Insight Out: Bold Marketing at Zappes Broi and Kölsche Koks
Striking a chord from the heart of Cologne: Dr. Nicolas Lutz, co-founder of German beverage companies Zappes Broi and Kölsche Koks, talks about creative marketing that polarizes, connects and gets the most out of a small budget.
Marketing’s boldest voices: How Zappes Broi uses courage and humor to bring brands to life
“Be bold. Move forward.” is the motto for DMEXCO 2025 – and it’s a principle that guides Dr. Nicolas Lutz every day in his work with drinks companies Zappes Broi and Kölsche Koks. Through clever campaigns, authentic community building and a large dose of Cologne humor, he shows that bold marketing doesn’t always need huge budgets: What it takes above all else is the will to do things differently and really engage with people.
About Dr. Nicolas Lutz
Dr. Nicolas Lutz is co-founder and co-CEO of Zappes Broi GmbH and Kölsche Koks GmbH, the companies behind the Cologne-based beer brand Zappes and the spirits brand Kölsche Koks. Since January 2021, he has primarily overseen the sales business and heads up brand building in the retail trade and the hospitality and catering sector, in particular on social media. He is also actively involved in innovation and community building. His activities in this area include speaking at Anuga (“Why Community Is the Key to Success”) and participating in events such as the Food StartUp Safari with other Cologne start-ups.
What’s been your boldest marketing move so far – and why would(n’t) you do it again?
Dr. Nicolas Lutz: Our boldest marketing move so far was definitely our Zappes in the Stadium stunt: On April 1, we announced that Zappes was represented at the RheinEnergie Stadium, Cologne’s biggest sports venue. We were actually only referring to a team event – but it was true that we were at the stadium. The April fool’s joke was a hit in the press, especially on social media – but a few supporters were disappointed, and the big breweries were naturally really annoyed. We probably wouldn’t do exactly the same thing again today, but we’re pleased that we’re still David and not Goliath.
When you think ahead to 2026, what strategic challenge keeps you awake at night?
Dr. Nicolas Lutz: How can you make your brand stand out in online marketing today? Everybody talks about community, but we’re convinced that real community needs to be built offline first in order for it to really work online. For Kölsche Koks and Zappes Broi, that will be the big challenge – and the opportunity – in the coming years.
Imagine you had to start your marketing campaign from scratch tomorrow – with an unlimited budget: What’s the first thing you would do differently?
Dr. Nicolas Lutz: That would be a completely new situation for us because we always get the most out of a budget that is as small as possible. But if we had an unlimited budget, we’d probably start by creating our own neighborhood: a place for restaurants and cafés, events, culture, sport and more. A place that finally resolves the permanent conflict between residents and event organizers. In our neighborhood, we’d turn Zappes and Kölsche Koks into as big an experience as possible – not with brash marketing, but with real experiences that reflect our brand universes. We’d focus on creating a space that brings people together and makes our values tangible.
Bold marketing – how Zappes Broi is shaping the future from Cologne
Dr. Nicolas Lutz demonstrates that there’s more to bold marketing than just loud campaigns – above all, it’s about exploring new avenues and building real communities.
For Zappes Broi and Kölsche Koks, this means bringing values to life through marketing, rather than just talking about them – and using Cologne as both a home and a stage.
If you want to hear more bold voices like that of Dr. Nicolas Lutz, DMEXCO 2025 is the place to be. On September 17 and 18, the digital marketing and tech sector will gather in Cologne with the motto “Be bold. Move forward.” – and turn the city into a platform for inspiring ideas for two whole days.
