A major milestone in Ilmo’s career was founding a company with a few friends to create websites. In early 1996, a local newspaper, Turun Sanomat, published an article that sparked significant interest from local businesses. This momentum led the team to join the advertising agency Bates Saatchi & Saatchi.

English translation of the article:

Bisnes in the spirit of Bill Gates

The websites of Turku-based companies do not often inspire excitement, even though they range from hotels to funeral homes and cleaning companies to partnerships. Smudged images, flashing neon signs, and unusual language errors are common. Good examples are rare, and one of these is the website for Leipomo Salonen, a bakery. The stylish pages present various breads and pastries and share company history, along with sandwich recipe ideas. The site was created by the Mediatoimisto Bizarro. Bizarro? An internet consulting agency with an office located stylishly on the top floor of Hansakortteli’s Kultatalo.

Copywriter Jarkko Levasma explains that there are “serious contenders” in Turku for the top five places. Art Director Ilmo Kotaja emphasises that “Bizarro is one of the best in Finland.” The team consists of young individuals aged between 20 and 30 with technical and commercial expertise. “Since Jyri Levasma is 23 and the oldest, he’s the managing director.” The team includes Project Manager Tero Pikala, Programmer Samuli Savo, and Marketing Director in Helsinki Mika Marjalaakso. The company was founded four years ago, and a year ago it decided to focus exclusively on the Internet.

Bizarro’s main competitors are companies from university cities such as Helsinki and Tampere, which have more specialised companies than in Turku. Bizarro aims to produce projects where advanced systems are required, for example, in product data management. Their goal is to make it as easy as possible for clients to maintain and update their sites after the initial setup.

Shipbuilding Industry Provided a Showcase

The website of Finnish shipbuilding engineering company Langh Ship was created by Bizarro. Other key clients include Hans Langh, Wärtsilä Diesel, and Masa Yards. Joint marketing for the shipbuilding industry had previously been attempted, but was marred by disagreements, as “everyone wanted their logo on the front page.” This time, however, the website was successfully completed and has proven effective.

For publishers, the issue of maintaining and updating sites as markets shift is critical, as they’re often unwilling to pay for continuous updates. They face the challenge of balancing the return on investment with the cost of maintenance. According to Jarkko Levasma, seven out of ten companies want to be on the Internet for corporate image reasons, while the rest simply want to be there “because everyone else is”. Levasma notes that some managers may drive luxury cars like Mercedes just for appearances, although similar attitudes aren’t uncommon in other fields.

Reaching Russian Markets

Bizarro aims to expand into the Russian market. While the company has faced credibility issues in Finland, younger Russian customers take it more seriously. To gain access to Russian markets, the company is seeking a partner with experience in the region.

“This is the wild future, and we’re just waiting for the right opportunity,” says Ilmo Kotaja enthusiastically, and continues “did you realise that old KGB-networks are still there and in very good shape?”.

Tero Pikala