Trail-makers: Luxid's 28-Year Journey with BBN International, with Susanna Justi

Welcome to our Trail-makers series - special episodes celebrating the incredible agencies that have shaped BBN's rich history. These episodes honour those relationships and reflect on how they've evolved over the years and benefited from being part of BBN, as we build towards BBN's 40th anniversary celebration in 2027.

Today, we celebrate Luxid Group and its remarkable 28-year partnership with BBN. We're joined by Susanna Justi, their Chief Operations Officer, whose journey began in 1996 when their agency was called Idea Development - starting with just 10-15 people in Finland.

In this milestone episode, Susanna Justi takes us through Luxid Group's transformative 28-year journey with BBN, from a small Finnish agency called Idea Development to today's 180-person international operation across three countries. We explore how BBN's honest, open relationships between agency owners have shaped both business growth and personal development. Susanna shares insights from her time on BBN's executive board around 2010, the agency's evolution through rebranding to IDBBN, and their 2022 merger with Luxus Worldwide. The conversation reveals how the partnership has been instrumental in navigating major transitions, including their approach to AI technology. It demonstrates how true partnership creates lasting value through shared learning and genuine friendships.

Key Points:

• From Small to Global: Growing from 10-15 people in the 90s to 180 people across three countries, with BBN providing crucial guidance for international expansion
• Board Leadership Experience: Serving on BBN's executive board taught valuable lessons about global business and provided personal development opportunities
• Evolution of Network Value: The shift from geographic market entry support to specialised expertise and competency sharing in today's internet-connected world
• Honest Business Relationships: The unique value of open, transparent discussions between agency owners about real business challenges and solutions
• Strategic Partnership Growth: The 2022 merger with Luxus Worldwide formed Luxid Group, with BBN connections helping them find partner Tricom
• AI as Opportunity: Leveraging technical backgrounds in marketing automation and development to embrace AI transformation rather than see it as a threat