Interview with Andreas Hannemann (TRG) & Jürgen Rösger (IMG)

In our exclusive conversation, two visionaries of the digital marketing industry come together: Andreas Hannemann, Group CEO of The Relevance Group (TRG), and Jürgen Rösger, CEO of Interactive Marketing Group (IMG).

Since September 2024, IMG has been a member of The Relevance Group network, significantly enriching the group's portfolio in the areas of Digital Business, Customer Experience, Organic Growth, and Data Analytics.

In the interview, the two CEOs discuss the synergies and challenges of their partnership, the importance of relevance in an oversaturated information world, and their shared vision for the future of digital marketing.

Jürgen, tell us: Who is IMG, what is your mission, and how do you support your customers? What is your area of specialization?

Jürgen: The story of IMG is closely tied to my own. I’ve been working in marketing and sales for over 40 years, with the last 25 years mainly in the digital sector. During this time, I’ve observed a massive increase in the flow of information—consumers today are exposed to about 14,000 brand messages daily, far beyond our cognitive capacity.

I experienced firsthand, from the business side, how difficult it has become to integrate customers into a brand’s world. That’s why I founded IMG, with the goal of optimizing digital customer journeys, always focusing on improving the performance and financial results of our clients, even in saturated and highly competitive markets.

Our mission is to help companies shift from a product-centric to a consumer-centric mindset, driven by data. We analyze consumer needs and then offer tailored solutions that fit their use cases better. As a result, the likelihood that consumers engage with the offerings increases significantly.

What led you to form this partnership?

Andreas: From our perspective, a partnership is like a funnel process—you get many proposals and then check which company fits best with you. With IMG, it quickly became clear that they don’t just offer communication; they develop it based on data and analytics. They start with the question, “Why?” They establish clear goals and then develop digital customer journeys that are helpful to the end customer. A core element of our collaboration is the data-driven understanding and relevance of communication from the customer’s perspective.

Our first conversation showed us that we think similarly—and that’s crucial. For us, it’s important to think outside the box and work together to create a better solution.

Moreover, there are two other key factors we consider when entering a partnership: First, the “brain”—we need people who think ahead and want to develop further. Second, the “team”—we must stick together through thick and thin. A simple test is: Would I want to have a beer (or even just water) with these people in the evening? And with IMG, we answered that with a clear “yes,” because we quickly recognized that they had the team spirit we were looking for.

And you also wanted to have a beer with Andreas, Jürgen.

Jürgen: (laughs) We already have. Over the years, you get approached time and again with the idea of joining forces. So far, it never worked out because it often happened during phases when companies were acquiring others just to add more people to their team. With Andreas and his team, it was different. First, we were immediately drawn to the name “The Relevance Group”—here were people who saw the world through the same lens as we did. Finally, we had a framework for our product, the relevance analysis.

Second, we knew: we can’t change the market alone. It takes a lot of persuasion, especially with decision-makers who need to change their perspective to stay successful.

And third: the way Andreas and we communicated. I now have a strict criterion: Could I imagine sitting next to these people on a long-haul flight, for six to eight hours? The answer is what you see today.

Andreas, looking to the future, which areas of TRG do you want to expand or develop further?

Andreas: The question is always: How far do you go? We’re well positioned right now, and I’m not worried if a client requires everything from us. However, there are areas we want to strengthen, particularly in the “ideation, strategy, data strategy” quadrant—providing consulting services that we can concretely implement. Additionally, we don’t just want to be number one in Germany but also in Europe. We aim to expand into regions like Benelux, D-A-CH, the Iberian Peninsula, and explore other options.

For this, we’re developing a technological platform that allows us to work directly with all partners, ensuring seamless access to all services and capabilities.

Jürgen, how does IMG complement TRG’s service portfolio?

Jürgen: We are deeply involved in the strategic alignment of our clients, especially in shaping their customer journeys. Customer experience excellence will be one of the few differentiators in the future, and companies need to learn that the digital customer journey is a key component. IMG brings everything needed to design and implement these, particularly based on data logic. With TRG, we can now tackle much larger projects than we could in the past.

What are your goals for IMG in the coming year?

Jürgen: One of our main goals is to understand how to scale projects within companies. In the past, we lacked the resources for this. Additionally, we want to approach customers more holistically, now that we can think internationally.