Emil Frey Digital

What Emil Frey Digital does

Emil Frey Digital AG is a Swiss digital agency and wholly-owned subsidiary of Emil Frey Gruppe, the diversified automotive conglomerate founded in 1924 in Zürich. Established approximately in 2001 as the group's central digital service provider, the company employs roughly 130 specialists across offices in Zürich (headquarters, Thurgauerstrasse 35) and Safenwil (Fulfillment Center). Its mandate is to implement Emil Frey Gruppe's digital strategy across the group's European automotive retail ecosystem, delivering integrated marketing, creative, software, and print services exclusively to internal group companies.

The company operates four integrated service pillars: Digital Marketing (website development, SEO, social media, email marketing, web analytics using Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager); Kreation und Content (conceptual design, crossmedia campaigns, photography, video production, copywriting, and translation across German, French, and Italian); Digital Services, anchored by the proprietary INSiDE software ecosystem developed with partners specifically for automotive retail seller workplaces, lead generation, booking systems, and CRM/sales workflow optimization; and a Fulfillment Center in Safenwil providing digital printing, personalization, lettershop operations, advertising technology, and hotline/admin support, processing more than 35 projects daily and supported by a network of over 100 external partners under framework agreements.

The business model is a professional services revenue stream flowing from inter-company service agreements and project-based engagements with Emil Frey Gruppe entities; no external customers, pricing, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led through Key Account Managers who coordinate production across all four service lines for the parent group's European dealership network. The legal entity is Emil Frey Digital AG, registered in Switzerland under commercial number CHE-103.152.606, with leadership headed by Beat Rechsteiner (CDMO & Geschäftsführer) and Patrick Avolio (Deputy CEO and Director Digital Services).

Name

Emil Frey Digital

Legal name

Emil Frey Digital AG

Website

https://emilfreydigital.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Emil Frey Digital AG is the captive Swiss digital agency of Emil Frey Gruppe, providing digital marketing, creative production, proprietary automotive-retail software (INSiDE), and print fulfillment services to the group's European automotive retail ecosystem from Zürich and Safenwil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing and Automotive Retail Software Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

API Development, Integration & Microservices Modernization (BPAEAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration, API & Middleware Consulting (BPAHAEAJ), Enterprise Architecture & Technology Roadmapping (BPAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Digital marketing services
• Creative content production
• Automotive retail software
• Print fulfillment services
• Digital transformation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Varazdin

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Internal Digital Services to Emil Frey Group: As the central service provider for the Emil Frey Gruppe, the company provides comprehensive marketing solutions, digital services, and fulfillment services to group companies. Revenue flows from inter-company service agreements and project-based engagements with the automotive group.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Emil Frey Digital AG is the central digital service provider for the Emil Frey Gruppe, offering four integrated service pillars: Digital Marketing (website development, SEO, social media, analytics, email marketing), Kreation und Content (creative design, photography, video, copywriting, translation in German/French/Italian), Digital Services (including the proprietary INSiDE software ecosystem tailored for automotive retail), and Fulfillment Center (digital printing, personalization, lettershop, and advertising technology). The company employs 130 specialists across Zürich and Safenwil, serving the Emil Frey automotive group's ecosystem.

Product overview

Emil Frey Digital operates as a service-based digital agency within the Emil Frey Group, offering four integrated service pillars: Digital Marketing (website development, SEO, social media, analytics, email marketing), Kreation und Content (creative design across online, offline, and crossmedia channels plus photography, video, copywriting, and translation), Digital Services (including the proprietary INSiDE software ecosystem for automotive retail operations), and Fulfillment Center (print production, personalization, lettershop, and advertising technology). These services work together to provide comprehensive digital business solutions for the automotive industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Marketing Digital communication and marketing services including website development, user experience optimization, social media management, search engine optimization, web analytics, and email/newsletter marketing campaigns. Targeted at internal Emil Frey Group companies in the automotive retail sector.
• Kreation und Content Creative services encompassing conceptual design, online and offline design, crossmedia campaigns, photography, video production, copywriting, and translation/editorial services in German, French, and Italian. Targeted at automotive retail companies needing consistent brand imagery across digital and physical channels.
• Digital Services (INSiDE Software Ecosystem) Digital solutions including the INSiDE software ecosystem developed specifically for automotive retail, lead generation tools, booking systems, and optimization of digital workflows in sales, customer service, CRM, and marketing. Targeted at automotive retail operations for seller workplace and workflow optimization.
• Fulfillment Center Print fulfillment and logistics services including customer consultation, layout services, digital printing, personalization and programming, lettershop operations, advertising technology, and hotline/admin support. Targeted at automotive group companies needing integrated print and direct mail production.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• CDK Global: Largest dedicated provider of automotive retail software (DMS, CRM, digital marketing); broad incumbent whose dealer-marketing suite competes with Emil Frey Digital's INSiDE platform.
• Cox Automotive: Major automotive retail technology provider offering dealer software, marketing, and F&I platforms; represents the scaled alternative Emil Frey Digital's INSiDE competes against for dealership workflows.
• Publicis Sapient: Digital transformation arm of Publicis serving large enterprises with platform engineering, CRM, and marketing technology; broader portfolio but overlapping service mix for automotive clients.

Direct peers

• Farner: Swiss-headquartered communications and digital agency serving enterprise clients including mobility and retail; competes in the same Swiss/DACH market with integrated marketing and content services.
• Jung von Matt: Large European independent creative and digital agency with deep automotive-retail client work; comparable to Emil Frey Digital's Digital Marketing, Creation & Content, and Digital Services pillars.
• Valtech: Global digital transformation agency building bespoke digital platforms and customer experiences; comparable to Emil Frey Digital's INSiDE development and platform/web development services.
• DEPT: Global digital agency combining marketing, engineering, and creative across commerce and customer experience; comparable full-service digital scope and engineering-led delivery model.
• Amaze: European-headquartered digital experience and engineering agency working across automotive and retail clients; overlap in strategy, content, and platform engineering.

Emerging players

• incadea: Automotive retail software provider (DMS and dealer platforms) recently operating under dealership-group ownership; emerging comparable in automotive-tailored workflow software similar to INSiDE.

Regional players

• Wirz Group: Swiss advertising and digital agency with strong automotive OEM and dealer clients; regionally focused peer for Emil Frey Digital's Swiss-based marketing and creation work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/emilfrey.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emil-frey-digital-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/emilfrey.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Emil Frey Digital