Translation
Translation is an independent global creative agency founded in 2004, operating as a subsidiary of UnitedMasters. It serves Fortune 500 brands and sports leagues with cultural marketing campaigns, brand strategy, and creative production across six offices worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Translation does
Translation is an independent, global creative agency founded in 2004 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, operating as a subsidiary of UnitedMasters, the music and artist services company founded by Steve Stoute. The firm serves Fortune 500 consumer brands and professional sports leagues with cultural marketing campaigns, brand strategy, brand identity development, creative production, influencer and talent brokerage, social strategy and analytics, and experiential creative and production. Its proprietary service modules include Context Planning (identifying cultural moments that give brands permission to participate), In-vertising Strategy (internal stakeholder alignment), Sponsorship and Non-sponsorship Activation, and Brand Soundtracking. The agency also operates 16Bars, an in-house content production studio built jointly with UnitedMasters that covers film production, post-production, photography, motion design, animation, experiential events, and social-first content, enabling end-to-end execution without third-party production dependencies.
Translation monetizes through bespoke agency retainers and project-based fees negotiated per engagement with enterprise clients. Distribution is direct enterprise sales targeting senior brand and league leadership, with new business supported by a visible portfolio of award-winning campaign work and press coverage in AdAge, Variety, and Sports Business Journal. Notable clients span the NBA, Beats, AT&T, McDonald's, Diageo (DeLeón Tequila), Cadillac F1, PlayStation/NBA 2K, and the Big 12 Conference, with campaigns generating hundreds of millions to over a billion impressions. The company maintains six offices globally across Brooklyn, Los Angeles, San Francisco, São Paulo, Dubai, and Lagos, and is led by a full executive bench including CEO Steve Stoute, a CMO, CCO, CSO, and Chief Client Officer.
Translation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Translation
- Legal name
- Translation LLC
- Website
- https://translationllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Translation is an independent global creative agency founded in 2004, operating as a subsidiary of UnitedMasters. It serves Fortune 500 brands and sports leagues with cultural marketing campaigns, brand strategy, and creative production across six offices worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Translation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Translation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Retainers and Project Fees: Translation earns revenue through agency retainer arrangements and project-based fees for creative strategy, campaign development, and production services for enterprise brand clients and sports leagues. Projects range from brand identity overhauls to high-budget film and experiential activations.
- Content Production (16Bars Studio): 16Bars, Translation's internal production studio, produces branded content across film, photography, motion design, and social platforms. Revenue is generated through production fees billed to agency clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Translation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Translation is an independent creative agency offering brand strategy, creative development, brand identity, creative production, influencer and talent brokerage, social strategy and analytics, and experiential creative and production for Fortune 500 brands and sports leagues. The agency pairs proprietary capabilities in Context Planning, In-vertising Strategy, Sponsorship Activation, and Brand Soundtracking with 16Bars, an in-house content production studio covering film, photography, motion design, and social-first content.
Product overview
Translation is an independent, global creative company that functions as a full-service creative agency rather than a software product company. The company offers a comprehensive suite of creative and marketing services including brand strategy, creative development, brand identity, creative production, influencer and talent brokerage, social strategy and analytics, and experiential creative and production. The agency also operates specialized service modules for context planning, in-vertising strategy, sponsorship and non-sponsorship activation, and brand soundtracking. Additionally, Translation houses a content production studio sub-brand called 16Bars, which specializes in film production, post production, photography, motion design and animation, experiential and events, and social-first content creation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 16Bars: A content production studio built within Translation and UnitedMasters, specializing in film production, post production, photography, motion design, animation, experiential events, and social-first content creation.
Products and services
- Translation Creative Agency Services A full-service independent creative agency offering brand strategy, creative development, brand identity, creative production, influencer and talent brokerage, social strategy and analytics, and experiential creative and production services for Fortune 500 consumer brands and sports leagues.
- 16Bars Content Production Studio A next-generation content production studio built within Translation and UnitedMasters, providing in-house film production, post production, photography, motion design and animation, experiential events, and social-first content for agency clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cadillac F1 Super Bowl campaign: 1.15 billion impressions, #6 most engaging out of 98 Super Bowl spots, #1 ad for relevance boost (Harris Quest Brand Bowl Report)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Translation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Translation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Translation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- EndeavorflagshipTranslation partnered with Endeavor to develop the new logos and brand campaigns for the Big 12 Conference's comprehensive rebrand under Commissioner Brett Yormark. This was a flagship engagement involving strategic positioning, creative identity development, and campaign activation for the conference's transition.
- UnitedMasterscoreTranslation is an operating unit of UnitedMasters, the music and artist services company founded by Steve Stoute. UnitedMasters provides the parent platform and infrastructure, including shared services and the careers portal hosting Translation's job listings.
- Big 12 ConferenceflagshipTranslation worked alongside Endeavor as the rebrand partner for the Big 12 Conference, developing new logos and brand campaigns coinciding with the conference's expansion to 16 schools and major NCAA policy changes.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Translation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anomaly: Independent creative agency with a strong record on brand strategy and integrated campaigns for enterprise clients. Comparable to Translation in independent model and cultural-marketing focus.
- Johannes Leonardo: Independent NYC creative agency known for cultural campaigns and brand storytelling for enterprise clients. Closely comparable in size, geography, and creative positioning to Translation.
- 72andSunny: Independent creative agency focused on culturally relevant brand storytelling for clients including Google, Samsung, and Twitch. Comparable to Translation in independent structure and cultural-marketing focus.
- Wieden+Kennedy: Independent global creative agency known for culturally driven brand work for Nike and other Fortune 500 clients. Closely comparable to Translation in independent positioning, cultural fluency, and enterprise client roster.
- Mekanism: Independent creative agency producing cultural and storytelling-led campaigns for enterprise brands. Comparable to Translation in independent positioning and emphasis on emotional, culture-driven brand work.
- Mother: Independent global creative agency network producing culturally driven campaigns for major brands. Comparable to Translation in independent structure and creative-led positioning.
- Droga5: New York-based independent creative agency producing award-winning cultural and brand campaigns for major enterprise clients. Direct competitor to Translation in the indie creative agency category.
Broad incumbents
- R/GA: Global creative and innovation agency within IPG, offering brand work, product, and experience design. Comparable in creative scope but operates at holding-company scale and is not independent like Translation.
- TBWA\Chiat\Day: Large global creative agency network within Omnicom, known for culturally disruptive campaigns for Apple, Nissan, and Adidas. Overlaps with Translation's enterprise sports and consumer brand work but operates at much larger scale as a holding-company network.
Emerging players
- GUT: Independent creative agency with a cultural-marketing pedigree (founded by Anselmo Ramos). Comparable to Translation in indie positioning and cultural creativity, though with a smaller footprint and more recent global expansion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Translation social profiles
Digital presenceTranslation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Translation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Translation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Translation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Translation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Translation
What does Translation do?
Translation is an independent creative agency offering brand strategy, creative development, brand identity, creative production, influencer and talent brokerage, social strategy and analytics, and experiential creative and production for Fortune 500 brands and sports leagues. The agency pairs proprietary capabilities in Context Planning, In-vertising Strategy, Sponsorship Activation, and Brand Soundtracking with 16Bars, an in-house content production studio covering film, photography, motion design, and social-first content.
Is Translation a public or private company?
Translation is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Translation founded?
Translation was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Translation based?
Translation is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Translation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Creative Agency Retainers and Project Fees are the primary driver. The others are content Production (16Bars Studio).
Who are Translation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anomaly, Johannes Leonardo, 72andSunny, Wieden+Kennedy, Mekanism, Mother and Droga5. Broad incumbents are R/GA and TBWA\Chiat\Day. GUT is listed as an emerging player.
Does Translation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Translation.