OSLO—Rolf Ellingsen Aaneland, most recently managing director of the Norwegian operations of Publicis Groupe’s MSL public relations brand, has joined forces with leading Norwegian public affairs consultancy Kruse Larsen to launch aa new agency, Kime.

Kime (Norwegian for Chime) will build on Kruse Larsen’s current business by expanding its offering into corporate communications, branding and reputation. Aaneland (picctured) previously spent 10 years leading MSL in Norway, and before that was head of campaigns and creativity at Hill+Knowlton.

Kruse Larsen was founded in 2015 by Jan-Erik Larsen, a former former strategist and state secretary for Jens Stoltenberg, then the prime minister. Its first subsidiary, Pressure, was launched in 2019 and specializes in digital public affairs. The firm now has around €6 million ($6.5 million) in fees.

“We established Kime to fill the gap in the market between the primarily consumer-centric brand agencies and the public affairs-driven corporate consultancies,” says Aaneland. “Sustainability and digitalization are key drivers behind a significant growth in demand for more strategic corporate branding and reputation advisory.”

Adds Tim Peters, chief of staff at Kruse Larsen, “ We've seen a growing demand among our clients for advice on branding, reputation, and public relations that matches the high strategic level our firm is known for within public affairs.”