LEAD Marketing Agency

What LEAD Marketing Agency does

LEAD Marketing Agency is a privately held, full-service marketing agency headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan (2311 East Beltline SE), founded in 2008 by Tom Sullivan and Matt Tiedgen. The firm delivers an integrated stack of services organized around four pillars — Strategy, Creative, Media, and Web — spanning marketing goal and plan development, brand foundations, packaging and creative production, and integrated media planning and buying across traditional, digital, OOH, social, streaming, and sponsorship channels, along with website design, SEO, and digital advertising. Customer engagement is structured as ongoing retainer-based and project-based professional services, with account management and consultative sales via the agency's "Let's Talk" channel.

The client base is concentrated in the West Michigan mid-market and enterprise tier and is diversified across verticals including healthcare (Spectrum Health, Health Pointe), sports properties (Grand Rapids Griffins, Grand Rapids Rise), hospitality (Amway Hotel Corp), automotive dealerships (Fernelius Auto Group), CPG and food/beverage (Old Orchard Brands, Country Dairy, Peterson Farms), restaurants (Brann's Steakhouse & Grille), manufacturing, and education (Grand Valley State University). Many of these relationships span decades, providing recurring revenue and case-study assets. The agency has expanded capability through two strategic acquisitions — Wynott Advertising & Design in November 2017 and Cull Group in December 2025 — and has reinforced senior leadership with contracted CFO/Strategic Advisor Steve Koskela (formerly CFO of North American Operations at TBWA\\Chiat\\Day) and Creative Director Eddie Bullinger.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary, comprising standard marketing technology tools (Google Ads, analytics, SEO, social, and digital ad platforms) used for campaign execution rather than as a productized platform. The go-to-market motion is consultative direct sales supported by thought leadership content, founder-led podcast and panel appearances, community events, and a regional referral network in West Michigan. No institutional funding, parent company, or public listing is evidenced; ownership remains concentrated with founding principals Tom Sullivan and Matt Tiedgen.

Name

LEAD Marketing Agency

Legal name

LEAD Marketing Agency

Website

https://leadmarketingagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LEAD Marketing Agency is a privately held Grand Rapids, Michigan full-service marketing agency, founded in 2008, that provides integrated strategy, creative, media, and web services to mid-market and enterprise clients across healthcare, sports, hospitality, automotive, and CPG verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Marketing Agency

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lead Generation & Demand Generation (B2B/B2C) (BPAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Full-service marketing agency
• Marketing strategy services
• Media planning buying
• Creative design services
• Website design development

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

Revenue model

1. Integrated Marketing Services: LEAD generates revenue through providing comprehensive marketing services including marketing strategy development, creative design and development, media planning and buying (both traditional and digital), website design and development, SEO, social media management, and account management. Services are delivered as ongoing retainer engagements or project-based work, with the agency developing and managing annual marketing plans for clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LEAD Marketing Agency is a full-service B2B marketing agency that delivers integrated marketing plans spanning four service pillars: Strategy, Creative, Media, and Web. Services include marketing strategy development, creative design and production, traditional and digital media planning and buying, website design and development, SEO, social media management, packaging, branding, and video production. The agency develops annual marketing plans and manages ongoing retainer or project-based engagements for mid-market and enterprise clients across industries such as healthcare, automotive, sports, CPG, restaurants, and education.

Product overview

LEAD Marketing Agency is a full-service marketing agency that provides an integrated suite of services including Strategy, Creative, Media, and Web. The agency develops strategic marketing and advertising plans combining complementary service areas to help brands reach the right person at the right place at the right time. Strategy Services encompasses marketing goal development, strategy development, campaign management, and consulting. Creative Services includes brand foundations, campaigns, digital media, packaging, trade shows, video production, and marketing collateral. Media Services covers planning and buying across billboards, digital display, direct mail, Google Ads, radio, social media, streaming audio/video, and more. Web Services provides website design, development, and SEO. The acquisition of Cull Group in December 2025 expanded the agency's capabilities in brand work and consumer packaged goods design. The agency operates primarily in Grand Rapids, Michigan and serves clients across healthcare, automotive, retail, sports, entertainment, legal, medical, and other industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Services Marketing strategy development services including marketing goal development, marketing strategy development, marketing tactics development, marketing plan and budget development, account management, campaign management and reporting, marketing consulting, project management, and vendor management. For mid-market and enterprise clients seeking integrated marketing plans.
• Creative Services Creative design and development including brand foundations, campaigns, digital media, marketing collateral, out-of-home advertising, packaging, trade show materials, and video production. Includes billboard ads, branding, brochures, copywriting, digital ads, graphic design, logos, messaging, presentations, print ads, radio ads, streaming ads, television ads, and video ads.
• Media Services Integrated media planning and buying across digital, traditional, and emerging media channels including billboards, digital display, direct mail, Google Ads, magazine, newspaper, out-of-home, radio, search engine marketing, social media, sponsorships, sport marketing, streaming audio, and streaming video.
• Web Services Website design and development, search engine optimization, and digital advertising services to create high-performing websites that capture attention and amplify brands. Includes website design, website development, and SEO.
• Branding Services Brand identity development and design services including logo design, brand foundations, messaging, and full-scale brand platforms that are strategic, scalable, and consistent across channels.
• Packaging Design Services Product packaging design services that help brands turn packaging into a powerful marketing tool with bold visuals, vibrant branding, and cohesive design across touchpoints. Capabilities strengthened by the Cull Group acquisition.
• Video Production Services Video content creation and production services that bring campaigns to life and connect with audiences through storytelling, digital distribution, and integrated creative.
• Influencer Campaign Services Influencer marketing campaign services that connect brands with the right voices to amplify messages and drive real engagement through strategic partnerships and authentic content.
• Digital Marketing Services Digital marketing campaigns including web ads, social media marketing, mobile ads, and display advertising to build recognition and drive engagement.
• Rebranding Services Rebranding services that help established brands evolve with purpose through refining identity, messaging, and visual systems to modernize perception and support continued growth.
• Annual Marketing Plan Development Development and management of comprehensive annual marketing plans that integrate strategy, creative, media, and web services to achieve client goals. Delivered as ongoing retainer engagements or project-based work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record attendance: Grand Rapids Rise home opener sold out with 7,805 attendees in inaugural season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Cull GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025LEAD Marketing Agency acquired Cull Group, a strategic design and marketing firm founded in 1974 and operated by Jeff Seaver since 2013. The acquisition, effective December 1, 2025, brought Cull Group's brand expertise and consumer packaged goods capabilities in-house. As part of the acquisition, Cull Group concluded independent operations with personnel, client relationships, intellectual property, and resources integrated into LEAD. Jeff Seaver was retained as Senior Strategist and Creative Director. The deal terms were undisclosed.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VML: WPP-owned global creative and brand experience agency — comparable broad service offering (creative, media, digital, strategy) but at vastly greater scale, competing for the same large enterprise RFPs LEAD approaches through its mid-market positioning.
• Ogilvy: WPP-owned global full-service advertising, PR, and experience agency providing integrated creative, media, and digital services — represents the upper bound of incumbent competition that mid-sized regional agencies like LEAD must differentiate against.
• Leo Burnett: Publicis-owned global advertising agency network with strong creative-led full-service offering — comparable integrated brand, creative, and media services serving many of the same consumer-facing enterprise categories LEAD targets.
• Campbell Ewald: Detroit-headquartered IPG-owned full-service advertising agency with national scale and deep automotive and consumer expertise — directly competes for the same enterprise accounts in automotive and adjacent verticals that LEAD serves.
• Doner: Detroit-based, WPP-affiliated full-service advertising network with significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint — comparable offering but operates as a broad incumbent competing for the same regional and national enterprise accounts LEAD targets.

Regional players

• Mower: Independent full-service marketing agency with offices across the Northeast and Midwest — comparable as a privately held mid-sized full-service agency serving enterprise clients across multiple U.S. regions.
• Northlich: Cincinnati-based independent full-service advertising agency with strategy, creative, media, and digital offerings serving Midwest enterprise brands — comparable in independent mid-sized agency positioning and integrated service model, but in a different Midwest geography.

Direct peers

• Hanon McKendry: Grand Rapids, Michigan-based full-service marketing agency offering strategy, creative, media, and digital services to mid-market and enterprise clients in West Michigan — directly comparable in scale, geography, and service mix to LEAD.
• Biggs|Gilmore: Kalamazoo, Michigan full-service advertising and marketing agency providing brand, creative, digital, and media services to regional and enterprise clients — comparable West Michigan full-service competitor with similar client verticals.
• Perich Advertising + Marketing: Michigan-based full-service advertising agency offering strategic, creative, media, and digital services — comparable in regional full-service positioning and target mid-market and enterprise customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeadMkting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LEAD Marketing Agency