Manifest

Integrated Marketing Servicesmanifest.com

Manifest is a U.S.-based, full-service integrated marketing agency offering strategy, creative, performance media, editorial, social, technology, and delivery services to enterprise and mid-market clients across B2B, B2C, and D2C verticals, formed through the 2025 merger of Manifest and Aisle Rocket.

Company typePrivate
Founded2015
HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
Headcount251–500
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Manifest does

Manifest is a U.S.-based, full-service integrated marketing agency operating under Delaware parent ARS Advertising, LLC, with headquarters in Chicago and offices in New York, Washington DC, Phoenix, and Saint Joseph, MI. The agency traces its operating history to 1985 and currently employs 251–500 people (including 160+ internally branded 'Thinkers'), serving enterprise and mid-market clients across B2B, B2C, and D2C motions in verticals such as financial services, healthcare, CPG, home goods, technology, apparel, and travel.

The agency delivers work through eight integrated service lines: Data Intelligence, Strategy, Creative, Performance Media, Editorial, Social, Technology, and Delivery. Its Technology stack includes headless site architecture, content management and e-commerce platforms, and DevOps/infrastructure support, while its editorial and creative practices lean on generative AI for content production, AI-enabled content platforms, and process automation. A referenced IBM case study documented 200 initial creative assets expanded into 1,000+ derivatives with 26x higher engagement than paid social benchmarks, signaling active AI augmentation of the creative pipeline.

Manifest generates revenue through project-based fees, retainers, and integrated campaign engagements on a quote-based model. The agency is sales-led and enterprise-focused, targeting growth-focused marketers seeking an integrated alternative to holding-company networks. In March 2024, Aisle Rocket (ARS Advertising) acquired Manifest, and in October 2025 the two firms completed a merger under the unified Manifest brand, combining content strategy/brand journalism with digital experience, martech, and brand/product creative capabilities. Leadership comprises CEO Ross Shelleman, Partner/CXO Steve Slivka, Partner/CGO Melissa Bouma, and EVP of Strategy Geoff Director, with no disclosed venture or private equity backing.

Manifest firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Manifest
Legal name: ARS Advertising, LLC
Website: http://www.manifest.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2015
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 251–500 employees
Short description: Manifest is a U.S.-based, full-service integrated marketing agency offering strategy, creative, performance media, editorial, social, technology, and delivery services to enterprise and mid-market clients across B2B, B2C, and D2C verticals, formed through the 2025 merger of Manifest and Aisle Rocket.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Manifest industry classification

Industry

Product category: Integrated Marketing Services
NAICS: Media Representatives (541840)
SIC: Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
akta.pro primary industry: Brand Activations & Pop-Ups (Retail/Street/Guerrilla) (BPAFAGAF)
akta.pro secondary industries: Product Launches & Brand Activations (Experiential Marketing) (MPAGAHAD), Sponsorship Activation & Experiential Marketing (THAHAGAC)

Keywords

Integrated marketing services
Content marketing agency
Brand strategy
Performance media
Digital experience design

Where Manifest is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: St Louis
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

Manifest business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Marketing Services Revenue: Full-service integrated marketing agency providing strategy, creative, data intelligence, performance media, editorial, social, technology, and delivery services to enterprise and mid-market clients. Revenue generated through project-based fees, retainer arrangements, and integrated campaign engagements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Manifest product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Manifest is a full-service independent marketing agency providing integrated strategy, creative, data intelligence, performance media, editorial, social, technology, and delivery services to enterprise and mid-market clients. The agency focuses on shortening the consumer journey by bridging brand-building and performance marketing, particularly in the middle of the customer journey where engagement stalls.

Product overview

Manifest is a full-service independent marketing agency formed through the merger of Manifest and Aisle Rocket (ARS Advertising) in 2025. The agency provides an integrated suite of marketing services organized around eight core offerings: Data Intelligence, Strategy, Creative, Performance Media, Editorial, Social, Technology, and Delivery. These services work together as an integrated system, with the agency's approach centered on solving the 'middle journey' challenge—bridging the gap between brand building and performance marketing to help clients turn consideration into preference. The combined agency leverages Manifest's deep-rooted expertise in content strategy, brand journalism, and complex B2B storytelling with Aisle Rocket's capabilities in digital experience, marketing technology, and brand and product creative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Data Intelligence

Quantifiable outcome

Growth acceleration through shortened customer journey
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Manifest

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Manifest technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Manifest partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Aisle RocketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024In March 2024, Aisle Rocket (also known as ARS Advertising, LLC) acquired Manifest. Following the acquisition, the firms merged under a single unified brand: Manifest. The merger combined Manifest's expertise in content strategy, brand journalism, and B2B storytelling with Aisle Rocket's capabilities in digital experience, marketing technology, and brand/product creative. The combined agency is fiercely independent and positioned to compete against larger holding companies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Manifest competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

R/GA: Independent creative and digital agency offering integrated strategy, design, and technology services to enterprise clients — closely comparable to Manifest's full-service integrated offering and similar size band.
Code and Theory: Independent creative and technology agency combining content, design, and digital product capabilities — directly comparable to Manifest's eight-pillar integrated model and its content-plus-technology positioning post-merger.
Anomaly: Independent creative agency known for non-traditional, brand-plus-performance integration — comparable to Manifest's independent positioning against holding companies and integrated campaign approach.
Digitas: Publicis-owned connected marketing agency spanning data, creative, media, and technology — directly comparable across Manifest's eight service pillars, though at larger scale and with holding-company backing.
Huge: Digital experience agency offering strategy, design, marketing, and technology — closely aligned with Manifest's 'Technology' and 'Creative' capabilities and its experience-design emphasis.
72andSunny: Independent creative agency integrating brand, content, and cultural strategy for global brands — comparable to Manifest's independent status and integrated brand-plus-performance positioning.
Mother: Independent creative agency operating across advertising, design, content, and digital — closely comparable to Manifest's independent model and full-service creative scope.
Droga5: Creatively-led agency (now part of Accenture Song) with integrated strategy, creative, and capabilities work — directly comparable to Manifest's brand storytelling and integrated campaign strengths, though at greater scale.

Broad incumbents

Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company encompassing creative, media, digital, and healthcare agencies — the principal holding-company incumbent that Manifest explicitly positions against as an independent alternative.
Omnicom Group: Global advertising holding company providing advertising, media, branding, and marketing services — broad incumbent competitor whose portfolio agencies (e.g., BBDO, DDB, Goodby) compete with Manifest across enterprise RFPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Manifest financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Manifest leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Manifest subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

Manifest funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Manifest M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manifest

What does Manifest do?

Is Manifest a public or private company?

Manifest is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was Manifest founded?

Manifest was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.

Where is Manifest based?

Manifest is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.

How does Manifest make money?

One revenue line is on record: marketing Services Revenue.

Who are Manifest's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are R/GA, Code and Theory, Anomaly, Digitas, Huge, 72andSunny, Mother and Droga5. Broad incumbents are Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group.

Does Manifest have an API?

No public API is recorded for Manifest.

What industry is Manifest in?

Manifest's product category is Integrated Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAGAF, Brand Activations & Pop-Ups (Retail/Street/Guerrilla), with a secondary code of MPAGAHAD, Product Launches & Brand Activations (Experiential Marketing). Its NAICS code is 541840 and its SIC code is 7311.