The Marketing Store

What The Marketing Store does

The Marketing Store (tms) is a privately held, Chicago-headquartered global customer engagement agency that integrates technology, marketing, and sourcing services for the world's most iconic consumer brands. Founded in 1986 and operating with approximately 1,400 employees across 26 countries and 13 documented offices (Seattle, Chicago, London, Munich, Duisburg, Paris, Beirut, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tokyo), tms delivers programs at significant scale: 1.5 billion toys annually (principally into McDonald's Happy Meal), 150 billion units of packaging globally, $500 million in drinkware (notably for Starbucks), $4 billion in managed spend across 300+ suppliers, and engagement reaching 110 million customers per day.

Its core offering is an integrated suite of services rather than a discrete software product: promotional merchandise and toy sourcing, global packaging production, loyalty and gamification programs, brand partnership activations, experiential marketing, and managed spend / procurement services. Named anchor relationships include McDonald's (51 years), Adidas (12 years), T-Mobile (10 years), Virgin Media O2 (6 years), plus additional enterprise clients such as Samsung, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Cboe, and Robinhood, totaling 400+ brand partnerships across more than 100 countries.

Commercially, tms operates as a B2B enterprise solutions provider with a relationship-driven go-to-market: dedicated account teams, long-term strategic engagements, and custom-quotation-based pricing per client program. Revenue mechanics span transaction-fee sourcing (merch, packaging), professional services (campaign strategy, brand partnerships, experiential), and managed services (spend and supplier management at $4B volume). Marketing presence is concentrated in owned channels — LinkedIn and Instagram — supported by an 'Expert Voices' thought-leadership series and industry award positioning across D&AD, Effie, Marketing Society, ANA B2, Ad Age, HR Asia, and others.

Name

The Marketing Store

Legal name

The Marketing Store

Website

https://themarketingstore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Marketing Store (tms) is a privately held global customer engagement agency that integrates technology, marketing, and sourcing for iconic brands such as McDonald's, Adidas, T-Mobile, and Samsung, delivering promotional merchandise, packaging, loyalty programs, and experiential campaigns across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Promotion Management & Optimization (TPM/TPO) (MPAAAJAH)

Keywords

• Promotional merchandise services
• Brand partnership management
• Loyalty program services
• Experiential marketing agency
• Packaging sourcing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Promotional Products & Merchandise: Design, sourcing, and distribution of promotional merchandise including toys (1.5 billion annually), branded merchandise, and limited-edition collaborations. Key programs include McDonald's Happy Meal toys, Starbucks drinkware, and branded apparel.
2. Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: Strategic partnerships with major brands to deliver marketing campaigns, experiential activations, and loyalty programs. Includes gamification initiatives (McDonald's Monopoly), brand collaborations (MSCHF, Sanrio), and retail experiences.
3. Packaging Solutions: Global packaging production and sourcing managing 150 billion units of packaging annually, including McDonald's global packaging, Starbucks cup programs, and sustainable packaging solutions.
4. Spend Management: Procurement and supply chain management services overseeing $4 billion in spend management across 300+ suppliers and 100+ countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Marketing Store (tms) is a global customer engagement agency that unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to design, produce, and deliver promotional merchandise, packaging solutions, loyalty programs, brand partnerships, gamification initiatives, and experiential marketing campaigns for the world's leading brands. The company operates at massive scale, producing 1.5 billion toys and managing 150 billion units of packaging annually while running $4 billion in spend management across 300+ suppliers in 100+ countries.

Product overview

The Marketing Store (tms) is a global services company that unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world's leading brands. Rather than offering a discrete software product, tms provides an integrated suite of professional services including promotional product sourcing, packaging solutions, loyalty programs and brand partnerships, experiential marketing, gamification, and retail experiences. Their portfolio includes work across retail experiences (Cboe | HOOD Summit), loyalty and gamification programs (McDonald's Winning Sips), and branded promotional products and merchandise. The company operates at scale, managing $4 billion in spend, producing 1.5 billion toys annually, and serving 100+ countries through partnerships with McDonald's (51 years), Adidas (12 years), T-Mobile (10 years), and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Promotional Products and Merchandise Design, sourcing, and global distribution of promotional merchandise including toys (1.5 billion annually for McDonald's Happy Meal programs), branded drinkware ($500 million program with Starbucks), branded apparel, and limited-edition collaborations (e.g., MSCHF, Sanrio Cinnamoroll, Crocs, Squishmallows, Hello Kitty). Sold B2B to enterprise brand clients seeking integrated physical merchandise campaigns.
• Packaging Solutions Global packaging production and sourcing managing 150 billion units of packaging annually, including McDonald's global packaging programs, Starbucks cup programs, and sustainable packaging solutions. Sold B2B to enterprise brand clients.
• Brand Partnerships and Sponsorships Strategic partnerships with major brands to deliver marketing campaigns, brand collaborations (MSCHF, Sanrio), retail experiences, and sponsorship activations. Sold B2B to enterprise clients seeking long-term partnership-based marketing support.
• Spend Management Procurement and supply chain managed services overseeing $4 billion in spend management across 300+ suppliers and 100+ countries on behalf of enterprise brand clients. Sold B2B as a managed services offering.
• Loyalty and Gamification Programs Design and execution of loyalty programs and gamification initiatives including McDonald's Winning Sips, McDonald's Monopoly game promotions, T-Mobile Member Month app rewards, and Samsung Gear up with Galaxy activations. Sold B2B to enterprise brand clients.
• Experiential Marketing and Retail Experiences Design and execution of experiential marketing activations and retail experiences including the Cboe HOOD Summit (with Robinhood), Adidas Juventus kit launches and skater events, Samsung cliff-diving events, and Cinnamoroll retail launches. Sold B2B to enterprise brand clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 billion toys delivered annually to McDonald's Happy Meal programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and secondary.

• McDonald'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner51-year strategic partnership as tms's flagship client. tms delivers 1.5 billion toys annually through McDonald's Happy Meal programs globally, manages packaging solutions (150 billion units), and creates promotional campaigns including Monopoly game promotions, sustainability initiatives, and limited-edition merchandise collaborations.
• AdidascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner12-year partnership delivering brand activations including Juventus kit launches, experiential marketing events with skaters, and product collaborations. tms supports Adidas in building fan engagement through premium merchandise and experiential moments.
• T-MobilecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year loyalty partnership supporting T-Mobile's Member Month celebrations and app rewards programs. tms delivers customer engagement campaigns and experiential marketing activations for T-Mobile's subscriber base.
• Virgin Media O2keyStrategic or Co-development Partner6-year partnership delivering customer engagement campaigns. tms won Best Customer Engagement award for O2 at Marketing Society awards, demonstrating strong partnership value and campaign effectiveness.
• SamsungkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand partnership delivering product launches and experiential campaigns including Gear up with Galaxy promotions, cliff-diving events, and Galaxy Ring marketing content.
• Coca-ColakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand partnership managing promotional merchandise and marketing collaborations for Coca-Cola's global brand initiatives.
• StarbuckskeyStrategic or Co-development Partner$500 million drinkware partnership managing design, sourcing, and production of Starbucks cups and beverage accessories globally. Also includes collaborations like Starbucks x Sanrio Cinnamoroll collection.
• CboesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership delivering retail experiences including the HOOD Summit event featuring experiential activations and customer engagement moments.
• RobinhoodsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent partnership supporting Robinhood's summit initiatives in collaboration with Cboe, delivering financial services community engagement experiences.
• MSCHFsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for creative product drops including MSCHF Galaxy Ring marketing content and limited-edition product releases.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Momentum Worldwide: IPG-owned experiential marketing agency specializing in brand activations, loyalty, and shopper marketing for global consumer brands — directly comparable to tms's integrated engagement model.
• Octagon: Sports and experiential marketing agency delivering sponsorship activations, brand experiences, and creative campaigns for global brands; comparable in scale, client roster, and integrated offering.
• Sparks: Experiential and brand experience agency within the Merkle/Dentsu network delivering large-scale events, sponsorships, and integrated brand experiences for global brands — comparable service mix and enterprise client orientation.
• Mosaic Group: Sales and experiential agency within Publicis delivering field marketing, events, and shopper activations for global CPG and consumer brands — overlapping in execution model and enterprise customer segment.
• Allied Global Marketing: Integrated marketing agency offering brand experiences, promotional marketing, and content production for global brands; comparable mid-sized competitor with similar enterprise services.
• GMR Marketing: Global experiential marketing agency specializing in sports, entertainment, and consumer activations for Fortune 500 brands; highly comparable in client roster, project scale, and integrated agency model to tms.
• Mktg Inc: Dentsu-owned promotional and experiential marketing agency delivering loyalty programs, brand activations, and integrated engagement solutions for global brands — directly overlapping with tms's core offering and customer profile.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency under Interpublic/IPG creating experiential campaigns, sponsorships, and integrated brand storytelling for iconic brands — overlapping closely in service type and enterprise client base.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Brand experience agency producing events, exhibits, and immersive activations for technology and consumer brands; competes for the same experiential and brand-engagement budgets as tms.

Broad incumbents

• Advantage Solutions: Public sales and marketing services platform providing brand activations, merchandising, and shopper marketing; a broader, scaled incumbent overlapping with tms's promotional and brand-experience capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-marketing-store
• Instagraminstagram.com/tms_worldwide
• Xx.com/tmsagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about The Marketing Store