Chalk + Ward

What Chalk + Ward does

Chalk & Ward is a privately held, founder-led integrated marketing agency headquartered in Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, founded in 1998 by Robert Chalk (originally under the name HHC). The firm operates a multi-division structure under a Chalk & Ward Group parent, with three sub-brands: Chalk & Ward Branding (brand strategy, creation, and marketing), Chalk & Ward Digital (SEO, paid search, content, social, email, website design and hosting), and Chalk & Ward Consultancy (business vision, board performance, growth/M&A advisory, risk and crisis management). The company serves regional, national, and international clients across verticals including hospitality and tourism, retail, healthcare, food and beverage, manufacturing, professional services, and the charity sector, with named engagements spanning P&O Cruises, Mercedes-Benz, COOP, Dartington Crystal, Age UK, Axminster Tools, and Devon Air Ambulance.

The firm monetises entirely through professional services delivery on project and retainer arrangements, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct consultative relationships, referrals, and an extensive case-study portfolio rather than intermediaries or performance marketing. Distribution capabilities include a Google Partner certification for paid search and a Sky advertising specialism covering AdSmart addressable TV, VOD, and digital inventory. The firm has no disclosed external investment, operates with 11–50 employees from a single Exeter headquarters, and maintains continuous founder-led ownership across its 25+ year history. Recent corporate activity has been organisational: a 2023 25th-anniversary rebrand and the formalisation of the three-division operating model.

Name

Chalk + Ward

Legal name

Chalk & Ward

Website

https://chalkward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chalk & Ward is a privately held, founder-led integrated marketing agency in Exeter, UK, founded in 1998. It delivers branding, digital marketing, website, PR, and management consultancy services to regional, national, and international enterprise, non-profit, and government clients across multiple verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branding Services: Brand strategy, brand creation, logo and visual identity design, brand marketing, and collateral design services provided to clients on project or retainer basis.
2. Digital Marketing Services: Digital strategy, SEO, paid search, email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and digital PR services.
3. Website Services: Website planning, design, development, and hosting services.
4. Management Consultancy: Business vision and purpose, brand direction, board performance, business performance and logistics, growth, mergers and acquisitions, people and culture, risk planning and crisis management, and social and environmental responsibility consultancy services.
5. Public Relations: PR strategy, implementation, media relations, crisis communications, and digital PR services to boost profile and achieve media coverage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Chalk & Ward is an integrated marketing agency delivering branding, digital marketing, public relations, and management consultancy services to regional, national and international brands. The agency operates through three specialized divisions (Branding, Digital, Consultancy) and provides end-to-end services from brand strategy and identity creation through to SEO, PPC, social media, email, content marketing, website design and development, digital PR, crisis communications, and strategic business consultancy on a project or retainer basis.

Product overview

Chalk + Ward is an integrated marketing agency operating as a multi-division structure with four main sub-brands: Chalk & Ward Group (parent entity), Chalk & Ward Branding (brand strategy and creation), Chalk & Ward Digital (digital marketing and web services), and Chalk & Ward Consultancy (management consulting). The agency offers a comprehensive suite of marketing services including branding, digital marketing (SEO, paid search, email, content, social media, digital PR), website design/development/hosting, public relations, crisis communications, and strategic consultancy. The digital division specializes in website planning, design, development, hosting, digital audits, and bespoke digital strategies. The branding division provides brand strategy, brand creation (logos, visuals, collateral), brand marketing, and PR services. The consultancy offers business vision, board performance, growth/mergers & acquisitions, and risk planning services. The agency has been operating for over 25 years and is headquartered in Exeter, Devon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chalk & Ward Branding Specialized division focused on brand strategy, brand creation, and brand marketing services for organizations seeking distinctive brands with personality. Delivers strategy, logos, visual identity, websites, collateral, PR, marketing planning, and implementation.
• Chalk & Ward Digital Digital marketing division providing SEO, paid search, email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, website design, development, hosting, digital audits, and digital strategy with a forensic approach focused on improving client ROI.
• Chalk & Ward Consultancy Management consultancy division helping businesses future-proof through strategic advisory services including business vision and purpose, brand direction, board performance, business performance and logistics, growth and mergers & acquisitions, people and culture, risk planning and crisis management, and social and environmental responsibility.
• Chalk & Ward Group (Integrated Agency) Overarching agency brand encompassing branding, digital marketing, and management consultancy services, acting as the parent entity coordinating specialized divisions for integrated marketing solutions delivered on a project or retainer basis.
• Sky Advertising Services (AdSmart, VOD, Sky Digital) Comprehensive Sky advertising management service including AdSmart addressable TV, VOD, and digital advertising across the Sky ecosystem, with audience segmentation, campaign strategy, production support, and performance tracking. Leverages Chalk & Ward's established expertise as a trusted Sky advertising partner.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71% increase in conversion rate for Lympstone Manor
• +12 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bray Leino: Integrated marketing, digital, and creative agency headquartered in the South West of England with comparable full-service offerings spanning brand, digital, PR, and media planning. Strong geographic and capability overlap with Chalk & Ward.
• McCann Bristol: Regional creative and digital agency in the South West serving enterprise clients with integrated brand and campaign work. Directly comparable operating geography, client tier, and full-service delivery model.
• Rufus Leonard: London-based brand-led design and digital agency delivering brand strategy, identity, and digital experiences to enterprise clients. Closely comparable in branding and digital service mix and client profile.
• Carter Wong: UK branding and design agency offering brand strategy, identity, and digital design for consumer and enterprise clients. Comparable in branding specialization and project-based retained engagement model.
• The&Partnership: UK-headquartered integrated marketing agency combining advertising, digital, PR, and media under a single P&L model. Directly comparable integrated services architecture with a slightly larger footprint.
• BJL Group: UK integrated marketing agency offering branding, digital, content, PR, and performance marketing to enterprise clients. Comparable size and service mix to Chalk & Ward with similar mid-market/enterprise positioning.

Broad incumbents

• WPP plc: World's largest advertising and marketing services group operating Ogilvy, VMLY&R, GroupM, and numerous specialty agencies. Competes for the same enterprise clients as Chalk & Ward but with vastly greater scale, geographic reach, and media-buying clout.
• Ogilvy UK: Global advertising, PR, and digital agency network with significant UK presence. Competes for enterprise integrated marketing mandates with overlap in brand, digital, and PR service lines.
• Dentsu: Global marketing services network including creative, media, digital, and PR brands. Competes for enterprise marketing budgets across UK and EMEA, with overlap in brand strategy and digital performance services.
• Saatchi & Saatchi: Global creative advertising agency with UK operations serving major enterprise brands across brand, digital, and integrated campaigns. Larger-scale direct competitor for enterprise creative and brand work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chalkward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chalk-and-ward
• Instagraminstagram.com/chalkward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Chalk + Ward