When a stroke of fate becomes a movement

On November 30th, something happened that shocked us deeply. Saskia's beloved cat Kali was hit by a car in our village, dragged three meters and simply left lying there. A black SUV with a Zurich license plate was seen by a neighbor near the scene of the accident, but the driver did not stop. A moment of negligence - with fatal consequences.

But we didn't want to just leave this painful event as it was. We decided to take action. I, Kim, designed a flyer that we distributed throughout the village and hung on street lamps. We also posted the flyer in various Facebook groups. Our goal was not only to find the perpetrator, but also to create awareness of responsibility in road traffic.

The result? Action marketing works!

Within a few days, more than ten tips were received. People from the village came forward with observations or simply with their condolences.

The issue became public, it was discussed - and it was not without consequences: As a direct reaction to our action, an odometer was installed in our village that measures the speed of passing cars. A small but significant step towards greater safety for people and animals.

In addition, the Schaffhauser Nachrichten became aware of the incident and published an article about it.

What have we learned from this?

1. Marketing also works in the private sphere – it is not enough to remain silent. If you want to change something, you have to speak up. Our campaign has shown that targeted communication can also have an impact outside of companies.

2. Emotions move people – our story touched the village community. People respond to stories, not just facts. An authentic, emotional appeal achieves more than sober numbers.

3. Offline and online reinforce each other – the flyer alone might not have had the same impact, nor would a single Facebook post. The combination of physical and digital measures led to a broader and faster spread of the message.

4. Perseverance pays off - If we had simply buried Kali and remained silent, the incident would have quickly been forgotten. But through our actions, we not only got answers, but also brought about real change.

Conclusion: Dare to be loud

Whether in business or in your private life – if something is important to you, talk about it.

Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. Action marketing means taking action rather than passively watching. It can build bridges, raise awareness and create change. And sometimes, as in our case, it can help deal with loss by creating a movement.

Kali will not come back. But his death has made a difference - and it is more than we could have ever imagined.