What Highland Group does

Highland Group is a full-service branding and digital marketing agency headquartered at 645 Cherry Street SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 2001 by Scott Crowley (CEO and Partner) and Jen Crowley (CMO and Partner), the agency delivers integrated creative services across brand strategy, brand identity, website development, content strategy and SEO, digital advertising, video, animation, photography, social media, email marketing, analytics, podcasting, and branded environments — a portfolio of more than 25 service lines. The client base spans five deliberate segments: global enterprises (Steelcase, Amway, Consumer Energy, GFS, KitchenAid, CAT Footwear), privately held mid-market companies (Progressive Companies, Applied Innovation, Varnum, Flat River Group), small businesses (Eastern Kille Distillery, Mé by Femé, All Seasons Living), nonprofits and cultural institutions (Grand Rapids Ballet, Emancipet, St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids Chamber), and educational institutions (Aquinas College, Everest Collegiate, Grand Valley State University).

The business model is professional services: revenue is generated through project-based fees and retainer arrangements under quote-based pricing that varies by scope, service mix, and client size. There is no standardized public pricing, and no subscription or productized offering. The agency operates as a direct-to-client sales-led model with no resellers, distributors, or marketplace channels; new business is generated through website inquiries, referrals, regional networking (notably as a GR A250 supporter), and targeted outreach to the five defined segments. The technology layer is non-proprietary — the firm is explicitly a service-based creative studio rather than a software platform, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or patents. The firm has been a Certified B Corporation since approximately 2016 and has earned Best for the World B Corporation recognition for community impact, which functions as a brand differentiator rather than a revenue driver.

Highland Group is privately held, bootstrapped, and self-funded by its founders with no disclosed external investment rounds, M&A activity, or institutional backing. Headcount is stated at 20-30 professionals organized into leadership, account, creative, digital, and operations functions. Operating geographies are limited to the United States, with the Grand Rapids headquarters serving as the sole office.

Name

Highland Group

Legal name

Highland Group

Website

https://wearehg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highland Group is a full-service branding and digital marketing agency founded in 2001 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving global enterprises, mid-market firms, small businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions with integrated creative and digital services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative and Marketing Services: Full-service branding and digital marketing agency providing comprehensive creative services including advertising, brand strategy, website development, content marketing, digital advertising, and more. Revenue generated through project-based fees, retainer arrangements, and ongoing marketing partnerships with clients across various industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Highland Group is a full-service branding and digital marketing agency that delivers integrated creative and marketing services including brand strategy, brand identity, website development, digital advertising, content marketing, SEO, social media, video, animation, photography, email marketing, and analytics. The agency partners with businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions to help them reach new audiences, transform to meet cultural shifts, and bring products to market through custom, project-based engagements and long-term retainer partnerships.

Product overview

Highland Group is a full-service branding and digital marketing agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of marketing services rather than a unified software product. The agency provides integrated services spanning advertising, brand development, digital marketing, content creation, and technology solutions. Key service offerings include Brand Identity and Brand Strategy for defining visual and messaging frameworks; Website Development and Web Apps for digital presence; Content Strategy & SEO, Content Marketing, and Email Marketing for digital engagement; Video, Animation, Photography, and Illustration for visual content; Analytics, Testing, and Social Media for performance optimization; plus specialized services such as Podcasting, Messaging, Custom Publishing, and Hosting. These services work together as an integrated marketing offering, with the agency serving diverse client segments including global enterprises, privately held companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Strategic brand development service defining unique identity and crafting cohesive brand messaging for institutions and businesses. Targeted at clients seeking to refine brand positioning.
• Brand Identity Visual identity creation including logos, brand guidelines, and comprehensive brand systems for new brands and rebranding initiatives.
• Website Development Design and development of user-friendly, high-performing websites that support sales processes and lead generation for businesses and nonprofits.
• Web Apps Custom web application development for interactive tools and web integrations tailored to business needs.
• Content Strategy & SEO SEO-driven content strategy and messaging frameworks including keyword research and editorial planning to connect with audiences and achieve measurable results.
• Digital Advertising Paid search, display ads, social media advertising, remarketing, and other digital tactics to attract qualified leads for client businesses.
• Advertising Traditional and digital advertising services to build brand awareness and inspire audience action across various media channels.
• Brand Advertising Dedicated brand advertising service focused on building long-term brand equity and recognition through campaigns.
• Video Video production services including brand anthem videos, corporate training videos, event recap videos, and product demonstrations.
• Animation Motion graphics animation, interactive animation, and animated explainer videos for brand storytelling.
• Photography Custom photography services including headshots and lifestyle photography to reflect authentic brand personality.
• Illustration Custom illustration services for marketing materials and brand collateral.
• Content Marketing Content marketing services including blog posts, infographics, e-books, white papers, podcasts, and case studies.
• Podcasting Podcast strategy and production from concept through distribution including content calendars, audio/video editing, and show distribution.
• Email Marketing Email and SMS campaign creation to nurture leads, retain customers, and drive revenue through personalized messaging.
• Social Media Social media strategy, content creation, and management including audience segmentation and engagement reporting.
• Custom Publishing Custom publication design and production including magazines, annual reports, and branded materials.
• Branded Environments Physical space design including wall signage, custom photography, fabric graphics, and branded glass film installations.
• Communications Corporate and marketing communications services to support leadership initiatives and engage employees and external audiences.
• Messaging Brand messaging systems development including brand voice guides, audience-specific talking points, and value propositions.
• Naming Brand naming services for new companies, products, or rebranding initiatives.
• Art Direction Creative direction for visual content ensuring consistent artistic vision across marketing materials and campaigns.
• Graphic Design Visual design services for marketing materials, publications, and brand collateral.
• Analytics Marketing analytics services transforming data into insights including platform setup, traffic analysis, engagement tracking, and custom dashboards.
• Testing UX testing and quality assurance including heat maps, scroll depth tracking, funnel analysis, and user interviews.
• Hosting Website hosting services to maintain client online presence without interruption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Web traffic increased +31% new users, +15% unique pageviews, +35% average time on page 30 days after website launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers23 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Understanding GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with leading information architects The Understanding Group on Progressive Companies case study. HG references this partnership for laying digital foundation for national expansion. Primarily a client collaboration reference rather than formal agency partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brogan & Partners: Michigan-based full-service advertising and branding agency with similar size and service breadth. Directly comparable as a regional Michigan creative shop serving enterprise, mid-market, and public-sector clients across integrated brand, digital, and media services.
• The Yaffe Group: Full-service marketing agency based in Southfield, Michigan, offering branding, digital, media, and creative services of comparable scale. Competes head-to-head for Michigan-based enterprise and mid-market accounts with a similar full-service value proposition.
• FUEL: Michigan-based branding and marketing agency of similar size serving a comparable mix of enterprise and mid-market clients. Directly comparable as a regional creative shop with integrated branding and digital capabilities.
• Russell Herder: Minneapolis-based branding, marketing, and content agency of similar size and full-service orientation. Comparable as a Midwest creative shop with strong nonprofit, healthcare, and education client rosters — directly mirroring Highland Group's vertical mix.
• Cooper: Independent creative agency specializing in branding, design, and digital experiences for mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable service mix (brand strategy, identity, digital) and similar positioning as a full-service integrated agency.
• Tombras: Independent, full-service advertising agency offering creative, media, digital, and analytics under one roof. Comparable in offering breadth and mid-market/enterprise client focus, with similar agency-of-record-style long-term partnership model.
• Sparks: Philadelphia-headquartered independent agency delivering brand, digital, content, and experiential marketing. Comparable as a mid-size full-service creative shop with similar integrated offering and long-term client partnership orientation.

Regional players

• The Understanding Group: Grand Rapids-based information architecture and branding firm explicitly named in Highland Group's portfolio as a collaboration partner. Local market peer with overlapping brand strategy and digital foundation capabilities, serving similar West Michigan clients.

Broad incumbents

• Padilla: Minneapolis-headquartered integrated marketing and communications agency with broader public relations, brand, and digital capabilities. Larger and broader in scope but operates in the same full-service integrated marketing category serving enterprise and nonprofit clients.
• GALE: Larger independent agency combining creative, media, data, and technology under one P&L. Competes with Highland Group on enterprise integrated briefs but at significantly greater scale and with proprietary data/tech assets.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highland-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandgroup
• Xx.com/wearehg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Highland Group