Fora Strategy and Communication

What Fora Strategy and Communication does

FORA Strategy and Communication is a privately held Austrian brand strategy and creative agency (FORA Strategy & Communications GmbH) headquartered in Vienna with a secondary office in Berlin, serving clients across the DACH region. The firm traces its origin to the predecessor agency starmühler (operating since 2012) and was rebranded to FORA on July 1, 2022, repositioning the business around a "space for brands and their stories" identity. Its offering spans strategy (positioning, brand development, audience analysis, channel strategy) and implementation (branding, content, campaigns, editorial design, website design with external coding partners such as 101 Coding & Design and Anna Ehrnsperger), with named clients including Google, Stadt Wien, Wienerberger, Berliner Sparkasse, European Forum Alpbach, ERSTE Stiftung, Wiener Lokalbahnen, VIVAMAYR, DFMB, Ärzte ohne Grenzen, Wien Energie, BDZV, and OETHG.

The agency's product portfolio is dual-natured: it produces client publications (PROSPECT for OETHG quarterly, architectum for Wienerberger in four languages, and relevant. for BDZV) while also self-publishing HOLZMAGAZIN, a six-issue-per-year print magazine on timber construction financed through advertising and complemented by a weekly newsletter and online platform. A fourth revenue line, FORA OOO, was launched in April 2024 as a sub-brand offering off-site workshops at sea, lake, and mountain locations. The firm has no proprietary software, AI/ML system, or external funding; its "technology" is creative and editorial expertise delivered by a team of approximately 9 people, including Managing Director Elena Starmühler, Creative Director Olivia Wahrbichler, and Art Director Thomas Tuzar.

FORA acquires clients through direct outreach, founder-led conference speaking (HAVE IT ALL Summit), podcast appearances (BCM Inhaltsangabe), referrals, and demand generated by its own owned media and community events (the FORA Würstelstandrave, FORA OOO retreats, weekly newsletter). Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, with engagements structured as project-based or retainer-based professional services. The firm is GDPR-compliant (DSGVO), holds a registered FORA wordmark and open-form logo trademark, and reports no private equity, venture capital, or institutional investment on its cap table.

Name

Fora Strategy and Communication

Legal name

FORA Strategy & Communications GmbH

Website

https://fora-concept.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FORA Strategy and Communication is a Vienna- and Berlin-based brand strategy and creative agency serving DACH clients (Google, Stadt Wien, Wienerberger, European Forum Alpbach) with brand strategy, editorial design, and campaign production, plus self-published HOLZMAGAZIN and the FORA OOO workshop sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy and Communication Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Brand strategy services
• Visual identity design
• Editorial design
• Content marketing agency
• Magazine production

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agency Services (Strategy & Creative): FORA charges fees for brand strategy consulting, positioning, audience analysis, channel strategy, branding, content production, campaign execution, editorial design, and magazine production. Fees are project-based or retainer-based for ongoing clients (e.g., Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich since 2024, European Forum Alpbach for three consecutive years). No explicit pricing is published.
2. Own-Publish Media (HOLZMAGAZIN): FORA self-publishes the HOLZMAGAZIN, a print magazine for the timber construction industry. It is financed entirely through advertising and subscriptions, with a weekly newsletter. This represents a proprietary publishing product.
3. HOLZMAGAZIN Online & Newsletter: The online platform and weekly newsletter complement the print magazine, generating ongoing audience engagement and serving as a lead generation channel for the agency's broader services.
4. FORA OOO (Out-of-Office Events): A sub-brand offering workshops and events at off-site locations (sea, lake, mountains), providing an additional revenue stream and reinforcing the agency's community-building ethos.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FORA Strategy and Communication is a boutique brand strategy and creative agency that delivers positioning, visual identity, editorial design, multi-channel campaigns, and magazine production for organizations in Austria and Germany. It supplements its client services with HOLZMAGAZIN, a self-published timber-construction magazine (print, online, newsletter), and operates a sub-brand, FORA OOO, that runs off-site workshops.

Product overview

FORA Strategy and Communication is a branding and communications agency with offices in Vienna and Berlin. Its offering spans strategy (positioning, brand development, audience analysis, channel strategy) and implementation (campaigns, branding, content, magazines). The product portfolio includes owned publications — notably HOLZMAGAZIN and its online platform — alongside client publications such as PROSPECT (theatre technology), architectum (Wienerberger's international architecture magazine), and relevant. (BDZV's media industry magazine). The agency also operates FORA OOO, an off-site workshop and retreat sub-brand. All work is service-based, centered on brand strategy, visual identity, editorial design, and campaign production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HOLZMAGAZIN (print magazine) A self-published print magazine on modern timber construction and architecture, produced in-house by FORA's editorial team and published six times per year. The print magazine is financed entirely through advertising and serves as FORA's flagship owned media asset for the construction and timber sectors.
• PROSPECT magazine A quarterly member magazine for the Austrian Theatre Technology Society (OETHG), covering backstage and stage production technology topics. FORA produces the magazine and the associated PROSPECT News website.
• architectum magazine An international architecture magazine published by Wienerberger, produced in four languages for various markets. FORA handles editorial, design, and production, showcasing timber construction projects worldwide.
• relevant. magazine A magazine for members of the German Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV), featuring stories, illustrations, infographics, interviews, and portraits relevant to the media industry.
• FORA OOO workshops Out-of-office workshops held at locations by the sea, lakes, or in mountains, offering two days of concentrated expertise. A sub-brand of FORA focused on team off-site events and creative retreats for organizations seeking new perspectives.
• relevant. Website A dynamic website for the BDZV's relevant. brand, developed by FORA. The platform was designed and built by FORA with external coding partners, incorporating multimedia online content alongside the print magazine and ongoing maintenance.
• HOLZMAGAZIN Online The digital counterpart to the print HOLZMAGAZIN, serving as an online news platform for the timber construction industry with daily content updates and a weekly newsletter highlighting top stories.
• Brand strategy and positioning services Strategy consulting covering brand positioning, audience analysis, channel strategy, and naming for organizations across Austria and Germany.
• Visual identity and branding services Comprehensive visual identity systems including logo design, color palettes, typography, and brand guidelines, with full rebranding services for organizations undergoing transformation.
• Campaign and content production services Multi-channel campaign production spanning out-of-home, social media, digital, employer branding, and event marketing, including social media strategy and content production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Instagram follower counts and reach for Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich grew continuously after FORA took over social media strategy in 2024.

Named customers18 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

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Paul LeichtfriedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Leichtfried is a designer who collaborated with FORA on the 2022 rebranding from starmühler to FORA, developing the visual identity and logo. Described as 'sehr kreativ, unglaublich geduldig, sehr zuverlässig und extrem aufmerksam.'
• DittaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDitta (a Vienna-based restaurant/catering concept) partnered with FORA for event catering — most notably at the #foraxditta Frühlingskräuter-Knödel community dinner (March 2023). The collaboration supports FORA's community-building events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kobza And The Hungry Eyes (KTHE): Vienna-based integrated creative agency known for cultural-sector and corporate clients, with a similar boutique positioning to FORA. Both compete in the Austrian mid-market for strategy, branding, and campaign work with cultural/values-driven organizations.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based independent creative agency known for brand strategy, corporate design, and integrated campaigns. Comparable to FORA as a mid-sized independent German agency competing for similar enterprise and cultural-sector briefs, with overlapping capabilities in editorial and content production.
• Wien Nord: Vienna-based independent brand and design agency with comparable size and service scope to FORA (branding, corporate design, editorial). Direct competitor for the same pool of Austrian SMEs, NGOs, and cultural-organization clients.
• Moodley Brand Identity: Austrian brand-identity and strategy boutique based in Linz and Vienna, specializing in brand development, corporate design, and integrated communications. The closest direct competitor to FORA in scale, geography (AT/DE), and service mix — a similarly sized strategy-and-design boutique competing for the same enterprise and public-sector clients.

Regional players

• PKP BBDO Vienna: Vienna office of the BBDO global network, offering integrated advertising and brand strategy to Austrian and regional clients. Comparable to FORA in serving Vienna-based enterprise, public sector, and NGO clients, though at greater scale and with network-level resources.
• Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann (DMB): Vienna-headquartered full-service advertising and brand agency, one of Austria's most established creative shops. Direct comparison to FORA as a fellow Vienna-based agency serving Austrian enterprise and public-sector clients with integrated brand and campaign work.

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Munich-headquartered, Europe's largest independent integrated agency group with offices across DACH. Comparable service breadth to FORA (brand strategy, creative, content, digital) but operates at vastly greater scale and competes for the same enterprise RFPs.
• Jung von Matt: Large Hamburg-headquartered integrated creative agency with strong presence in Austria and the broader DACH market. Comparable because it offers the same strategy-through-execution scope FORA delivers, but at substantially greater scale and with a wider portfolio of global brand clients.
• Scholz & Friends: Berlin-based integrated agency group offering brand strategy, advertising, and content production across DACH. Comparable to FORA in service mix (strategy + creative + content) and DACH geographic focus, but operating at significantly larger scale as part of the WPP-affiliated network.
• DDB Germany (DDB Düsseldorf/Berlin): German arm of the global DDB network, offering integrated brand strategy and creative work to enterprise clients. Overlaps with FORA on strategy and campaign execution but operates as part of a global network with substantially greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fora_concept

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Fora Strategy and Communication