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March 5, 2024 · 3 min read timeA group of alumni from leading design and technology consultancies is opening a new interdisciplinary technology, branding, and strategic agency, Hi Shine. Operating in Helsinki, Stockholm and Amsterdam and with a mission to redefine cross-industry standards, the agency places a strong emphasis on shared value creation, breaking down internal business silos, and fostering collaboration, even with competitors. The agency aims to harness the opportunities offered by accelerating technological change and to prepare its customers for a future shaped by fragmented consumer demands, regulatory changes and digital development. The agency's growth is accelerated by Nitor, a pioneer in sustainable digital development and one of Finland's leading IT consulting firms.
Acknowledging the ever-changing consumer landscape, the founders of Hi Shine champion initiatives that transcend the ordinary, delivering concrete business impact while contributing meaningfully to societal well-being. Hi Shine accelerates companies' growth with its unique expertise in technology, strategy and branding and helps companies to exploit creativity, innovation and multidisciplinary cooperation in every part of the organization–beyond silos, from management to marketing and from product development to IT teams.
"The requirements for a rich customer experience and a brand rooted in transparency are increasing by the minute. To compete internationally, companies must also offer top-level customer experience, exceeding requirements, responsibility based on creating shared value and a culturally relevant brand experience," says Hi Shine CEO and founder Niclas Kristiansson. "We use the unique expertise and methodologies accumulated in top agencies with global clients to accelerate our customers' existing business and create new ventures. In addition, we create shared value with them - companies that become known as pioneers in creating shared value achieve a significant competitive advantage."
Hi Shine's internationally awarded team brings with it a wealth of industry-independent experience, as its members have spearheaded technology, branding and innovation initiatives for renowned brands such as adidas, Netflix, Liverpool FC, Carlsberg Group, Oreo, the Coca-Cola Company, IKEA and HBO. The team's experts have been recognized in nationally and internationally respected competitions, such as Cannes Lions, Red Dot Design Award, Art Directors’ Club and SXSW Innovation Awards.
The founder and CEO of Hi Shine, Niclas Kristiansson, has worked in New York and Amsterdam as the founder of Reaktor Creative. After returning to Finland, he also served as Chief Creative Experience Officer of advertising agency TBWA Helsinki. In addition, Kristiansson is one of the founders of Marmori Entertainment studio, which works to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusivity.
The founders of Hi Shine also include Timo Puronen, who served as Reaktor's Chief Architect, and Esa Hallanoro, who has worked as Creative Director in several top agencies in addition to Reaktor. Matilda Kivelä has been appointed as the agency’s Strategy Director. Kivelä has been leading the development of several well-known domestic and foreign brands. Hi Shine’s Design Director is Santeri Kekkonen, who is known for shaping some of the most iconic brands. The founding team also includes Mikko Pajulahti and Jonne Heikkinen. The pair previously founded Fourkind, a pioneering artificial intelligence agency. On top, the founding team includes Phil Readman, a design director based in Amsterdam with a strong international career.
To bolster its mission, Hi Shine is supported by Nitor, the digital engineering company operating in Finland and Sweden. Hi Shine's unique expertise in technology, branding and innovation complements Nitor's wide range of services and rises to a key position in the company's internationalization. The companies will also work closely together in the domestic Finnish market.
"The Hi Shine team has a unique and internationally impactful expertise in branding, technology and innovation, which benefits both our existing and new customers. Hi Shine is a strategically important partner for us, especially when we take sustainable digital development to international markets," enthuses Nitor's CEO Olli Auvinen.
“Nitor’s scale empowers us as bold techno-futurists. We believe that technology is the most potent tool for building a better future, and Nitor’s capabilities allow us to offer end-to-end services, from business strategy to technological solutions and creative outputs,” adds Kristiansson.
This spring, Hi Shine will celebrate its birth by organizing a month-long series of unique cross-disciplinary events in a pop-up space in downtown Helsinki with creative industry companies and communities. The program, which includes artificial intelligence, diversity in the creative sector, urban culture development and sparring of young creative professionals, will be published in full in March.
"We want to boldly bring together different industries and experts and show by our example how shared value can be produced with a low threshold and in cooperation between competing companies," Kristiansson summarizes. "Cooperation is the best way to tackle societal issues and create shared value."
