What Grain Group does

Grain Group is a privately held, founder-owned digital marketing agency headquartered in New York City, founded in 2010 by Agatha Chang and Ben Jurist after a decade each at large global agencies. The firm operates as a B2B professional services provider, delivering managed marketing services to consumer brands across CPG foods and beverages, alcohol and spirits, travel and luxury, wellness, and select B2B lead generation segments. Its service portfolio spans marketing strategy, digital media (paid social, programmatic/CTV, search, Amazon ads, retail media, Google Ads), analytics and CRM management, and Shopify-based e-commerce storefront development.

The underlying technology stack consists of integrated best-in-class martech rather than proprietary platforms: the firm holds certified partner status across Meta, Google, TikTok, The TradeDesk, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bing, Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, and retail media networks, with operational tooling including Klaviyo, HubSpot, Salesforce, GA4, Amazon Marketing Cloud, Skai, Pacvue, Magnite, Creatopy, and Celtra. An "autonomous growth engine" case study (THE WELL) indicates applied AI/ML for cross-channel optimization and closed-loop attribution, though most AI capability is sourced from platform partners rather than proprietary models.

Grain generates revenue through agency service fees structured as retainers, project fees, or performance-based arrangements under a professional services model. New client acquisition is sales-led via direct outreach, business development, and partner referrals from major martech platforms, with engagements typically sold into marketing leadership (CMO/VP-level) at consumer brands ranging from growth-stage startups to global enterprises such as Lipton, Labatt, Fifco, Seagram's, and GE.

Name

Grain Group

Legal name

Grain Group

Website

https://graingroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grain Group is a founder-owned, New York-based digital marketing agency founded in 2010 that delivers managed media, CRM, analytics, and Shopify storefront services to consumer brands across CPG, alcohol, travel, luxury, and wellness verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketing Services Fees: Grain Group earns revenue by providing managed marketing services to consumer brands, including digital media buying, CRM management, analytics, and ecommerce storefront services. Revenue is generated through agency service fees, which may be structured as retainers, project fees, or performance-based arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grain Group is a digital marketing agency that delivers integrated marketing strategy, paid digital media execution, CRM and data analytics, and Shopify e-commerce storefront development for consumer brands. Services span programmatic, CTV, paid social, paid search, Amazon advertising, retail media, and lifecycle CRM. The agency bundles these into managed engagements that connect media investment to measurable business outcomes such as revenue, ROAS, and brand lift.

Product overview

Grain Group is a digital marketing agency offering a unified portfolio of marketing services for consumer brands. The core offering combines Marketing Strategy, Digital Media, and Analytics/CRM/Data Solutions, augmented by an E-Commerce Storefront practice. The Digital Media capabilities span specialized modules including Programmatic & CTV, Social Media Ads (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn), Google Ads (Search, PMax, YouTube), Amazon Ads, and Retail Media (Walmart, Target, Kroger, Instacart). Data and technology services include CRM Management, Sales and Marketing Data Aggregation & Warehousing, and Shopify Website development. This integrated approach connects strategic planning with omnichannel media execution, data infrastructure, and e-commerce optimization to drive measurable performance outcomes for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Strategy Strategic marketing planning and consulting service that aligns consumer brand business objectives with ROI-driven media investment across all channels. Sold to CMOs and marketing leaders at consumer brands.
• Digital Media Comprehensive digital media buying and campaign management service spanning programmatic, paid social, paid search, CTV, Amazon Ads, and retail media. Sold to consumer brand marketing teams seeking integrated omnichannel paid media execution.
• Analytics, CRM & Data Solutions Data-driven marketing service including CRM management (Klaviyo, HubSpot), sales and marketing data aggregation and warehousing, and performance analytics with closed-loop attribution. Sold to consumer brands seeking to unify marketing data and tie spend to revenue outcomes.
• E-Commerce Storefront (Shopify) Shopify-based e-commerce storefront development and optimization service for DTC brands, including custom theme design, product page optimization, app integrations (Recharge, Rebuy, Reviews.io, Hotjar, Convert), and promotional architecture. Sold to DTC and omnichannel consumer brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3x targeted reach vs legacy approaches; 85% of impressions in live-game environments (Honey Stinger live sports campaign)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration32 records

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Meta Business PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group holds Meta Business Partner status, indicating certified expertise and deeper integration capabilities with Meta's advertising platforms including Facebook and Instagram, enabling advanced campaign management, creative tools, and platform support.
• Google PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationAs a certified Google Partner, Grain Group has demonstrated expertise in Google Ads products including Search, YouTube, Display, Shopping, and Performance Max, providing clients with access to advanced features and best practices.
• The TradeDeskcoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group leverages The TradeDesk's programmatic advertising platform to activate high-value audiences at scale across display, CTV, and audio channels, with access to premium inventory and transparent CPMs.
• TikTok Marketing PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group operates as a TikTok Marketing Partner with certified capabilities in TikTok advertising, enabling the agency to run branded content, performance campaigns, and creator partnerships on the platform.
• LinkedIn Marketing PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationAs a LinkedIn Marketing Partner, Grain Group has access to LinkedIn's advertising and marketing solutions for B2B marketing, targeting professionals and decision-makers across industries.
• Amazon AdscoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group leverages Amazon's full suite of advertising solutions including Amazon DSP, Sponsored Ads, Streaming TV, and Amazon Marketing Cloud to drive commerce outcomes for brands on Amazon's platform.
• Google AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group uses Google Analytics for performance monitoring, audience analysis, and attribution across client campaigns, integrating with GA4 for real-time insights.
• MagnitecoreTechnology or IntegrationGrain Group partnered with Magnite's programmatic advertising platform to execute a live sports streaming campaign for Honey Stinger. The partnership leveraged Magnite's sell-side programmatic infrastructure to access premium inventory within Big 10 and SEC college sports matchups.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Razorfish (Publicis): Razorfish is Publicis's technology-driven digital agency covering media, commerce, CRM, and experience design. Comparable capability breadth to Grain Group (especially the data + commerce integration) but at significantly larger scale and with broader enterprise footprint.
• Publicis Media: Publicis Media is the media arm of Publicis Groupe, encompassing Starcom, Zenith, Spark Foundry, and Digitas. Overlaps with Grain Group on paid media, data, commerce, and CRM capabilities but at significantly larger scale and with holding-company procurement leverage on enterprise CPG accounts.
• Digitas (Publicis): Digitas is Publicis's digital-first agency brand, focused on connected commerce, CRM, data, and media for consumer brands. Closest holding-company network peer to Grain Group given emphasis on commerce and CRM integration with media.
• GroupM (WPP): GroupM is WPP's media investment group housing Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and mSix&Partners. A large incumbent offering the same programmatic, paid social, search, and commerce capabilities as Grain Group but at global scale with multinational CPG as anchor clients.
• Carat (Dentsu): Carat is Dentsu's global media agency network focused on consumer brands across paid media, programmatic, and commerce. Comparable service scope to Grain Group but with global delivery infrastructure and larger CPG enterprise relationships.

Emerging players

• Disruptive Advertising: Disruptive Advertising is a digital marketing agency focused on paid search, paid social, and lifecycle marketing for mid-market e-commerce and consumer brands. Comparable in integrated paid media + CRO offering but with narrower vertical focus and smaller scale than Grain Group.

Direct peers

• Power Digital Marketing: Power Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency serving mid-market and enterprise consumer brands across paid media, SEO, content, and CRO. Highly comparable in size, vertical focus (consumer/CPG), and integrated service model that mirrors Grain Group's strategy + media + data stack.
• Movers+Shakers: Movers+Shakers is a digital-first creative and media agency specializing in social commerce, influencer, and TikTok-led activations for consumer brands. Comparable in CPG/F&B customer mix, platform-partner-led growth (notably TikTok), and mid-size agency positioning.
• Nebo Agency: Nebo is a mid-size digital agency offering SEO, paid media, content, and analytics for consumer and B2B brands. Comparable in headcount band (tens to low hundreds of employees), full-funnel service scope, and focus on data-driven performance outcomes for growth-stage clients.
• Tinuiti: Tinuiti is a large independent performance marketing agency specializing in paid media, retail media (Amazon, Walmart, Target), and CRM for consumer and retail brands. Most direct comparable to Grain Group given shared focus on CPG/retail clients, integrated paid media + CRM + commerce offering, and mid-to-large agency size.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grain-group
• Facebookfacebook.com/graingroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Grain Group