Kelling

What Kelling does

Kelling is a founder-owned, full-service marketing and communications agency headquartered in Bremerhaven, Germany, legally organized as KELLING Agentur für Marketing und Kommunikation GmbH & Co. KG with Thilo Kelling serving as Geschäftsführer (Managing Director). The firm operates under the positioning 'Die Werbeagentur im Norden' and delivers an integrated suite of services spanning brand strategy and identity development, content marketing, corporate publishing, social media management, website design and implementation, film/video production, print design, packaging design, and multi-channel campaign management including media planning and buying. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements on a project and retainer basis, with each engagement tailored to the client; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

The agency's client roster is regionally concentrated in northern Germany (Bremerhaven, Cuxland, and surrounding areas) but spans a wide range of industries including banking and energy (SWB, BAB, Weser-Elbe Sparkasse), shipbuilding (Lloyd Werft), healthcare and pharmacy (Sander Apotheken, ELAC/AMEOS), food and beverage (Elbbäcker, BÄKO), construction (Mabau), public transport (Bremerhaven Bus), theater (Stadttheater Bremerhaven), education (Herbartgymnasium Oldenburg), and government/maritime (BIS Fischereihafen). Recurring publications such as the monthly MEIN TAG health guide and the quarterly kern.GESUND magazine indicate a recurring-content revenue layer alongside project work.

The underlying technology footprint is deliberately standard: Google Web Fonts, YouTube video embeds, Instagram plugin integration, and Matomo for privacy-compliant web analytics. There are no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML components. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct — the team listens first, then proposes strategic solutions — with portfolio-driven demand generation through the website and Instagram. The firm has no institutional investors, no parent company, no documented funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Partnerships are operational rather than strategic: Tacheles Concept GmbH provides data protection officer services, and Koop. Braue Brand Design Experts contributed brand design expertise on the SWB campaign.

Name

Kelling

Legal name

KELLING Agentur für Marketing und Kommunikation GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://kelling-marketing.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kelling is a founder-owned, full-service marketing and communications agency based in Bremerhaven, Germany, delivering branding, corporate publishing, social media, web, film, print, packaging, and campaign management to enterprise, SMB, and public-sector clients across northern Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremerhaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketing Agency Services: Professional services revenue from marketing strategy, branding, design, content creation, digital marketing, and corporate publishing. Services are tailored to each client, suggesting project-based and retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kelling is a full-service marketing and communication agency that provides integrated marketing solutions including brand strategy and brand development (Branding/Markenbildung), content marketing, corporate publishing (magazines and print publications), social media management, website conception and design, film and video production, print design, packaging design, and campaign management including media planning and buying. The agency delivers these services to regional businesses across northern Germany across multiple industries such as construction, banking, healthcare, food/beverage, shipbuilding, theater, and education.

Product overview

Kelling is a full-service marketing and communication agency based in Bremerhaven, Germany. The company offers a comprehensive suite of integrated marketing services organized around core offerings: Branding/Markenbildung (brand strategy and brand development), Content Marketing, Corporate Publishing (magazines and publications), Social Media, Website Development, Film Production, Print Design, Packaging Design, and Campaign Management. The agency works across diverse industry sectors including bakeries, healthcare, real estate, theaters, local government, and industrial companies, providing holistic brand experiences through strategic concepts and creative execution across multiple channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding / Markenbildung (Brand Strategy and Identity) Brand strategy and brand development services for regional businesses across multiple industries, including creation of brand marks, brand images, brand slogans, and brand worlds. Clients include Mabau (construction) and others requiring repositioning and brand identity development.
• Content Marketing Content creation and marketing strategy services to build sustainable relationships with target audiences through relevant content. Designed for regional B2B and B2C clients seeking inbound and content-driven engagement.
• Corporate Publishing Magazine and publication design and production services, including customer magazines, corporate publications, and industry-specific journals. Examples include 'kern.GESUND' quarterly health magazine (AMEOS Klinika), 'MEIN TAG' monthly health guide (ELAC Elysée Apotheken), 'Immobilia' real estate magazine (with Weser-Elbe Sparkasse), and the Fischereihafen-Magazin.
• Social Media Management Social media strategy and content creation services, including campaign development across various social media channels for regional businesses and brands.
• Website Development Website conception, design, and implementation services, including web redesign and relaunch projects. Examples include the Mabau website, Lloyd Werft website, and Stadttheater Bremerhaven website.
• Film Production Video and film production services including recruitment films, promotional films, and drone footage for documentation of construction projects. Example: Sander Apotheken recruitment film.
• Print Design Print design services including flyers, brochures, posters, billboards, and other printed marketing materials for regional clients across industries.
• Packaging Design Product packaging design services including packaging concept development, design, and production for various consumer goods. Example: BÄKO Bremerhaven own-brand cleaning products packaging.
• Campaign Management (Kampagnensteuerung) Campaign management services including consultation, concept development, media and budget planning, design, and campaign steering across multiple media channels. Example: SWB (energy/drinking water provider) lead campaign including concept, media planning, design, and campaign management.

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered support and minor.

• Tacheles Concept GmbHsupportOthersTacheles Concept GmbH provides data protection officer services for Kelling. Contact: Edda Neumann, Barkhausenstraße 6, handling GDPR compliance matters.
• Koop. Braue Brand Design ExpertsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on the SWB campaign. Koop. Braue contributed brand design expertise to the lead campaign for SWB (energy and water provider).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Grabarz & Partner: Hamburg-based independent creative agency with a brand-building and integrated campaign focus. Comparable to Kelling as a German independent agency competing for regional and national brand work.
• Thjnk: Independent German creative agency with offices in Hamburg and Munich, offering brand strategy and integrated communications. Comparable to Kelling in core offering and independence, though serving larger national clients.
• Zum goldenen Hirschen: Berlin-based independent creative and communications agency. Directly comparable to Kelling in offering integrated brand, content, and digital services to enterprise clients, though at significantly greater scale.
• Kolle Rebbe: Independent full-service creative agency headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Comparable to Kelling as a German non-network creative shop offering branding, campaigns, and digital services, though operating at a larger scale and serving national/international brands.
• kempertrautmann (KT Agentur): Hamburg-based independent creative agency offering brand strategy, design, and integrated campaigns. Directly comparable to Kelling in service mix and independent ownership structure, but based in a larger metro market.

Broad incumbents

• Jung von Matt: Major Hamburg-headquartered German creative agency network. Overlaps with Kelling's branding and campaign services but operates at national/international scale with far larger client roster.
• Serviceplan Group: Largest independent agency group in Europe, headquartered in Munich. Provides overlapping capabilities (branding, digital, content, publishing) but at vastly larger scale and with house-of-brands structure.
• Scholz & Friends: Berlin-based major German creative agency with national/international footprint. Comparable offering to Kelling across brand strategy and integrated communications, but serves much larger enterprise clients.
• DDB Germany: German arm of the DDB international creative network. Competes for the same type of brand-building and integrated campaign work that Kelling performs, but with network scale and global client access.
• Heimat (TBWA): Berlin-based creative agency within the TBWA network. Comparable integrated brand and campaign capabilities to Kelling but backed by global network resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kellingmarketing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kelling-marketing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Kelling