Bringing the world's most trusted editorial brands to where you need them.

A curated portfolio reaching global decision-makers.

• 01News · Current affairs · Journalism

  BBC News

  Audience

  Global decision-makers, investors, policy-makers

  Platforms

  BBC World News TV · bbc.com · BBC World Service · BBC StoryWorks

  Markets

  Malta · Greece · Egypt · Morocco · Tunisia · Algeria

• 02Business · Finance · Markets

  Bloomberg Media

  Audience

  C-suite, investors, institutional finance

  Platforms

  Bloomberg Television · Bloomberg.com · Bloomberg Live events

  Markets

  Tanzania · Kenya · Ethiopia · Mauritius

• 03Luxury · Art · Design

  Robb Report

  Audience

  High-net-worth individuals, luxury consumers

  Platforms

  Robb Report · ARTnews · Artforum · Live Partnerships

  Markets

  Malta

Local knowledge. Direct mandates.

1. 01

   Direct and accountable

   Each mandate is held directly: the team you brief is the team that holds the title, with no agency in between. One relationship, accountable start to finish.

2. 02

   On the ground, in every market

   Headquartered in Malta with a network across the Mediterranean, North Africa, East Africa, the Gulf and Southern Europe: in-market, in-language, in-culture.

3. 03

   Consultative, not transactional

   We don't just place ads. We help nations, investment authorities and brands build long-term positioning through campaigns and branded content.

4. 04

   What we've delivered

   Myanmar's first nation-branding campaign, launched at the World Economic Forum. Morocco Now on the BBC, measured by BBC AdScore. Seventeen published features in The Times, The Telegraph, The Spectator and Foreign Affairs. Real campaigns, in real rooms.

Four campaigns. Three mandates. One editorial standard.

• Morocco Now · promotional campaign

  BBC News · Nation branding

  Morocco Now.

  AMDIE - Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development

  Platforms

  BBC.com

  Scope

  Digital Display, Brand-uplift study, Branded content

  BBC AdScore brand-uplift study · results below

• Nairobi · live briefing

  Bloomberg Media · Market entry

  East Africa Briefing.

  Sovereign wealth and investment promotion partner

  Platforms

  Bloomberg Television · Bloomberg Live · Bloomberg.com custom

  Scope

  C-suite live briefing series across Nairobi and Addis Ababa

• Malta · multi-platform promotion

  Robb Report · Destination branding

  Under the Maltese Sun.

  Malta Tourism Authority

  Platforms

  RobbReport.com · RR1 · ARTnews · Artforum

  Scope

  RR1 Destinations member trip, custom editorial

  2M+ projected audience reach · an RR1 member journey (Oct 2026) timed to the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the new New York–Malta direct flight

  • Read the 2026 article on Robb Report →
  • Read the 2025 article →
• Myanmar · campaign film

  BBC · Nation branding

  Myanmar: Let the Journey Begin.

  Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, Myanmar

  Platforms

  BBC · CNA · CNN

  Scope

  Myanmar's first nation-branding campaign, launched at the World Economic Forum on East Asia (2013)

  900+ leaders from 50+ countries at launch · broadcast worldwide · the foundation of a decade of work

  • Read the full story →

Selected campaigns · full case studies on request

Morocco Now, measured by BBC AdScore.

+0%

Rise in familiarity with Morocco

+0%

Rise in positive opinion

+0%

Rise in likelihood to recommend

0%

Agreed the BBC was the right place to reach them

AdScore is the BBC's controlled brand study: audiences who saw the campaign measured against a matched group who didn't, on BBC World News and BBC.com. Read the campaign story →

• GV

  

  Gabriele Villa

  Co-Founder & Managing Partner

  Co-founder and Managing Partner of Image Diplomacy, with 26 years in nation-branding, image-building and media production across more than 28 countries. He has planned and led projects throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, working directly with heads of government, investment authorities and business leaders. He oversees the company's strategic direction and international growth, building long-term relationships with governments, institutions, media partners and private-sector leaders to advance reputation, investment and communications objectives.

  LinkedIn ↗
• SH

  

  Sorcha Hellyer

  Co-Founder & Creative Director

  Co-founder and creative director of Image Diplomacy, with corporate and public-sector experience across more than 28 countries over two decades in international communications, media, design and branding. She has represented BBC Global News since 2013, launching its first global nation-branding programme, and advises the UN's International Trade Centre as a brand consultant and creative coach, empowering local creatives, institutions and governments. A graduate of Royal Holloway, University of London, she leads the firm's creative direction and brand strategy across every mandate.

  LinkedIn ↗
• MG

  

  Michele Grimaldi

  EVP, EMEA

  Executive Vice-President for EMEA, specialising in corporate and destination branding, transformation strategy and advisory to the C-suite. An international media executive with more than 30 years across 50+ countries and five continents, he has conducted over 6,000 high-level negotiations with decision-makers from political and corporate spheres. He has delivered solutions to governments, blue-chip companies, Fortune and Forbes 500 firms and financial institutions, setting sales records in some of the world's most challenging markets.

  LinkedIn ↗

• 10 September 2026AI

  What AI Can't Automate in Advertising

  AI is automating the machinery of media: planning, buying, targeting, increasingly the creative itself. As reach becomes abundant and cheap, the scarce asset shifts to the one thing AI cannot manufacture: trust, and the credibility of the editorial environment a brand keeps. Why automation raises the value of premium media rather than lowering it.

• 27 August 2026Nation branding

  Nation-Branding (Marque-Pays): A Guide for Governments and Investment Agencies

  How governments, investment promotion agencies and tourism boards build national reputation through trusted international media: what nation-branding is, what it is not, the channels that work, and how to measure it.

• 6 August 2026BBC

  Let the Journey Begin: how our work with the BBC started in Myanmar

  Image Diplomacy became an official BBC News representative through a single campaign: Myanmar's first nation-branding film, "Let the Journey Begin", launched at the 2013 World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw. How it actually happened, including the part we don't usually talk about.

The essentials.

What is Image Diplomacy?

Image Diplomacy is the official commercial media representative for BBC News, Bloomberg Media and Robb Report across ten markets in Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. It connects governments, investment agencies, tourism boards and premium brands to those platforms directly.

Which media brands does Image Diplomacy represent?

BBC News, Bloomberg Media and Robb Report: three titles, all held under direct mandates.

Which markets does Image Diplomacy cover?

Ten markets across Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Malta to Greece, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mauritius.

Who does Image Diplomacy work with?

Governments and ministries, investment promotion agencies, tourism boards, and premium and luxury brands: organisations that need to reach the people who shape decisions.

What makes Image Diplomacy different?

Direct mandates, no reseller chain. The team you brief is the team that holds the title: one accountable relationship, from first conversation to measured results.

Who founded Image Diplomacy?

Co-founders Gabriele Villa (Managing Partner) and Sorcha Hellyer (Creative Director). Between them they have worked in more than 28 countries across 26 years in nation-branding, media production and editorial.