Brand and communication consultancy i-sekai launches in Germany

i-sekai, a Munch- and Berlin-based consultancy firm, has opened its superpower-tinged doors.

The firm, founded by former Edelman executives Cornelia Kunze and Moritz Kaffsack, offers strategic and creative services, in contrast to Edelman’s PR executions, to in-house teams from global companies. The firm will rely on support from independent agencies, creating an ecosystem able to support a range of client needs. 

“There are so many senior people locally who have left the agency system and are working independently – agencies are losing talent. There is so much technology now that enables us to work together like an agency without overheads. We don’t do pitches or retainers, just project work. We can decide to work with people we like and who have the same philosophy, on strategic client work rather than management tasks, and there aren’t quite so many Excel spreadsheets,” Kunze said in an interview with the Holmes Report.

Kunze has worked for 25 years across Europe and Asia, for clients such as Mars, Unilever, Shell, Microsoft, P&G, Adidas, and Hilton. She is also a university lecturer on international community management. Kaffsack has worked as a consultant with Edelman for 12 years, focusing on the local market strategies of Pfizer, Starbucks, and Mitsubishi Hitachi in Asia and the Middle East

The launch of i-sekai comes at a time when networks of independents are rapidly gaining ground in professional services – a sector traditionally dominated by large firms. In accounting, the Big Four (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC) are increasingly challenged by freelancer groups, while in management consulting, networks such as Talmix and Comatch are attempting to revamp the way clients buy consultancy services for some of their most pressing challenges.

The word “i-sekai” refers to a subgenre of Japanese fantasy manga, anime, video games, and other art in which the protagonist travels or is trapped in an alternate or parallel universe, where he or she has special powers. This falls in line with the firm’s promise to help its clients develop abilities, such as “absolute creativity”, “ultra-speed,” and “clairvoyance” – that will improve companies’ reputations and services by building trust with and adding value to society.