USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications

What USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications does

USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications is a strategic communications consultancy founded in 2021 by Ulrich Stockheim and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, with a secondary office in Munich. The firm serves C-suite executives of publicly traded companies, owners of family businesses, managing directors of mid-sized enterprises, and public figures in politics, sports, media, and society. Its core service portfolio comprises six lines: crisis communication (including 24/7 crisis consulting), media relations, CEO positioning, social media consulting for executives, ESG advisory, and corporate publishing.

USC operates as a human-led professional services firm with no proprietary technology platform, delivering consulting through senior practitioners and the founder directly to executive clients. Engagements are structured as project-based assignments or retainer arrangements, with pricing provided on request rather than disclosed publicly. The firm also operates 'Reputationstalk', an in-house dialogue and podcast format featuring personalities from business, sports, media, politics, and society, distributed via YouTube and Spotify and used as a top-of-funnel thought leadership channel.

The firm is founder-owned and privately held under German law as a GmbH & Co. KG (USC Ulrich Stockheim Communications GmbH & Co. KG), with no institutional investors, partnerships, or acquisition activity disclosed. Founder Ulrich Stockheim brings more than 30 years of communications experience, including roles as a financial journalist and US bureau chief for CAPITAL magazine, Managing Director at DSW's publishing arm, founder of Stockheim Media GmbH (later merged into Instinctif Partners), and Chief Communications Officer of Fortune 500 company AGCO. A multigenerational team of approximately 8–10 consultants supports clients across Germany, Europe, and the United States.

Name

USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications

Legal name

USC Ulrich Stockheim Communications GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://us-communications.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications is a Cologne-based strategic communications consultancy founded in 2021, serving C-suite executives, family businesses, and mid-sized enterprises with crisis communication, CEO positioning, media relations, ESG advisory, and corporate publishing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Professional services revenue derived from consulting engagements with corporate executives, organizations, and institutions. Services include crisis communication, CEO positioning, media relations, social media consulting, ESG advisory, and corporate publishing. Engagements appear to be project-based or retainer arrangements with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications is a strategic communications consultancy that advises C-suite executives, companies, and institutions in high-stakes situations. Its portfolio covers crisis communication with 24/7 support, CEO positioning, media relations, social media consulting, ESG communication advisory, and corporate publishing, delivered by a senior consultant team led by founder Ulrich Stockheim.

Product overview

USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications is a strategic communications consultancy offering a portfolio of human-led advisory services. The core offerings include Crisis Communication (Krisenkommunikation), Media Relations, CEO Positioning, Social Media consulting, ESG Consulting, and Corporate Publishing. These services are delivered through a team of experienced consultants led by founder Ulrich Stockheim. The firm also operates an in-house format called Reputationstalk for thought leadership dialogues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reputation Talk: An in-house dialogue format for conversation and meaningful exchange with personalities from business, sports, media, politics, and society, discussing communication, values, and public impact.

Products and services

• Krisenkommunikation (Crisis Communication) Strategic crisis communication services including 24/7 crisis consulting, scenario analysis, media relations, monitoring, and coordination during critical situations such as accidents, cyber attacks, product recalls, management crises, fraud, compliance violations, M&A transactions, and workforce changes. Intended for executives, companies, and institutions facing reputation-threatening events.

Named customers3 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global communications firm with a strong German footprint offering corporate communications, crisis, and CEO advisory. Represents the broad incumbent end of the strategic communications spectrum against which boutique operators like USC compete for enterprise mandates.
• FleishmanHillard: Large global public relations and communications agency with corporate, crisis, and public affairs practices. Provides direct competition in the German market for enterprise communications engagements, though at much broader scale than USC.
• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications firm specializing in critical issues, M&A, capital markets, and CEO advisory. Represents the larger, multi-office incumbent against which USC competes for premium strategic communications mandates, especially in cross-border situations.
• FGS Global (Finsbury Glover Hering): Global strategic communications advisory formed from the merger of Finsbury, Glover Park, and Hering Schuppener. Broad incumbent offering strategic counsel, crisis, capital markets, and public affairs — directly comparable to USC's premium positioning at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Instinctif Partners: International strategic communications consultancy where founder Ulrich Stockheim was previously on the Executive Committee. Offers corporate communications, capital markets, and public affairs — directly comparable business model and client profile to USC, with relevant historical connection through the founder.
• Kekst CNC: International strategic communications consultancy advising CEOs, boards, and investors on M&A, crises, and corporate positioning. Directly comparable to USC in service offerings, target clientele, and premium positioning, with stronger international reach.
• Hering Schuppener Consulting: Leading German strategic communications consulting firm serving DAX executives with corporate communications, financial communications, and CEO positioning. Closest direct competitor to USC in the German-speaking strategic comms segment, with a similar enterprise client focus and premium-tier positioning.
• CNC Communications & Network Consulting: German strategic communications consultancy specializing in CEO positioning, crisis communication, and corporate communications for listed companies and family businesses. Direct competitor with overlapping service portfolio and similar boutique positioning in Germany.
• Deekeling Arndt Advisors: Boutique German strategic communications and public affairs consultancy focused on corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Comparable to USC in target market (C-suite, listed companies) and service mix (CEO positioning, media relations).

Regional players

• curatio with science (formerly known as Faktenkontor): German consulting firm focused on strategic communications, public relations, and digital communications for mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable mid-sized German competitor offering overlapping services in CEO communications and corporate positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usc-ulrich-stockheim-communications

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 USC – Ulrich Stockheim Communications