Interview with Jörg Oeser, Stadtwerke-Stuttgart
Marketing expert Jörg Oeser talks to Michael Gerken from FAIRPLAID about the goals and successes of the Stuttgart Crowd, the link with sponsorship and the goals of the state capital and how storytelling and community contribute to brand perception.
"Together for a Stuttgart worth living in - How the Stuttgart Crowd supports socially and ecologically sustainable projects"
FAIRPLAID: The Stuttgart Crowd has made great progress in recent years. What was the origin of the project and how does it fit in with the goals of Stadtwerke Stuttgart?
Jörg Oeser: Our focus is on socially and ecologically sustainable projects in and from Stuttgart. These then also contribute perfectly to the goal of the state capital Stuttgart (LHS) to become climate-neutral by 2035. Over the past five years, the Stuttgart Crowd has raised almost 400,000 euros for 64 sustainable projects. These include fruit presses for NABU, CO2-free school trips and modern, environmentally friendly LED lighting for sports facilities. These projects make Stuttgart an even better place to live and we are proud of what we have achieved together and to have supported these projects with our funding pot.
FAIRPLAID: What's next for the Stuttgart crowd and what are your hopes for the future?
Jörg Oeser: We want to break the 500,000 euro mark with our 2025 birthday campaign. Crowdfunding enables us to achieve more together than would be possible by supporting individual projects through traditional sponsorship. This is why Stadtwerke is focusing its funding on its partners in the energy transition on the one hand and on the goals of the Stuttgart Crowd on the other. We promote socially and ecologically sustainable projects in a transparent, democratic and efficient manner. We are convinced that this approach creates long-term added value for Stuttgart.
FAIRPLAID: What role do Stadtwerke Stuttgart play in promoting projects on the Stuttgart Crowd?
Jörg Oeser: The support from Stadtwerke Stuttgart is the driving force behind the Stuttgart Crowd. We finance the crowdfunding platform, FAIRPLAID takes over the coaching of the project starters. We promote new project ideas and with an additional funding pot we offer the project initiators the necessary funds to realize their ideas. But it's not just about money - we also offer direct added value by supporting the projects through our network and marketing channels. We also produce content in the form of videos on selected projects to show what has become of the ideas. We experience that a crowdfunding project welds an association together and that individual projects generate more reach through a strong story and thus attract even more people as supporters. Always with the aim of working together for a Stuttgart worth living in and to advance the state capital!
FAIRPLAID: How do you support the project starters so that their projects are successful?
Jörg Oeser: The project coaching that our partner FAIRPLAID offers people is an important component of success. It significantly increases the chances of successful crowdfunding campaigns. We also provide a graphic generator to help project starters create their campaigns. We also try to draw attention to the funding phases via radio and digitally by cooperating with radio station 107.7, for example, and encourage people to support them. We also present the projects on our channels, for example with moving images. This not only contributes to financing, but also to the long-term development of the associations.
FAIRPLAID: What are the most successful projects that have been supported by the Stuttgart crowd?
Jörg Oeser: Some of the most successful projects are:
Gemeinsam Nachhaltig Erleuchten (SV Stuttgarter Kickers Nachwuchs) - 225 supporters and €53,665 collected
School as a state - shaping sustainable participation (Paracelsus-Gymnasium-Hohenheim) - 183 supporters
Raupe Immersatt - raised €10,200 in 3 projects and had 210 supporters
Rollikids ready for Paris 24! (MTV Stuttgart 1843 e.V. - Wheelers) - 181 supporters and €20,370 collected
These projects have gained a large number of supporters and are an excellent example of how crowdfunding can really make a difference in Stuttgart.
FAIRPLAID: How does the Stuttgart crowd ensure visibility and brand awareness for Stadtwerke Stuttgart?
Jörg Oeser: Stadtwerke Stuttgart benefits from the increased visibility of its brand through the Stuttgart Crowd. As the platform's originator, we not only support socially or ecologically sustainable projects, but also fulfill our responsibility as a municipal company in urban society. Through close cooperation with the project starters and the accompanying media work - for example with video contributions, social media campaigns or media cooperations with the Sportkreisjugend and the radio station 107.7 - we achieve greater visibility for our brand.
FAIRPLAID: Everyone is talking about storytelling. Is it important to you, and how does the Stuttgart crowd help you?
Jörg Oeser: Storytelling plays a central role for us. It allows us to tell the stories behind the projects and show the people of Stuttgart how their support makes a concrete difference. Through the Stuttgart Crowd, we can communicate these stories effectively and emotionally charge them via the projects. The projects themselves tell their own stories in a very authentic way and spread them through their own networks. By supporting project starters to present their ideas and successes authentically, we create a strong bond between the projects, the sponsors and the people of Stuttgart. This not only promotes understanding of the goals, but also motivates more commitment and participation. Communication about the Stuttgart Crowd is an integral part of our internal and external editorial plans. Networking with our partners in the energy transition also strengthens our commitment beyond traditional sponsorship.
FAIRPLAID: How do you link your sponsorships, for example with TVB Stuttgart and Stuttgarter Kickers or popular sports clubs, with the Stuttgart crowd?
Jörg Oeser: We are developing our sponsorships into partners of the energy transition. This is shown by the examples of TVB Stuttgart and Stuttgarter Kickers. We started there with the communication of energy transition projects such as green electricity or photovoltaics. We have also linked the Stuttgart Crowd to this. We use the visibility of these partners to further strengthen the commitment to socially or ecologically sustainable projects in the city. In the goal campaign with TVB Stuttgart, for example, we combine sponsorship with crowdfunding by donating to the Stuttgart Crowd funding pot for every goal scored in the match. This concept creates a direct link between sporting performance and support for sustainable projects. The communication is effective before the game, in the hall and also afterwards on many channels. The Stuttgarter Kickers are also expanding their sponsorship through the crowd by actively involving fans in the financing of projects. Just recently, a new project has been launched with a sum of €70,000 to renovate team cabins for young players. This creates a win-win situation in which both the brands of our partners in the energy transition and a Stuttgart worth living in are promoted.
FAIRPLAID: What does the Stuttgart Crowd mean for the future role of Stadtwerke Stuttgart in urban society?
Jörg Oeser: The Stuttgart Crowd is a key project for Stadtwerke Stuttgart that reflects our social responsibility as a company in the state capital. We enable sports, cultural and social associations to realize their socially or ecologically sustainable projects democratically, quickly and easily. In this way, we are making a decisive contribution towards Stuttgart's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2035. At the same time, the Stadtwerke Stuttgart Crowd strengthens our brand by making us a pioneer in the promotion of sustainable initiatives in and from Stuttgart. In this way, we not only create added value for the state capital and its residents, but also for our brand, which is characterized by transparent, committed support for people's commitment to Stuttgart.
Thank you Jörg Oeser for the detailed interview and for your commitment in Stuttgart.
Further links:
Directly to the crowd: stuttgart-crowd.de
Article in the ZfK: Fans are actively involved in the financing of crowdfunding projects