From 65th to 63rd place, which sounds unspectacular at first, but proves stable growth in the midst of a turbulent market environment. After all, anyone who has experienced the last few months in the digital sector knows that the rapid (further) development of AI models means that success parameters are changing almost on a weekly basis.
AI or no interest: When it comes to artificial intelligence, there are agencies that are forging ahead with modern solutions and others that are struggling, with some disappearing from the scene altogether. For us, 63rd place in the current internet agency ranking of the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW) is therefore one thing above all: a figure that also symbolises stability, strength and healthy growth.
AI as a Game Changer – and a Barometer
The main focus of Modern Marketing Makers over the last two years has been the use of artificial intelligence. Not as a buzzword, but as a tool that fundamentally changes processes, creation and customer communication. Matthias Bierich is convinced: “Those who use AI strategically will gain speed, precision and new creative possibilities. Those who ignore it will lose out.”
At schalk&friends, AI-supported tools are already an integral part of workflows – from content strategy and automation to data-driven campaign optimisation. In the course of several customer projects, we have already worked with innovative AI features that were customised to internal processes and company goals. These include, for example, an AI-controlled landing page builder with integrated research, image and text creation functions based on a brand language. This creates landing pages within a few hours.
Although the efficiency gains are obvious, the following still applies: AI is not a sure-fire success. It only works if the technical infrastructure is right, if data flows cleanly and people use it strategically and wisely. This is precisely where the sustainable added value of our framework becomes apparent: it is the flexible basis for quickly realisable measures in a highly dynamic industry.
Integration instead of a patchwork
Another realisation that Managing Director and technology expert Alex Reinhold has confirmed over the past year: “If you don’t tidy up your IT infrastructure, you’ll miss the boat. Systems must be optimally harmonised and fit the corporate strategy – only then can they develop their full potential.”
It is not uncommon for even successful companies to carry out marketing only sporadically or to patch up old IT infrastructures with modern patches. Although this is often cheaper in the short term, the true costs only become apparent in the long term. Ales Reinhold has a clear opinion on this: “Those who only treat symptoms ignore the causes. And if you don’t utilise the possibilities of your own IT and don’t develop the potential of your marketing, you will lose target groups even before you have their attention.”
What’s in store for 2026?
Matthias Bierich favours realism and confidence: “The industry will not calm down. New regulations, increasing requirements for data protection and accessibility, the ongoing shortage of skilled labour – the challenges remain. But that’s exactly what we’re here for.”
“Our aim is not just to help our customers keep up, but to lead the way,” says the marketing and communications expert. “With well thought-out strategies, modern technology and a highly specialised, competent team. For us, 63rd place is a reason to celebrate and at the same time an incentive to continue this trend. A big thank you to everyone who made this possible: our team, our customers, our friends and partners!”
Modern Marketing Makers with Substance
Consult. Code. Create. Care. The four pillars of our holistically designed service portfolio can be flexibly tailored to a wide variety of projects and digital strategies. We don’t focus (exclusively) on quick fixes, but on real substance. The result: our clients trust us, our team delivers, and the agency has been known for modern, future-proof technologies and strategies in Munich for more than a quarter of a century.
“What has made us strong in 2025 and 2026 is our ability to see complex challenges as opportunities,” says Matthias Bierich, Managing Director at schalk&friends. “Now more than ever, companies need partners who not only understand how marketing works, but also how technology, strategy and creativity need to work together.”
To the internet agency ranking
The annual Internet Agency Ranking has been the industry barometer for German digital agencies since 2001. It is compiled by the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW) together with iBusiness, Horizont and Werben & Verkaufen. With 63rd place in the overall ranking, schalk&friends is one of the most important digital agencies in Germany.
