What Sway does

Sway Creative Labs (operating as Sway) is an independent, full-service advertising agency headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, founded in 2012 and operating with 11–50 employees. The firm delivers end-to-end marketing services spanning strategic creative, design, animation and motion, video and photo production, digital development, social media management, search engine marketing, research and analytics, and in-house media planning and buying across digital and traditional channels. Its client base spans destination marketing organizations, higher education, consumer packaged goods and food manufacturing, entertainment, retail, B2B distribution, and healthcare.

The agency's technology foundation combines a direct TradeDesk relationship for programmatic media buying with Salesforce MarketingCloud/Pardot integrations for CRM and marketing automation, supported by proprietary data analytics. Its most notable productized offering is Sway Signals, a subscription-based intent data platform that tracks real-time traveler search behavior across 210 markets and is priced from $2,999 annually for destination marketing organizations. Custom interactive builds, such as the HTML5 'Monster Manor' game for Dollar Tree and the face-detection album cover generator for Sony Music's Lauryn Hill campaign, illustrate in-house production capabilities beyond conventional media work.

Sway generates revenue primarily through professional services engagements (project- and retainer-based creative, media, and production work) for enterprise and government clients, supplemented by the recurring subscription revenue of Sway Signals. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct outreach, case study demonstrations, and demo requests, with all services delivered through the Norfolk headquarters and no disclosed international offices despite international campaign execution in the UK, Netherlands, Australia, France, Spain, and Germany. The firm is privately held with no institutional funding or parent company identified in available data.

Name

Sway

Legal name

Sway Creative Labs

Website

https://madebysway.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sway Creative Labs is an independent full-service advertising agency in Norfolk, Virginia, delivering creative, media planning and buying, digital development, video production, and analytics for enterprise and government clients across destination marketing, CPG, higher education, entertainment, and retail. Its Sway Signals SaaS product provides intent data for destination marketing organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG), Direct Response & Database Marketing (Mailing Lists, Data Hygiene) (MPAAAIAK), Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Programmatic media buying
• Creative production services
• Destination marketing solutions
• Intent data platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Creative Services: Full-service agency providing strategic creative, media planning, media buying, digital development, video production, and analytics services to enterprise and mid-market clients on a project and retainer basis.
2. Sway Signals SaaS Product: Subscription-based intent data platform for destination marketing organizations, priced from $2,999 providing real-time traveler search intelligence across 210 markets.
3. Media Buying Services: In-house media department provides digital and traditional media buying services, leveraging direct TradeDesk inventory relationships for client campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sway Creative Labs is a full-service advertising agency that delivers strategic creative development, media planning and buying, digital development, social media management, search engine marketing, research and analytics, video and photo production, and animation and motion design for enterprise and mid-market clients across industries such as destination marketing, CPG/food manufacturing, higher education, entertainment, retail, and B2B distribution. The agency also operates Sway Signals, a subscription-based real-time traveler intent data platform serving destination marketing organizations.

Product overview

Sway Creative Labs is a full-service advertising agency operating as a single unified offering rather than a modular platform. The agency combines creative development, media strategy and buying, and digital development services. Core offerings include Sway Signals (an intent data platform for destinations), Sway Media Capabilities (in-house media department), and campaign production services. The agency works across industries including travel/tourism, food & beverage, entertainment, and higher education, with capabilities spanning creative strategy, design & identity, animation & motion, video production, programmatic media, social, SEM, research & analytics, and advanced reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sway Signals: An intent data platform that tracks real-time traveler search data across 210 markets to reveal which prospects have highest intent for destinations. Built for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), priced from $2,999.

Products and services

• Sway Signals Subscription-based real-time traveler intent data platform tracking search data across 210 markets to help destination marketing organizations identify high-intent prospects and optimize marketing spend. Targets destination marketing organizations, priced starting at $2,999.
• Sway Media Capabilities In-house media department providing strategic media planning, buying, and optimization across digital and traditional channels, including programmatic media, social, and search capabilities. Leverages direct TradeDesk relationship for inventory and conversion-rate advantages.
• Website Design & Development Digital development services including website redesign, information architecture, content management system implementation, and experience engine development for personalized content delivery, exemplified by VisitNorfolk.com.
• Creative & Media Strategy Strategic approach combining data analysis, creative development, and informed media placement across digital and traditional channels to deliver ROI for clients.
• Video & Photo Production In-house video and photo production capabilities for creating campaign content including television spots, digital advertising, and branded entertainment.
• Social Media Management Social media strategy and execution including content creation, community management, and paid social advertising across platforms.

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TradeDeskcoreTechnology or IntegrationTradeDesk is Sway's enterprise demand-side platform partner. As one of a handful of independent agencies their size to have a direct relationship with TradeDesk, Sway gains access to better programmatic inventory, cost savings, and conversion rates for client campaigns compared to agencies without direct access.
• Salesforce (MarketingCloud/Pardot)coreTechnology or IntegrationSalesforce MarketingCloud and Pardot provide the CRM and marketing automation foundation for Sway's customer experience platforms, enabling automated communication journeys, personalized email/SMS/direct mail, and real-time prospect data for clients like Tidewater Community College.
• BandwangominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBandwango provides the digital discount platform technology for the 'At Last Pass' mobile-exclusive offering that delivered deals from 80+ tourism partners during the Together At Last campaign, enabling visitor engagement with local businesses.
• Sony Certified ClassicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSway partnered with Sony Certified Classics to develop the Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary interactive campaign experience, including the custom cover generator site that was localized for multiple countries including UK, Netherlands, Australia, France, Spain, and Germany.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wray Ward: Charlotte, NC-based mid-size independent full-service agency with similar headcount and a comparable mix of creative, media, and content services across lifestyle, home, and tourism-adjacent verticals — the closest structural analog to Sway.
• Miles Partnership: Orlando-based agency purpose-built around destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, and travel brands — the most direct competitive analog to Sway's DMO vertical and to the Sway Signals intent-data proposition.
• Tombras Group: Knoxville, TN-based mid-size independent full-service agency with in-house media, creative, and digital capabilities serving enterprise and government clients — a close structural and geographic peer to Sway.
• Lewis Communications: Birmingham, AL-based mid-size independent agency offering full-service creative, media, and digital across consumer and B2B categories — comparable in scale, ownership structure, and service breadth to Sway.

Broad incumbents

• The Martin Agency: Richmond, VA-based large independent full-service agency with much greater scale and a broader portfolio; serves overlapping client types but competes for the same Virginia and Mid-Atlantic enterprise brand work that Sway goes after.
• BVK: Milwaukee-based mid-to-large independent advertising agency offering integrated creative, media, and digital services to consumer and B2B brands — overlaps with Sway on full-service enterprise engagements at larger scale.
• RPA: Santa Monica, CA-based independent advertising agency with comparable full-service creative and media capabilities but a larger headcount and broader client roster — comparable operating model at greater scale.
• Fallon: Minneapolis-based independent full-service agency with a long track record across creative, media, and digital, serving Fortune-level clients — broadly comparable to Sway in agency-of-record positioning but materially larger in scale.

Emerging players

• MMGY Global: Travel, tourism, and hospitality-focused integrated marketing agency that competes head-to-head with Sway for destination marketing budgets and overlaps on analytics-driven tourism campaign execution.
• Development Counsellors International (DCI): Specialty economic-development and destination marketing agency focused on tourism boards and DMOs — directly comparable to Sway's DMO vertical and to Sway Signals' positioning around destination intelligence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/madebysway
• Facebookfacebook.com/madebysway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sway-creative-labs

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

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sway