Appoints Stockholm-based BBS Group to Strengthen New Regional ICOM Team
ICOM, a global network of independent advertising and marketing communications agencies, is gearing up in the lands of the midnight sun, with the appointment of BBS Group, Stockholm, to represent the network in Sweden.
BBS Group is an important component of a new ICOM Nordic Unit designed to generate shared business among the region’s members as well as to offer a seamless Nordic service to ICOM agencies in other countries for their clients that may be new to the region or want to enter it. The newest ICOM member consists of four agencies specializing in different disciplines, all growing well and expanding: Berntzon Bylund, offering creative and strategic advertising services; Mindmakers PR, experts in public relations; Socialminds, a social media agency; and Wonderland Event agency. The ICOM Nordic team is now composed of four BBS Group agencies in Sweden, Brandhouse Group in Denmark, and Avalon and Super Analytics, both in Finland. ICOM is currently interviewing agencies in Norway to complete its Nordic offering.
After an extensive recruitment process, BBS Group stood out among candidates in a number of ways, said ICOM Executive Director Emma Keenan. "The award-winning agency group has a broad service offering; they handle several strong international brands including Burger King, LinkedIn, Porsche and SAS airlines; they have a strong and growing successful business model; and an excellent local reputation," she said. Another plus is BBS Group's eagerness to work with partners to actively pitch for pan-Nordic business, Keenan said.
From BBS Group's perspective, it's a match worth waiting for. "We have been looking for a Nordic and international connection for some years," said Joachim Berntzon, BBS Group co-founder- owner and a managing partner along with Hans Bylund and Christina Saliba. "We have finally found a great partner in ICOM because they are a global network of entrepreneurs and independent agencies that have the same values as we do," said Berntzon, who serves as CEO of ad agency Berntzon Bylund. Saliba serves as CEO of Mindmakers PR; Bylund is Berntzon Bylund creative director.
Berntzon and Bylund first met members of the other agencies at the network's last world meeting in Copenhagen in May, where the mutual attraction and fit were evident.
Stiig Helgens Binggeli, CEO of Copenhagen-based Brandhouse Group, a recognized marketing communications expert on advising clients about customers and their needs, said BBS is similar to his agency in many respects. "That makes it easier for us to share and help clients. The more alike and likeminded our agencies are, the easier it is to align the brands in different markets."
Kati Lanu, CEO, Avalon, added, "We have been hoping for a strong partner in Sweden for a while now in order to meet our clients' needs for a truly Nordic offering. In a short time, we have already talked quite a bit with our newest partner about how we will work together to approach business opportunities across the region."
According to norden.org, if all countries are combined, the Nordics become the world's 11th largest economy and because they are all small, open economies, the countries have always had an international orientation, and foreign trade has great economic significance.
"Even though our countries have strong bonds, we are not at all one market," Berntzon said. "That’s why we have been looking for partners that share our passion and style. What clients really need are local agencies that are flexible and free to provide the best possible advice that conforms to overall strategies and guidelines and that have a good working relationship with similar local agencies in other markets," he said.
"That's why we are so delighted to be a part of ICOM."
ABOUT ICOM
ICOM is a global network of independent advertising and marketing communications agencies, with 80-plus member agencies covering 95% of the world's markets. The network empowers global collaboration and brings people around the world closer to brands through connected thinking. Annual gross income exceeds US$500 million.
ABOUT BBS GROUP
Stockholm-based BBS Group is the parent of four specialist communications agencies working together to provide deep insights to clients across the whole media landscape: Berntzon Bylund, one of Sweden's top strategic and award-winning creative agencies; Mindmakers PR, offering creative solutions from analyses to implementation of activities across a range of PR disciplines; Social Minds, providing everything from shout-outs to hashtags to content as well as engaging famous faces as brand ambassadors; and Wonderland Event, an agency that builds creative events designed to engage.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Emma Keenan, ICOM executive director,
[email protected], 33-6- 63-48- 01-37
Nancy Giges, ICOM media relations director,
[email protected], 1-914- 683-5108