Client: bike to work (Switzerland)
Project Lead: Erika Berardi, Phàros Lab
Timeline: January – June 2025
Service: In-App Content Creation, Digital Campaign Strategy & Advertising
Starting Point: Elevating the bike to work Campaign Through In-App Advertising
The bike to work Challenge is Switzerland’s leading initiative promoting sustainable commuting through cycling. Every May and June, more than 100,000 participants from over 3,800 companies take part, transforming their daily commute into an active, climate-conscious habit.
In 2025, the organization was ready to take its communication strategy to the next level. They wanted to increase visibility and engagement with a broader, yet highly relevant, audience—especially outside of traditional digital spaces. That’s where Phàros Lab stepped in, bringing a new approach built around in-app advertising and emotional storytelling.
Strategy: In-App Content Creation to Inspire Daily Action
Together with bike to work, we developed a strategy grounded in authentic, emotional, and location-based content. Our main principle: deliver the right message in the right context, directly within the apps people use to plan their outdoor activities.
We selected two of the most trusted platforms in Switzerland for outdoor exploration—Komoot and Outdooractive—both ideal for in-app advertising and branded storytelling.
Highlights of the in-app content creation:
- On Komoot: We built 20 short, scenic “lunch break” cycling routes across major Swiss cities.
Message: “Every cycling trip is a little holiday.” - On Outdooractive: We designed 10 commuter-friendly routes, guiding users from residential areas to office zones—mirroring the everyday essence of bike to work commuting.
Message: “From home to office—plan your route with us.”
All content was developed in German, French, Italian, and English to reflect the country’s multilingual population. In-app sponsored posts, branded landing pages, and curated collections were seamlessly integrated into the user experience—offering both utility and inspiration.
Seamless Collaboration for a Purpose-Driven Campaign
The campaign’s success was also made possible thanks to the smooth and productive collaboration between bike to work’s team (Barbara) and Phàros Lab (Erika), but also with the external partners like Komoot (Timmy) and Outdooractive (Nicole) From day one, the partnership was based on trust, shared values, and clear communication—allowing for quick iterations and creative alignment.
This collaborative spirit helped translate a strong concept into a technically precise and emotionally compelling campaign, executed on time and on point.
Results: Powerful Impact Through Contextual In-App Advertising
The campaign ran throughout spring 2025 and quickly outperformed expectations on both platforms—demonstrating the power of in-app advertising combined with tailored, value-driven messaging.
Komoot
- 📈 31% interaction rate (benchmark: 25–30%)
- 🌱 20 branded bike routes with long-lasting organic reach
- 🔗 2,000+ direct clicks from promoted collections
Outdooractive
- 🚀 41% interaction rate
- 📄 Over 7,000 pageviews
- 📣 Visibility peaks linked to app push notifications, social media posts and newsletters
Users responded positively to the in-app content—not only engaging with it but actively exploring the routes and sharing them, turning the campaign into an ongoing community asset.
Key Learnings & What’s Next
This project proved that in-app content creation and advertising can go far beyond impressions—building awareness through relevance, usefulness, and emotional tone.
What worked well:
✅ Storytelling that mirrors real-life routines
✅ Multilingual, inclusive messaging
✅ Branded bike routes that users still revisit today
✅ A smooth and collaborative client-agency process
Opportunities for growth:
🔍 Add more tracking options to optimize attribution
🎯 Expand to new platforms
🌍 Explore UGC campaigns and B2B-focused activations
Visit biketowork.ch if you wanna learn more about the challenge that happens every year!
About the Consultant
This in-app advertising campaign was developed and managed by Erika Berardi, founder of Phàros Lab, a boutique marketing consultancy specializing in strategy, performance, and creative execution for purpose-driven projects. Erika supports organizations that want to engage with their audience meaningfully—whether through in-app experiences, social campaigns, or multi-channel digital activations.
🌐 pharoslab.ch | ✉️ erika@pharoslab.ch