Filter

What Filter does

Filter LLC is a Seattle-headquartered professional services firm that designs, builds, and operates embedded marketing and experience-design teams inside enterprise client organizations. Founded in 1994 and acquired by Merkle in 2019, the firm operates within the dentsu organization and is now rebranding under the SketchDeck identity as of 2024. Its core offering is an "in-housing partner" model delivered through three service structures: Staff Augmentation (placing individual specialists and small teams inside clients), Managed Solutions (operating embedded studios, centers of excellence, and full agencies), and Consulting Services (strategic advisory on marketing operations and digital transformation). Underlying these are four service specializations: Experience Design (UX research, interaction design, design systems), Digital Marketing Services (multichannel campaigns, content production, channel activation), Emerging Technology Services (AI, VR/XR, new platforms), and Content Studios (scalable content authoring and design production). Filter is not a technology product company; its "technology" is a methodology of talent deployment, operational frameworks, and workflow integration. The firm makes money through custom, quote-based professional services engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by team size (2-200 specialists), engagement scope, and duration. Revenue is generated under three streams: professional services (Staff Augmentation, Consulting) and managed services (Managed Solutions). Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise field sales targeting CMOs and marketing leaders at global brands, supplemented by referral flow from Merkle and dentsu's broader enterprise client base. Filter's named customers include Nike, AWS, Microsoft, MSN, Cisco, a major social media platform, a leading outdoor retailer, a global nonprofit, a leading telecom, a VR technology leader, the world's largest search engine, and the world's largest e-commerce brand, indicating a horizontal segmentation approach across Fortune 500-grade enterprises rather than vertical specialization.

Name

Filter

Legal name

Filter LLC

Website

https://filterdigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Filter LLC is a Seattle-based professional services firm that builds and operates embedded marketing, UX, and content teams inside enterprise clients. Founded in 1994, it is a subsidiary of Merkle within dentsu, now rebranding as SketchDeck.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830), Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Journey Orchestration & Campaign Management (BPAFAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customer Retention, Win-Back & Churn Reduction Programs (MPAAAIAH), Influencer Campaign Operations & Managed Services (BPAFAHAF)

Keywords

• Marketing in-housing services
• Digital marketing services
• Experience design consulting
• Staff augmentation marketing
• Embedded marketing teams

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Staff Augmentation: Embedding specialized marketing experts (designers, developers, content creators, channel specialists) directly within client organizations. Teams scale from 2 to 200 based on client needs.
2. Managed Solutions: Full teams, studios, centers of excellence, and complete agencies integrated into client organizations. These operate on-site, off-site, or virtually, providing ongoing managed services.
3. Consulting Services: Strategic advisory and implementation engagements aligned with client business growth priorities. Includes operational design, best practices, and transformation guidance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Filter provides adaptive in-housing solutions for enterprise marketing organizations, embedding specialized digital marketing, UX, and content talent directly within client teams. The company offers three service models—Staff Augmentation, Managed Solutions, and Consulting Services—scaling from 2 to 200 specialists to power content, campaigns, experience design, media operations, and platform adoption. As a Merkle company within the dentsu organization, Filter serves global enterprise brands seeking to build in-house marketing capabilities while reducing the risks and challenges of doing it entirely themselves.

Product overview

Filter is a services company offering adaptive in-house solutions for marketing organizations. The company provides three primary service models: Staff Augmentation (embedded specialists and teams), Managed Solutions (teams, studios, centers of excellence, and full agencies), and Consulting Services. These are delivered alongside specialized service offerings in Experience Design (UX), Digital Marketing, Emerging Technology, and Content Studios. Filter operates as a Merkle company and part of the dentsu organization, positioning itself as an in-housing partner that builds and manages embedded teams and bespoke solutions for enterprise clients seeking to bring marketing capabilities in-house while reducing risks and challenges of traditional in-housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Staff Augmentation Provides embedded specialists and teams to power content, campaigns, experience design, media, platform ops and other marketing capabilities. Delivers hard-to-find, highly skilled talent that integrates directly into client organizations, scaling teams from 2 to 200 based on client needs.
• Managed Solutions Provides teams, studios, centers of excellence and full agencies integrated into the client's organization, tools and workflows, operating on-site, off-site or virtually. Delivers managed operational services tailored to client needs.
• Consulting Services Strategic advisory and implementation engagements aligned with client business growth priorities. Includes operational design, best practices, and transformation guidance for marketing organizations.
• Experience Design (UX) User experience research, design, and strategy services including UX research, visual design, interaction design, and design systems development for enterprise clients.
• Digital Marketing Services Multichannel campaign support, content design and production, channel activation, and programmatic marketing services to drive customer engagement and business growth.
• Emerging Technology Services Expertise to fuel new product and program strategies including support for AI, VR/XR technologies, and other emerging digital platforms.
• Content Studios High-efficiency authoring, design and production studios for scalable content creation across digital channels and marketing platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.1x faster talent acquisition than industry standard
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MerklecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilter operates as a Merkle company, with Filter teams working seamlessly with Merkle practice leaders and specialists. The partnership operationalizes Merkle's class-leading digital, data, and CX transformation offerings as in-house capabilities for leading brands. Filter empowers and accelerates innovation while improving ownership and transparency of data.
• DentsucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs part of the global dentsu organization, Filter supports a blended agency model that seamlessly interweaves capabilities across creative, digital marketing, and media. This provides Filter clients access to dentsu's broader capabilities and global reach.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Song: Global digital services arm of Accenture covering experience design, marketing transformation, and commerce. Overlaps with Filter across enterprise CX transformation and embedded capability builds, but at vastly greater scale.
• Publicis Sapient: Digital transformation consultancy within Publicis Groupe covering strategy, product, experience design, and engineering. Comparable to Filter on enterprise CX transformation and embedded digital teams for global brands.
• Deloitte Digital: Digital transformation practice within Deloitte, offering strategy, design, marketing, and technology services. Comparable to Filter on enterprise marketing transformation engagements and in-housing advisory.

Direct peers

• IDEO: Pioneering design consultancy focused on human-centered design, innovation, and digital experience. Comparable to Filter on UX research and design strategy services for large enterprises.
• Digitas: Publicis-owned digital marketing and media agency offering connected CRM, brand, and content services. Comparable to Filter on multichannel campaign execution and digital marketing operations for enterprise clients.
• Huge Inc. Digital experience agency offering strategy, design, marketing, and technology services to enterprise brands. Directly comparable to Filter in experience design (UX), digital marketing, and embedded-team delivery for Fortune 500 clients.
• R/GA: Global digital agency spanning brand design, experience design, and marketing transformation. Highly comparable to Filter in serving enterprise clients with creative, digital marketing, and embedded-team capabilities.
• Oliver Agency (Inside Ideas Group): In-housing specialist that builds and operates embedded creative, production, and marketing teams inside client organizations. The closest peer to Filter's core in-housing partner model.
• frog: Global design and innovation consultancy owned by Capgemini Invent. Closely comparable to Filter's experience design practice, particularly around enterprise UX research, design systems, and product design engagements.

Emerging players

• Slalom: Business and technology consulting firm with growing experience design and marketing transformation practices. Increasingly competes with Filter on enterprise embedded-team engagements, particularly in the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/filterdigital
• Facebookfacebook.com/filterdigital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/filterdigital
• Instagraminstagram.com/filterdigital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Filter