The CKP Group
The CKP Group is a Houston-based, founder-owned integrated marketing and communications agency founded in 2014, serving enterprise, nonprofit, and arts/cultural clients across the U.S. through strategic communications, media relations, digital, creative, experiential, and crisis services under its 90-Day Navigator engagement framework.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The CKP Group does
The CKP Group is a Houston-based, founder-owned integrated marketing and communications agency founded in 2014 by Carey Kirkpatrick. The firm delivers professional services across six codified pillars: Strategic Communications & Narrative, Media & Amplification, Digital & Performance, Creative & Content, Experiential & Events, and Reputation & Issues Management. Its primary engagement framework, the 90-Day Navigator, structures client work into three phases (Pulse Check, Strategy & Insights, Planning & Delivery) and serves as the firm's standard entry point for new mandates. There is no proprietary software or technology platform; the offering is built on human capital, including former journalists and sector-specialist account directors, and on operational expertise rather than technology IP.
The firm serves a diversified mix of clients across arts and culture (Houston Symphony, Alley Theatre, Discovery Green, Shepherd School of Music), consumer brands and franchises (McDonald's Houston and North Texas, Planet Fitness), utilities and infrastructure (CenterPoint Energy, Layne Water Midstream), and nonprofits (Vita Living, Hermann Park Conservancy, Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston). Notable enterprise mandates have included national-scale rollouts such as the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass spanning 21 media markets, and quantified case-study outcomes such as a 90% increase in McDonald's Big Mac sales (Houston market) and a 26.6% decrease in Total Recordable Incident Rate for Layne Water Midstream.
The business model is project-based and retainer-based professional services revenue under a consultative, relationship-driven sales motion. Pricing is custom-quoted per engagement and is not publicly disclosed. The firm operates a Houston-headquartered, multi-department, multi-city delivery model with no external institutional capital or disclosed funding. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, and the organization added its first dedicated COO (Jeremy Little) in 2023 to support scale beyond the founder.
The CKP Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The CKP Group
- Legal name
- The CKP Group
- Website
- http://www.theckpgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The CKP Group is a Houston-based, founder-owned integrated marketing and communications agency founded in 2014, serving enterprise, nonprofit, and arts/cultural clients across the U.S. through strategic communications, media relations, digital, creative, experiential, and crisis services under its 90-Day Navigator engagement framework.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The CKP Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing & Communications Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services) (BPAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where The CKP Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The CKP Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Strategic Communications Consulting: B2B professional services revenue generated through strategic consulting engagements, including the 90-Day Navigator framework which serves as a primary engagement vehicle. Services include organizational alignment, executive narrative development, stakeholder engagement, and messaging framework creation. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements with corporate, nonprofit, and civic clients.
- Integrated Marketing Services: Full-service marketing and communications delivery including media relations, digital advertising, content creation, creative production, and experiential marketing. Revenue generated through service fees tied to specific campaign deliverables and ongoing agency-of-record arrangements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The CKP Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The CKP Group is a Houston-based boutique communications and integrated marketing agency that delivers strategic communications, media relations, digital marketing, creative content production, and experiential marketing services to corporate, nonprofit, arts and cultural, and civic clients. Its engagements typically begin with the proprietary 90-Day Navigator framework, which aligns organizational purpose with external market perception through a structured three-phase process. Services are delivered directly by an in-house team of strategists, creatives, and account managers, often as project-based campaigns or ongoing agency-of-record arrangements.
Product overview
The CKP Group is a Houston-based integrated marketing and communications agency offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a software product. The core offering consists of six interconnected service pillars—Strategic Communications & Narrative, Media & Amplification, Digital & Performance, Creative & Content, Experiential & Events, and Reputation & Issues Management—that work together to align organizational purpose with market perception. The 90-Day Navigator serves as the primary engagement framework, providing a structured 90-day program that moves clients through assessment, strategy definition, and activation phases. These services are delivered by a team of strategists, communicators, and operators who specialize in high-stakes organizational alignment work, supporting clients across industries including lifestyle, arts, culture, and community organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategic Communications & Narrative Organizational alignment and executive narrative development service that helps organizations clarify their story, align internal and external messaging, and engage stakeholders including boards and workforces.
- Media & Amplification Media relations and earned media service that drives visibility through strategic story placement, spokesperson development, executive media training, and influencer partnerships across national, regional, and local channels.
- Digital & Performance Digital marketing strategy service that delivers measurable results through paid search and social advertising, audience segmentation, conversion optimization, analytics, and attribution modeling.
- Creative & Content Content marketing and creative production service encompassing content planning, brand identity, digital experience design, copywriting, video production, photography, graphic design, and animation.
- Experiential & Events Experiential marketing and event activation service that creates live experiences, campaign activations, community engagement, and sponsorship development to build audience loyalty.
- Reputation & Issues Management Crisis communications and reputation management service providing risk assessments, crisis response planning, executive preparation, media training, and litigation communications support.
- 90-Day Navigator A structured 90-day communications strategy framework consisting of three phases: Pulse Check (assessment), Strategy & Insights (definition), and Planning & Delivery (activation) designed to align organizational purpose with external perception.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.48 billion earned media impressions; 1,561 media placements; $18M publicity value for Discovery Green 10th Anniversary
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The CKP Group
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The CKP Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The CKP Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The CKP Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- M Booth: Independently owned PR and integrated communications agency with deep consumer-brand and corporate work. Comparable to CKP in combining earned media, digital, creative, and brand storytelling for lifestyle and consumer brands.
- Lambert: Independently owned communications agency with deep experience in consumer, education, arts/culture, and nonprofit sectors. Comparable to CKP in client verticals and integrated service model.
- Inkhouse: Boutique PR and integrated communications agency serving technology, healthcare, consumer, and nonprofit clients. Comparable as an independent, founder-influenced agency competing for mid-market integrated engagements.
- 5W Public Relations: Mid-size independent PR agency offering media relations, digital marketing, and integrated communications to consumer, corporate, and lifestyle clients — directly comparable service mix and client profile to CKP.
- PAN Communications: Mid-size integrated marketing and PR agency serving B2B technology, healthcare, and consumer clients. Comparable in service breadth, though typically operating at a larger scale than CKP.
- BerlinRosen: Boutique, founder-led PR and integrated communications firm serving nonprofits, arts/culture, advocacy, and corporate clients. Closely comparable to CKP in client verticals, integrated service model, and reputation-driven growth, though operating at substantially larger scale (NYC-based).
- Walker Sands: B2B integrated marketing and PR firm offering media relations, content, digital, and creative services to technology, professional services, and consumer brands. Comparable integrated agency model targeting mid-market and enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman: Largest global PR and communications firm, competing with CKP across corporate, consumer, and crisis communications segments. Represents the scaled-end incumbent that CKP competes against on enterprise RFPs.
- Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and integrated communications agency, part of IPG. Competes with CKP across consumer, corporate, healthcare, and arts/culture engagements at the largest end of the market.
- FleishmanHillard: Global integrated communications agency offering PR, digital, creative, and reputation management. A scaled incumbent whose healthcare, public affairs, and consumer practices overlap with CKP's service pillars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The CKP Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe CKP Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The CKP Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The CKP Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The CKP Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The CKP Group
What does The CKP Group do?
The CKP Group is a Houston-based boutique communications and integrated marketing agency that delivers strategic communications, media relations, digital marketing, creative content production, and experiential marketing services to corporate, nonprofit, arts and cultural, and civic clients. Its engagements typically begin with the proprietary 90-Day Navigator framework, which aligns organizational purpose with external market perception through a structured three-phase process. Services are delivered directly by an in-house team of strategists, creatives, and account managers, often as project-based campaigns or ongoing agency-of-record arrangements.
Is The CKP Group a public or private company?
The CKP Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The CKP Group founded?
The CKP Group was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The CKP Group based?
The CKP Group is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does The CKP Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Strategic Communications Consulting is the primary driver. The others are integrated Marketing Services.
Who are The CKP Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are M Booth, Lambert, Inkhouse, 5W Public Relations, PAN Communications, BerlinRosen and Walker Sands. Broad incumbents are Edelman, Weber Shandwick and FleishmanHillard.
Does The CKP Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The CKP Group.
What industry is The CKP Group in?
The CKP Group's product category is Marketing & Communications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAHAG, Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services). Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 8600.