Jones Knowles Ritchie
Design-led creative company
Contributing Sustainable Development Goals
Background
JKR is one of the world’s most renowned branding and design agencies. Founded in 1990, it is now over 300 strong with offices in London, New York and Shanghai.
JKR designs brands for scale, disruption and good. Since its inception, it has partnered with global leaders including AB InBev, Kraft Heinz, and Mars Inc through to category disruptors including Hippeas, Ugly and The Gut Stuff. It delivers the very highest quality of creative work and strategic thinking to its clients around the world and is a highly valued partner with deeply embedded C-suite relationships.
JKR is consistently recognised at leading industry awards, including Most Awarded Design Group at D&AD and Studio of the Year at Dieline, and it was also awarded a highly prestigious Gold Cannes Lion in 2021 for its global rebrand of Burger King.
GCP partnered with Guy Lambert (Global CEO), Tosh Hall (Chief Creative Officer) and their team, to allow JKR’s founders to leave the business and for the business to remain proudly independent. GCP has taken a minority stake in JKR; the majority of the equity and control of the Board remains with JKR’s team. With GCP’s support the leadership team have the freedom to continue growing the business whilst maintaining its special culture and focus on creative quality.
Our investment partnership
The increased importance of brand at the board level is shifting the focus, and budgets, towards strategic design agencies to drive real benefits for clients, particularly to agencies with the ability to create distinct visual communications.
JKR is led by an outstanding Global CEO and Chief Creative Officer, with exceptional teams at each office, and has a unique approach and empowering culture. It has a strong track record of growth with both existing and new clients, expanding geographically and developing new capabilities and is well set to continue to thrive.
Strategic support through our Growth Toolkit
Since our investment we have closely supported the team in achieving numerous strategic growth initiatives, in line with our Growth Toolkit and Network:
Strategic Clarity
Business Shape
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Strategy - Refinement of JKR’s long term strategic plan and articulation of its distinct proposition and position in the market
- Focused new business efforts to expand credibility into new sectors including Financial Servcies, Technology, Healthcare, Media & Entertainment
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International Expansion - Supported the expansion into the US, which has become a key growth market
Proposition
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Product Strategy - Capability expansion including UI/UX, Motion and 3D/CGI
Accelerating Growth
Commercial
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Sales/GTM - Reset of the sales structure; launched a new website; investment in studio management software
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Pricing/Revenue Model - Our flexible funding approach allows for a low level of debt and so the best possible platform for growth
People & Organisation
Leadership
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Senior Team - Investment in Creative Talent – including most recently three Group Creative Directors in New York
- Successful transition of CEO the three key leaders (CEO, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Growth Officer) are now all located in the US
- Appointment of a new Chair
Talent & Culture
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People Function - Development of wider team remuneration and equity incentives
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Recruitment Engine - Recruitment of JKR’s first Global Chief Talent Officer, an enlarged recruitment team, an MD in New York and CEO China
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L&D - Investment in DEI training, L&D and
- Ongoing investment in world class talent through the business
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Academy - Investment in the JKR Spark academy programme
Delivering the Best Outcome
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High-Quality Delivery - Introducing Board level contacts with potential new clients