3st

What 3st does

3st kommunikation GmbH is a German creative communications agency founded in 1997 in Mainz by three designers (Florian Heine, Alex Knaub, and a third co-founder) and now majority-owned by the F.A.Z.-Gruppe through its content marketing specialist Fazit since 2020. The agency employs 80+ creative professionals (firmographics indicate a total headcount of 101-250) and operates from its headquarters in Mainz's Zollhafen district with additional offices in Cologne and Leipzig, opened in July 2022.

The agency's core offering is an integrated combination of Digital, Branding, and Content services delivered primarily to DAX-listed enterprises and German "hidden champions," with an additional foundation and CSR-reporting practice. Work spans corporate reporting (annual and sustainability reports), corporate websites, employer branding campaigns, and brand development, with a long track record of major industry awards including Red Dot Grand Prix, Red Dot Best of the Best, ARC Gold, iF Design Award, and BCM Gold, with the agency claiming over 1,459 awards received on behalf of its clients. Notable clients include BMW Group, PUMA, Volkswagen, TRATON, CLAAS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Amprion, BBBank, and Symrise, alongside its parent-affiliated client F.A.Z.

3st monetizes through project-based professional services engagements at undisclosed, quote-based pricing. The business model is supplemented by two proprietary technology assets: Contento, an in-house reporting and content management tool used in the production of client corporate reports, and Synfoni, a client collaboration and project portal. The agency holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (valid to 29.11.2027) and TISAX AL2 (valid to 30.09.2028) certifications, which function as procurement prerequisites for security-sensitive automotive and industrial clients. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, leveraging founder-led relationships, the F.A.Z.-Gruppe media network, and an active thought-leadership presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Xing, as well as an extensive case-study portfolio on its website.

Name

3st

Legal name

3st kommunikation GmbH

Website

https://3st.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

3st kommunikation is a German creative agency founded in 1997, majority-owned by the F.A.Z.-Gruppe since 2020, serving DAX-listed enterprises and hidden champions with integrated digital, branding, and content services, anchored by proprietary Contento and Synfoni platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Communications Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (MPAAADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B) (BPAFADAH), Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

Keywords

• Corporate communications
• Brand strategy
• Corporate reporting
• Creative agency services
• Digital content solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mainz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agency Services: Professional creative agency services including digital solutions, branding, content creation, corporate reporting, and campaign development for enterprise clients ranging from DAX-listed companies to hidden champions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

3st kommunikation is a creative communications agency that combines Digital, Branding, and Content into unified brand experiences for enterprise clients. The agency delivers corporate reporting (annual and sustainability reports), corporate websites, employer branding campaigns, brand strategy, and content marketing for DAX-listed companies and hidden champions. It also operates two proprietary tools: Contento, a reporting and content management platform, and Synfoni, a client collaboration project portal.

Product overview

3st kommunikation is a creative agency specializing in Digital, Branding, and Content services. The agency offers two main proprietary offerings: Contento, a reporting and content management tool, and Synfoni, a project portal for client collaboration. The core business focuses on creating distinctive brand experiences, corporate reporting, and digital solutions for clients ranging from DAX-listed companies to hidden champions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Contento: Company's own reporting and content tool platform.

Products and services

• Contento
• Synfoni
• Corporate Reporting (Annual and Sustainability Reports) Design, content, and digital build of annual reports and sustainability reports for enterprise clients such as BMW Group, PUMA, TRATON, CLAAS, GESCO, Symrise, and Volkswagen, delivered as integrated digital and print reporting solutions.
• Corporate Website Design and Build
• Employer Branding Campaigns
• Branding and Brand Strategy
• Content Marketing and Campaign Development

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fazit (F.A.Z.-Gruppe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Since 2020, 3st has been part of the F.A.Z.-Gruppe through a majority shareholding by the content marketing specialist Fazit. This partnership provides 3st with an even broader range of services and enables better digital world and brand building support for customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt: German brand-design and corporate-communications agency (Stuttgart/Munich/Berlin) serving DAX and international clients with brand identity, corporate reports and digital products — directly comparable to 3st's core offerings.
• KMS Team: Munich-based corporate-design and brand-communications agency specializing in corporate reports, brand identity and digital communications for German enterprise clients — a near-1:1 peer on 3st's flagship services.
• MetaDesign: Berlin-based brand and communications consultancy (part of Publicis) with deep corporate-reporting and brand-system expertise for DAX-level clients; competes head-to-head with 3st on corporate-report and brand mandates.
• Scholz & Volkmer: Wiesbaden/Berlin digital agency designing corporate websites, brand experiences and digital products for German enterprise clients — directly comparable to 3st's digital solutions and Contento-style platform work.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based creative agency (part of Serviceplan Group) with strong corporate-reporting and brand-communications credentials for German enterprises — directly comparable on scope and client profile.
• UEBERBIT: Mannheim-based digital agency building corporate websites, brand platforms and digital products for German mid-market and enterprise clients — comparable to 3st on the digital solutions side of the offering.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based creative agency with strong brand-identity and corporate-design work for premium German and international clients — comparable on creative craft, branding and design-led corporate communications.

Broad incumbents

• Scholz & Friends: Established Hamburg-based creative agency (historically part of WPP/Advico Young & Rubicam) offering integrated campaigns, brand work and corporate communications to large German enterprises — overlapping capabilities at greater scale.
• Jung von Matt: Major Hamburg-based independent creative agency group with deep automotive and DAX experience; competes with 3st on branding, campaigns and corporate storytelling at a substantially larger scale.
• Serviceplan Group: Largest independent German agency group, headquartered in Munich, offering integrated brand, digital and content solutions; competes for the same enterprise-reporting and brand mandates as 3st with broader multi-channel capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/3stkommunikation
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/3st-kommunikation
• Instagraminstagram.com/3stkommunikation/?hl=de

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about 3st