CONCEPT X

What CONCEPT X does

CONCEPT X (legal name CONCEPT X; also abbreviated CX) is a privately held German management consulting firm specializing in brand communication, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Rheine, North Rhine-Westphalia. The firm operates four offices across Germany — Rheine, Koblenz, Köln, and Hamburg — and is led by managing partners Hartmut Müller-Gerbes (Köln) and Melanie Lammers (Hamburg). It is positioned as 'UnternehmensberaterInnen für Markenkommunikation' (Management Consultants for Brand Communication), delivering strategic workshops, brand development, employer branding, sustainability/CSRD reporting, destination branding, personal branding, and AR-enabled brand experiences to medium and large German enterprises and public-sector clients.

The service portfolio is built around six core brand disciplines (Markenberatung, Markenentwicklung, Markendesign, Markenerlebnisse, Markenaktivierung, Markenperformance) and five branding focuses (Corporate, Employer, Destination, Sustainability, Personal). Underlying the consulting practice is the proprietary CX-Principle methodology, which combines Carl Jung's Archetypenmodell with Simon Sinek's Golden Circle, supplemented by the externally licensed Empathy Value Index from The Oval Office and InSites Consulting. AI capabilities are applied to client work via third-party platforms (Poe, Perplexity, Midjourney, Sora) and internally branded tools such as the AI-powered Brand Imagery Tool and the Digitales Genom (Digital Genome) for target-audience analysis. Augmented Reality deliverables are produced through a partnership with Dutch Rose Media, incorporating volumetric video capture and Microsoft HoloLens/XREAL devices.

The firm earns revenue exclusively through professional-services engagements — strategy workshops, ongoing consulting retainers, sustainability report creation, and campaign measurement — with pricing based on custom project scope rather than published tiers. GTM motion is enterprise field sales delivered through direct consultation from the four German offices. Notable reference customers include Südzucker Group (Sustainability Branding), Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH (CSRD-aligned sustainability reporting since 2013), and tourism clients Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Gesundland Vulkaneifel. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

CONCEPT X

Legal name

CONCEPT X

Website

https://conceptx.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CONCEPT X is a German brand-communication management consultancy operating from four offices (Rheine, Koblenz, Köln, Hamburg), serving medium-to-large enterprises and public-sector clients with brand strategy, employer branding, sustainability/CSRD reporting, destination branding, and AI-assisted brand management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Communication Consulting

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Brand consulting services
• Corporate brand strategy
• Employer branding consulting
• Sustainability branding communications
• Destination brand marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rheine

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Consulting Services: Strategic brand consulting including brand development, corporate branding, employer branding, and sustainability branding. Services are delivered through collaborative workshop formats and ongoing consulting engagements.
2. Sustainability Reporting Services: CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting services including text development, design, and consulting for regulatory compliance.
3. Brand Performance Measurement: Performance measurement and analytics services for brand communication campaigns and channel optimization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CONCEPT X delivers strategic brand communication consulting for medium-to-large enterprises and public-sector destinations across Germany. Its core service spans corporate branding, employer branding, destination branding, sustainability branding, and personal branding, supported by strategy workshops, brand performance measurement, AR-enabled brand experiences, AI-assisted audience and content tools, and CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting. Engagements are delivered as custom consulting projects rather than off-the-shelf products.

Product overview

CONCEPT X is a business consulting firm for brand communication operating across Germany with offices in Rheine, Koblenz, Köln, and Hamburg. The company offers an integrated portfolio of six core brand services (consulting, development, design, experiences, activation, and performance) organized around five strategic branding focuses: Corporate, Employer, Destination, Sustainability, and Personal Branding. The offering extends to specialized capabilities including AR communication, CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting, Newsroom/Marken-Hub organization, strategy workshops, and AI-powered brand management tools. The company serves B2B clients including industrial companies, tourism destinations, and public institutions, positioning itself as strategic communication advisors who extend brand expertise into efficient client organizational structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Branding Holistic consulting that uncovers the company profile using the CX-Principle, collaboratively reaching the core purpose ('Why') that determines values and brings them to life in a brand aligned with strategic business objectives. For medium to large corporations.
• Employer Branding Consulting service that increases employer attractiveness and develops a target-group-relevant and authentic employer brand to attract talent and strengthen employee retention. For HR leaders facing talent shortages.
• Destination Branding Consulting service that shapes brand identity for cities, regions, states, or nations and strengthens competitive positioning as business locations or tourism destinations. For public-sector destinations and tourism organizations.
• Sustainability Branding Consulting service that creates a strong and authentic sustainability profile illuminating the ecological, economic, and social aspects of company activities and aligning the brand with sustainability strategy. For organizations seeking credible sustainability positioning.
• Personal Branding Coaching-led consulting that combines strategic advice, coaching, and communication to help individuals develop a clear identity and make their personal brand perceptible. For individual executives and personalities.
• Markenberatung (Brand Consulting) Strategic consulting that guides companies and people through transformation processes, developing communication strategies that provide meaning and measurable impact. Anchors the firm's CX-Principle methodology and integrates brand strategy with organizational development.
• Markenentwicklung (Brand Development) Consulting that sharpens brand profiles by identifying core purpose and developing an authentic brand identity aligned with strategic business objectives. Translates strategy into actionable brand systems.
• Markendesign (Brand Design) Design service that shapes brands through visual identity creation building identification and trust, translating brand essence into coherent design systems.
• Markenerlebnisse (Brand Experiences) Experiential design service that creates tangible brand experiences immersing target audiences in brand worlds through immersive and experiential activations.
• Markenaktivierung (Brand Activation) Campaign service that generates attention and engagement for brands through targeted marketing measures creating emotional connections between brand and audience.
• Markenperformance (Brand Performance) Performance measurement service that quantifies brand success through defined KPIs and cross-media performance channels, providing data-driven insights for strategy optimization.
• Augmented Reality (AR) Brand Communication Specialized service enabling customers to virtually try products and experience immersive brand engagement through 3D visualization, volumetric video capture, and AR application development. Delivered in partnership with Dutch Rose Media.
• Nachhaltigkeitsbericht (CSRD-Compliant Sustainability Reporting) End-to-end sustainability report creation combining text, design, and consulting for CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting aligned with brand values. Includes sustainability strategy development and ESG reporting support.
• Newsroom / Marken-Hub Organizational consulting that implements a topic-centered communication model in which marketing, corporate communication, employer branding, and HR marketing share topics across channels from a single hub.
• Strategieworkshops (Strategy Workshops) Interactive workshops using Jung's Archetypes model and Sinek's Golden Circle methodology for brand strategy development. Delivered as collaborative engagements for employer brand, corporate brand, and sustainability strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Content production increase up to 50% with same resources using AI-powered Brand Imagery Tool
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dutch Rose MediacoreTechnology or IntegrationDutch Rose Media from Eindhoven is described as one of the most innovative Augmented Reality specialists in Europe. CONCEPT X collaborates with them to develop individualized AR solutions that optimally combine technology and content/ideas for brand communication applications.
• HorváthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHorváth is mentioned as a partner for sustainability reporting consulting, helping companies with CSRD-compliant reporting requirements alongside CONCEPT X's communication expertise.
• The Oval Office (TOO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian partner The Oval Office (TOO) collaborated with InSites Consulting to develop the Empathy Value Index (EVI), the world's first evidence-based research instrument mapping the relationship between empathy and brand. CONCEPT X uses this methodology in their brand empathy consulting.
• InSites Consulting (ISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInSites Consulting (ISC) developed the Empathy Value Index together with The Oval Office. This partnership provides the research foundation for CONCEPT X's brand empathy and emotional connection consulting services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt: Strichpunkt is a German brand and design agency focused on corporate and employer branding. Comparable in service mix and German mid-market enterprise target customer to CONCEPT X.
• MetaDesign: MetaDesign is a German brand design and strategy consultancy with offices in Europe, the US, and China. It overlaps with CONCEPT X on corporate branding and brand design, with deeper international reach.
• FutureBrand: FutureBrand is an Interpublic-owned brand consultancy covering strategy, naming, design, and employer branding. It directly competes for the same enterprise brand-strategy mandates as CONCEPT X.
• Interbrand: Interbrand is a global brand consulting firm offering strategy, design, and brand performance measurement. It competes with CONCEPT X on the same core service spectrum (brand strategy to performance) but at much greater scale and global reach.
• Peter Schmidt Group: Peter Schmidt Group is a German brand design and strategy consultancy with deep corporate and packaging branding expertise. Comparable to CONCEPT X in service breadth and German enterprise client base.
• Siegel+Gale: Siegel+Gale is a global brand strategy and design consultancy (part of Brand Union / Omnicom). Overlaps with CONCEPT X on corporate brand strategy and naming, but with a much larger global footprint.
• KMS Team: KMS Team is a German brand consultancy offering brand strategy, design, and activation services. It is the closest German-headquartered peer to CONCEPT X with comparable service scope and target enterprise clients.
• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch is a WPP-owned brand consulting and design network. It is directly comparable to CONCEPT X across corporate branding, employer branding, and brand-experience work, but operates globally with deeper research resources.

Regional players

• Atelier Markgraph: Atelier Markgraph is a German brand and corporate-communications consultancy with strong experience in destination and corporate branding. Comparable to CONCEPT X's destination-branding focus and German-only footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Serviceplan is Germany's largest independent agency group covering brand strategy, creative, digital, and media. It competes with CONCEPT X for corporate branding and employer-branding budgets but as part of a much broader full-service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/conceptx_group
• Instagraminstagram.com/conceptx_group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concept-x

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CONCEPT X