Format Communication

What Format Communication does

Format Communications Consultants GmbH is a privately held, Hamburg-based full-service brand and corporate communications agency operating as Format Communications (legal entity: Format Communications Consultants GmbH, Hamburg, Germany). The firm organizes its work around four service lines: Brand & Identity (naming, branding, identity design); Publishing & Campaigning (corporate publications, customer and employee magazines, newsletters, catalogs, PR, reporting); Employer Branding & Recruiting; and Website & Application (UX/UI-conception and programming). It also operates proprietary branded products such as the FOKUS PI digital social-planning app for Kreis Pinneberg and the long-running myTime retail customer magazine (and myTime for Kids spin-off with the M.O.I.N.-Bande characters) for Bünting Unternehmensgruppe.

The agency's technology stack is conventional web/app development plus conventional creative tooling; Format explicitly states it has no proprietary technology platform, and offers no APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML products. Its competitive positioning is built on a stated "neuroscience-based" approach to brand strategy and design, integrated delivery of PR/design/advertising under one roof, and a trophy portfolio of long-duration clients including Union Investment, Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall, MPC Capital, Linklaters, Sidley Austin, Encavis, Annerton, ZERTUS, HanseMerkur, Sylt Sotheby's International Realty, and Ferrostahl.

The business model is project- and retainer-based professional services sold through a direct, enterprise sales motion (relationship-driven business development, referrals, reputation, case studies). The firm serves six core verticals — Retail/Commerce, Finance, Real Estate, Industry/Manufacturing, Legal & Consulting, and Public Sector — with a team of approximately 13 people led by founder and Managing Director Carsten Morgenstern together with prokurists and senior consultants. There is no external investor, parent company, or public funding disclosed, and the company has been serving clients since at least 2010.

Name

Format Communication

Legal name

Format Communications Consultants GmbH

Website

https://format-communications.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Format Communications is a privately held Hamburg-based full-service brand and corporate communications agency serving enterprise clients across retail, finance, real estate, industry, legal/consulting, and public-sector verticals with brand identity, publishing, employer branding, and website/application services, led by a ~13-person founder-led team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Communications & Branding Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG), Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting) (MPAJAMAC), Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

Keywords

• Corporate communications services
• Brand identity development
• Employer branding campaigns
• Corporate publishing services
• Website and UX design

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Communications Services: Project-based professional services revenue model. FORMAT charges for brand development, identity creation, publishing, campaign management, website development, and employer branding services on a project and retainer basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Format Communications is a Hamburg-based communications and branding agency that sells integrated corporate communications services to enterprise and government clients. Its core deliverables span brand and identity development, corporate publishing and campaigning (including customer and employee magazines), employer branding and recruiting campaigns, and website/application design and development with a UX/UI focus. The agency also produces proprietary branded products such as long-running customer magazines and the FOKUS PI digital social planning app for public administration.

Product overview

Format Communications is a communications and branding agency offering four core service areas: Brand & Identity (naming, design, branding), Publishing & Campaigning (corporate publishing, magazines, PR, reporting), Employer Branding & Recruiting, and Website & Application development. The agency also produces proprietary branded products including the FOKUS PI digital social planning app, customer magazines (myTime, myTime for Kids), employee publications (ZERTUS NEWS), and branded character franchises (M.O.I.N.-Bande). The FOKUS PI app represents their notable technology product for public administration, while their publishing services span retail customer magazines, B2B publications, and campaign materials across multiple industries including retail, finance, real estate, industry, legal, and public sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand & Identity Development of distinctive brand identities through naming, branding and identity solutions, including brand architecture structuring, creation of claims and slogans, and international brand protection, sold as a service offering to enterprise clients.
• Publishing & Campaigning Corporate publishing services including customer and employee magazines, newsletters, catalogs, and corporate communications, together with public relations and reporting, sold as a service offering to enterprise clients.
• Employer Branding & Recruiting Strategic employer branding solutions to make companies attractive to talent, strengthen employee retention and satisfaction, and develop effective recruiting campaigns, sold as a service offering to enterprise clients.
• Website & Application Conception and programming of modern websites and digital applications with a UX/UI focus, delivering brand-leading user experiences, sold as a service offering to enterprise clients.
• myTime Magazine A monthly customer magazine for the Bünting Unternehmensgruppe's Combi and famila retail chains, featuring food, living and lifestyle content. It is published as one of Germany's most popular retail customer magazines and represents a recurring branded publication product produced for the client.
• myTime for Kids A quarterly spin-off of the myTime magazine targeted at children, featuring the M.O.I.N.-Bande characters and educational content, published as an insert in myTime for the Bünting retail group.
• ZERTUS NEWS A biannual employee magazine for ZERTUS, a food and luxury goods company with 12 subsidiaries, covering company topics and food market trends. Published in German and English.
• DEIN HORST A seasonal customer magazine for HORST, a Hamburg-based DIY store, featuring DIY projects, creative ideas and product inspiration, published as a 30+ page magazine.
• FOKUS PI App A digital social planning application for Kreis Pinneberg that enables data-driven governance, providing interactive data visualization for political decision-making and public administration. Available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store and recognized with the PR Report 2022 award in Technology-based Communication.

Quantifiable outcome

• myTime magazine reaching millions of readers in German retail since 2012 with approximately 4,600 recipes developed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based creative agency with strong brand identity, employer branding, and campaign work for German enterprise clients. Highly comparable on service mix and Hamburg headquarters.
• Jung von Matt: Hamburg-headquartered creative agency known for integrated brand, advertising, and digital work for German enterprise clients. Closely comparable to Format on geography, integrated service model, and enterprise customer focus.
• kempertrautmann: Hamburg-based creative and branding agency focused on brand strategy, employer branding, and integrated campaigns for enterprise clients. Same integrated model and regional anchor as Format.
• Loved: Hamburg-based creative agency focused on brand, content, and integrated communications for German enterprise clients. Comparable regional base and integrated service offering.
• Thjnk: Hamburg-headquartered agency group specializing in brand strategy, creativity, and integrated communications for enterprise clients. Direct competitor in the integrated Hamburg agency segment.
• Fischer Appelt: German integrated communications group with strong corporate communications, brand, and employer branding practices. Comparable on integrated model and regulated-industry clientele.
• MetaDesign: German brand strategy and design agency with deep experience in corporate identity, employer branding, and publishing. Highly comparable on the brand and identity pillar of Format's offering.
• Scholz & Friends: Hamburg-based integrated creative agency offering brand strategy, advertising, and digital services to enterprise clients across regulated industries. Comparable to Format on integrated model and German enterprise focus.

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Europe's largest independent agency group with integrated brand, media, and digital capabilities across multiple verticals. Comparable offering at larger scale; serves as the broad incumbent against which Format competes for German enterprise mandates.

Regional players

• KNSK Group: Hamburg-based creative and brand agency with a similar mid-sized positioning and enterprise client roster. Comparable scale and regional anchor; competes for the same Hamburg enterprise engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Format Communication