What Grow Marketing does

Grow Marketing is a San Francisco-based, WBENC Certified Women-Owned full-service experiential marketing agency founded in 2000 by Gabrey Means (Chief Creative Officer) and Cassie Hughes (Chief Strategy Officer). The firm designs and executes brand strategy, creative development, and production work for Fortune 500 enterprise clients, with a 25-year track record spanning activations for Google, Meta, Target, Airbnb, BlackRock, GM, Uber, Visa, Under Armour, and dozens of other global brands. The agency operates with 11-50 employees and is led by a senior team that includes dedicated creative, accounts/strategy, operations, and design leadership.

The service portfolio covers campaign development, brand positioning and narrative, creative strategy, visual identity, go-to-market strategy, brand partnerships, retail and pop-up activations, media moments, conferences and trade shows, mobile tours, virtual events, content and amplification, fabrication, installation, logistics, and project/vendor management. Grow does not operate a proprietary technology platform; deliverables are produced using standard industry creative and production tools. The integration of strategy, creative design, and physical production under a single agency roof is positioned as a key differentiator relative to fragmented specialist shops.

Grow Marketing generates revenue through project-based professional fees for brand strategy and creative services, with engagement scope and pricing custom-quoted per project. New business is acquired primarily through direct enterprise sales, portfolio-driven case studies, industry award visibility, and long-term client referrals rather than intermediaries or self-service channels. The client base spans technology, consumer/retail, financial services, automotive, fashion, food and beverage, healthcare, education, biotechnology, payments, and venture capital, providing vertical diversification though not necessarily revenue diversification given the project-based model.

Name

Grow Marketing

Legal name

Grow Marketing

Website

https://grow-marketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grow Marketing is a San Francisco-based, WBENC-certified women-owned full-service experiential marketing agency with 25 years of experience executing brand campaigns, conferences, retail activations, and mobile tours for Fortune 500 enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative & Brand Campaign Development (BPAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD), Shopper Marketing Strategy & Planning (MPAAAJAA)

Keywords

• Experiential marketing agency
• Brand activation services
• Event production services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Conference production services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Brand Strategy & Creative: Project-based professional fees for brand strategy, creative development, campaign design, and production services delivered to enterprise clients. Revenue is generated through individual project engagements rather than recurring retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grow Marketing is a full-service experiential marketing agency that delivers brand strategy, creative design, and production services for enterprise brands. The agency plans and executes brand activations, conferences, trade shows, pop-ups, mobile tours, media moments, and retail experiences from concept through fabrication, installation, and logistics. Services are delivered as integrated end-to-end campaigns for Fortune 500 clients rather than as standalone products.

Product overview

Grow Marketing is a full-service experiential marketing agency headquartered in San Francisco, WBENC Certified Women-Owned, with 25 years of experience creating award-winning engagement campaigns. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core portfolio consists of strategic services (Campaign Development, Brand Positioning & Narrative, Creative Strategy, Visual Identity, Go-to-Market Strategy), experiential services (Retail & Pop-Ups, Media Moments, Conference & Trade Shows, Mobile Tours, Virtual Events), and production services (Content & Amplification, Fabrication, Installation, Logistics & Operations, Project & Vendor Management, Brand Partnerships, Work Culture). The services work together as an integrated offering to deliver end-to-end experiential marketing campaigns from concept through execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experiential Campaign Development & Production Integrated brand strategy, creative development, campaign design, fabrication, installation, logistics, and project management delivered as end-to-end experiential marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 enterprise clients.
• Brand Strategy & Creative Services Brand positioning, narrative development, creative strategy, visual identity design, and go-to-market strategy services for enterprise brands.
• Retail & Pop-Up Activations Design and execution of retail experiences and temporary pop-up activations, including flagship store design and in-store brand experiences for consumer-facing brands.
• Conference & Trade Show Production End-to-end production of conferences, trade shows, executive summits, and thought leadership events including strategy, design, speaker management, and execution for large-scale industry events.
• Mobile Tour Activations Nationwide and multi-market mobile tour activations that bring brands directly to consumers across key markets, including fabrication, installation, and logistics.
• Media Moments & Press Events Creation of press-worthy events and media activations designed to generate earned media coverage and high-profile brand exposure.
• Virtual & Hybrid Events
• Content & Amplification Creation and distribution of content across channels including influencer partnerships and social amplification to extend the reach of activations.
• Fabrication, Installation & Logistics Custom fabrication of displays and installations, professional installation services, and comprehensive logistics management for experiential campaigns and event setups.
• Brand Partnerships & Co-Branded Initiatives Strategic partnership development and management for co-branded initiatives and brand collaborations across consumer, retail, and event channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% sales lift (Target Universal Thread launch)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers30 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WanderlustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership between Ole Henriksen and Wanderlust wellness festivals to deliver Glow Tour experiential activations across US and Canada. This partnership enabled Ole Henriksen's first consumer IRL experience, reaching target audience at festival locations.
• LyftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide Lyft partnership for Old Navy Holiday Your Heart Out campaign featuring Lea Michele and increasing BOPIS orders by 500%. Lyft provided transportation integration driving retail trial.
• Van Leeuwen Ice CreamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3-month strategic partnership with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream for Stitch Fix Kids product launch tour, enhancing family-focused activations with food and beverage elements.
• Outside LandscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership with Outside Lands music festival for Google Music Festival Partnerships, positioning Google as leading streaming device for experiencing music and entertainment.
• iHeartRadio Jingle BallcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with iHeartRadio Jingle Ball as part of Google Music Festival Partnerships, reaching millions with brand activations.
• DrybarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Drybar to reach fashion-forward women and get Google hardware in consumer hands - replacing paper magazines with content-filled tablets for 4K consumers averaging 25 min per trial.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential brand experience agency owned by IPG, producing events, activations, and conferences for Fortune 500 brands. Highly comparable to Grow in service scope, with broader geographic reach and deeper holding-company resources.

Direct peers

• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Award-winning experiential marketing agency specializing in large-scale conferences, brand activations, and trade shows for enterprise clients. Direct peer to Grow in scope and customer profile, with deeper roots in tech and automotive verticals.
• MKG: Boutique experiential marketing and brand experience agency working with consumer, tech, and lifestyle brands on activations, pop-ups, and events. Closely comparable in size, service mix, and client base to Grow Marketing.
• MAS Event Design: Experiential agency producing brand activations, conferences, and immersive experiences for enterprise clients. Comparable to Grow in offering mix and Fortune 500 customer base.
• Sparks: Global experiential marketing agency (a division of George P. Johnson) focused on live brand experiences, pop-ups, and conferences for major consumer and tech brands. Strong overlap with Grow in service lines and client profile.
• e2k Events: Experiential marketing agency producing large-scale brand experiences, conferences, and activations for enterprise clients across tech, financial services, and consumer verticals. Comparable scope to Grow's full-service offering.
• BeCore: Boutique experiential agency with expertise in brand activations, pop-ups, and mobile tours for consumer and tech brands. Similar in size and customer profile to Grow Marketing.
• Red Antler: Brand strategy and creative agency that builds brands from positioning through launch and activation, with a strong record of work for high-growth consumer and tech companies. Comparable to Grow's brand strategy and go-to-market offerings.
• BPCM: PR and experiential agency producing media moments, brand events, and activations for consumer, lifestyle, and tech clients. Comparable to Grow's media moments and experiential services with a similar enterprise customer profile.

Emerging players

• The Gathery: Boutique experiential agency producing intimate brand events, dinners, and curated activations for premium consumer and lifestyle brands. Smaller and more niche than Grow, but overlapping in experiential capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/grow_marketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/growmarketing

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Grow Marketing