community stories: Sergej Ritter-Höntzsch
When you look at Sergej’s portfolio of brand work, his background in carpentry and book design shines through. Sergej and his wife Saskia lead the Salzburg-based agency Solid & Bold, where the craftsmanship of design and typography are taken as seriously as the strategic side of the work. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that design is merely a beautiful veneer: for Sergej, it’s about making a client’s dream come to life, and to become who they were intended to be.
Solid & Bold was founded by Sergej and his wife Saskia. Sergej takes the creative helm and makes his mark as a designer, forward thinker, and high roller. Saskia, the media scientist, feels most at home on the ground, surrounded by facts, numbers and words.
WG: What's the story of your name?
SRH: As a brand studio, we have the claim that our work is 100% solid. For example, we focus on precision craftsmanship in design and typography and accurate writing, even in social media posts. But that's not enough to be moving. It has to be bold and outside the box. This combination is what we demand from the brands we design: solid and bold.
WG: If you were a drink in a bottle, what would it say on the label?
SRH: Terroir has formed this flavor over hundreds of years. Enjoy it consciously.
WG: What problem in the world keeps you up at night?
SRH: How can small companies in particular be convinced that investing in brand is the key to real change?
Aesthetics is function. We all want to surround ourselves with items that make us feel good. So they have to be well-designed. Beauty is, therefore, no add-on but part of the very nature of a thing.
WG: What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning?
SRH: The belief that my work will help companies to turn their visions into reality.
WG: What is the big change you want to see in the world?
SRH: I don't see a significant immediate change. But I hope for many small changes from the bottom-up that lead to disruption. The current sustainability debate among young people is a good example. Or the world of work, which is currently being turned upside down by Gen Z and paving new paths (New Work).
WG: How are you working towards that change in your own way?
SRH: We invest a lot of resources in our own teculture and encourage other companies as well as our clients to do the same to remain fit for the future. We also have an excellent rail network in Austria, so all our employees can travel by public transport – even to client meetings.
Salzburg: hometown of Solid & Bold
WG: If you were a car brand, which brand would you be?
SRH: A contemporary VOLVO. It's all-electric, solid, and has a bold attitude.
WG: What is the biggest branding mistake you ever made?
SRH: After an elaborate brand naming process for a German client, it turned out that there was a competitor with a similar 'sounding' name. Despite trademark protection and registration, a lawsuit was filed, and our brand name was gone. Naming, story, and design had to be redeveloped.
WG: What is your biggest branding success?
SRH: We have redesigned a well-known publisher in Germany. Knowing that we will still find our logo on the books 50 years from now is the quintessence of sustainable branding.
WG: What are the trends or developments in the brand space in your country?
SRH: Print is not dead. Quite the opposite. Print publications are more high-quality than ever. I myself love 'analog' paper and print products and am pleased about the growing interest for crafty and tactile experiences. If we then bring them together with the digital, we can create a distinctive brand journey for people.
WG: What would you love to figure out about brand building that you still can't quite master?
SRH: If there's one thing that currently excites me, it's scent branding. Designing fragrances, especially for the hotel industry, that unfold the brand subtly on a subconscious level is my next big thing. Like the design, it should be part of the identity of a brand.
WG: What is your first memory of a brand?
SRH: It was a personal brand: the musician Falco. ‘Rock me Amadeus’ was his big hit on the charts when I was little, and I remember well how I imitated him.
WG: Which brand is totally overrated?
SRH: Tesla. I don’t even like the design. Does anyone have a plan for what happens to all the batteries at the end of the runtime?
WG: What brand should finally get the attention it deserves?
SRH: Sugru creates change with a small but brilliant idea. The one who repairs saves the planet.
WG: Who is your biggest changemaker or branding hero?
SRH: I admire the work of design firm Snøhetta. Their interdisciplinary approach goes far beyond architecture and has social relevance. For their projects, they unite brilliant minds.
A look inside the Solid & Bold office
WG: Business is/can be a force for good. Agree or disagree?
SRH: Definitely! Economic sustainability is the third pillar, alongside environmental and social sustainability.
WG: If you could give someone one million dollars in services from the best brand builders in the world, who would you give it to? and what would you want them to do with it?
SRH: I think the European Union has a brand problem.
The basic idea is valuable, but the communication about what holds it together is lousy. Basically, it's like any brand. The values, the purpose, the promises, and the feeling of belonging (community) are crucial. I notice that the union's values and very ideas are not clear, especially among young people.
So what would I do with the money? I would make Interrail Passes free for all young people in the EU [ed: train tickets for the whole EU territory] to explore the diversity of cultures, ergo the values, the purpose, and the feeling of belonging.
WG: What is your dream project or who is your dream client and what would you like to work on with them?
SRH: I would love to rebrand international and independent vintage hotels steeped in history in an interdisciplinary process with architects, designers, artists, craftsmen, and guests to create a 'sense of place'.
WG: We always say it takes a village to build a brand. Who is in your village - who is supporting you?
SRH: First and foremost, my family, by doing without me when my job and my customers need me. Second, my employees, who are doers and sparring partners simultaneously. And third, BTC by making things simple for my clients and me. I really appreciate being part of the community.
WG: if you and your co-founder would split up, and a judge ordered one of you to keep the product and one of you to keep the brand, which would you choose?
SRH: No Question: The brand.
WG: Where do we go to find out more about you and your work?
SRH: You can visit me for a cup of good coffee in Salzburg or have a look at our website, Solid & Bold, our Instagram channel, or LinkedIn.