Francfort Communication

What Francfort Communication does

Francfort Communication & Partenaires is a Swiss creative communication and advertising agency founded in 1975 and headquartered in Chancy/Geneva. The firm operates through a lightweight two-partner structure — currently led by François Bernaschina (partner-director, joined 2009) following the tenure of founder Jean-Henri Francfort — and draws on an extended network of specialists to deliver work. Its functional scope spans graphic design across print, web, and audiovisual media; website development including responsive e-commerce; advertising copywriting and campaign management; book layout and publishing production; custom application development (desktop and mobile); and translation from German, English, and Italian into French. Beyond conventional agency deliverables, the firm has produced specialized products such as the cm2dpi resolution converter, the AdoBee beehive management app, the Leo automobiles fleet management app, and the Romandie Formation iApp, alongside academic research tools including the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) and Emotion Assessment (EA) created with University of Oslo and Harvard researchers.

The agency's customer base is heterogeneous and project-based, encompassing Swiss institutional clients (Éditions Favre, Muséum de Genève, Fondation Bolle, Car postal/PTT, Hôtel de Ville de Crissier), commercial SMBs and enterprises (Mandarin Oriental Geneva, Benoît Violier, Suter Viandes, Leo automobiles, Lescarpin, CGcapital), and international academic institutions (Université d'Oslo, Harvard). The firm has won industry recognition including the "Prix des Nations au Mondial de la publicité francophone" for a public-transport prevention campaign. Revenue mechanics are entirely professional-services-based — fees for creative and strategic communication services delivered in-house or in collaboration with partners — with no publicly disclosed pricing and no external funding, institutional investment, or parent holding company.

The business is bootstrapped and privately held, with no evidence of equity raises, acquisitions, or restructuring events. Geographic reach is anchored in Swiss Romandie, with discrete projects executed for clients in France, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, and Serbia — typically routed through long-standing institutional relationships rather than systematic market expansion. Operating status is active, with the website portfolio, contact channels, and team profiles maintained on an ongoing basis.

Name

Francfort Communication

Legal name

Francfort Communication & Partenaires

Website

https://francfort.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Francfort Communication & Partenaires is a Geneva-based Swiss creative communication and advertising agency offering graphic design, advertising, web development, publishing production, and custom applications for Swiss institutions, SMBs, publishers, and international academic clients through a two-partner modular structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Communication Services: Fees for creative and strategic communication services including graphic design, advertising campaigns, copywriting, web development, and publishing production. Services are delivered both in-house and in collaboration with a network of specialized partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Francfort Communication & Partenaires is a Swiss communication agency providing graphic design, advertising, website development, book layout, custom application creation, and translation services (German, English, Italian to French) primarily to institutional and commercial clients in French-speaking Switzerland. Beyond standard agency services, the agency has developed and offers standalone desktop/mobile applications and psychology research tools (e.g., Test of Emotion Comprehension, cm2dpi).

Product overview

Francfort Communication & Partenaires is a Swiss creative communication and advertising agency offering a portfolio of services centered on graphic design, advertising, and publishing. Their core offerings include creation and design across all media formats, website development (including responsive sites), advertising copywriting, book layout and publication, and custom application development. The agency also provides translation services (German, English, Italian to French) and collaborative services including media planning, photography, video production, and radio/TV spot creation. Beyond traditional agency services, they have developed specialized research tools for psychology research: the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) in versions 1.0, 1.2, and upcoming 2.0, the Emotion Assessment (EA 1.0), and the Aha Erlebniße test—all created in collaboration with university researchers from Oslo and Harvard. They have also created custom desktop/mobile applications including cm2dpi (resolution converter), AdoBee (beehive management), Leo automobiles (fleet management), and Romandie Formation iApp (course registration).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graphic Design Services Creation and realization of graphic design across all media formats, including print, digital, and audiovisual materials, for institutional and commercial clients.
• Website Development Design and development of websites, including responsive sites that adapt automatically to viewing devices such as desktop, tablet, and mobile.
• Advertising Copywriting Writing and conceptualizing advertising copy and concepts for commercial and institutional clients.
• Book Layout and Creation Page layout and book creation services, including design and production of published works for publishers and authors.
• Advertising Campaign Services Development, deployment, and media-budget management of advertising campaigns across diverse media channels for institutional and commercial clients.
• Translation Services Translation services from German, English, and Italian into French for institutional, commercial, and publishing clients.
• Collaborative Services (Media Planning, Publishing, Photography, Video Production) Services delivered through partner specialists, including media planning and buying, publishing production, photo shoots, video and cinema production, and radio/TV spot creation.
• cm2dpi A multi-platform desktop application (mac/pc) for converting image resolutions to sizes and vice versa based on intended use: internet, press, or publishing. Customizable.
• Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) Research tool created by professors Francisco Pons (University of Oslo) and Paul L. Harris (Harvard University) to evaluate children's understanding of emotions. Available in versions 1.0 and 1.2; upcoming 2.0 in development. Includes instruction manuals, illustrated books for boys and girls, results pages, and SPSS syntax for data analysis.
• Emotion Assessment (EA 1.0) Research tool created by professors Francisco Pons (University of Oslo) and Paul L. Harris (Harvard University) for pre-evaluating emotion comprehension in young children.
• Test Aha Erlebnisse (1.0) Research tool created by Professor Rolf Reber and Mathilde Halingstad Prenevost (University of Oslo) for evaluating insight in children at different ages.

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Éditions FavrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA key long-standing partner in publishing and book production. Éditions Favre is the largest French-language publisher in Switzerland, collaborating with Francfort Communication on numerous book and catalog projects including the Muséum de Genève bicentennial, Benoît Violier culinary publications, and academic research tools.
• Pierre-Michel Delessert (Photographer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA professional photographer collaborating with the agency on editorial photography for books and publications, including RTS TV spot production and book photography.
• Media Planning PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration partners for media planning services, extending the agency's capabilities into advertising media buying and placement.
• Publishing and Production PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork of partners for video and film shooting, radio and TV spot production, and book publishing services, enabling the agency to offer full audiovisual production capabilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TBWA Switzerland: Global creative network's Swiss operations offering brand strategy, advertising, and digital services. Comparable as a Swiss creative agency serving enterprise clients, but with international network reach and scale advantages.
• Havas Switzerland: Global network's Swiss operations offering advertising, communications, and media services. Comparable to Francfort as a creative agency serving Swiss institutional and commercial clients across multiple channels, though with substantially broader capabilities.
• Jung von Matt: Major Swiss-German creative agency with Zurich offices, offering brand strategy, advertising, and digital services. Comparable as a Swiss creative agency serving institutional and commercial clients, but at substantially larger scale and with a broader international footprint.
• Serviceplan Group: Large European independent agency group with Swiss presence offering full-service marketing, advertising, and digital solutions. Comparable as a multilingual, full-service creative agency serving institutional clients across Switzerland and Europe, though operating at much larger scale.
• Wirz Group: One of the largest independent advertising agencies in Switzerland, offering full-service advertising, digital, and media services. Comparable to Francfort as a Swiss-headquartered creative agency serving enterprise clients, though Wirz operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Scholz & Friends: European creative agency with Swiss presence, offering brand strategy, advertising, and digital communication services. Comparable as a multilingual European creative agency serving institutional clients, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Publicis Groupe Switzerland: Global advertising network's Swiss operations offering integrated advertising, digital, and media services. Comparable as a Swiss advertising agency serving institutional and enterprise clients, but with vastly greater scale, networks, and digital capabilities.

Emerging players

• Alphalex (Swiss publishing/design firm): Swiss graphic design and publishing services firm. Comparable as a small Swiss firm offering design and book production services to institutional clients, though typically with a different specialization focus.

Others

• Éditions Favre: Largest French-language publisher in Switzerland and a strategic partner of Francfort Communication. Comparable as a collaborator in Swiss publishing and book production, though operating as a publisher rather than a design agency.

Regional players

• Atelier Iris (Geneva creative studio): Geneva-based independent creative studio offering graphic design, branding, and communication services. Comparable as a small Swiss Romandie-based creative agency serving similar SMB and institutional clients, though with a different service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/francfort-communication

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Francfort Communication