Be Closer, a new Italian communications company formed through the merger of Next14, Different and Uniting, backed by an investment of 20 million

Be Closer, a new communication company and independent Italian firm, was formed through the merger of three long-established communications firms. The project, initially spearheaded by Alberto Leonardis’s SAE Group, brought together Next14 – a pioneer in data-driven media planning – and Different – a leader in integrated communications – at the end of 2024. By the end of 2025, it had expanded further, with a €20 million investment from the private equity fund QuattroR to support its growth, and with the inclusion within the group of Uniting, a collaborative ecosystem focused on live experiences, influencer marketing and disruptive creativity.

Today, the launch of the new “Be Closer” brand marks the emergence of a new national leader in communications, with revenues of over €122 million in 2025 and the ambition to double the size of the business over the next three years through organic growth and new M&A.

“The Italian communications market,” says Marco Ferrari, CEO of Be Closer, “is worth around 17 billion euros in 2025. It is a highly fragmented market, with over 43,000 active companies, dominated by large international holding companies and undergoing a phase of profound transformation and innovation as it continues to grow. The launch of Be Closer is the response to the market’s new demands. The combined track record of three solid Italian entrepreneurial ventures converges in a single company that integrates data, human insights, creativity, media and technology into an operating system made available to clients, with the aim of making communication clearer, more consistent, more relevant and more effective.” The ambition is to compete with the leading groups in terms of scale, stability and integration capabilities, whilst maintaining quality, identity and proximity, and helping brands and CMOs to make decisions with purpose, consistency, timing and creative energy. The new name, Be Closer, encapsulates the Group’s founding principle: to bridge the gaps between brands and people, between data and decisions, and between vision and action.

In 2025, Be Closer recorded revenue in excess of €122 million, with an EBITDA margin of over 11 per cent, strong cash generation and a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of approximately 1x. The 26-28 strategic plan, recently approved by the Board of Directors, aims to double the group’s operating margin by 2028, by leveraging organic growth, the integration and development of its offering, and external growth. Around 400 people work at the offices in Milan, Padua and Madrid, serving over 300 clients.

Be Closer’s new operating model stems from the adoption of a systems-based approach without compromising the strength of its vertical expertise. The central system oversees governance, strategy, data, technology and processes, ensuring a holistic view and consistency. Surrounding this, the brand boutiques All, Kiwi, Different, Flu, Next Media, Next Retail and EMG – with a track record of successful projects built up over years of specialised market positioning – continue to demonstrate excellence and credibility in their respective fields. For the client, this translates into three concrete benefits: less complexity to manage, data and technology underpinning every action, and precise measurement of the impact on the business.