What ILME does

ILME (Mainostoimisto Ilme Oy) is a privately held, founder-owned marketing communications agency headquartered in Lahti, Finland, with a second office in Tampere. Founded in 1996 by Oskari Kariste, who remains 100% owner and Chairman, the firm employs approximately 27-30+ marketing communications professionals and operates with a horizontal service model spanning strategy and commercialization, brand development, experience design, digital marketing, website development, video production, packaging design, content production, print media, and native advertising. Its client book is concentrated in Finnish B2B and B2C enterprises (e.g., Valtra, Kalaneuvos, Inlook, Loimua, RengasCenter, Teerenpeli) alongside public-sector and cultural institutions (Heinolan kaupunki, Xamk, Salpakierto, Lahden museot), with selected international engagements delivered digitally.

The business is a project-based and retainer professional services operation sold through named Account Directors, an Account Manager function, and a Commercial Director (Tiina Viljanen) responsible for new business. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are quoted per project or via ongoing account leadership arrangements, with multi-year and monthly billing cadences indicated. Go-to-market combines direct client engagement, event-driven lead generation (ILME co-organizes Winter of Sales and partners on KyberLahti), and recruitment-driven enterprise build-out.

ILME's underlying technology stack is deliberately standard rather than proprietary: WordPress-based website delivery, custom UX/UI methodology owned by Art Director Akseli Kilpinen, 3D animation and video production capabilities, and AI-assisted image generation as a productivity tool within brand work. No APIs, SDKs, or productized SaaS revenue streams exist; the company monetizes human creative capacity, not software. Reputation signals include an NPS of 76 (up 16 points), 4.92/5 ease-of-doing-business score, the Kauppalehti 'Menestyjäksi 2022' recognition, and Asiakastieto 2024 credit certification.

Name

ILME

Legal name

Mainostoimisto Ilme Oy

Website

https://ilme.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ILME is a privately held Finnish marketing communications agency, founded 1996 and headquartered in Lahti, serving B2B, B2C, and public-sector clients across Finland and selectively internationally with strategy, brand, digital, web, video, and content services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Communications Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Advertising (Brand + Performance + Media) (BPAFAAAA), B2B / Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategy Consulting (MPAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Marketing communications services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Digital marketing agency
• Creative advertising services
• Website development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lahti

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketing Communications Services: ILME generates revenue through providing strategic marketing communications services including brand development, visual design, digital marketing, experience design, and strategic consulting to B2B and B2C clients in Finland and internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ILME is a full-service marketing communications agency that delivers strategy and commercialization consulting, brand development, experience design, digital marketing, WordPress-based website development, video and 3D production, packaging design, content production, and native advertising. The agency serves B2B and B2C clients as well as public sector organizations across Finland from offices in Lahti and Tampere, combining strategic thinking with in-house creative and technical execution.

Product overview

ILME is a marketing communications agency offering a comprehensive suite of strategic and creative services. The core offerings include strategy and commercialization consulting, brand development, and experience design for cohesive customer journeys. Service portfolio spans digital marketing (social media, programmatic advertising, SEO), website development (WordPress-based with UX/UI design, accessibility, e-commerce), video production (3D animation, corporate videos), packaging design, content production, and print media. The agency serves diverse B2B and B2C clients across manufacturing, food & beverage, retail, public sector, and sports industries from offices in Lahti and Tampere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy & Commercialization (Strategiatyö ja kaupallistaminen) Strategic consulting service that identifies business growth opportunities by combining deep customer understanding with creative and insightful thinking; targeted at companies pursuing business and brand growth through strategic marketing.
• Branding (Brändi) Brand creation and strengthening service that builds brands resonating with target audiences, evoking emotion, and enabling new business opportunities.
• Experience Design (Kokemusmuotoilu) Design of cohesive brand experiences across customer journey stages and touchpoints, ensuring consistent brand expression.
• Digital Marketing (Digimarkkinointi) Digital marketing services including social media planning and execution, programmatic advertising, search engine marketing, and performance analytics.
• Website Development (Verkkosivut) Website design and technical implementation services using WordPress and custom development, including UX/UI design, accessibility compliance, and e-commerce functionality.
• Video Production (Videotuotanto) Video production services including 3D animation, corporate videos, campaign videos, and event documentation.
• Packaging Design (Pakkaussuunnittelu) Packaging design services including concept development, consumer research, and shelf-ready packaging for food and consumer products.
• Content Production (Sisältötuotanto) Content creation services including copywriting, content strategy, social media content, and editorial content for native advertising.
• Print Media (Printtimedia) Print marketing materials including advertisements, posters, catalogs, brochures, and promotional materials.
• Native Advertising (Natiivimainonta) Native advertising services including programmatic buying through the Readpeak platform, direct media sales, and editorial-style article content.

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS of 76 - increased 16 points from previous measurement
• +4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KyberLahti / LahtiSecminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 March 2025ILME is an official partner of KyberLahti 2025 cybersecurity seminar. ILME created the event's visual identity which reflects cybersecurity themes with elegant and simple elements. The event took place March 13, 2025 at Lahti Fair Centre.
• Winter of SalescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 February 2025ILME is a co-organizer of the Winter of Sales event held at Sibeliustalo in Lahti on February 7, 2025. The event focuses on sales, marketing, growth, and internationalization. ILME created the event identity, designed the website, and is responsible for event marketing and communications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TBWA\Helsinki: Helsinki office of the TBWA global advertising network. Competes with ILME on integrated advertising and brand work but with significantly larger scale, network resources, and global client access.
• Dentsu Creative Finland: Finnish arm of Dentsu's global creative network. Overlaps with ILME on full-service creative and digital marketing but operates as part of a much larger portfolio offering.

Others

• Futurice: Nordic digital engineering and design firm with offices in Finland. Adjacent to ILME through shared enterprise clients and overlapping digital/UX capabilities, but Futurice leans toward software and product development rather than marketing communications.
• Reaktor: Finnish digital product and design consultancy. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — Reaktor focuses on software and digital product design while ILME focuses on marketing communications, but both serve Finnish enterprise clients with cross-functional creative teams.

Direct peers

• 358: Helsinki creative agency providing brand development, campaigns, and digital services. Similar boutique-mid positioning to ILME within the Finnish market.
• Valve: Established Finnish creative agency specializing in brand strategy, advertising, and digital marketing. Comparable to ILME on agency size, market segment, and service scope.
• Bob Helsinki: Helsinki-based full-service creative agency offering brand, digital, content, and strategy services to B2B and B2C clients. Closest direct comparable to ILME by service mix, size, and Finnish mid-market positioning.
• hasan & co: Finnish creative agency combining strategy, design, and digital execution for consumer and B2B brands. Highly comparable service portfolio and client type to ILME.
• Folk: Helsinki-based creative agency with integrated brand, marketing, and digital capabilities serving Finnish and international clients. Direct comparable on full-service creative model.

Regional players

• Åkestam Holst NoA: Award-winning Stockholm-based creative agency within the NoA Nordic network. Comparable to ILME on boutique full-service creative model and creative-recognized work, but operating in the larger Swedish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/ilme
• Facebookfi-fi.facebook.com/mainostoimistoilme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mainostoimisto-ilme-oy
• Instagraminstagram.com/mainostoimistoilme
• Xx.com/mainoststo_ilme

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 ILME