What Next 14 does

Next Different is Italy's largest independent integrated communication company, formed in November 2024 through the merger of Next14 (media strategy and planning) and Different (creativity, events, loyalty, market research, and PR). Operating with 400+ employees across 11 service lines, the group serves more than 300 enterprise clients including Barilla, Danone, Bayer, Amazon, UniCredit, L'Oréal Paris, Banca Mediolanum, IKEA, MSC, Safilo, and Moby. The company is headquartered at Via Tortona 37 in Milan, with an international office in Madrid, and operates under majority ownership of Gruppo SAE with Marco Ferrari as CEO and Davide Arduini as Managing Director.

The core technology stack centers on the proprietary ONE Platform, which ingests anonymized data from over 15 million Italian consumers and is integrated with EMG Different, the company's in-house research institute, to support targeting, attribution, and ROI measurement across media campaigns. In 2023 the company launched Audacity Land, a virtual brand-experience platform that supports digital fragrance purchases and immersive brand activations. Revenue is generated primarily through agency fees and project-based engagements with enterprise clients, supplemented by research and data services commercialized through the EMG Different institute.

In October 2025, Uniting Group — operating the verticals All (live experience), Kiwi (new media), and Flu (influencer marketing) — entered a binding agreement to join Next Different, taking approximately 15% ownership and bringing consolidated 2024 revenue above €120M with EBITDA near €12.5M. A €20M capital increase from private equity fund QuattroR closed in July 2025, explicitly earmarked for external growth through M&A, signaling continued consolidation of the Italian communication services market.

Name

Next 14

Legal name

Next Different S.p.A.

Website

https://next14.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Next Different is Italy's largest independent integrated communication company, formed from the 2024 merger of Next14 and Different. It serves 300+ enterprise clients with data-driven media, creative, events, and research services powered by its proprietary ONE Platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Integrated Marketing Communications

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Advertising (Brand + Performance + Media) (BPAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA), Festival & Live Entertainment Brand Partnerships (MPAAAGAF), Data Analytics Integration & Insight Platforms (Research Ops, Dashboards, Insight Repositories) (MPAAALAO), Influencer/Creator Marketplaces & Brand Deal Platforms (MPACABAI)

Keywords

• Integrated marketing communications
• Media strategy planning
• Data-driven advertising
• Consumer insights analytics
• Retail media activation

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Integrated Communication Services: Full-service communication agency providing integrated services across creativity, media planning, events, retail media, loyalty programs, PR, and branded content. Revenue is generated through project fees, retainer contracts, and campaign-based engagements with enterprise clients.
2. Data and Research Services: Proprietary data analytics and market research services through EMG Different, providing consumer insights and trend analysis to support client communication strategies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Next 14 (now part of Next Different) is an Italian data-driven communication company that delivers integrated marketing services spanning media strategy and planning, creativity and branding, content production, retail media and activation, loyalty programs, PR and influencer marketing, events, research, sport sponsorships, and branded content. Its offering is underpinned by proprietary technology — most notably the ONE platform processing anonymized data from over 15 million Italian consumers, integrated with the EMG Different research institute — enabling data-driven campaigns for enterprise clients such as Barilla, L'Oréal, Bayer, BMW, Amazon, and UniCredit.

Product overview

Next Different is an integrated Italian communication company formed from the merger of Next14 (media strategy and planning) and Different (creativity, events, PR, and research). The company operates as a services-based communication agency offering 11 core service lines: Media Strategy & Planning, Digital Marketplace, Creativity & Brand, Content Production, Retail Media & Activation, Loyalty, PR & Influencer Marketing, Events, Research, Sport Sponsorships, and Branded Content. The offering is powered by proprietary technology platforms including the ONE data platform (analyzing 15+ million Italian consumers) and Audacity Land virtual platform, alongside EMG (internal research institute) for consumer insights. The company serves over 200 clients including Barilla, L'Oréal, and UniCredit, and has expanded internationally with operations in Spain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMG Different: Internal research institute providing analysis and insights on consumer trends and habits, part of Next Different's data ecosystem
• Audacity Land
• ONE Platform

Products and services

• Media Strategy & Planning
• Digital Marketplace
• Creativity & Brand
• Content Production
• Retail Media & Activation
• Loyalty
• PR & Influencer Marketing
• Events
• Research
• Sport Sponsorship
• Branded Content
• ONE Platform
• Audacity Land

Quantifiable outcome

• 169 articles, 17.5M unique readers, 69K impressions, 15K donations for Bepanthenol Tattoo campaign

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EIS (Eyeing Innovation Studio)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Collaboration partner for Game On - The Sponsorship Effect events, bringing expertise in sports sponsorship measurement and valuation.
• Sportmaster ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Partner for sports sponsorship events and research, providing industry expertise for Game On format and sports marketing initiatives.
• FoxyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 April 2026Partnership for Vinci il Costa Rica promotional contest campaign to drive sales through engagement and prize-based marketing.
• Uniting GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025Strategic merger creating Italy's largest independent communication group. Uniting contributes its All (live experience), Kiwi (new media communication), and Flu (influencer marketing) verticals. Combined entity expresses over €120 million revenue and €12.5 million EBITDA with over 400 people.
• SafilominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2025Collaboration for David Beckham Eyewear campaigns, bringing Italian eyewear craftsmanship expertise and distribution network.
• Gruppo SAEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Parent company and controlling shareholder of Next Different. Gruppo SAE initiated the consolidation strategy that led to the merger of Next14 and Different, and continues to maintain control through a holding structure.
• FITP (Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Italian Tennis and Padel Federation for SuperTennis channel campaigns and US Open coverage through 2030.
• CooltraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Batist x Cooltra campaign distributing products through electric scooter rentals in Milan, Rome, and Turin.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Armando Testa: Italy's largest independent creative and integrated communication agency, headquartered in Turin. Directly comparable as a homegrown independent offering creative, media, events, and production services to Italian enterprise brands, competing for the same client roster.
• Monks (MediaMonks / S4 Capital): Digital-first integrated agency and production company offering media, content, data, and technology services globally. Comparable to Next Different as a technology-enabled, data-driven integrated agency targeting enterprise clients.
• Serviceplan Group: Europe's largest independent owner-managed agency group, offering integrated creative, media, digital, and technology services out of Germany. Comparable to Next Different as a large independent, integrated, and data-enabled agency network.
• M&C Saatchi: Independent global agency network offering creative, media, PR, and digital services across multiple geographies. Comparable to Next Different as an independent integrated agency competing against the major networks.

Broad incumbents

• Publicis Groupe Italy: Italian operations of global network Publicis, offering creative, media, digital, and data services through Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Zenith, and other brands. Competes with Next Different for integrated pitches from the same Italian enterprise clients.
• WPP Italy (GroupM): Italian presence of WPP and its media arm GroupM, including Wavemaker, Mindshare, and Ogilvy. A scaled multinational competitor in media planning, creative, and data, and a key rival in Italian enterprise RFPs.
• Omnicom Italy (DAS Group): Italian operations of Omnicom, including TBWA, BBDO, DDB, and Omnicom Media Group. A broad incumbent offering the same integrated services as Next Different but with global scale and media-buying power.
• Dentsu Italy: Italian arm of Dentsu, providing creative, media, CXM, and digital transformation services. Competes with Next Different in integrated pitches and has comparable data and research capabilities through Merkle.
• Havas Italy: Italian operations of Havas, operating Havas Creative, Havas Media, and Havas CX across creative, media, and health. A scaled multinational alternative for Italian brands seeking integrated agency services.
• Accenture Song Italy: Italian arm of Accenture Song, combining creative, technology, and consulting capabilities. Comparable to Next Different on data-driven, technology-enabled integrated communications for large enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Next_14
• Facebookfacebook.com/nextfourteen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-14

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Next 14