The Castro family
Castro has three siblings
Our approach is independent, clear and always with a smile. Castro advises on strategy and helps with the necessary implementation. We enjoy getting down together to tackle the matter at hand and book results.
Castro helps your company strategically use communications to achieve your goals
Reach out with a targeted and strategic lobbying approach
Always stay one step ahead with our comprehensive political & media monitoring and sharp interpretation
Together we'll determine the goals and the strategy to achieve them. Of course, our team of experts can also help you with the implementation. Castro was founded five years ago and we have already worked with and for over seventy companies, organizations and governments. From large to small and from multinational to local companies and organizations.
Short lines of communication are important for successful cooperation. We like to work intensively with our clients to achieve the right result.
Castro believes you are most successful when you have a clear focus. Together, we determine what the goals are and how we can and will achieve them. Measurable.
Castro works rapidly and enjoys actively contributing to achieving your goals. We are pragmatic and goal-oriented. With concrete actions, we will make the difference for you.
The world of (corporate) communications and lobbying are dynamic. There's no 9-to-5 mentality to match. At Castro, you won't find one. We're always available.
Castro has three siblings
Flink | Communications & Lobby
Flink delivers groceries quickly that can be ordered online through its app or website. The "flash delivery company" engaged Castro in late 2021. At the time, there were many discussions with various municipalities about where delivery companies could or could not set up shop. Different municipalities handled the flash delivery phenomenon very differently. Some saw it as retail, others did not. The result: a lot of uncertainty about where you could or could not open a location. Castro has been supporting Flink for three years now with contacts with governments and the media. For the Netherlands and regularly for the headquarters.
By making many contacts and having conversations with aldermen and officials of all the more than 40 municipalities where Flink operates and by pursuing a proactive media policy, the image about flash delivery has improved enormously. It led, for example, to extensive interviews in the Volkskrant and the Telegraaf in 2023 with Flink director Kiesler about how the company ensured all the improvements.
Flink itself has grown so fast that more than a million Dutch people have now ordered from the company.
"Flink has become very popular in a short period of time. We have a lot of contact with the environment of our hubs, the media and the government. Castro is helping us with that excellently. Fast and pragmatic."
Robin Kiesler | General Manager Flink Netherlands
Uber | Communications
Uber is a technology company best known for its ride-sharing app, which connects passengers with drivers of private vehicles through a mobile app. In addition to passenger transportation, Uber also offers delivery services such as Uber Eats, which allows people to order meals from local restaurants and have them delivered. Uber's EMEA headquarters is located in the Netherlands.
In 2021, Uber reached out to Castro for communications support. Uber specifically sought our expertise to develop and refine their communications strategy, with the goal of getting their messages across clearly and effectively.
Our services for Uber range from strategic advice on key announcements and activities to hands-on execution, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Among other things, we help develop new campaigns, guide media requests and liaise with the press. This led, among other things, to extensive interviews with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in the Telegraaf and EW Magazine.
"I have come to know Castro as a very hands-on agency in that they are always accessible and quick to respond. It is nice to spar with Castro on strategy and they have an excellent network."
Rick Janse Kok | Uber, Head of Communications Northern Europe
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine | Lobby & Communications
J&J Innovative Medicine Netherlands (formerly Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson) approached Castro in the summer of 2023. The company asked if, in the run-up to the Lower House elections, we could organize an election activity around the theme of healthcare. Eventually, in consultation with J&J and the other two clients (Amgen and MSD), an election debate was chosen.
The organization of the debate ended up being a co-production of Castro and New Balls Please Netherlands (our joint venture together with Belgian event organizer New Balls Please). Humberto Tan acted as debate leader and Frits Huffnagel as co-host. Participants included Fleur Agema (PVV), Mona Keijzer (BBB) and Sophie Hermans (VVD). Many thousands of guests watched live online via telegraaf.nl.
NPO found the recording and debate so successful that the broadcaster broadcast the election debate many times until the elections on NPO Politics.The success of the debate in The Hague was repeated in April 2024 ahead of the European elections. In Brussels, Castro EU and New Balls Please organized another debate, this time with Frits Wester as debate leader. The list leaders of D66 and NSC participated, as well as directly eligible candidates from VVD and BBB. Once again, NPO broadcast the debate many times.
"I experienced the cooperation with Castro and New Balls Please as incredibly pleasant. It was a conscious choice because they combine an excellent network in politics and media with a lot of experience in organizing events and all the technology involved. Castro and New Balls Please do not settle for a six, they go for a top result and, as far as I am concerned, they succeeded."
Koen Venekamp | Lead Government Affairs & Policy at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Netherlands
