EU4Business Helps Georgian Company to Become a Global Brand

Georgia’s biggest digital creative agency, Leavingstone, is eyeing international markets, having optimized its organizational structure with EU support, allowing it to meet world-class requirements.

Founded by four friends in 2010, Leavingstone was the first Georgian agency in 2015 to receive a Cannes Lion, the most notable award of the creative communications industry.

A master of the local marketing scene, Leavingstone always aimed to expand globally. But access to a new level of competitors and customers meant the team needed a better understanding of the international market.

Support came in the form of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Advice for Small Businesses program, with funding from the EU under the EU4Business initiative. The program connected the agency with an international adviser to develop a new mission statement and a handbook detailing company policies and procedures.

Now, the company aims to open an office in Berlin and launch new international projects. The agency has started cooperating with Siemens, Zeiss, Deutsche Telekom, Netflix, and the Fox Broadcasting Company.

“With an eye on international markets, our aim was to understand what makes them tick and how to attract world-class brands as partners,” says CEO Erekle Zurmukhtashvili. “The changes involving new management tools, a clear vision and the dedication to focus on local and global markets has helped us move to a new level even in this very challenging year.” 

The EU4Business Facility is an umbrella project to monitor and communicate EU Support to SMEs in the Eastern Partner countries in access to finance, improving the business enabling environment, developing SME skills and capacity and access to markets.