What SYLVAIN does

SYLVAIN is a New York–based strategy and design consultancy founded in 2010 that operates as a 'progress-guided' practice serving large consumer brands, media organizations, and technology companies. Its core offerings span six integrated practice areas: strategy and innovation consulting, brand strategy and positioning, brand identity design, campaign conception and execution, experience design, and impact/ESG strategy. These services are delivered through a roughly 75-person cross-disciplinary team organized around a triad model (strategy, design, engagement) and supported by proprietary diagnostic frameworks — the Accountability Framework, the Progress Pentagon, and the Iceberg Study — used to evaluate project fit and decode consumer psychographics. Notable enterprise engagements include WNBA (brand identity redesign with measurable business outcomes), Etsy (comprehensive brand refresh), Uber (global impact strategy), Kate Spade (brand revitalization and ongoing campaigns), Hilton/Tempo (experience and brand strategy), Spotify (go-to-market for hi-fi audio), American Express (innovation consulting), and Disney/ESPN's Andscape (rebrand and portfolio strategy).

Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-negotiated consulting fees. The firm reported gross revenue of $22–28M for the January 2020–October 2021 period, achieved 22% revenue growth in 2023, and increased the share of high-impact (social/environmental progress) projects from 35% in 2021 to 45% in 2022. SYLVAIN maintains a 100% client retention rate over 12+ years and acquires new work through direct enterprise outreach, thought leadership (annual Impact Report, bi-weekly Progress Report newsletter, Critical Nonsense podcast), and industry conference presence. The firm is a Certified B Corporation, rebranded from Sylvain Labs to SYLVAIN in 2022, and in May 2022 became part of the kyu Collective — a strategic grouping that also includes IDEO, SYPartners, Kepler, and Gehl. Following the November 2023 passing of founder and CEO Alain Sylvain, the firm transitioned to an Executive Leadership Team and appointed Joey Camire as CEO.

Name

SYLVAIN

Legal name

SYLVAIN, LLC

Website

https://sylvain.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SYLVAIN is a New York–based strategy and design consultancy serving major consumer brands and media companies with brand transformation, innovation, impact/ESG strategy, and experience design services, operating as part of the kyu Collective.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategy and Design Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Brand strategy consulting
• Design strategy services
• Innovation consulting
• Impact ESG strategy
• Brand identity design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: SYLVAIN generates revenue through strategic consulting engagements with major brands. Revenue estimated at $22-28M (Jan 2020-Oct 2021). The firm operates on project-based fees for strategy, brand identity, innovation consulting, and creative services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SYLVAIN is a progress-guided strategy and design consultancy that helps major brands and organizations with brand strategy and positioning, brand identity design, innovation consulting, impact/ESG strategy, experience design, and campaign conception and execution. Engagements are project-based and supported by proprietary frameworks including the Accountability Framework, Progress Pentagon and Iceberg Study, and the firm applies a triad project leadership model covering strategy, design and engagement.

Product overview

SYLVAIN is a progress-guided strategy and design consultancy that operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform with separate modules. The company provides professional consulting services organized around six core practice areas: Strategy and Innovation Consulting, Brand Strategy and Positioning, Brand Identity Design, Campaign Conception and Execution, Experience Design, and Impact and ESG Strategy. These services are supported by proprietary methodologies including the Accountability Framework (for measuring consultancy performance), the Progress Pentagon (for evaluating new business opportunities), and the Iceberg Study (for consumer research). The consultancy was founded in 2010, rebranded from Sylvain Labs to SYLVAIN, and became part of the kyu Collective in 2022. Notable clients include WNBA, Etsy, Uber, Hilton, Kate Spade, Disney, Spotify, American Express, and the WNBA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy and Innovation Consulting Core consulting service for enterprise clients covering business strategy, innovation frameworks, and organizational transformation. Delivered using proprietary tools including the Accountability Framework and Progress Pentagon to evaluate projects and measure progress.
• Brand Strategy and Positioning Strategic service for enterprise clients defining brand purpose, positioning and narrative. Includes brand DNA investigation, category white space analysis, verbal identity development, and portfolio strategy.
• Brand Identity Design Visual identity creation for enterprise clients, including logo design, typography systems, color palettes, design systems, motion design, brand architecture, custom typeface development and flexible identity systems.
• Campaign Conception and Execution End-to-end campaign development from concept through execution for enterprise clients, including creative strategy, content creation, social strategy, and launch activation across multiple channels.
• Experience Design Design of customer and user experiences for enterprise clients, including product and service design, prototyping, audience immersion, and deconstructed user journeys for physical and digital touchpoints.
• Impact and ESG Strategy Social impact and ESG strategy development for enterprise clients, including business case creation, multi-year impact vision development, and alignment with UN Sustainability Development Goals.
• Organizational Change Consulting Organizational transformation services for enterprise clients, including structural changes, engagement team evolution, and leadership restructuring to support business evolution and client service improvements.
• Iceberg Study (Consumer Research) Proprietary psychographic research methodology used to decode target-audience behaviors for enterprise clients, enabling deep consumer insights for product and strategy development (e.g., applied to Spotify's hi-fidelity audio go-to-market).

Quantifiable outcome

• WNBA viewership increased 64% after rebrand
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• kyu CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022In May 2022, SYLVAIN became part of kyu, a collective of like-minded independent creative consultancies that includes IDEO, SYPartners, Kepler, and Gehl. This affiliation provides SYLVAIN with collaborative opportunities with complementary firms and access to a broader network of expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy owned by Omnicom. Comparable on brand strategy and identity at enterprise scale; broader geographic footprint than SYLVAIN.
• frog (Capgemini Engineering): Design and innovation consultancy now part of Capgemini. Comparable on design strategy and innovation consulting; larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Landor & Fitch: Large global brand consultancy under WPP. Overlaps heavily on brand strategy and identity but operates at much greater scale and breadth; a credible substitute in enterprise RFPs.
• R/GA: Global digital agency spanning brand, experience, and campaign work. Comparable on the campaign and experience design practices; much larger and tech-product oriented.

Direct peers

• Smart Design: Independent design consultancy with experience design and brand strategy practices. Comparable mid-sized alternative for enterprise experience and brand engagements.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy and fellow kyu Collective member. Directly comparable as a strategy + design firm serving enterprise brand and innovation mandates; SYLVAIN's smaller scale differentiates but the service overlap is high.
• SYPartners: Transformation and brand consultancy and fellow kyu Collective member. Highly comparable operating model—small teams, purpose-driven, leadership and culture work for major enterprises.
• Pentagram: Independent design firm specializing in brand identity systems. Directly comparable in visual identity, design systems, and brand work for major clients, with similar partner-led, project-based model.
• Lippincott: Boutique brand strategy firm known for positioning, identity, and brand-purpose work. Closely comparable service mix and client profile to SYLVAIN's brand strategy practice.
• GALE (agency): Independent brand and marketing agency with strong consumer-brand and impact positioning. Comparable in client profile (major consumer brands), agency scale, and emphasis on purpose-driven work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/episode/6APNhLLYcbszzIWY4NcUkV?si=IgzPG9NJSaC54hUrwMiBkQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dashboard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SYLVAIN