We turn real insights into new possibilities by placing human understanding, people and purpose at the center of strategy and communication.
Armed with years of business experience in India and Denmark, an extensive ethnographic toolbox and strong communication skills, we help companies and organisations stay relevant and authentic.
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What we do
Our customised solutions range from qualitative research – where deep insights inform strategies, communication and visual identities – to one off deliveries of key brand narratives, logos, brand design, manuals and campaigns. We organise and direct photo and video shoots and take clients all the way from research to roll out – delivering crisp copy and visual content for implementation and activation across platforms.
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How we do it
We dive deep into our clients’ worlds. Our ethnographic approach lets us explore assumptions and the real, everyday needs and challenges of their stakeholders and customers. We identify the human aspects of market barriers and new opportunities on the ground – and equip our clients with actionable toolkits, refined strategies, effective design and compelling communication based on deep knowledge.
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Why us
Years of experience navigating life and work in Denmark and India make us experts at finding cultural blind spots and think past ‘business as usual’. Drawing on the best of both worlds, we offer fresh solutions that unlock potential. Together with our partners at Stereo Associates in Copenhagen and Bangalore, we team up with designers, photographers and digital experts to build a task force around our clients’ needs.
About Hobson-Jobson
Hobson-Jobson was founded by Thomas Sehested and Janne Meier. Years between Denmark and India have made us Desi-firengis (homegrown foreigners) – a kind of familiar strangers – both in our native Denmark and our adopted Motherland. This double exposure has sharpened us, professionally, and as people.
Thomas Sehested is a historian from the University of Copenhagen and co-founder of several design studios in Copenhagen – including Stereo. His book, “India – The World’s Next Superpower“ was published in Danish in 2010. He is former Director of the Danish Cultural Institute India and member of the board at Indo-Danish Chamber of Commerce since 2019.
Janne Meier is a business anthropologist with a research background in the fashion and creative industries. She has done extensive field research in India and worked hands-on with craft and textiles at Studio Non Sequitur, a design studio for hand embroidery and fine dressmaking she co-founded in 2013.
Our company name is an ode to India, cross-cultural appreciation and enriching adaptation.
In the Anglo-Indian dictionary ‘Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases’, published in 1886.
The authors, Henry Yule and Arthur Coke Burnett, collected words that found their way from Indian languages into English – a process that in linguistics is referred to as the law of Hobson-Jobson. Champu became shampoo, Kolkata became Calcutta, etc.
We spotted this loved copy when interviewing a 82 year old gentleman at his home in central Bangalore for a recent project.
Clients we have worked with
Danish Food & Agriculture Council, EUNIC Delhi, Spanish Embassy, India, Soterius, Gad Publishers, Soundariya – with Stereo Associates, Audientes, Danish Cultural Institute, IDCC – Indian Danish Chamber of Commerce, Novo Nordisk, Goethe Institute, New Delhi, Panorama Editions Vol 3., Jaisalmer, Sankalp Developers, Mysore, Q Rated Hospitality, Bangalore, N. Range Rao & Sons, Mysore and more. In partnership with Upaghna Transformation Services, Bangalore.
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