That's So Creative

Creative Branding Servicesthatssocreative.com

That's So Creative is a Chicago-based, WBE-certified creative agency founded in 2016, serving nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven businesses with brand strategy, web design, communications, print, SEO, and recurring website maintenance.

Company typePrivate
Founded2016
HeadquartersChicago, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What That's So Creative does

That's So Creative is a Chicago-based, founder-owned creative agency founded in 2016 by CJ Harris, a BFA-trained designer with 15+ years of experience. The agency delivers brand strategy, web design and development, communications and content, print collateral, SEO, and content writing to nonprofits, educational institutions, government entities, cultural organizations, and mission-driven small businesses, supported by recurring monthly website hosting and maintenance contracts. Its technology stack is industry-standard rather than proprietary, comprising WordPress-based websites, mainstream social and email platforms, Google Analytics, and standard creative tools, with no internal platform or productized software disclosed. Recent expansion into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO/GEO) and AI for Small Business workshops signals an attempt to productize AI awareness as a service layer, while the Ignite Chicago event and TSC Igniter community represent a build-out of a recurring engagement ecosystem beyond traditional project work.

The business model is predominantly professional-services with a subscription overlay: project-based creative engagements billed on custom quotes with a 50% deposit and balance on completion, additional revisions at $150 per hour, and source files priced up to 100% of project cost; recurring website maintenance and hosting is billed monthly in advance with 30-day cancellation. GTM is primarily sales-led and consultative, anchored by founder-led free 20-minute discovery calls and reinforced by content marketing (blog, Creative Catalyst Newsletter, social), SEO/AEO content, and event-driven demand generation through Ignite Chicago at 36Squared Business Incubator. The agency's strategic differentiation rests on WBE, State of Illinois, Woman-Owned, and Minority-Owned certifications that open institutional procurement, a multicultural team of 10, and a four-point Discover-Strategize-Create-Launch + Measure framework that structures engagements around measurable outcomes rather than task delivery.

That's So Creative firmographics

Firmographics

Name: That's So Creative
Legal name: That's So Creative, LLC
Website: https://thatssocreative.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2016
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: That's So Creative is a Chicago-based, WBE-certified creative agency founded in 2016, serving nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven businesses with brand strategy, web design, communications, print, SEO, and recurring website maintenance.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

That's So Creative industry classification

Industry

Product category: Creative Branding Services
NAICS: Advertising Agencies (54181), Graphic Design Services (541430)
SIC: Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
akta.pro primary industry: Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

Brand strategy services
Web design development
Creative agency services
Content marketing services
Print collateral design

Where That's So Creative is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Chicago
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

That's So Creative business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

Project-based Creative Services: Branding, web design, communications, and marketing projects billed as one-time engagements. Deposit of 50% required to begin; balance due upon completion. Additional revisions billed at $150/hour. Includes brand strategy, logo design, website design, website hosting, website maintenance, social media strategy and design, email marketing, landing page design, e-book creation, brochure design, flyer design, poster design, book layout and cover design, event photography, and video production.
Recurring Monthly Services: Website maintenance and hosting billed monthly in advance. Includes updates to text/images, security monitoring, malware removal, plugin/theme updates, troubleshooting support, and backup recovery. Cancellation with 30 days notice.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	Project-based creative services (branding, web design, marketing) with custom quotes

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

That's So Creative product offering

Product offering

Core offering

That's So Creative provides project-based creative services for nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven businesses across four core practice areas: Brand Strategy, Web Design & Development, Communications & Content, and Print & Collateral. The agency delivers these through a proprietary four-point framework (Discover, Strategize, Create, Launch + Measure), supplemented by recurring website hosting and maintenance subscriptions and emerging services such as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for AI-driven search visibility.

Product overview

That's So Creative is a service-based creative agency offering a comprehensive suite of branding, design, web development, and marketing services for nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven businesses. The agency's core offerings include Brand Strategy, Web Design & Development, Communications & Content, and Print & Collateral services. These are supported by specialized services including Logo Design, Website Hosting & Maintenance, Social Media Strategy & Design, Email Marketing, Landing Page Design, E-book Creation, Brochure/Flyer/Poster Design, Book Layout & Cover Design, Event Photography, Video Production, SEO, and Content Writing. The agency also offers emerging services such as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to help clients become visible to AI platforms, and conducts AI for Small Business Workshops through its TSC Igniter program. The company operates as a unified service practice rather than a modular software product, with all services delivered by a multicultural team of designers, developers, strategists, and communicators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Brand Strategy Definition, design, and deployment of brand identity including naming, logo design, visual identity systems, messaging, and content deployed consistently across every touchpoint from logo to letterhead to landing page.
Web Design & Development Responsive, user-friendly website design and development optimized for clarity, conversion, and search visibility, including landing pages and e-commerce properties.
Communications & Content Content strategy, campaign development, and marketing materials including social media strategy and design, email marketing, blog and website content writing, and e-book creation that amplify client voice and move audiences to action.
Print & Collateral Design and production of physical marketing materials including event signage, direct mail, trade show materials, brochures, flyers, posters, and book layout and cover design for tangible brand connections.
Website Hosting & Maintenance Ongoing website hosting and maintenance including text and image updates, security monitoring, malware removal, plugin and theme updates, troubleshooting support, and backup recovery billed as a recurring monthly subscription.
Social Media Strategy & Design Social media strategy development and visual design services for Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile, including setup and management of business pages and paid ad campaigns.
Email Marketing Strategy & Design Email marketing campaign strategy, design and management including e-newsletter creation, email blasts, and automated follow-up campaigns.
Video Production & Promotion Production of promotional and marketing videos for client campaigns and programs, including event and program-specific video content.
Event Photography Event photography services capturing visual content for use across client marketing, event collateral, and digital channels.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search engine optimization services that improve client website visibility, keyword rankings, and organic discoverability in search results.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO/GEO) Specialized optimization service to make client brands visible and citable across AI answer engines including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini through content structuring, FAQ creation, and schema markup implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

33.70% email open rate for Hemp Heals Body Shop e-newsletter campaigns — the highest open rate in the past year for that client
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use That's So Creative

Customer profile

Named customers12 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

That's So Creative technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

That's So Creative partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

36Squared Business IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Co-host and venue partner for Ignite Chicago: Small Business Growth Intensive event on May 29, 2026. 36Squared provided welcoming remarks and event space for the inaugural TSC-led entrepreneurship event.
Watson InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Ignite Chicago began as a capstone of the Wells Fargo/Watson Institute Fellowship. Watson Institute's Fellowship program provided the foundation for the event concept, and TSC's founder CJ Harris was a Watson Institute Fellow.
Greenwood Archer CapitalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 May 2026Sponsor of Ignite Chicago event, supporting the small business growth intensive. Greenwood Archer Capital invests in underserved communities.
Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program. IHCC worked directly with Alejandra's Mexican Cuisine to provide pandemic recovery support, and IHCC President & CEO Jaime di Paulo was interviewed in TSC-produced video.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

That's So Creative competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

That's So Creative financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

That's So Creative leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

That's So Creative funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

That's So Creative M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about That's So Creative

What does That's So Creative do?

Is That's So Creative a public or private company?

That's So Creative is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was That's So Creative founded?

That's So Creative was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is That's So Creative based?

That's So Creative is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.

How does That's So Creative make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Project-based Creative Services are the primary driver. The others are recurring Monthly Services.

Does That's So Creative have an API?

No public API is recorded for That's So Creative.

What industry is That's So Creative in?

That's So Creative's product category is Creative Branding Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of BPAFAEAD, Creative Concepting & Campaign Development. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.