The Independents
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersShangai, China
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The Independents firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Independents
- Legal name
- The Independents Holding Limited
- Website
- https://the-independents.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Independents industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Communications and Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies (MPAAAAAC), Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)
Keywords
Where The Independents is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shangai
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices15 records
Markets served
The Independents business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Independents product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Independents is a global marketing, design, and communications group for industry leaders across luxury and lifestyle, operating as a collective of 23 specialist partner agencies spanning brand strategy, design and creative, content creation, communications, digital strategy, talent and entertainment, brand activation, and analytics and impact services. The group delivers bespoke creative solutions to enterprise brand clients across fashion, beauty, watches, jewelry, select technology, and financial services, with global reach across 17 cities. Beyond agency services, the group operates the Lefty self-service SaaS platform for influencer campaign management and the L'Incubateur accelerator program for emerging luxury/lifestyle creative ventures.
Product overview
The Independents is a global marketing, design, and communications group comprising a collective of specialized agency partners for industry leaders across luxury and lifestyle. The company operates as a platform-plus-partners model, with 23+ specialist agencies under its umbrella including Karla Otto, Kennedy, Lucien Pagès Communication, 2x4, CTZAR, Kitten Production, Inca Productions, Bureau Betak, MA+Group, Cadence Films, Cadence Image, Sunshine, The Qode, We Are Ona, Prodject, Terminal 9 Studios, Lefty, Bureau Béatrice, Bureau Future, Atelier Athem, Atelier Lum, k2, Kitty Events, and TI Productions Italy. Services span brand strategy, design & creative services, content creation, communications, digital strategy, talent & entertainment, brand activation, and analytics & impact. The portfolio also includes L'incubateur, an accelerator program for emerging creative entrepreneurs in luxury and lifestyle, and Lefty, a self-service SaaS platform for influencer campaign management. The group maintains global reach across 17 cities in North America (New York, Los Angeles), EMEA (London, Paris, Milan, Munich, Barcelona, UAE, Saudi Arabia), and Asia (Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- L'Incubateur: Incubator program by The Independents that identifies and nurtures next generation creative talent and innovative entrepreneurs in global luxury and lifestyle industries. Provides minority equity investment, mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to The Independents ecosystem.
Products and services
- Brand Strategy Services Helps clients understand and articulate their values, ambitions, offerings, and initiatives, grounding brand ethos in concrete language and connecting intentions to actions; includes brand architecture and masterplanning for enterprise luxury, fashion, and lifestyle clients.
- Design & Creative Services Uses the power of design, emotive visual messaging, and authentic storytelling to cultivate brand narratives with distinctive perspective; leverages relationships with top-tier talent including artists, filmmakers, photographers, and influencers.
- Content Creation Creates content with intelligence and sensitivity to connect with audiences fluidly across channels and cultures; collaborates with clients to elevate issues and ideas at the center of the enterprise.
- Communications Services Manages reputation and creates desirability across channels through language and strategic communications platforms; shapes unique visions for clients and cultivates dialogue between brands and their audiences.
- Digital Strategy Services Creates reach and fuels sales by pairing content with leading technologies to ignite consumer engagement and inspire commerce; connects physical space and digital channels, building strong communities around brands.
- Talent & Entertainment Services Establishes meaningful associations between brands and relevant talent and platforms to increase awareness; leverages global network of relationships spanning entertainment, technology, and creative industries.
- Brand Activation Services Leverages culture and insights to bring brands to life in the right contexts, creating compelling experiences that forge stronger relationships between brands and their audiences through interactive, shareable events.
- Analytics & Impact Services Leverages global capabilities and local experience to devise innovative and scalable influencer campaigns with measurable impact; includes a self-service SaaS platform (Lefty) and comprehensive campaign support.
- Lefty Self-service SaaS platform for influencer marketing campaign management, enabling identification, management, tracking, and reporting of influencer actions with measurable impact; acquired by The Independents on 2021-04-15.
- L'Incubateur Accelerator program that identifies and nurtures the next generation of creative talent and innovative entrepreneurs in the global luxury and lifestyle industries; provides minority equity investment, mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to The Independents ecosystem to portfolio companies such as Matiere-Noire and TheOutsidersPerspective.
Companies that use The Independents
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Independents technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Independents partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Independents competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Havas Group: Havas is a global advertising and communications group with creative, media, and health networks that overlap with The Independents' integrated services portfolio across brand strategy, content, and activation.
- Engine Group: Engine Group is a global holding company for a federation of marketing, communications, and specialist creative agencies, structurally comparable to The Independents' platform-plus-partners model across multiple service lines.
- Publicis Groupe: Publicis operates a global creative and communications network with significant luxury and lifestyle client relationships (e.g., through Publicis Luxe and Leo Burnett), competing for the same enterprise marketing RFPs as The Independents.
- Dentsu Creative: Dentsu Creative is the global creative network of Dentsu International, providing integrated advertising, brand experience, and design services across luxury and lifestyle — overlapping with The Independents' service mix at enterprise scale.
- Stagwell Global: Stagwell operates a publicly listed creative, communications, and digital agency network assembled via roll-up M&A — a direct comparable on growth-via-acquisition strategy, federation structure, and tech-enabled marketing services.
Direct peers
- Anomaly: Anomaly is an independent creative agency with a strong track record in fashion, luxury, and lifestyle clients, offering strategy, design, content, and brand activation services that directly overlap The Independents' core offerings.
- Purple PR: Purple is an independent luxury and fashion PR and communications agency headquartered in London, directly competing with The Independents' PR-led subsidiaries (Karla Otto, Lucien Pagès, The Qode) for premium fashion and lifestyle clients.
- KCD Worldwide: KCD is a leading global fashion PR and communications agency serving luxury houses and designers, directly competing with Karla Otto, Lucien Pagès Communication, and The Independents' PR subsidiaries for the same fashion press and brand positioning mandates.
- The Lede Company: The Lede Company is a talent, entertainment, and communications agency with strong luxury and lifestyle credentials — competing with The Independents' Sunshine, We Are Ona, and broader celebrity/talent divisions for fashion and brand clients.
Emerging players
- Mother London: Mother is an independent global creative agency serving premium consumer, fashion, and lifestyle brands with integrated advertising and brand experience work — overlapping with The Independents' full-service creative and activation services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Independents social profiles
Digital presenceThe Independents financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Independents leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Independents subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries24 records
The Independents funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Independents M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A9 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Independents
What does The Independents do?
The Independents is a global marketing, design, and communications group for industry leaders across luxury and lifestyle, operating as a collective of 23 specialist partner agencies spanning brand strategy, design and creative, content creation, communications, digital strategy, talent and entertainment, brand activation, and analytics and impact services. The group delivers bespoke creative solutions to enterprise brand clients across fashion, beauty, watches, jewelry, select technology, and financial services, with global reach across 17 cities. Beyond agency services, the group operates the Lefty self-service SaaS platform for influencer campaign management and the L'Incubateur accelerator program for emerging luxury/lifestyle creative ventures.
Is The Independents a public or private company?
The Independents is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was The Independents founded?
The Independents was founded in 2017. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Independents based?
The Independents is headquartered in Shangai, China, in the Asia region.
Who are The Independents's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Havas Group, Engine Group, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu Creative and Stagwell Global. Direct peers are Anomaly, Purple PR, KCD Worldwide and The Lede Company. Mother London is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Independents have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Independents.
What industry is The Independents in?
The Independents's product category is Creative Communications and Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAAAAC, Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.