Involve

What Involve does

Involve is a brand activation agency founded in 2010 in Columbus, Ohio by Craig Lerner. The firm delivers integrated marketing services — brand strategy and creation, public relations, digital and social media marketing, and experiential/event activations — to clients concentrated in the fitness, health and wellness sector, with secondary exposure to healthcare, retail and apparel, and financial technology. Named clients include Les Mills, Life Fitness, Technogym, Gildan, Escape Fitness, FIS, Equifax, Fiserv, BOSU, SportsArt, Life Time, Virtudent, and InStride Health. The agency operates from a Columbus headquarters (1020 Dennison Ave, Ohio 43201), a Seattle office opened in November 2019, and Involve Media in Chicago, with additional team members across New York City, Charleston, Tampa, and Sedona.

The product portfolio pairs traditional agency work with several proprietary, branded offerings. Core services include Brand Creation & Optimization, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, and Experiential Marketing. Distinct sub-products include the Let's Go! 60-day leadership program with Team Leadership and Brand Leadership tracks delivered across four 90-minute small-group sessions (Connection, Surrender, Transition, Resilience); Involve Studio, a content production studio offering video, photography, and podcasting; Human Performance Coaching led by Greg Niederlander; and Involve Licensing under Lesley Levenson. Underlying methodology is human-driven and framework-based rather than technology-driven, anchored in the "3 H's" brand evaluation (Helpful, Honest, Human), the Return on Momentum (RoM) measurement philosophy, and the five-pillar operating approach (Mindful Choices, Meaningful Connections, Memorable Experiences, Measurable Growth, Mutual Celebrations). No proprietary AI/ML or software platform is disclosed.

Revenue is generated across four streams with different mechanics: traditional agency professional-services fees for full-service engagements; recurring monthly subscription revenue via Involve Studio membership tiers; coaching and consulting fees for Human Performance Coaching and Let's Go!; and licensing royalties and partnership fees through Involve Licensing. Enterprise pricing is not publicly disclosed; Studio offers monthly subscription tiers and a la carte options for small businesses and personal brands. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct client relationships, supplemented by experiential/event-driven client acquisition and direct-to-consumer Studio subscriptions. The company operates as a privately-held LLC under Founder/President Craig Lerner with no disclosed external funding and three wholly-owned subsidiary brands: Involve Studio, Involve Media, and Involve Licensing.

Name

Involve

Legal name

Involve LLC

Website

https://getinvolve.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Involve is a Columbus, Ohio-based brand activation agency delivering brand strategy, public relations, digital marketing, and experiential services to fitness, wellness, healthcare, retail, and financial technology clients, complemented by the Let's Go! leadership program and Involve Studio content production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Activation and Marketing Services

NAICS

Media Representatives (541840), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Strategy & Experience Design (BPAFAGAA), Festival & Live Entertainment Brand Partnerships (MPAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Brand activation services
• Marketing agency services
• Public relations services
• Experiential marketing services
• Digital marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Activation Services: Full-service marketing agency providing branding, research, advertising, public relations, digital, social media, experiential marketing, and licensing expertise to clients across healthcare, wellness, fitness, retail, apparel, packaging and financial technology sectors.
2. Involve Studio Content Production: Content production studio offering video production, podcasting, photography, and digital marketing services for small businesses and personal brands. Operates on membership model with monthly video shoots (half-day or full-day) plus strategic coaching sessions.
3. Human Performance Coaching: Business and human performance coaching services including C-suite coaching, seminar workshops, lectures, and experiential events delivered as customized organizational solutions.
4. Brand Licensing Consulting: Involve Licensing division provides brand licensing services under direction of experienced brand strategist Lesley Levenson, managing licensing and partnership development for fashion brands and lifestyle products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Involve is a brand activation agency that helps brands build deeper relationships with their audiences through strategy, brand creation, public relations, digital marketing, and experiential/event marketing. Its portfolio extends to content production via Involve Studio, human performance coaching, a 60-day Let's Go! leadership program, and brand licensing consulting through Involve Licensing.

Product overview

Involve is a brand activation agency with a human-driven approach to marketing. The company offers a unified portfolio of services centered around building authentic brand-audience relationships. Core offerings include brand strategy and creation, public relations, digital marketing, and experiential marketing. The portfolio includes proprietary programs like the Let's Go! 60-day leadership program with Team and Brand Leadership tracks, and Involve Studio for content production. Additional offerings include Human Performance Coaching (led by Greg Niederlander) and Involve Licensing. Services are delivered through offices in Columbus (headquarters), Chicago, Seattle, and team members in New York City, Charleston, Tampa, and Sedona.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Creation & Activation Services Comprehensive branding services including brand creation, optimization, activation plans, and strategic planning to build authentic, meaningful brand experiences for enterprise clients.
• Public Relations Media relations, press releases, content development, and strategic communications services led by an established media relations specialist with 20 years of experience.
• Digital Marketing Digital advertising, SEO, social media marketing, email campaigns, and data analytics services spanning the complete digital lifecycle from user experience to performance optimization.
• Experiential Marketing Live events, mobile tours, street teams, retail experience design, and immersive brand activations that create memorable experiences for target audiences.
• Let's Go! Leadership Program A 60-day human-driven leadership program with two distinct tracks — Team Leadership Track (internal coaching for key leaders) and Brand Leadership Track (external brand voice and activation). Delivers tools for increased performance implemented immediately and over time across four 90-minute small group sessions.
• Involve Studio Content production studio offering high-quality video production, photography, podcasting, and storytelling solutions. Operates on a membership model with monthly video shoots plus strategic coaching, with à la carte options, for small businesses and personal brands.
• Human Performance Coaching Business and human performance coaching services led by Greg Niederlander, focused on maximizing business performance by maximizing human performance through customized solutions addressing leadership, teamwork, and organizational goals.
• Involve Licensing Brand licensing services offering brand strategy, merchandising concepts, and partnership management to help brands expand into lifestyle products and new categories, led by Lesley Levenson.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2019 Cancer Support Community's Night of Chocolate raised more than $200,000, the largest amount raised in the event's nearly 15-year history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, flagship, key and community.

• American Council on ExerciseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2021Leading nonprofit exercise professional and health coach certification organization partnered with Involve for human performance initiatives and coaching programs.
• SportsArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2021Pioneer in sustainable fitness equipment for more than 40 years partnered with Involve for human performance solutions and brand initiatives.
• FunXtioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2020European leader in interactive digital fitness technology partnered with Involve for US market expansion. FunXtion brings the physical gym and digital experience seamlessly together for an enhanced member journey and works with some of the most well-loved fitness facilities in 23 countries worldwide.
• Les Mills USflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2020Involve was awarded the public relations account for Les Mills US in March 2020. Les Mills is the global leader in group fitness offering more than 20 different science-backed workouts through live, virtual and Les Mills On Demand digital experiences. Involve lends category expertise, marketing experience and public relations talents to help Les Mills achieve its goal of creating a fitter planet.
• VirtudentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2019Boston-based teledentistry pioneer Virtudent partnered with Involve to help evolve the brand and strengthen employee activation efforts. Virtudent brings preventative dental care to partner companies through onsite clinics and telehealth technologies.
• ShapewatchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2019Denmark-based Shapewatch partnered with Involve for its US PR product launch. Shapewatch is an innovative 3D body scanner and visualization solution that allows people to scan their bodies, monitor key biometrics and see their body shapes in 3D.
• Escape FitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2017Involve was selected as US agency of record for UK-based Escape Fitness in 2017, following a successful 6-month project relationship in 2016. Working to build brand awareness for the global fitness solutions provider among targeted media in the United States.
• GildanflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2017Involve has been managing Gildan's Triple-A Baseball National Partnership sponsorship and activation since 2012. This includes national sweepstakes, mobile tours, live events, and sponsorship activations for the leading brand of basic family apparel.
• Aimee KestenbergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2017Involve Licensing, launched under direction of Lesley Levenson, services fashion brand Aimee Kestenberg for brand licensing and expansion into lifestyle products across handbags, accessories, and luggage.
• Seven StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2015Involve supports Seven Studios with brand development, business vision, community engagement and licensing as the yoga and group exercise brand expands from Columbus to nationwide locations.
• Life Time FitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2015Gildan's title sponsorship of Life Time Fitness's Esprit de She race series was activated by Involve. The partnership celebrates women and includes charitable components with Girls on the Run as national charity partner.
• Lesley LevensonkeyOthersExperienced brand strategist and licensing expert leading Involve Licensing with extensive experience building brands across product categories and distribution channels, including Macy's, J Crew, Mattel and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
• Cancer Support Community Central OhiocommunityOthersInvolve provides branding, marketing expertise, design, writing, PR, social and digital resources to help Cancer Support Community deliver their message. Founder Craig Lerner serves as Chairman of the Board. The partnership began in 2013.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HL Group: Communications and brand strategy agency with strong lifestyle, fashion, and wellness category expertise, including public relations and brand partnerships. Comparable peer for Involve's PR practice and fashion/lifestyle licensing work such as Aimee Kestenberg.
• MAS Event Design: Experiential marketing and event design agency producing trade shows, brand activations, and experiential programs. Direct peer for Involve's experiential and live event activation engagements.
• Sparks: Experiential marketing agency (part of Omnicom/ADWEEK family) that specializes in live brand experiences, sports partnerships, and event activations. Closely comparable to Involve's Gildan Triple-A Baseball and mobile tour work, and competes for similar sports/fitness sponsorship activations.
• MKG: Independent creative experiential agency focused on brand experiences, content, and cultural storytelling. Comparable to Involve's experiential and brand activation services with a similar mid-sized independent positioning and human-driven creative emphasis.
• 22squared: Independent full-service advertising and brand activation agency with longstanding fitness and active lifestyle category expertise (notably with brands like Planet Fitness). Highly comparable peer in the fitness/wellness vertical and agency-of-record positioning.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Large experiential marketing agency and subsidiary of Project Worldwide that produces brand experiences, events, and sponsorships for enterprise clients. Directly comparable service mix to Involve's experiential and event activation practice, though operating at materially greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• AMP Agency: Full-service marketing agency offering brand strategy, digital, content, and experiential services to consumer brands. Comparable as a mid-to-large agency peer competing for similar fitness, lifestyle, and consumer brand activation briefs.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency owned by IPG that designs and produces live, digital, and hybrid brand activations for major marketers. Most directly comparable as an experiential/brand activation peer to Involve, though at significantly larger scale across multiple verticals.

Emerging players

• Raw Marketing: Boutique fitness-specific marketing agency serving health club operators and fitness brands. Niche competitor within Involve's deepest vertical (fitness/wellness) where both agencies pursue agency-of-record relationships with gym chains, equipment manufacturers, and fitness programming providers.
• MotionPR: Public relations and communications agency specializing in active lifestyle, fitness, and outdoor brands. Comparable as a category-specialist competitor for Involve's PR account work with Les Mills, Escape Fitness, and other fitness/wellness clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/getinvolve

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Involve