Divis

What Divis does

Divis is a Solothurn, Switzerland-based advertising and graphic design agency founded in 1993 by Markus Daeppen and Sonja Lina Weber, operating as a private GmbH (CHE-107.465.234). The firm provides full-service creative work spanning corporate identity, logo and brand design, product packaging, advertising campaigns, print publications (programmes, catalogues, annual reports, brochures), website conception, and in-house product photography including 360° tours. Its clientele is concentrated among Swiss SMEs, mid-market businesses, and cultural institutions across German-speaking Switzerland, with named engagements spanning confectionery (Suteria Chocolata, Xocolatl Basel), construction (Galli Hoch- und Tiefbau), energy (AEK onyx), banking/financial services (AEK Energie), performing arts (Stadttheater Langenthal), coffee (Oetterli), tool manufacturing (PB Swiss Tools), lighting/seasonal products (STT AG), and local government (Kanton Solothurn).

The underlying technology is conventional: industry-standard design tooling, WordPress CMS for client websites, and Google services for analytics and SEO. There is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no software product; the firm's intellectual property resides in bespoke visual systems, recurring brand patterns (e.g., Suteria's eight-pointed star motif), and an in-house photography studio supplemented by a partner network (Fotospring for photography, olai/virtix/external programmers for web implementation, tomexpo for exhibition fabrication). The "stay small" positioning is an explicit strategic choice — headcount is capped at 1–10 with four named core practitioners — to preserve direct client access and continuity.

The business model is pure project-based professional services: every engagement is individually quoted based on scope, with no public pricing, no subscription tiers, and no recurring SaaS revenue. Customer acquisition is sales-led via direct outreach, word-of-mouth, and referrals in the Solothurn region and German-speaking Switzerland. Revenue is supported by long-tenure anchor relationships (STT AG for 20+ years across three packaging generations) and recurring annual mandates (AEK HESO trade fair, annual reports). The company has remained independently owned since founding, with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity disclosed.

Name

Divis

Legal name

Divis, visuelle Gestaltung, Daeppen & Weber

Website

https://divis.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Divis is a Solothurn-based boutique advertising and graphic design agency, founded in 1993, serving Swiss SMEs, mid-market firms, and cultural institutions with corporate identity, packaging, print, web, and photography services on a bespoke project basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphic Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG)

Keywords

• Graphic design services
• Corporate identity design
• Packaging design services
• Advertising campaign design
• Exhibition design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Solothurn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Design Services: Divis generates revenue through professional design services billed per project or engagement. Services include corporate design, packaging design, advertising campaigns, print design (posters, flyers, brochures, annual reports), website conception, and photography. The agency operates on a project fee model with no recurring SaaS or subscription revenue. Pricing is determined per project based on scope and complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Divis is a Solothurn-based boutique design agency that provides graphic design, corporate identity development, packaging design, website conception, advertising campaigns, exhibition design, and product photography for Swiss SMEs and mid-market companies. The agency delivers project-based creative services ranging from logo and visual identity systems to seasonal packaging, print publications, websites, and trade fair concepts. It operates as a deliberately small team of typographic designers, copywriters, and photographers serving clients across diverse industries including food, beverage, construction, retail, energy, and cultural institutions.

Product overview

Divis is a Solothurn-based advertising agency offering a comprehensive suite of design services as a single integrated offering rather than a modular platform. The core portfolio spans Graphic Design und Branding (corporate identity, logos, visual systems), Digitales/Screendesign (website conception, design, SEO content), Fotografie (inhouse photography and 360° tours), Verpackungsgestaltung (product packaging design), Website-Konzeption und -Umsetzung, Publikationsgestaltung (program booklets, catalogs, annual reports), Werbekampagnen (advertising campaigns), Ausstellungskonzepte (exhibition design), Katalogkonzeption (B2B catalogs), Eventkommunikation, Sonderschau-Gestaltung (trade show exhibitions), Kundengeschenke und Mailing-Konzepte (customer gifts and direct mail), Social-Media-Betreuung, and Newsletter-Konzeption. These services are offered as project-based consulting and creative work, with clients including Suteria (chocolate/confectionery), Xocolatl (chocolate), Stadttheater Langenthal (theater), Oetterli (coffee), Galli (construction), PB Swiss Tools (tools), STT (lighting/seasonal products), and various other businesses and cultural institutions in the Solothurn region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graphic Design und Branding Full-service graphic design and branding solutions including logo design, corporate identity development, typography, color palettes, and visual imagery systems for brands.
• Fotografie In-house photography services for product imagery, visual language definition, and 360-degree virtual tours, including collaboration with external photographers for additional capacity.
• Verpackungsgestaltung (Packaging Design) Product packaging design services including flexible concepts for seasonal and configurable products with adaptable formats for small print runs, tailored for retail environments.
• Corporate Design Complete corporate identity design including visual identity systems, brand guidelines, image worlds, and ongoing brand management for organizations undergoing rebrands or refreshes.
• Website-Konzeption und -Umsetzung Website conception and implementation for clients, including visual and content concepts, SEO texts, content management, and ongoing content updates, typically built on WordPress CMS.
• Publikationsgestaltung (Print) Design of program booklets, catalogs, brochures, annual reports, exhibition catalogs, and event publications with careful attention to typography and layout for print.
• Werbekampagnen (Advertising Campaigns) Advertising campaign development and execution across multiple channels including posters, flyers, and print media for product and brand promotion.
• Ausstellungskonzepte (Exhibition Design) Exhibition design and concept development including visual identity, signage, exhibit fabrication, and installation planning for trade shows and cultural events.
• Katalogkonzeption (B2B Catalog Design) B2B catalog design with seasonal product photography, location scouting, and magazine-style layouts for product presentation in wholesale and trade fair contexts.
• Kundengeschenke und Mailing-Konzepte Creative customer gift concepts and direct mail campaigns including gift selection, packaging design, messaging, and supplier coordination for B2B relationship marketing.
• Social-Media-Betreuung Social media consulting and support including content creation, posts, and online marketing assistance for clients in their corporate brand presence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20-year client relationship with STT AG, with third generation of packaging designs now in retail stores across DACH region
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ZeitZentrumminorOthersDivis designed the commemorative book layout for the ZeitZentrum's 125th anniversary, incorporating a unique hidden message in the book spine. This is a project-based client relationship rather than a formal alliance.
• tomexpominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDivis worked with tomexpo for the physical realization and construction of the AEK onyx AG exhibition booth and Sonderschau at HESO 2019. Tomexpo handled the on-site installation and booth construction while divis managed the visual design.
• olaiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDivis partnered with olai for website implementations for clients including Schreier AG and Asa AG, where divis handled concept and design and olai managed technical development and implementation.
• FotospringminorOthersDivis works with Fotospring for photography assignments on client projects where in-house photography capacity is supplemented by external photographers. Divis also offers 360° tours via fokus360.ch.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering corporate identity, packaging, and naming services with significant Swiss operations. Competes with divis for corporate branding and packaging work at the larger end of the market.
• FutureBrand: Global brand and packaging consultancy with European operations, focused on corporate identity, brand strategy, and consumer packaging design. A scaled comparator to divis's packaging and corporate identity offerings, particularly relevant for the F&B and consumer goods clients in divis's portfolio.
• Jung von Matt: Major creative agency group with strong Swiss operations and a portfolio spanning brand strategy, advertising, digital, and packaging. Directly comparable service offering to divis but at network scale with international reach, contrasting divis's boutique positioning.
• MetaDesign: Leading DACH-region brand and design consultancy with deep corporate identity, packaging, and editorial expertise — directly overlapping with divis's core competencies but operating as a larger network with international clients.
• Wirz: One of Switzerland's largest independent advertising and communications agencies, headquartered in Zürich. Operates in the same Swiss-German market as divis with overlapping capabilities in brand communications, packaging, and digital — but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consultancy with strong Swiss and DACH presence offering corporate identity, packaging, and brand strategy. Overlaps with divis in corporate design and packaging but at enterprise scale with proprietary research and tools.

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Global, partner-owned design firm operating on a founder/boutique model with senior partners directly serving clients — the international archetype of the same partnership-driven creative boutique model that divis operates, just at global scale across branding, packaging, and editorial design.
• Ruf Lanz: Award-winning Zürich-based creative boutique known for bold, unconventional advertising and design work for Swiss clients. Comparable to divis in its boutique scale, creative-first positioning, and Swiss-German market focus, though with a stronger advertising-campaign orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/divis.solothurn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/divis
• Instagraminstagram.com/divis.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Divis