Aura Group

Sweden, Finland, Poland

Aura Group is an unfamiliar name for a familiar company with a rich heritage in the Swedish market. The firm was founded 30 years ago as Hallvarsson & Halvarsson and built its reputation in the corporate and financial communications arena before its sale in 2008 to US proxy solicitation giant DF King. In 2014, senior executives Johan Ramsten, Martin Petersson, Anders Halvarsson, and Staffan Lindgren led a management buyout, and the firm expanded with the acquisition of marketing and PR agency Springtime, a firm with a rich creative heritage. 

More acquisitions followed, including the establishment of a UK foothold, and the group now includes 10 firms including 150-person marketing and communications agency Comprend (which includes several of the group’s later acquisitions such as tech specialist Nordic Morning and B2B marketing firm Pyramid); Hallvarsson & Halvarsson (still focused on corporate and financial communications); social change and impact firm Intellecta; employee engagement specialist Involve; and boutique marketing agency Jung Relations, much-awarded in national and international competitions. The rebrand to the Aura name came in 2023 as the group reorganized around three  strategic pillars: trust, growth, and technology.

Over the past year, the group has developed a suite of strategic advisory services under the Aura brand, functioning as a platform for strategic partnerships with clients with complex communication needs. It acquired the AI consultancy firm Swiftly and invested in an AI driven thought-leadership content creation platform Synca. It also appointed a chief AI officer, Staffan Lindgren. Petersson continues to serve as CEO, supported by deputy CEO John Ramsten, creative guru Jerker Fagerström, H&H CEO Anna Grönlund (former CEO of JKL), CEO of Comprend Per Bruun, and senior advisor Jonas Sevenius.

While Aura Group is headquartered in Sweden, it operates internationally. Approximately 70% of its revenue comes from Swedish companies, which it serves both domestically and abroad. The balance of revenue comes from international companies seeking access to the Nordic region. Long-standing clients include Ericsson, Scania, Spotify, Samsung, Uniper, Volkswagen, Alfa Laval, SSAB, and H&M. Recent additions include Permobil, Tetra Pak, E.On, Swedish Economic Crime Authority and LKAB. Award-winning work over the past year included work with Proctor & Gamble’s Head & Shoulders brand and both financial and digital efforts for Centrica. The firm also elevated the Galaxy Z Flip into a fashion statement by partnering Swedish jewellery brand Louis Abel and worked with bakery association Brödinstitutet to make whole grain bread cool with Gen Z.—PH