Keys & Kites, Inc.

What Keys & Kites, Inc. does

Keys & Kites, Inc. is a Chicago-based, full-service B2B marketing and advertising agency founded in 2018, operating from a single headquarters at 727 S Dearborn Street in the Printer's Row neighborhood with a team of 16. The firm serves enterprise and mid-market B2B clients — including Cox Automotive, Manheim, Kelley Blue Book, SecureAuth, Hireology, Syndigo, Saba, and MicroStrategy — across verticals that skew toward automotive, identity/security, HR technology, payments, and SaaS. Its service portfolio spans 12 offerings: branding, identity design, messaging and positioning, digital marketing, demand generation, advertising, content and collateral, sales tools, interactive tools, video, websites, and a newer AI Generative Services line covering text, image, and video generation with brand-specific model training.

The agency does not develop proprietary software platforms, APIs, or applications; its technical footprint is centered on CMS-based website development (WordPress favored), FIGMA-based design workflows, and AI-tool orchestration for production acceleration. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements — project-based or retainer — sold via a direct sales motion: website contact forms, a 'Let's Talk' call-to-action, and Google Calendar booking, supplemented by thought-leadership content on the 'Our Views' blog and active presence on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer engagement is delivered primarily remotely, with the Chicago office supporting in-person collaboration sessions.

Keys & Kites is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, or parent company; the firm appears to be founder- and partner-owned (Tom Barg and Tim Cook are listed as Partners). It was recognized as a 2026 B2B Marketing Rising Star Agency, and 'Keys & Kites' is a registered service mark. Geographic footprint is global in client reach but concentrated in a single U.S. office, with no additional operating locations disclosed.

Name

Keys & Kites, Inc.

Legal name

Keys & Kites, Inc.

Website

https://keysandkites.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keys & Kites is a Chicago-based, full-service B2B marketing and advertising agency serving enterprise and mid-market clients across automotive, SaaS, HR tech, and security with 12 service lines including branding, digital marketing, video, and AI-generated content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B Marketing Agency Services: Keys & Kites generates revenue by providing comprehensive B2B marketing agency services to enterprise and mid-market clients. These include branding, demand generation, digital marketing, advertising, content development, video production, websites, interactive tools, and sales enablement services. Revenue is earned through professional services engagements, typically project-based or ongoing retainer arrangements with B2B companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Keys & Kites is a B2B marketing agency that crafts branding, identity, messaging, demand generation programs, digital marketing, advertising, content and collateral, video, websites, sales enablement tools, and interactive tools for B2B clients. Engagements are delivered through project-based or ongoing retainer arrangements, combining strategic insight with creative execution across the full marketing spectrum. Services are quote-based and tailored to each client's scope, targeting enterprise and mid-market B2B marketers.

Product overview

Keys & Kites is a B2B marketing agency offering a comprehensive suite of 12 distinct service offerings. Rather than a unified software product, they provide marketing services organized around core competencies: Branding and Identity Design, Digital Marketing and Demand Generation, Content and Collateral creation, Sales Tools and Interactive Tools, Video and Advertising services, Website services, Messaging and Positioning, and AI Generative Services. Their service portfolio is structured around delivering strategic insight, creative ideas, and flawless execution for B2B marketing initiatives. The AI Generative Services offering represents their primary AI-enabled capability, while their other services are human-driven creative and strategic offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advertising Services Multi-channel advertising services including campaign creative, print and digital advertising, out-of-home presence, sponsorships, and media planning and management for B2B clients.
• AI Generative Services Generative AI services producing tailored, high-quality marketing content and assets at scale, including custom AI image generation with brand-specific model training, prompting systems, and asset variation and quality control workflows.
• Branding Brand design and strategy services including brand strategy, architecture, positioning, messaging, taglines, brand identity, logos, naming, and audience and market research for B2B companies.
• Content & Collateral Content creation services including white papers, ebooks, position papers, brochures, sales sheets, one-pagers, blog articles, infographics, visual storytelling, and audio and podcasting for B2B audiences.
• Demand Generation Demand generation programs that build awareness, interest, and pipeline for B2B clients, including market segmentation, campaign strategy, email and nurture programs, and paid media planning.
• Digital Marketing Digital marketing programs including digital strategy, campaign development, paid social, email campaigns, landing pages, interactive tools, digital display advertising, paid search, SEO optimization, websites, analytics, and marketing automation support.
• Identity Design Visual identity design services including design systems, logo design, color palette development, typography, imagery and iconography, naming and taglines, and brand standards and guidelines for B2B brands.
• Interactive Tools Interactive tool development including ROI calculators, value frameworks, product selectors, guided experiences, digital sales aids, demo tools, product training and certification, and assessment tools for B2B sales and marketing teams.
• Messaging & Positioning Messaging and positioning strategy services including competitive landscape analysis, value proposition development, audience and persona messaging, product and solution messaging, messaging frameworks, and sales enablement messaging.
• Sales Tools Sales enablement tool development including sales content strategy, messaging frameworks and talk tracks, sales decks, battlecards, one-pagers, product sheets, comparison tools, interactive sales tools, ROI calculators, and enablement playbooks.
• Video Services Video production services including brand storytelling, product demos, promotional videos, explainer videos, thought leadership content, training content, sales enablement videos, and large format trade show and experiential videos.
• Website Services Website design and development services including strategy and planning, site architecture, UX and buyer journey mapping, concept design in FIGMA, copywriting and SEO optimization, CMS development (WordPress favored), and flexible workshare with internal teams.

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Godfrey: B2B-focused agency known for category leadership in industrial and technology marketing. Highly comparable in B2B-only focus, integrated offerings, and mid-sized independent positioning.
• Rise Interactive: Chicago-headquartered performance and digital marketing agency with strong B2B capabilities. Comparable in geography and overlap with Keys & Kites' digital marketing, demand generation, and analytics services.
• Integer: B2B-specialist agency serving technology and industrial clients with brand strategy, demand generation, and creative services. Comparable in vertical focus and the strategic-creative mix Keys & Kites offers.
• Bader Rutter: Midwestern B2B marketing agency with deep experience in agricultural, industrial, and consumer B2B verticals. Comparable in B2B-only focus, integrated service model, and similar scale of enterprise engagements.
• Gumas: Full-service B2B marketing agency with integrated branding, advertising, and digital capabilities. Comparable in mid-sized independent structure and B2B-only client focus.
• Stein IAS: B2B creative and integrated marketing agency with strong emphasis on brand strategy, content, and digital. Directly comparable to Keys & Kites' positioning as a strategy-plus-creative B2B partner.
• Walker Sands: Chicago-based B2B marketing agency offering integrated services across brand, demand generation, content, and digital marketing. Highly comparable in geography, client profile (mid-market and enterprise B2B), and full-service positioning.
• Mower: Independent, employee-owned marketing agency with strong B2B capabilities alongside B2C. Comparable in independent ownership model and integrated service structure.

Broad incumbents

• Gyro: Global B2B agency network offering brand, content, and digital marketing services at greater scale. Overlaps with Keys & Kites on B2B creative and digital but competes from a much larger footprint.

Regional players

• Schafer Condon Carter (SCC): Chicago-based independent agency with brand, advertising, and digital capabilities. Operates in the same geography with overlapping creative and brand services for B2B and B2C clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KeysKitesAgency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keyskitesagency
• Instagraminstagram.com/keyskitesagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Keys & Kites, Inc.