GMK

What GMK does

GMK GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, full-service advertising agency headquartered in Bayreuth, Upper Franconia (Oberfranken), Germany, operating since 1992. The agency serves a dual clientele of regional SMEs (Mittelständler) and larger enterprises (Global Players), delivering integrated marketing and communication services spanning analysis and consulting, strategy and conception, brand building, logo and corporate design, online marketing (SEO/SEA), web and UI design, web development on TYPO3/WordPress/Shopware, email marketing, social media, photography, film and animation, editorial design and corporate publishing, trade show and space planning, 2D/3D visualization, and press work. Named enterprise clients include InnKlinikum, FRANKIA, Brauerei Maisel, FEILER, Vitrulan, Frenzelit, Creditreform, AVS, and medi bayreuth, alongside SME accounts such as Liebesbier, Bäckerei Hulinsky, and JT-Thamer Immobilien, with public-sector work including Bayreuth Magazin and Heimatlotse for Metropolregion Nürnberg.

The agency's technology base is conventional web-agency infrastructure: TYPO3 (Silver Member status) and WordPress CMS implementations, HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript front-end, Git version control, and standard analytics and SEO tooling (Google Analytics, Matomo, Searchmetrics, SISTRIX, RYTE, HubSpot CRM). GMK has built one proprietary technical asset — a Bootstrap-based TYPO3 extension (GMK-Extension) for rapid component integration — and one owned-media product (Outletmeile, a regional outlet platform for Oberfranken). The firm operates on a project-based professional services model with quote-dependent pricing, sales-led go-to-market executed through direct engagement, regional networking, and referrals, supplemented by an award-winning portfolio (German Design Award 2020–2025, Red Dot 2021, German Web Award 2023) used as a credibility asset. The company is led by Managing Director Jörg Lichtenegger, who is also deeply embedded in regional civic and industry organizations (Round Table, Rotary, Skulpturenmeile Bayreuth, IHK Oberfranken), reinforcing local reputational density.

Name

GMK

Legal name

GMK GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://gmk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GMK is a Bayreuth-based full-service German advertising agency founded in 1992, offering strategy, branding, web development, SEO/SEA, photography, and film production to SMEs and enterprises across diverse industries in the Oberfranken region and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bayreuth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Project-Based Consulting: Full-service agency offering project-based consulting across strategy, design, digital marketing, web development, photography, film production, and more. Services are customized to client needs with pricing based on project scope.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GMK is a full-focus advertising agency in Bayreuth, Germany delivering end-to-end marketing and communication services from a single source. Core offerings include strategic consulting, brand and corporate design, TYPO3/WordPress web development with proprietary extensions, SEO/SEA, social media and email marketing, photography, film/animation, editorial design, campaign development, and trade show planning — sold as project-based professional services to SMEs (Mittelständler) and large enterprises.

Product overview

GMK is a full-service advertising agency based in Bayreuth, Germany, operating under the tagline 'Medien. Marken. Kommunikation.' (Media. Brands. Communication.). The agency offers a comprehensive portfolio of marketing and communication services rather than a traditional software product. Core services include analysis and strategic consulting, brand building and corporate design, digital marketing including SEO/SEA, and web development using TYPO3, WordPress, and Shopware CMS platforms. The agency provides integrated creative services spanning web and UI design, photography, video production, editorial design and corporate publishing, campaign development, social media marketing, and traditional advertising materials. Services are delivered through specialized teams including strategy, design, online/web development, photography, film production, and text/content creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Analysis & Consulting Professional consulting that analyzes company structures and market positions and delivers strategic recommendations for brand positioning and digital marketing initiatives. Targeted at SMEs and enterprises entering or refreshing their marketing programs.
• Strategy & Conception Development of long-term strategic plans and creative concepts for brand communication, marketing campaigns, and digital presence, intended for clients needing roadmap-level marketing direction.
• Brand Building End-to-end brand development including identity definition, value proposition articulation, and brand strategy implementation, for clients wanting to convert a company into a recognized brand.
• Logo Development & Corporate Design Creation of visual identities including logo design, color systems, typography guidelines, and full corporate design manuals for organizations establishing or refreshing their visual identity.
• Web Development & CMS Systems Website development services specializing in TYPO3 (Silver Member), WordPress, and Shopware CMS platforms with custom extensions and API integrations, for SMB and enterprise clients requiring complex content platforms.
• Web & UI Design User interface and user experience design for websites and web applications focusing on visual aesthetics and intuitive navigation, typically paired with the Web Development & CMS Systems offering.
• Online Marketing / SEO / SEA Digital marketing services including search engine optimization and search engine advertising to improve online visibility and drive qualified traffic, using SEO tooling (Searchmetrics, SISTRIX, RYTE) and certified Google Partner status.
• Social Media Marketing Social media strategy, content creation, community management, and social media advertising services for brands seeking to scale presence on social platforms.
• E-Mail Marketing Email marketing campaign development including newsletter creation, automated sequences, and customer acquisition strategies for clients running recurring customer communications.
• Campaign Development Integrated marketing campaign creation across classical, cross-media, online, and social media channels, delivering end-to-end campaign concepts and execution.
• Photography Professional photography services including product, portrait, food, and image photography for marketing materials, onlineshops, and corporate communications.
• Film & Animation Video production services including explainer videos, image films, product videos, recruitment videos, and social media content, for clients needing video for digital and live channels.
• 2D/3D Visualization Three-dimensional visualization and graphic rendering for product presentations, architectural visualization, and exhibition/trade-show designs.
• Editorial Design & Corporate Publishing Design and production of customer magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and corporate publications with professional typography and layout, for clients producing recurring or high-end print collateral.
• Business Equipment Design and production of business stationery including business cards, letterheads, brochures, flyers, and promotional materials to outfit organizational brand touchpoints.
• Press Work Public relations services including press release writing, media relations, event organization, and press coverage optimization to generate earned media for client brands.
• Trade Show & Space Planning Trade show booth design, space planning, and exhibition stand implementation with 3D visualization and VR experiences for clients exhibiting at events.
• Text & Content Professional copywriting and content creation services for websites, marketing materials, and corporate communications, supporting all of GMK's design and digital offerings.
• Outletmeile Platform GMK-built digital outlet platform for brand outlets in Oberfranken, including website, outlet guide, newsletter, and social media management. Operated as GMK's own IP rather than a client deliverable.

Quantifiable outcome

• German Design Award 2025 Winner for FRANKIA NOW project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• medi bayreuthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial creative partner of medi bayreuth basketball team for over 10 years. GMK supports the team with campaigns, website, photography, advertising materials, merchandise, outdoor advertising, and seasonal publications including calendars and yearbooks.
• Bayreuther OsterfestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGMK has supported the Bayreuth Easter Festival for many years by providing corporate design development and full visual presentation. The festival brings young musicians from around the world and supports seriously ill children in the region.
• Förderverein Freunde des Bayreuther Osterfestivals e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMK CEO Jörg Lichtenegger founded and initiated this support association in 2014 to provide scholarships for young musicians to attend the International Young Orchestra Academy.
• Skulpturenmeile Bayreuth e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMK CEO Jörg Lichtenegger is founding member and chairman since 2010. The association promotes contemporary artists and art in public spaces, with nine works already realized in Bayreuth.
• Rotary BayreuthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGMK CEO Jörg Lichtenegger supports the Rotary Club Bayreuth in various ways including the Rotary Advent Magic benefit event series and projects like 'Friends for Kids' and M.I.K.E. for migration and integration.
• Round Table BayreuthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJörg Lichtenegger is founding member of Round Table 98 Bayreuth, Ehrenmitglied (Honorary Member) of Round Table Deutschland, and was President of Round Table Deutschland 2007/2008. He also helped found the Round Table Deutschland foundation.
• TYPO3coreTechnology or IntegrationGMK is a TYPO3 Silver Member with extensive expertise in TYPO3 CMS development, custom extensions, and enterprise implementations.
• WordPresscoreTechnology or IntegrationGMK utilizes WordPress CMS for various client projects, particularly for SMB clients requiring easy content management.
• BayernDesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGMK is a BayernDesign partner, part of the Bavarian design promotion network.
• IHK Oberfranken BayreuthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGMK maintains partnership with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Oberfranken Bayreuth.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• kempertrautmann: Independent German creative agency with full-service offerings across brand, digital, social, and content. Mirrors GMK's full-focus agency positioning and competes for similar mid-market and enterprise creative briefs in Germany.
• Scholz & Friends: Independent German creative agency known for integrated brand, digital and content work. Closely matches GMK's model of integrated brand-building plus digital execution for German enterprise and Mittelstand clients, with stronger national footprint.
• thjnk: Hamburg- and Zurich-based independent agency group operating in brand strategy, digital, and integrated communications. Closely comparable to GMK on independent full-service positioning and integrated campaign work, with broader DACH reach.
• HEIMAT (TBWA\HEIMAT): Berlin-based creative agency within the TBWA network providing brand strategy, digital, social and integrated campaigns. Competes with GMK for German brand-building and digital mandates, with broader network resources behind it.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based creative agency delivering brand strategy, campaigns, digital platforms and content. Comparable to GMK on integrated creative + digital services for German and international brands, with similar emphasis on award-winning design output.

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Largest owner-managed German agency group with strategy, digital, media, and creative houses under one roof. Overlaps with GMK's full-service value proposition and competes for the same Bavarian Mittelstand accounts, though at much larger scale and with proprietary media-buying and tech capabilities GMK lacks.
• BBDO Germany: German office of BBDO Worldwide, one of the largest global creative networks. Competes for the same enterprise and Mittelstand accounts as GMK but with substantially more resources, multi-disciplinary talent and proprietary tools.
• Ogilvy Germany: Global network's German operation offering advertising, PR, digital, and customer experience services. Overlaps with GMK across brand, digital, social and content, but offers media buying scale, global creative resources and a price competitiveness that smaller regional agencies struggle to match.
• Jung von Matt: Major German independent creative agency with full-service capabilities across brand, digital, content and film. Comparable to GMK in offering structure (full-focus, integrated creative), but at materially larger scale and national/international reach; competes for the same German Mittelstand and enterprise creative budgets GMK targets.
• DDB Germany: German arm of DDB Worldwide providing creative, digital, CRM and integrated communications. Comparable to GMK in offering integrated brand and digital work for German enterprise clients, with deeper network reach and category expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gmkbayreuth
• Facebookfacebook.com/gmk.bayreuth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gmk-werbeagentur-bayreuth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 GMK