projects. If we were a Michelin-starred restaurant, this review would be a reflection of our annual menu, allowing us to share all our “culinary” experiences and adventures. And even though we’re not, let’s dive right in with the appetizer and the start of the year.

Our Amuse-Bouche: The Highlights at the Start

Have you ever had the chance to enjoy a multi-course meal? Often, the portions are small because more courses are to follow, but that doesn’t make them any less exciting or “delicious.” And every good menu begins with a small teaser.

In January, we hit the ground running with new ideas, new concepts, new developments, and several meetings. Right in the first month of the calendar year, we were able to present a comprehensive marketing concept we developed for the agency Iconic Sales. As an agency representing and supporting another agency, this project presented a unique challenge, which made it all the more exciting. The result? Content marketing with an individual character that puts the managing director front and center as the “face” and offers (potential) customers a personable introduction to the world of Amazon Ads.

In February, our marketing team continued to grow, and the new “man-power” brought a fresh breeze with it. But, of course, there’s more: For our client rmsolar, who received a new website with absolute “coolness effect” in 2023, performance marketing officially kicked off.

Also in February, the project with Grüninger Electronics began. This project was exciting, challenging, and approached completely from scratch. More about this will be “served” in the upcoming courses.

Our Starter: More Surprises

Let’s move on to the “starter,” where things got interesting, new, and exciting again. Another innovation this year: Display 7 was launched.

Display 7 – the first digital out-of-home advertising space in Winterbach – was conceived, developed, and implemented by us together with the Association of Independent Entrepreneurs Winterbach and the municipality of Winterbach. The goal? To offer brands, companies, associations, and the Winterbach community a level of public visibility never seen before – in short: visibility.

The digital display is strategically placed in Winterbach, ensuring that the ads come into “contact” with approximately 15,000 vehicle movements per day. Of course, this is only metaphorical because road safety always comes first. For this reason, we chose a location where the driving speed must be reduced (yes, braking is required), and it’s not uncommon for vehicles to slow down to walking pace near the display.

We’re thrilled and excited that more and more interested parties and customers have emerged for this project over the year. Perhaps next year will bring another digital advertising opportunity, one we’ll create together with a strong partner.

The Main Course: The Biggest “Portions”

The main course is the centerpiece of any menu – and it was no different for us. Here, major projects, complex challenges, and key milestones took center stage.

Throughout the year – perhaps also fueled by the fresh energy within our team – we realized that as an agency, as a company, and as a brand, we needed to reposition ourselves, and in light of the competition, we probably had to. But more on that at the end of our “menu,” because we’re saving the best for last.

Another highlight this year was the project with the company Ernst Lorch. The Lorch Group, a major supplier of automotive parts and accessories, faced the challenge of repositioning and establishing itself as an employer brand. Addressing younger target audiences required a fresh perspective, a new design, and, most importantly, creating a fun and engaging entry point into the job world for potential applicants. This project not only involved developing new websites but also producing videos for job seekers and prospects – all of which were conceived and shot by us. We are incredibly proud to have been part of this project and are thrilled that the new job site launched in May of this year. Even more exciting is that the company has since received a flood of job applications.

Now let’s return to Grüninger Electronics. The specialist for semiconductor boards and similar technologies presented our team with the challenge of engaging with a highly complex subject, understanding it thoroughly, and then delivering it to expert target groups with a coolness effect and wow factor.

This project was a bit different. We quickly realized during our collaboration with the client that our “normal” approach wouldn’t be enough here. The result? A series of intensive workshops with our team and Grüninger’s management. Intensive, but incredibly helpful, goal-oriented, and exactly what was needed. Within this process, the corporate design was completely redeveloped. We are extremely proud that after so much hard work, the new website will launch in the first quarter of 2025.

Our Dessert: The Sweet Conclusions of the Year

At the end of the year, we savor the fruits of our labor – the small yet fine successes that round off the year. In 2024, we launched many projects, whether in marketing, web development, or design.

We worked on numerous content projects and even more photo shoots, where we showcased our clients in the best light, capturing them from every angle to highlight and present their best. Among others, we created content from the world of bedding, coaching, kitchen manufacturers, fashion, and even a few cool cars made an appearance.

To close out the year, we’d like to introduce another exciting project: the merging of two brands from the automotive claims management sector. When the client approached us, one thing was clear: we had to get the best out of a lot. This wasn’t easy, as it couldn’t be overwhelming, but nothing could be lost either. Additionally, multiple target groups needed to be addressed on one platform. Tricky, exciting, but entirely doable. Thus, the brands “CombiPlus” and “CombiConnect” became the new company CombiSystems, for which we designed the brand identity. You can see it here: the new CombiSystems website.

“From Tiny ML to the Edge of AI” – another project on our list of 2024 highlights. This time, it wasn’t about designing an entire website but about updating the content, transitioning the technology, and implementing a new design during the site’s “overhaul.” We’re proud to work with TinyML/Edge of AI, a partner that has collaborated with us for a long time, allowing us to consistently bring amazing projects to life.

In December, we experienced a personal highlight as a team and as a company: Our team traveled from all over – by plane, car, and maybe even on foot – to attend our team event in Stuttgart on December 10, 2024.

Since many of our brilliant minds work fully remote, it’s important to us to come together occasionally and spend time as a team. So the journey to Schorndorf began, with team members arriving by car, train, and even flights from Croatia.

Our team event also served as our Christmas party, where we continued our annual tradition of a Secret Santa gift exchange, which everyone enjoys. In addition, we attended a cooking class where we prepared our own lunch together. In teams, we cooked an appetizer, main course, and of course, a dessert – and then enjoyed it all together. Well-fed, we headed outside into the fresh air and explored Stuttgart, including a visit to the Wilhelma zoological-botanical garden, where we let the day come to a relaxed close.

2024 was intense, full of projects, cool, and it flew by in no time – but now we’ve almost made it and are looking forward to whatever comes next.

The Digestif: A Look Ahead to the Coming Year – with Big Changes

After dessert, a glimpse into the future is a must – a small taste of what 2025 holds. In some restaurants, this might be a little schnapps for digestion; for us, it’s the beginning of a journey.

Over the course of the year, we realized that the competition doesn’t sleep, the world doesn’t stand still, and, above all, digital opportunities are becoming more abundant and powerful. For us, it was clear: we need to reposition ourselves and come back even stronger. Thus, in the final quarter of this year, our transformation began – the transformation into a new Flanke 7, a new brand, and a new path.

This path was developed together with our team, we’re in the midst of it, and in 2025, we’ll unveil it all. But we can already share one thing: We want to approach things properly and with focus. We aim to offer a strong setup for kickass marketing. That might mean saying things our clients don’t necessarily want to hear, but which are right and necessary. Only this way can we be honest, authentic, and bold partners – ensuring we take the right path together, the one that truly leads to growth and success.

Bon Appétit and see you next year!

We thank our team, our clients, and our partners for a fantastic year full of trust and exciting collaboration. Without you, the creation of this “menu” would not have been possible – certainly not this opulent, and definitely not this delicious.

A new year is always a new opportunity and a fresh start, one we can create for ourselves, bringing fresh wind to our minds. With that, we leave you with this: We look forward to 2025, wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and an outstanding start to the new year.

Find more from us on the Flanke 7 blog.