Vinyl Marketing

What Vinyl Marketing does

Vinyl Marketing is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency headquartered in Ashland, Ohio, founded around 2015 and operating with 11–50 employees. The firm is organized around five integrated service lines: Branding Services (alignment, messaging, positioning, visual identity); Creative Services (copywriting, graphic design, layout, video production, web design); Marketing Services (automation, conversion rate optimization, CRM integration, email/social, PPC, SEO); Nonprofit Fundraising Services (campaign strategy, data optimization, fractional chief development officer, giving days); and AI Automation Services (content systems, custom assistants, smart dashboards, strategy/systems mapping, training). Delivery follows a documented five-step process — Guided Discovery, Research and Strategy, Creation and Iteration, Deployment and Activation, and Ongoing Creation and Refinement — emphasizing long-term partnership rather than transactional project work.

The agency's customer base skews to higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations (e.g., Ashland University, the University of Nebraska system, Case Western Reserve, Ohio Northern, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts of America), with selective work in healthcare (OhioHealth) and manufacturing (Ohio Gratings International). Documented outcomes include a $100.6M Ashland University campaign completed 18 months ahead of schedule, and University of Nebraska giving day results showing a 148% increase in giving and 211% increase in donors. AI capabilities span generative content, predictive donor analytics, and process automation, delivered as consulting engagements rather than packaged software products.

Vinyl generates revenue through professional-services fees structured as custom proposals on multi-year contracts; no public pricing is disclosed and no revenue figure is published. The firm is independently owned (no institutional investors, no parent company, no funding rounds), led by CEO Scott Williams and President Colleen Cook, with functional directors across Accounts, Marketing, Intelligent Systems, Finance, and Creative. Geographic footprint is regional/national U.S., with growth signals concentrated in the AI services practice and expanded vertical reach beyond the higher ed/nonprofit core.

Name

Vinyl Marketing

Legal name

Vinyl Marketing

Website

https://vinylmarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vinyl Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Ashland, Ohio, serving higher education institutions, nonprofits, and select enterprises with integrated branding, creative, marketing, nonprofit fundraising, and AI automation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Branding: Full-service branding engagements including alignment, messaging, positioning, and visual identity design. Custom brand development based on client discovery and strategic research.
2. Creative Services: Creative production including copywriting, graphic design, layout, video production, and web design services delivered as project-based or ongoing engagements.
3. Marketing Services: Ongoing marketing services including automation and workflow development, conversion rate optimization, CRM integration, email and social media marketing, marketing strategy, pay-per-click advertising, and SEO.
4. Nonprofit Fundraising Services: Specialized fundraising services for nonprofit organizations including campaign strategy, data optimization, fractional chief development officer, fundraising optimization, giving days, and mini campaigns.
5. AI Automation Consulting: AI implementation services including content systems, custom assistants, smart dashboards, strategy and systems mapping, and team training and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vinyl Marketing is a full-service marketing agency that delivers integrated branding, creative production, digital marketing, nonprofit fundraising campaign execution, and AI automation services to purpose-driven organizations. Engagements combine strategic brand development, ongoing creative production, multi-channel marketing execution, and AI-enabled workflow optimization for clients in higher education, nonprofit, and small-business sectors.

Product overview

Vinyl Marketing is a full-service marketing agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of services rather than a single unified product or platform. The core service offering spans five interconnected areas: Branding Services (alignment, messaging, positioning, visual identity design), Creative Services (copywriting, graphic design, layout, video production, web design), Marketing Services (automation, conversion optimization, CRM integration, email/social media marketing, PPC, SEO), Nonprofit Fundraising Services (campaign strategy, data optimization, fractional CDO, giving days), and AI Automation Services (content systems, custom assistants, smart dashboards, training). These services are delivered through a structured five-step process: Guided Discovery, Research and Strategy, Creation and Iteration, Deployment and Activation, and Ongoing Creation and Refinement. The agency also offers specialized offerings including Campaign Execution Services for institutional fundraising, Giving Day Strategy and Execution for universities, and Brand Identity System Development. Additionally, they provide educational programs such as the Demystifying AI Workshop. All services are designed to work together cohesively to help organizations tell stories that resonate, reach target audiences, and achieve measurable impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services Strategic brand development for organizations including alignment, messaging, positioning, and visual identity design, delivered through a discovery-led process tailored to client mission and audience.
• Creative Services Content production spanning copywriting, graphic design, layout, video production, and web design for campaigns, websites, and ongoing brand communications.
• Marketing Services Full-funnel digital marketing for clients including automation and workflow development, conversion rate optimization, CRM integration, email and social media marketing, marketing strategy, pay-per-click advertising, and search engine optimization.
• Nonprofit Fundraising Services Specialized fundraising support for nonprofit organizations including campaign strategy, data optimization, fractional chief development officer services, fundraising optimization, fundraising strategy, giving days, and mini campaigns.
• AI Automation Services Custom AI implementation for nonprofits, higher education institutions, and small businesses including content systems, custom assistants, smart dashboards and reports, strategy and systems mapping, and team training and support.
• Campaign Execution Services Strategic campaign planning and deployment for institutional fundraising campaigns, including campaign execution guides, digital marketing plans, donor engagement strategies, and real-time analytics dashboards.
• Giving Day Strategy and Execution Annual giving day campaign services including strategy development, video content production, digital marketing execution, and multi-campus campaign management for university advancement teams.
• Brand Identity System Development Comprehensive brand identity creation including visual identity design, messaging frameworks, brand guidelines, and discipline-specific sub-logos for organizations undergoing full rebranding.
• Demystifying AI Workshop A 90-minute hands-on educational workshop designed to help local leaders understand and implement AI tools for their organizations, covering practical, human-first approaches to AI adoption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ashland University campaign raised $100.6M, exceeding $30M feasibility study by 235% and $50M goal by 101%, completed 18 months ahead of schedule
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mansfield-Richland Area Educational FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025Vinyl Marketing partnered with the Mansfield-Richland Area Educational Foundation to present the 'Demystifying AI' workshop - a 90-minute hands-on session designed for local leaders in Richland and Crawford counties. The workshop focused on helping nonprofit, small business, and community leaders understand and implement AI solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ologie: Ologie is a full-service branding, marketing, and enrollment agency exclusively focused on higher education. Direct peer because Vinyl Marketing serves the same vertical (universities) with a similar mix of branding, creative, fundraising, and digital services.
• Simpson Scarborough: Simpson Scarborough is a higher education marketing agency specializing in branding, websites, search, and enrollment marketing. It is a direct peer given identical focus on the university vertical and overlapping capability set.
• Carnegie Higher Education Marketing: Carnegie is a higher education marketing agency providing branding, creative, web, and marketing strategy to colleges and universities. Closely comparable to Vinyl's higher-ed-centric service mix including nonprofit/institutional fundraising-adjacent work.
• SmartBug Media: SmartBug Media is a full-service digital marketing agency offering branding, creative, content, marketing automation, and CRM optimization. Comparable in size, integrated service portfolio, and HubSpot-centric marketing automation orientation.
• Drohan Group: Drohan Group is a full-service marketing and fundraising agency specializing in nonprofit and association clients. Direct peer in the nonprofit fundraising vertical with overlapping brand, creative, and campaign capabilities.
• HL Strategic: HL Strategic is a boutique full-service marketing, branding, and PR agency serving mission-driven organizations. Comparable in size, scope, and focus on purpose-driven sectors analogous to Vinyl's higher ed/nonprofit footprint.
• Forge3 (formerly Russ Reid): Forge3 is a digital agency focused on nonprofit fundraising with creative, direct response, and analytics capabilities. Direct peer in nonprofit fundraising campaigns and direct marketing execution.
• Rise Interactive: Rise Interactive is a digital marketing agency specializing in media, analytics, and full-funnel digital strategy. Comparable in offering pay-per-click, SEO, analytics, and CRM integration — overlapping with Vinyl's marketing services line.

Broad incumbents

• The Agency (formerly The Richards Group): The Agency is a larger, full-service creative and media agency serving consumer, healthcare, and B2B clients. Broad incumbent offering overlapping brand, creative, and digital capabilities but operating at substantially larger scale and broader vertical mix.
• Merkle: Merkle is a large data-driven, full-service marketing agency with deep CRM, analytics, and nonprofit fundraising expertise (including nonprofit vertical). Broad incumbent with overlapping CRM/data/AI capabilities but operating at enterprise scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/vinylmarketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/vinylm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vinyl-marketing
• Instagraminstagram.com/vinylmarketing
• Xx.com/vinyl_marketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Vinyl Marketing