Name

Cowshed

Legal name

Cowshed Communication Ltd

Website

https://wearecowshed.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative and Communications Services: Full-service retainer-based PR and creative agency delivering integrated campaigns from insights and strategy through to creative and production for government, public sector, and third sector clients. Revenue is generated through project fees, retainer contracts, and campaign-based engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cowshed is a full-service creative communications agency that delivers fully integrated PR, communication, design and media buying campaigns for government, public sector, third sector and corporate clients. Services span insights, strategy, creative development, production, paid media, PR and media relations, community engagement, and bilingual (Welsh/English) execution, delivered on a retainer and project-fee basis.

Product overview

Cowshed is a full-service creative communications agency offering integrated campaign services including strategic planning, creative development, PR and media relations, social media management, community engagement, video production, and paid media. The agency operates primarily as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product company. Notable named offerings include the Upriser youth creative talent development program (a partnership with Saatchi) and the SOUND campaign platform (a Welsh Government initiative addressing gender-based violence).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upriser: A partnership with Saatchi to boost future creative talent coming into the industry in Wales, offering young people aged 11-18 an introduction and route into creative industries.

Products and services

• Integrated PR and Communications Campaigns Full-service integrated PR, communications and campaign delivery for government, public sector, third sector and corporate clients, spanning strategy, creative, media relations and production.
• Media Planning and Buying Paid media planning and buying across digital, social, out-of-home, TV, radio and display channels for client campaigns.
• Creative Design and Production Creative concept, design, video production, documentary and bilingual content production for campaign assets across TV, radio, OOH, digital and social.
• Community Engagement and Co-Production In-house community engagement, insights and co-production service that places intended audiences — including young people, Welsh-speaking communities and those with lived experience — at the heart of campaign design and delivery.
• Upriser Youth Creative Talent Programme Youth creative talent development programme run in partnership with Saatchi, providing workplace visits, mentoring, bespoke lesson plans and creative initiatives to Year 7+ students at Willows High School in Cardiff.
• SOUND Campaign Platform Bilingual anti-violence platform and behaviour change campaign for young men aged 18-34 in Wales, providing resources and community engagement to help end violence against women and domestic abuse.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53% increase in parents applying for School Essentials Grant (Free School Meals campaign)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SaatchicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cowshed X Saatchi partnership for Upriser programme - a creative talent initiative designed to inspire young people aged 11-18 in Wales and provide a route into the creative industries. Partnership with Willows High School in Cardiff, providing workplace visits, mentoring, and creative initiatives throughout school years.
• Willows High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Upriser programme. Cowshed follows Year 7 students throughout their school years with bespoke lesson plans, workplace visits, 1:1 mentoring and creative initiatives.
• Bengo MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Bengo Media for podcast training on the Truth Be Told National Adoption Service podcast series.
• It's My Shout ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned to create the Sound Lad? documentary as part of the Sound campaign with Welsh Government. It's My Shout provides film-making training for those interested in the creative industries.
• Media CymrucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCowshed received Media Cymru Seed Fund grant for Stori Lab project with Cerebra, one of 18 development projects in technology, virtual production and interactive experiences. Fund led by Cardiff University with support from Cardiff Metropolitan University and Alacrity Foundation.
• CerebracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with children's charity Cerebra on Stori Lab accessibility project and Relay Your Way inclusive relay campaign. Cerebra provides support to young people with brain conditions; Cowshed contributes creative and production expertise.
• Clear ChannelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Clear Channel for contactless Give DIFFerently homeless campaign - first contactless giving for homelessness in Wales. Clear Channel provided full frontage takeover of an empty shop on Cardiff's busiest shopping street.
• Neath Port Talbot Council, Wrexham CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTargeted local authority areas for Stop Loan Sharks Wales campaign with hyper-focused digital, out-of-home and PR in areas of high deprivation and high risk of illegal money lending.
• Future Generations Commissioner for WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership to offer Your-turn-ship - a paid ten-week work placement for people experiencing barriers to starting a career in communications due to race, religion, age, sex, disability or social background. Expansion of Cowshed's award-winning BAME internship programme.
• Hockey WalesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Wales hockey team on India tour for Study in Wales campaign, brokered sponsorship deal for headline sponsorship and press visits to schools.
• Books Council of WalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership to promote reading for pleasure, Summer Reading Challenge, and the impact of the New Audiences Grant on the publishing industry in Wales.
• Prostate Cancer UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBOG STANDARD campaign partnership with phs Group and Prostate Cancer UK to make male incontinence bins available in all public and workplace washrooms, publishing guidelines to ensure men can dispose of incontinence waste with dignity.
• South Wales PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Pinpoint campaign for South Wales Police to encourage reporting of anti-social behaviour, involving team shadowing real policing teams on the beat. Won PRCA Public Sector Award.
• South Wales Fire and Rescue ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to launch new strategy, vision, mission and values through staff workshops and engagement.
• Powys Teaching Health BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVaping awareness campaign experiment in high schools across Powys county, distributing fake vape boxes with health information.
• Elena and Sofia CostaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardiff-based filmmaker sisters who provided videography for the Welsh Government White Ribbon Day 'Ry'n ni yma o hyd' video featuring Bronwen Lewis's cover of Yma O Hyd.
• Live Fear FreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Live Fear Free and Football Association of Wales for White Ribbon Day campaign to end violence against women, engaging the 'Red Wall' of Wales football fans.
• Football Association of WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for White Ribbon Day campaign with Live Fear Free to send message about ending violence against women during Wales football World Cup campaign.
• Calan DVScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeth Edwards, Cowshed Campaign Director, named first survivor ambassador for Calan Domestic Violence Services. Partnership to improve and save lives through domestic violence services.
• Gary Kirsten FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership at Chris Hani High School in Khayelitsha, South Africa, where Wales women's cricket team coached students using facilities funded by the foundation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grayling: International PR and public-affairs agency with significant UK public-sector and government communications work. Comparable as a direct peer competing for similar government and third-sector retainers with an integrated campaign model.
• Citypress: UK PR and public-sector communications agency. Comparable as a direct peer of similar size competing for the same UK public-sector integrated communications briefs.

Broad incumbents

• M&C Saatchi: Large UK creative and communications network with public-sector and purpose-led campaigns. Comparable because Cowshed has a formal strategic partnership with Saatchi (Upriser programme) and competes in the same UK integrated communications category.
• Golin: Global PR and communications agency with strong public-sector and behaviour-change practice. Comparable as a large-scale integrated communications competitor targeting similar government and corporate purpose-driven briefs.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): Global communications agency with a substantial public-sector and purpose-driven offering. Comparable because it competes for the same integrated public-sector and corporate purpose-led briefs as Cowshed.
• Edelman: Global communications firm with a major UK public-affairs and behaviour-change practice. Comparable as a larger full-service competitor bidding for the same Welsh/UK government and corporate purpose briefs.
• Havas London: Major UK creative and communications network with purpose-driven and government client work. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing for integrated campaigns across public sector and corporate clients.

Regional players

• Big Cat Agency: Wales-based creative agency. Comparable as a Wales-headquartered creative agency competing in the same Welsh market with overlapping public-sector and corporate clients.
• Frank (Manchester): Manchester-based integrated creative agency with purpose-led and public-sector work. Comparable as a regional UK creative agency with similar integrated campaign model and public/third-sector orientation.

Emerging players

• The Purpose Union: UK purpose-led creative communications agency focused on charities, foundations and progressive brands. Comparable as a niche purpose-driven competitor with similar client mix to Cowshed's third-sector and corporate purpose work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearecowshed
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearecowshed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Cowshed