Authentic Brand

What Authentic Brand does

Authentic Brand LLC is a Minneapolis-based, privately held marketing advisory firm founded in 2017 by Jennifer Zick. The company delivers fractional CMO leadership and broader marketing transformation services to privately held U.S. businesses — typically in the $10M–$250M revenue range — across verticals including Professional Services, Technology & SaaS, Manufacturing & Distribution, CPG/Retail/Commerce, Financial Services, Health & Medical, Construction/Engineering/Architecture, and Non-Profit. Distinct customer scenarios include PE/VC-backed portfolio companies, family-owned businesses, employee-owned companies (ESOPs), and companies operating on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The firm claims its CMOs have collectively served 1,000+ organizations, with team experience spanning 87 M&A engagements and a bench where 92% of CMOs have global enterprise leadership backgrounds and 75% have scaled PE/VC-backed businesses.

The core product is the proprietary Authentic Growth® Marketing Operating System, a documented seven-component methodology (Leadership & Team, Alignment Cadence, Diagnostic Scores, Marketing Roadmap, Templates & Tools, Metrics & KPIs, Community & Learning) that structures engagements, supported by the Random Acts of Marketing Score™ diagnostic assessment. Service lines include Fractional CMO, Authentic Growth® Activation, Interim CMO, Advisor CMO, Quarterly Marketing Workshops and Reviews, and the Ally Network™ of 35+ vetted marketing specialists and agencies for execution support. Adjacent offerings include the LIFT Integrator Community™ (a peer group for second-in-command marketing leaders), the Authentic Mindshare™ CMO community, and Authentic Intelligence™ (a human-centric AI consulting positioning). All fractional CMOs are W-2 employees, and the firm describes a sales-led model with intake and a CMO matching process within 2–5 business days, with engagements typically beginning within 3–10 business days of contract signing.

The business operates on a subscription/recurring professional services model with monthly billing and flexible 15–40 hour/week commitments; pricing is custom-quoted against a reference of full-time CMO salaries in the $150,000–$260,000 range. The company is bootstrapped/founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment and is recognized as a women-owned business. It is a two-time Inc. 5000 honoree (#2261 in 2024, #2976 in 2025), a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Fast 50 (2024) and Best Places to Work (2024) honoree, a repeated Largest Twin Cities Women-Owned Businesses listee (2024–2026), and a Meaningful Capitalism Awards finalist (2025) and honoree (2026). In June 2024, Authentic Brand made its first disclosed acquisition, ABG-Champion LLC, signaling nascent platform-building behavior.

Name

Authentic Brand

Legal name

Authentic Brand LLC

Website

https://authenticbrand.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Authentic Brand is a Minneapolis-based fractional CMO and marketing transformation firm serving U.S. privately held businesses typically in the $10M–$250M revenue range. It delivers W-2 employed senior marketers through its proprietary Authentic Growth® operating system, supported by an Ally Network of 35+ vetted specialists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Consulting Services

NAICS

Direct Mail Advertising (54186)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN)

Keywords

• Fractional CMO services
• Marketing transformation
• Marketing leadership consulting
• B2B marketing advisory
• Marketing strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fractional CMO Services: Ongoing fractional CMO engagements providing strategic marketing leadership to growing businesses. Services include marketing transformation, outsourced leadership, and specialized marketing expertise through retained engagements.
2. Professional Services: Additional consulting services including Authentic Growth Activation, Interim CMO, Advisor CMO, and access to Ally Network of specialized agency partners for execution support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Authentic Brand provides fractional CMO leadership and marketing transformation services to growing U.S. businesses, primarily SMB and mid-market companies with $10M–$250M in revenue. Services are delivered by W-2 employed CMOs using the company's proprietary Authentic Growth® Marketing Operating System, covering strategic marketing leadership, Authentic Growth® Activation projects, Interim CMO placements, and Advisor CMO retainers, with execution support drawn from an Ally Network of vetted agency partners.

Product overview

Authentic Brand is a fractional CMO and marketing transformation firm offering a unified platform of services built around its proprietary Authentic Growth® Marketing Operating System. The core offering combines three elements: Marketers (W-2 employed fractional CMOs), Methodology (Authentic Growth® framework), and Mindshare (Authentic Mindshare™ community). Supporting products include the Ally Network™ of vetted agency partners, LIFT Integrator Community™ peer group, Random Acts of Marketing Score™ diagnostic tool, Quarterly Marketing Workshops and Reviews for accountability, Authentic Growth® Roadmap for annual planning, and Authentic Intelligence™ for AI integration. The portfolio is designed as an integrated system where fractional leadership delivers the methodology, supported by peer community and specialized execution partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Authentic Growth®: Proprietary marketing operating system methodology that provides frameworks, processes, and tools for building sustainable marketing capabilities.
• LIFT Integrator Community™
• Authentic Mindshare™
• Ally Network™
• Random Acts of Marketing Score™

Products and services

• Fractional CMO Outsourced marketing executive leadership providing strategic marketing guidance, team coaching, and senior-level marketing expertise for growing U.S. businesses. W-2 employed CMOs serve as executive operators (15–40 hours per week) for mid-market and SMB companies needing embedded marketing leadership.
• Authentic Growth® Activation Project-based marketing transformation engagement that deploys the proprietary Authentic Growth® Marketing Operating System — covering Leadership & Team, Alignment Cadence, Diagnostic Scores, Marketing Roadmap, Templates & Tools, Metrics & KPIs, and Community & Learning — to build sustainable marketing capabilities for growing businesses.
• Interim CMO Transitional executive marketing leadership engagement providing a W-2 employed CMO to lead the marketing function on an interim basis during executive transitions, M&A activity, or leadership gaps for growing businesses.
• Advisor CMO Lower-time-commitment advisory retainer providing experienced CMO guidance to leadership teams on strategy, alignment, and growth decisions without the full operational responsibility of a Fractional or Interim CMO engagement.
• Ally Network of Agency Partners Curated network of 35+ vetted marketing specialists and agencies that provides specialized execution support to complement fractional CMO engagements, covering tactical disciplines beyond the core strategic scope of the Authentic Growth® methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regional retailer grew vendor co-op investment by 20%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthentic's methodology and services are designed to complement and enhance EOS implementations. The company explicitly states it is not affiliated with EOS Worldwide but runs its own business on EOS and has extensive experience supporting companies running on EOS. Their approach strengthens Level 10 meetings, helps set better Rocks, and connects quarterly priorities back to the 3-Year Picture.
• Authentic Ally NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurated network of 35+ vetted marketing specialists and agencies providing specialized execution support. CMOs are never compensated for referrals - only incentivized to protect client best interests. Network enables comprehensive marketing capabilities beyond core fractional CMO services.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SmartBug Media: Full-service inbound marketing agency serving mid-market and enterprise B2B clients. Overlaps with Authentic in mid-market B2B demand generation, though delivers primarily through execution teams rather than embedded fractional leadership.
• Convince & Convert: Established digital marketing strategy and advisory firm offering content strategy, social media, and executive consulting. Comparable at the strategic advisory tier though broader in scope than pure fractional CMO delivery.
• IMPACT (IMPACT.com network): Marketing advisory and execution firm with a methodology-driven 'They Ask, You Answer' approach. Comparable in its content-and-consulting model aimed at transforming marketing organizations at mid-market companies.

Direct peers

• The Marketing Fractional: Fractional CMO and marketing leadership firm serving SMB and mid-market companies. Closely mirrors Authentic's positioning around embedded senior marketing leadership on a part-time basis.
• Tilt Metrics: Fractional CMO and marketing operations firm serving SaaS and tech-enabled companies. Comparable in fractional leadership delivery and mid-market/PE-backed customer focus.
• Sculpt: B2B marketing consultancy providing fractional CMO and integrated marketing services to mid-market and growth-stage companies. Comparable in delivery model, mid-market focus, and methodology-driven marketing transformation offerings.
• Duct Tape Marketing: Franchised marketing consultancy system serving small businesses with a proprietary methodology. Comparable in its emphasis on a trademarked, repeatable marketing operating system for small and mid-sized clients.
• Chief Outsiders: Largest dedicated fractional CMO firm in the U.S., placing experienced CMOs into growth-stage and PE-backed companies. Directly comparable in business model, target customer ($10M-$250M range), and sales-led fractional engagement structure.
• Lumen Partners: Fractional executive marketing services firm placing interim and fractional CMOs into growth-stage and PE-backed businesses. Directly comparable in placement model and target buyer profile.
• Altitude Marketing: B2B marketing agency offering fractional CMO, strategy, and execution services to technology and industrial companies. Comparable in mid-market B2B focus, fractional leadership positioning, and sales-led GTM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/auth_brand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/authentic-brand
• Facebookfacebook.com/AuthenticBrandCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Authentic Brand