Having studied applied economics, Sten Franke founded the group of companies in 1998 and, since then, has been designing communication and marketing strategies for companies operating at national and international levels. As early as 1999, he discerned the potential of digital word of mouth for both opinion research and positioning brands and products online. He can be seen as one of the pioneers in the development of systematic internet monitoring systems (gridpatrol) and the build-up of a company’s digital reputation. In addition to several lectures and engagements/commitments at events concerning marketing 2.0 and opinion research, he has also administered the initiation of various studies relating to the perception of brands and products.

During his studies in international business administration at the European Business School in London and the Euro-Business-College in Hamburg, Nils operated an online company trading high quality coffee products and specialized in online marketing at an early stage. Before making his mark at various companies as a marketing expert, he served several companies while spending time in the United States, Great Britain and Vietnam. In addition to his excellent language skills in English, he is an energetic networker and, consequently, arranges partner cooperations as well.

Previously, Björn Otte operated the project management for several television and documentary productions. Being an expert in the field of company communication and very knowledgeable about Spanish culture, he conducted diverse intercultural marketing analyzes from a cultural and linguistic perspective. Björn studied linguistics and media sciences/studies at Hamburg University and at the Universidad de Extremadura (Cáceres, Spain). He holds bachelor and masters degrees and is currently working on his doctoral thesis.