FischerAppelt is a Hamburg communications and creative agency group founded in 1986 by brothers Andreas and Bernhard Fischer-Appelt. It combines PR, digital, design, advertising and content work, and trade press has described it as an owner-managed group. PRovoke Media's 2024 Global 250 ranking lists it 48th, with 520 staff and $74.8 million in 2023 fee income.
Updated: October 27, 2026
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What does FischerAppelt do?
FischerAppelt provides PR, digital, design, advertising and content services to companies, with a PR core that dates to its founding. Horizont reported in 2016 that the founders were glad of the agency's PR origins, saying the PR heritage gives it a strong base for content and influencer marketing.
- PR and corporate communications through its relations unit.
- Digital and e-commerce work, historically through its Fork Unstable Media unit.
- Design, advertising and film, including the Ligalux design unit and the Philipp und Keuntje advertising agency.
The model of PR plus creative under one owner-run group is shared by few independents on Everything-PR, though Coyne PR and Padilla agency profile offer a comparable mix of PR and integrated services at smaller scale.
Who owns and leads FischerAppelt?
FischerAppelt is led by its founders, Bernhard Fischer-Appelt and Andreas Fischer-Appelt, and has been described by trade press as owner-managed. turi2 lists Bernhard as founder and CEO and Andreas as founder and board member of the group.
In a September 2016 Horizont interview, Bernhard Fischer-Appelt said the two brothers were the sole owners of the AG and that selling the agency was not an option for either of them, though they were open to changing the model if it made sense. That is the most recent ownership statement found in the sources reviewed, so readers should confirm the current shareholder structure with the company.
How big is FischerAppelt?
PRovoke Media's 2024 Global 250 lists FischerAppelt 48th with $74,800,000 in 2023 fee income and 520 staff, down 3.2 percent in US dollars from 2022. The ranking uses 2023 figures, a year older than the O'Dwyer's data on the U.S. profiles.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|
| Founded | 1986, by Andreas and Bernhard Fischer-Appelt |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany |
| Staff | 520 (PRovoke Media 2024 ranking) |
| 2023 fee income | $74,800,000 (PRovoke Media 2024 ranking) |
| PRovoke 2024 global rank | 48th |
| Ownership | Owner-managed; founders sole owners as of a 2016 interview |
Earlier figures show the group's growth: Horizont reported fee volume of €42 million and about 500 staff for 2015, and a 2019 German PR ranking by PR-Journal listed the group first with €82.7 million and 714 staff. Those figures use different scopes from PRovoke's. See the PRovoke Media 2024 Global 250.
What are FischerAppelt's key milestones?
FischerAppelt's documented milestones are a 2019 acquisition, a 2019 industry award and a 2020 board change. The table lists them newest first, as reported by Horizont and W&V.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|
| 2020 | Digital board member Franziska von Lewinski leaves the board; her duties are shared among the remaining four board members (Horizont) |
| 2019 | W&V names the group Agency of the Year after its Philipp und Keuntje acquisition (W&V) |
| 2019 | Acquires a majority of the Hamburg advertising agency Philipp und Keuntje (Horizont) |
| 2016 | Marks 30 years since its founding, with about 500 staff (Horizont) |
How does FischerAppelt compare with peers?
FischerAppelt reports lower 2023 fee income and a smaller staff than Ruder Finn, and higher fee income and a larger staff than Padilla and Coyne PR. All figures use PRovoke Media's 2023 data.
| Firm | Base | Ownership | 2023 fee income (PRovoke) | Staff (PRovoke) |
|---|
| FischerAppelt | Hamburg, Germany | Owner-managed | $74,800,000 | 520 |
| Ruder Finn | New York, NY | Independent | $175,500,000 | 1,220 |
| Padilla agency profile | Minneapolis, MN | Owned by Avenir Global | $45,849,220 | 184 |
| Coyne PR | Parsippany, NJ | Independent | $37,500,000 | 170 |
For every firm profiled on the site, see the PR firms directory.
