“What have winter sports and k kiosk got in common? They are both Swiss cultural assets”

Alpine skiing, ski cross, supporting young talents: Valora Group is expanding its winter sport sponsoring with the k kiosk format and its ok.– own brand. Thomas Herz, Head of Marketing Retail at Valora, explains the reasons behind the engagement.

Thomas Herz, why is Valora involved in Swiss winter sports?

Winter sports are a Swiss cultural asset and the national sport, so it’s almost part of the national DNA. Our k kiosk sales format has a tradition going back decades and is a popular feature in the daily routine of many Swiss. So, the kiosk has also become a cultural asset in that regard. We are convinced that Valora and winter sports are an ideal match. Another, not insignificant reason is the fact that we greatly value the partnership with Swiss-Ski and the many communication opportunities it offers.

This partnership began two years ago with the Audi Skicross Tour, of which Valora has since been a co-sponsor with its ok.– own brand. Why the tour in particular?

At that time, we were looking for further opportunities to strengthen our trendy own brand, which is particularly known for energy drinks. Ski cross is an action-packed sport that appeals to a young target demographic, which is a very good fit for ok.–. We are happy with the brand awareness generated by this engagement. If the winners on the podium are radiating joy with an ok.– sponsored prize, that’s more than just ok, much more in fact.

Valora also supports ski cross athlete Talina Gantenbein and two alpine skiing professionals Vanessa Kasper and Daniele Sette with an ok.– bottle sponsorship. How were the three chosen?

Our past experience in sponsoring individuals in sport has been extremely positive. So, we knew that we wanted to go in that direction and find the right partners to allow us to do that. We are specifically focusing on up-and-coming talent and exciting personalities so we can accompany them on part of their sporting journey. Talina, Vanessa and Daniele are the perfect match for us and our profile.

Last season, Talina was among the world’s top ski cross riders and, at the age of 23, is still one of the younger athletes in the World Cup. Vanessa has fought back from a serious injury in 2018 and now she wants to go all out. Daniele persevered on the ski circuit with no support, raised his own funds and organised his own training and materials. He is now part of the Swiss-Ski squad. Personally, I have great respect for the passion shown by all three athletes.

Last winter, Valora joined the Grand Prix Migros as a co-sponsor with the k kiosk format. What makes this racing series so special?

It’s the world’s biggest skiing race for children and young people. In other words, it’s very much an institution within Swiss amateur sports. Grand Prix Migros gives us a unique opportunity to appeal directly to all of our customers large and small. Not only do we offer them numerous products in our stores for when they are on the move, we also bring great experiences and fun – even in these difficult and turbulent times.

What type of sponsoring activities do you bring to Grand Prix Migros?

There are twelve races scheduled from January 2022 to the final in March. As a first step, we see the engagement as classic event sponsoring that we can carry out through promotional activities at the venue and continue through communication via our digital channels. For example, we have a k kiosk tent in the Grand Prix village, where we aim to attract the attention of the skiing families with all sorts of promotional campaigns. 

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