A portion of 70% of the content and influencer marketing agency Barcode has been purchased by the French influencer marketing company YKONE for an undisclosed sum.
With this move, YKONE and Barcode can take advantage of new business opportunities by leveraging their respective strengths, resources, and expertise, and they can also adjust to the constantly changing global influencer marketing landscape.
With over 300 employees and a $100 million annual revenue, YKONE’s position is further strengthened with the acquisition of Barcode.
Since its founding in 2008, YKONE has expanded to 18 cities, including Hong Kong, Dubai, and Milan, with its headquarters initially located in Paris. Agency campaigns for luxury, beauty, fashion, travel, and more recently the FMCG market have been running for the past ten years.
YKONE is a social media storytelling and content platform used by over 100 brands, including Hugo Boss, Chopard, Prada, Estée Lauder, Ferragamo, and Nespresso, to engage with their audience. YKONE provides comprehensive social media and influencer marketing solutions to make their clients’ lives easier.
Founded in 2019 by Rahul Khanna, Barcode currently employs over 150 people and runs three offices. The top 100 brands in India use it as their go-to agency, including industry titans like Warner Music, MG Motors, YouTube, Unilever, Amazon, Sharechat, Flipkart, Myntra, Tira, and Glance.
More than 20 well-known Indian actors and influencers, including Karishma Sharma with 2.2 million followers, and Rohit Zinjurke with 30 million, are allegedly represented by Barcode’s “CLICK MEDIA” talent management division. By doing this, YKONE will be able to connect brands with well-known influencers in the Indian market, expanding their portfolio.
