UNIQUE relations

What UNIQUE relations does

UNIQUE relations is a Vienna-based boutique public relations and strategic communications consultancy operating as Unique Public Relations GmbH, founded by Josef Kalina and headquartered at Forum Schönbrunn in Vienna's 12th district. The firm provides a full-service communications offering across strategic consulting and positioning, corporate communications, brand and product PR, social media and online PR, event management, crisis PR, storytelling, coaching and media training, publishing, and public affairs.

The agency serves an enterprise-heavy client roster spanning technology (Xiaomi CEE & Nordic), aviation (Wizz Air), rail transport (Westbahn), food retail (Bäckerei DerMann), energy (Energie Steiermark), consumer goods (Reckitt), healthcare (Rudolfinerhaus), tourism (Vienna Sightseeing Tours), education (Singapore Management University), and premium wine (Domaine 1196). Service delivery is direct-to-client on a project or retainer basis, with no disclosed pricing or revenue figures. Geographic reach covers DACH plus Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordics, materially extended by a 2011 strategic partnership with Hill + Knowlton that provides access to roughly 90 global offices.

The firm's competitive positioning is built on three reinforcing assets: (1) the 2014 UNIQUE research spin-off co-founded with pollster Peter Hajek, which adds reputation analysis and survey work to the PR stack; (2) the proprietary 'UNIQUE talk' event series, which functions as both a thought-leadership platform and a top-of-funnel marketing channel; and (3) a portfolio of 2023 industry awards (Green Marketing GOLD, Austrian Event Award GOLD, AUSTRIACUS SILVER and BRONZE). Ownership remains 100% founder-held by Josef Kalina, with Anna Kalina-Mahr and Michael Kochwalter as additional Managing Directors and approximately 12-15 total staff.

Name

UNIQUE relations

Legal name

Unique Public Relations GmbH

Website

https://unique-relations.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vienna-based boutique PR and strategic communications consultancy serving enterprise clients across technology, aviation, transport, energy, consumer goods, healthcare, and tourism with full-service PR, social media, events, crisis communications, and public affairs. Operates as founder-owned firm with Hill + Knowlton partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B) (BPAFADAH), Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN), Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

Keywords

• Public relations consulting
• Corporate communications
• Social media management
• Crisis communications
• Public affairs advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. PR Consulting Services: B2B professional services revenue generated through ongoing PR consulting engagements, strategic communications advisory, corporate communications, brand and product PR, crisis PR, storytelling, coaching, and media training for corporate clients and organizations.
2. Social Media Services: Social media management and online PR services, including content creation, community management, and social media strategy for clients.
3. Events Management: Organization and execution of corporate events, panel discussions (UNIQUE talk series), product launches, and promotional events for clients.
4. Public Affairs Consulting: Government relations and public affairs advisory services, helping clients navigate political and regulatory environments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UNIQUE relations is a Vienna-based B2B PR and communications consultancy that advises and supports corporate, institutional, and premium-brand clients on strategic communication and market positioning. Its core offerings span strategic consulting, corporate communications, brand and product PR, social media and online PR, event organization, crisis PR, storytelling, media training and coaching, publishing, and public affairs. The agency also runs the proprietary "UNIQUE talk" panel discussion series as a thought-leadership and client-engagement platform.

Product overview

UNIQUE relations is a Vienna-based PR agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of communication and public relations consulting services. The agency operates as a single unified service offering organized around core competencies including strategic consulting, corporate communications, brand and product PR, social media management, event organization, crisis communications, storytelling, media training, publishing, and public affairs. The company also organizes its own event series called 'UNIQUE talk' featuring expert discussions on current topics in Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Consulting & Positioning Strategic consulting services that help corporate and institutional clients define and execute their communications strategy and market positioning. Targeted at organizations seeking senior-level advisory on reputation, narrative, and stakeholder engagement.
• Corporate Communications End-to-end internal and external corporate communications programs for organizations, including messaging frameworks, executive communications, and ongoing corporate narrative management. Used by enterprise clients such as Xiaomi CEE & Nordic and Energie Steiermark.
• Brand and Product PR Public relations services supporting brand development and product promotion campaigns, including launch communications, media outreach, and ongoing brand storytelling. Used for clients such as Xiaomi (product PR) and Domaine 1196 (premium brand communications).
• Social Media and Online-PR Social media management and online PR services, including content strategy, content creation, community management, and online reputation management for clients. Delivered across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other digital channels.
• Events Event organization and management services for corporate and public events, including press conferences, product launches, panel discussions, and promotional events. Used to deliver the agency's own UNIQUE talk series and client events such as SMU City Dialogues Vienna.
• Crisis PR Crisis communication management and response services for organizations facing public relations emergencies, including issue monitoring, message development, and spokesperson coordination.
• Storytelling Narrative development and content creation services for brand storytelling, helping clients articulate a coherent narrative across corporate, brand, and product communications.
• Coaching and Media Training Media training and coaching services that prepare executives and spokespersons for media interactions, including interview preparation, message discipline, and on-camera coaching.
• Publishing Publishing services for newsletters, magazines, and other editorial content, supporting client thought-leadership and stakeholder communications.
• Public Affairs Government relations and public affairs consulting services, helping clients navigate political, regulatory, and stakeholder environments in Austria. Listed as a dedicated service line on the agency website.
• UNIQUE talk Event Series Proprietary panel discussion event series organized by UNIQUE relations covering current topics in Austrian politics, business, and society (e.g. budget policy, ESC impact on Vienna, women's empowerment, healthcare, AI, sustainable urban development). Used as a thought-leadership platform and client-relations asset.

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 core.

• UNIQUE researchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014UNIQUE research is a market and opinion research institute founded in 2014 by Josef Kalina (UNIQUE relations owner) and Peter Hajek. The research institute specializes in reputation analyses, trend research, Design Thinking, and surveys, providing data-driven insights that complement UNIQUE relations' communications services.
• Hill + KnowltoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011UNIQUE relations has been an official partner of Hill+Knowlton since 2011, making them part of one of the largest global PR agency networks. With nearly 90 locations worldwide, this partnership provides the agency with international reach and resources while maintaining its boutique character.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Grayling: European-headquartered communications consultancy with strong public affairs and corporate PR capabilities. Operates in Austria and competes for technology, transport, and public-sector mandates that overlap with UNIQUE relations' portfolio.
• Ketchum: Global communications consultancy with a presence in Austria offering corporate communications, brand PR, and digital strategy. Directly competes with UNIQUE relations for enterprise and public-sector accounts in the DACH region, but operates at materially larger scale across many markets.
• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with an Austrian office serving corporate, consumer, and public affairs clients. Competes on the same enterprise accounts (e.g., Xiaomi, Wizz Air, energy and healthcare majors) that UNIQUE relations targets, but offers global scale and broader service lines.
• FleishmanHillard: Omnicom-owned global PR network with DACH presence across corporate communications, public affairs, and brand PR. Competes for many of the same enterprise and public-sector clients in Austria and offers deeper international reach.
• Havas PR: Global PR network within Havas Group with a German-speaking market presence. Competes for integrated corporate communications and brand PR engagements, similar to UNIQUE relations' full-service positioning.
• MSL Group: Publicis-owned global PR network operating in Austria and CEE. Competes on corporate communications, public affairs, and influencer marketing engagements that overlap with UNIQUE relations' service portfolio.

Direct peers

• Hotter Brand Communication: Vienna-based brand and communication agency offering PR, social media, and brand consulting. Most directly comparable peer in size and geography, competing for similar Austrian enterprise and consumer brand accounts.
• Hill+Knowlton: Global PR network that has been UNIQUE relations' official partner since 2011, providing access to ~90 offices worldwide. While the partnership is mutual, H+K also competes directly for large international PR mandates in the DACH and CEE markets UNIQUE relations serves.
• Farner Consulting: Swiss-headquartered PR and communications consultancy with Austrian footprint offering corporate communications, public affairs, and brand strategy. Closely comparable boutique-agency style competing in the same DACH enterprise and public-sector space.
• we do communication: Vienna-based communications agency providing PR, corporate communications, and event management. Directly comparable boutique peer targeting similar Austrian enterprise and public-sector clients with overlapping service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unique-relations
• Instagraminstagram.com/unique_relations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 UNIQUE relations