What Tierney does

Tierney is a Philadelphia-based marketing and advertising company founded in 1989 that provides public relations and advertising services to clients. The firm employs between 101 and 250 people and operates through a professional services model in which revenue is generated via client engagements covering PR and advertising deliverables. Its website (hellotierney.com) and Philadelphia headquarters position it as a Mid-Atlantic regional communications agency, with Mary Stengel Austen serving as Chief Executive Officer.

The available enrichment data primarily characterizes a related full-service creative advertising operation (branded Carmichael Lynch) headquartered in Minneapolis with a secondary Philadelphia office, suggesting that Tierney may sit within a broader agency network. That entity is described as a creatively led, strategically driven agency offering campaign development, brand strategy, media planning (via a specialized media sub-brand), and digital marketing under a unified service portfolio. Its client base includes consumer brand partners across food and beverage (Bush's Beans, Cheese Heads, Maker's Mark, Korbel, Red Robin), automotive (Subaru), and sports (Houston Texans). Revenue mechanics follow a professional services model with no publicly disclosed pricing. The combined picture suggests Tierney functions within a multi-office, multi-discipline marketing services group rather than as a standalone single-office shop.

Name

Tierney

Legal name

Carmichael Lynch

Website

https://hellotierney.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tierney is a Philadelphia-based marketing and advertising agency founded in 1989, employing 101–250 people, that provides integrated PR and advertising services to client brands in the Mid-Atlantic and broader U.S. market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising Agencies (541810), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies (MPAAAAAC)

Keywords

• Creative advertising services
• Public relations agency
• Brand strategy consulting
• Media planning buying
• Digital marketing campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Marketing Services: Revenue generated from creative advertising services, campaign development, media planning, and digital marketing services provided to brand partners. Services include campaign creation, brand strategy, media planning (through Carmichael Lynch Media), and ongoing client partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tierney is a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations agency that partners with brands to develop creative campaigns, brand identities, and integrated marketing strategies. The agency offers campaign development, brand strategy, media planning and buying, digital marketing, and PR services—delivered through a creatively led, strategically driven model with multiple disciplines under one roof. The agency specializes in stripping away unremarkable elements to reveal a brand's most compelling truth, then crafting that into work designed to stand out.

Product overview

Carmichael Lynch is a full-service creative advertising agency offering a single unified service portfolio. The agency operates under a 'creatively led and strategically driven' model, combining all disciplines—including advertising, media planning, and creative services—under one roof. The main agency offering and its specialized media division (Carmichael Lynch Media) work together as an integrated whole, with media services described as an integral part of the strategic and creative offering rather than a separate standalone product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carmichael Lynch Media: Media planning and buying division with audience-first approach to strategic and creative offering.

Products and services

• Creative Advertising & Marketing Services Full-service creative advertising agency providing strategic and creative services including campaign development, brand identity, media planning, and digital marketing for major consumer brand partners.
• Public Relations Services Public relations services supporting brand communications, media relations, and earned media strategy for consumer brand partners.
• Media Planning & Buying Audience-first media planning and media buying services integrated with the agency's strategic and creative offerings, providing comprehensive media strategy and execution.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Korbel California ChampagnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Carmichael Lynch serves as Brand & Media Agency of Record (AOR) for Korbel California Champagne, handling brand strategy, creative campaigns (including Clink Clink campaign), and media planning services.
• Houston TexanscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Selected by the Houston Texans to develop their new visual identity system, creating brand assets and visual communications for the NFL franchise.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• 5W Public Relations: New York-based PR and integrated communications agency of similar mid-sized scale; directly comparable to Tierney on the PR dimension of its service offering.
• The Martin Agency: Richmond, VA-based full-service creative agency known for brand campaigns and AOR work for major consumer brands, directly comparable to Tierney's full-service positioning.
• Hill Holliday: Boston-based full-service advertising and media agency of comparable mid-sized scale, with deep regional roots and similar full-service creative model.
• GSD&M: Austin-based full-service creative agency with a similar legacy operating history and integrated advertising/PR offering for major consumer brands.
• The VIA Agency: Portland, ME-based creative agency offering integrated advertising, digital, and PR services — closely comparable in size, scope, and service mix to Tierney.
• Carmichael Lynch: Full-service creative agency founded in 1962 in Minneapolis with a Philadelphia office, offering advertising, brand strategy, and media planning — operating in the same integrated full-service agency category as Tierney.

Broad incumbents

• Droga5: Large, award-winning New York creative agency; operates in the same integrated advertising space as Tierney but with significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Portland-based globally recognized creative agency; a broader incumbent in the full-service creative category that competes for the same client AOR reviews.
• Mother: New York and London-based creative agency with a strong integrated advertising and brand-building practice, comparable in service offering though larger and more internationally known than Tierney.

Regional players

• Tierney (Australia): Australian full-service creative agency sharing the 'Tierney' name; operates in the same integrated advertising space but in the APAC market rather than the US.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hellotierney
• Facebookfacebook.com/hellotierney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carmichael-lynch
• Instagraminstagram.com/carmichael_lynch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Tierney