Substance rather than frills

Getting off to a good start in branding is easy – but finishing well is an art form. It is only then that it becomes clear whether a brand has got everything right from the outset and managed to captivate its audience with something special right through to the end. This is precisely where Solid & Bold comes in, with powerful stories and their consistent translation into holistic brand experiences, winning over both its clients and their customers.

For more than 10 years, the independent Salzburg-based branding agency has been developing strong brand identities for companies and organisations that wish to position themselves clearly and stand out from the competition in the long term. Particularly in an age of AI and constant change, a clear identity provides direction: it strengthens internal cohesion, creates differentiation externally and builds trust among relevant stakeholders – in both good times and challenging times.

From brand strategy and storytelling to corporate, experience and spatial design, Solid & Bold combines strategic thinking with creative design. Across analogue, digital and physical spaces. A 360-degree experience orchestrated throughout the entire customer journey. This results in brand identities that are not only beautiful but, above all, authentic – thereby strengthening companies in the long term.

At the heart of it all is a clear philosophy: no run-of-the-mill designs, no empty talk and no unnecessarily complicated processes. Instead, the agency develops solutions with heart, mind and craftsmanship, down to the very last detail. This is based on an honest dialogue between equals. Solid & Bold challenges objectives, addresses uncomfortable truths and sees target audiences for what they are: people with needs and aspirations.

The independent design studio was founded in 2015 by Serge Ritter-Höntzsch and his wife Saskia, and today brings together around 20 experts from the fields of consultancy, strategy, design and storytelling under one roof. The secret to its success: all disciplines work closely together right from the start. This results in innovative solutions, ensures that clients’ expectations are met throughout the entire experience journey, and avoids costly »brand gaps«.

Johannes Woller and Serge Ritter-Höntzsch joined forces in early 2026. Woller joined the brand studio Solid & Bold, bringing with him part of the team from the strategy consultancy petrichor. The merger brings together brand strategy, storytelling, design and experience design under one roof and, in particular, strengthens the studio’s expertise in the hospitality sector.

Solid & Bold and Johannes Woller have already been working together as partners for many years. From now on, their complementary services will be pooled within a joint interdisciplinary team. The aim is to holistically develop and implement brand and hotel concepts – from strategic positioning through the development of a unique narrative to the design of all relevant touchpoints.

»Together, we can now think through and realise brand and hotel concepts consistently from start to finish,« explains Johannes Woller. »In doing so, we not only reduce complex and costly interfaces, but also create a new level of quality in the development of holistic brand experiences.«

»We firmly believe that strong brands are created when everything works together seamlessly right from the start. Through this alliance, we are pooling expertise in strategic brand development within the hospitality sector that is unique in Austria, enabling us to provide companies with comprehensive support right from the outset in creating strategic brand experiences and driving growth,« adds Serge Ritter-Höntzsch.

The team works both at Solid & Bold’s studio in Salzburg and directly on-site with clients. The partnership builds on both partners’ many years of hospitality expertise and, at the same time, lays the foundation for an expanded range of services – tailored to the needs of the hotel, catering, retail and tourism sectors.

The creative industry is changing rapidly with the advent of AI. Content is becoming more fast-paced, but also more accessible. What remains is the quest for relevance. The more content that is created with the help of AI, the more important a clear brand identity becomes. After all, when designs, texts and campaigns can be produced ever more quickly and by anyone, there is a risk that much of it will become run-of-the-mill and therefore interchangeable.

As a result, brands end up achieving the opposite of what they set out to do: differentiation. In future, the crucial difference will no longer lie solely in the quality of execution, but in the question of the ethos from which a brand operates: What does it stand for? What makes it distinctive? Which people does it want to reach, and what promise does it make to them? This clarity helps not only people to find their bearings, but also AI systems. They compare, filter and recommend brands on the basis of consistent information. The more clearly a brand’s identity is defined, the better the AI can categorise it and recommend it to the right people. Brand identity thus becomes a game-changer in the battle for visibility and relevance – for people as well as for machines.

»In a world of limitless content, identity becomes the most important resource. Design is more than just colour and form. And a logo alone does not make a brand. However important these brand elements may be, they can only have the desired effect if the substance is right. It is only when identity and presentation work in harmony that something meaningful emerges. That is precisely what we are all about at Solid & Bold: creating brands that not only look good, but also resonate – because they are authentic and truly understand their audience,« says Serge Ritter-Höntzsch, Managing Director and owner of Solid & Bold.

Johannes Woller, Managing Director of Solid & Bold, adds: »The most exciting projects emerge when clients engage honestly with their brand. Our job is to find stories – not to invent them. This creates a distinct personality with charisma that outlasts fleeting trends. It’s no different for brands than it is for people.«

»In our work, we place particular emphasis on building good relationships – both with our clients and with their own clients. After all, truly effective branding always puts people and their needs at the centre. We gain the insights needed for this through dialogue, careful observation and a deep understanding of the company and its context. For us, creativity means finding the right idea and refining it until, in the end, everything seems clear and self-evident – even if the path to get there is rarely easy,« says Saskia Ritter-Höntzsch, Creative Director Copy at Solid & Bold.

Solid & Bold places particular emphasis on the hospitality sector, which today, more than ever, is defined by experiences and emotions. Throughout the entire guest journey, it becomes clear what a hotel or restaurant stands for and how its guests will feel during their visit – from the very first point of contact right through to building a long-term relationship. The focus is always on people, their needs and the quality of the experience – which encompasses service as well as, for example, an intuitive wayfinding and orientation system. Only then does a visit become an experience, an experience become a relationship, and the brand become a perfect match for the right guests.

Solid & Bold has successfully demonstrated on numerous occasions that this approach works.

LOOOPS

Scents can bring places we long for right into our homes. Solid & Bold translated this idea into a brand identity for the candle and fragrance brand looops that is aesthetically understated yet captures the attention at just the right moment. From the strategic direction right through to the visual language, the result is a narrative that makes the brand almost tangible to the sense of smell.

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UPSIDE DOWN TOWN HOTEL – NEUE POST

A city hotel in the countryside? An urban lifestyle in the heart of the mountains? With the Upside Down Town Hotel – Neue Post in Zell am See, Solid & Bold demonstrates just how perfectly opposites can harmonise. The studio has transformed this historic establishment into a brand that deliberately plays with expectations and welcomes cosmopolitans, mountain lovers and explorers in equal measure.

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SCHAUSPIELHAUS SALZBURG

Solid & Bold developed a brand identity for the Schauspielhaus Salzburg that whets the appetite for stories. The design deliberately leaves room for personal reflection and, like a good play, only truly comes to life in the mind. The project was most recently awarded the Silver European Design Award 2026.

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HEILTHERME RESORT BAD WALTERSDORF

How do you translate the power of water into a brand? For the Heiltherme Resort Bad Waltersdorf, Solid & Bold subtly brings this central element to life using flowing shapes and warm colours. The result: a brand identity that invites a sense of calm, balance and genuine relaxation.

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Solid & Bold is an independent, internationally acclaimed brand studio based in Salzburg, led by Serge Ritter-Höntzsch and Johannes Woller. With over 20 years’ experience in branding, the studio develops brands that make a lasting impact through strategy, storytelling and design – for companies that want to be not just visible, but relevant.
Guided by the motto »Brands. Made by Stories.« the interdisciplinary team of 18 experts combines strategy, storytelling and design to create holistic brand experiences. From strategic positioning through the development of a compelling brand story to implementation across all relevant touchpoints, Solid & Bold supports companies in establishing long-term significance in the market and building loyalty among their target audience.
The studio works for companies and institutions in Austria and the DACH region and has received numerous international awards for its work.

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SISTER ACT Public Relations & Communications
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