Translation

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• EndeavorflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Translation 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.
• UnitedMasterscoreOthersTranslation 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 ConferenceflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTranslation 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/pulseofculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/translation-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearetranslation
• TikToktiktok.com/@wearetranslation?_t=8lr6NvlQX7e&_r=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/translation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Translation