Rare Bird
Rare Bird, Inc. is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency founded in 1998 in Carmel, Indiana, providing custom web design, e-commerce, branding, digital marketing, and video production services to enterprise and nonprofit clients nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersCarmel, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rare Bird does
Rare Bird, Inc. is a privately held, full-service digital marketing and creative agency founded in 1998 in Carmel, Indiana, by three co-founders (Jim Cota, Ben Rothe, and Troy Chandler) who left a regional ad agency. Two co-founders (Cota as President & CEO and Chandler as Lead Designer & Co-Founder) remain with the business; the third is now a client. The firm designs and develops custom websites, e-commerce platforms, branding and visual identities, digital marketing campaigns, business strategy, and video content for a diverse client base spanning healthcare publishing (Harvard Health Publishing, Mindscape), manufacturing (Harrison Steel Castings, HGC Industries), nonprofit (Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, INvestEd, FIRST Indiana Robotics, St. Luke Catholic Church), financial services (Woodley Farra Manion, Eder Financial, Archos Advisors), affordable housing (Pedcor Companies, Pedcor Living), education technology and IT (GadellNet), retail/e-commerce (Mayer Fabrics, Hamilton Book), and logistics/3PL (Draco LLC). The agency operates from a single headquarters at 200 South Rangeline Rd, Suite #244, in the Indiana Design Center, and maintains an in-house production studio called The Aviary with multi-camera, lighting, microphone, and green-screen capability for video and podcast work.
Rare Bird firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rare Bird
- Legal name
- Rare Bird, Inc.
- Website
- https://rarebirdinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rare Bird, Inc. is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency founded in 1998 in Carmel, Indiana, providing custom web design, e-commerce, branding, digital marketing, and video production services to enterprise and nonprofit clients nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rare Bird is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carmel
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rare Bird business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Services: Rare Bird generates revenue through providing professional marketing services including custom web design, branding, digital marketing, e-commerce development, video production, and business strategy consulting. Services are delivered on a project basis or potentially retainer arrangements for ongoing client relationships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Rare Bird product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rare Bird is a full-service digital marketing and web design agency that delivers custom website design and development, e-commerce platforms, branding and visual identity, digital marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC, email, social), business strategy, and video storytelling for businesses and nonprofit organizations. The firm operates an in-house production studio (The Aviary) for video and podcast work and executes projects end-to-end with a 15-person in-house team.
Product overview
Rare Bird is a full-service digital marketing agency offering a comprehensive suite of services including Website Design & Development, E-Commerce development, Digital Marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC, email, social media), Branding & Design, Business Strategy, Video & Storytelling, and Studio Production (The Aviary). The company also operates an internal client portal called Flightplan and maintains a monthly newsletter called Bird Feed. Services are delivered by a team of designers, developers, and strategists serving clients across various industries since 1998.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Aviary: In-house production studio for audio and video work, located within the Indiana Design Center in Carmel, Indiana. Equipped with multi-camera setups, lighting, microphones, green-screen capability. Offers podcast production, video recording, and client update services.
Products and services
- Website Design & Development Custom website design and development services producing visually distinctive, intuitive layouts built with clean, efficient code for fast, reliable, and secure sites, targeted at businesses and nonprofit organizations needing a professional web presence.
- E-Commerce Development Custom e-commerce platform builds specializing in secure, scalable online sales with payment gateway integration, shipping providers, and inventory management system integration, for retailers and publishers with complex catalog, subscription, or fulfillment requirements.
- Digital Marketing Digital marketing services including SEO, SEM, PPC, email marketing, and social media management with KPI tracking through industry-leading analytics tools, for businesses seeking to grow online visibility and lead generation.
- Branding & Design Brand identity development including logos, brand guidelines, color palettes, typography, business cards, brochures, packaging design, and promotional materials, for companies and organizations needing a cohesive visual identity.
- Business Strategy Strategic consulting providing in-depth analysis of market trends, competitive assessment, and roadmap development for sustainable business growth, for clients seeking marketing-aligned business planning.
- Video & Storytelling Brand storytelling through video production, case studies, brand narratives, and social content producing authentic and emotionally resonant marketing materials for businesses and nonprofit organizations.
- Studio & Production (The Aviary) In-house video and podcast production studio equipped with multi-camera setups, professional lighting, microphones, green-screen capability, and a remote guest kit, providing audio and video recording and production services to clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mindscape website named 2026 Webby Honoree in Health & Wellness category
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rare Bird
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rare Bird technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability7 records
Rare Bird partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rare Bird competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Plattner Creative: Indiana-based creative agency providing branding, web, video, and marketing services. Operates in the same geographic market as Rare Bird with an overlapping service portfolio, competing for similar Indiana-based clients.
Emerging players
- Huemor: Web design and development agency specializing in B2B websites, e-commerce, and branding with an emphasis on UX and conversion. Comparable service mix but typically newer/smaller engagements and a more digital-only delivery model.
Direct peers
- Simantel: Peoria, Illinois-based branding and digital agency offering strategy, design, web, video, and digital marketing. Similar size, Midwestern roots, and full-service integrated offering to Rare Bird.
- thunder::tech: Cleveland-based integrated digital agency providing web design, e-commerce, branding, and marketing strategy. Similar size and service portfolio with a Midwest footprint serving mid-market and enterprise clients.
- Blue Flame Marketing: Wisconsin-based full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, branding, video, and digital strategy to mid-market and enterprise clients. Directly comparable in service mix, team size, and Midwestern positioning to Rare Bird.
- Hanson Inc. Indianapolis-based full-service marketing agency providing branding, digital, video, and strategy services. Operates in the same geography and serves a similar mix of enterprise, nonprofit, and industrial clients as Rare Bird.
- Lessing-Flynn: Iowa-based independent advertising and digital agency offering branding, web, video, and media services. Comparable Midwest independent agency with a similar long-tenured client roster and full-service positioning.
- Ocreative: Wisconsin-based full-service design and digital marketing agency offering web, branding, video, and inbound marketing. Comparable boutique Midwest agency with similar horizontal client mix and senior-practitioner-driven model.
Broad incumbents
- Lounge Lizard: Established US digital agency offering web design, branding, e-commerce, and digital marketing to mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable service mix at a larger scale and broader national footprint.
- Brafton: Larger content marketing agency offering web, SEO, content, video, and branding services nationally. Broader-scale competitor with overlapping capabilities but a more content-centric delivery model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rare Bird social profiles
Digital presenceRare Bird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rare Bird leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Rare Bird funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rare Bird M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rare Bird
What does Rare Bird do?
Rare Bird is a full-service digital marketing and web design agency that delivers custom website design and development, e-commerce platforms, branding and visual identity, digital marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC, email, social), business strategy, and video storytelling for businesses and nonprofit organizations. The firm operates an in-house production studio (The Aviary) for video and podcast work and executes projects end-to-end with a 15-person in-house team.
Is Rare Bird a public or private company?
Rare Bird is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rare Bird founded?
Rare Bird was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rare Bird based?
Rare Bird is headquartered in Carmel, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rare Bird make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services.
Who are Rare Bird's main competitors?
Plattner Creative is listed as a regional player. Huemor is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Simantel, thunder::tech, Blue Flame Marketing, Hanson Inc., Lessing-Flynn and Ocreative. Broad incumbents are Lounge Lizard and Brafton.
Does Rare Bird have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rare Bird.