Icon Added Value Opens Second German Office

Brand equity management and research-based consultancy Icon Added Value (IAV), part of WPP's Kantar division, has opened a second German office near Hamburg. Its German headquarters are in Nuremberg.

Founded in 1993, the firm is a member of the global Added Value group, which now has 23 offices in 14 countries. The new office, in Kaiserkai, Hamburg will be led by Andreas Ebeling, who for the past four years has led the firm's Innovation Team, while also developing its qualitative offer. Before joining the company, he was Management Supervisor at TBWA for six years.

Ebeling will be supported by existing colleague Marcus Arend and new hires Martin Eick and Christina Heinl.

Arend, who is a specialist in brand equity, concept testing and brand and communication tracking, previously worked in the Nuremberg office.

Eick specialises in online methodologies, with experience gained while working at H, T, P Concept and MetrixLab; while Heinl joins with a background in both sociology and insight.

The team will work closely with the Nuremberg office, but will also focus on qualitative insight, cultural insight and innovation, as well as use of the business's new online qual innovation platform AV-id, and its brand personality definition tool Character Lab.

Christoph Prox, Icon Added Value CEO, says: 'Compared to our European neighbours, Germany is de-centrally organised. With the new office we are closer to our clients in the north and are now able to enhance our service to them. In addition we will be able to make use of the excellent contacts we have in the region to support and grow the business.'

Web site: www.icon-added-value.com .