What Cardigan does

Cardigan (legal entity: Cardigan Marketing inc.) is a Montreal-based digital marketing agency founded in 2016 that delivers digital advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), web analytics, digital strategy, and e-commerce optimization services to B2B clients. Its service catalog mirrors that of a full-service boutique agency, combining paid media execution with organic search work and conversion-rate optimization for online retail. The firm publishes an active blog running from 2016 through 2025 and operates a free SEO Report Tool, both positioned as content-led lead-generation assets rather than standalone commercial products.

The operating model is bootstrapped and direct: Cardigan sells to business buyers through its website and organic inbound channel without disclosed intermediary or partner channel relationships, and pricing is quote-based per engagement rather than packaged SaaS. The firm employs between 11 and 50 people under a flat hierarchy, shares 30% of profits with employees, and operates without external funding. Client logos span roughly 16 brands across diverse industries, indicating a distributed mid-market book of business rather than anchor-client concentration. Cardigan became a B Corp on December 3, 2025, formalizing environmental and social performance standards as a qualifier for buyers who screen vendors on ESG criteria.

Strategic posture emphasizes responsible business operations over scale: partnerships (e.g., with GRIS-Montréal in December 2024) and certification activity are prioritized, with no evidence of geographic expansion outside Quebec, external capital raises, acquisitions, or platform/technology build-outs. The agency competes primarily on execution quality, retained-client relationships, and its certified status rather than proprietary technology or differentiated IP.

Name

Cardigan

Legal name

Cardigan Marketing inc.

Website

https://cardiganmtl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cardigan is a Montreal-based digital marketing agency offering SEO, digital advertising, web analytics, digital strategy, and e-commerce optimization services to a B2B client base, operating since 2016 under a flat, profit-sharing structure and B Corp certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Paid Search (PPC) (BPAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

Keywords

• Digital marketing services
• Search engine optimization
• Paid media management
• Web analytics consulting
• E-commerce marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Marketing Services: Professional services revenue model offering digital advertising campaign planning and execution, SEO optimization, web analytics implementation, and digital strategy consulting to business clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cardigan is a Montreal-based digital marketing agency that delivers managed services in digital advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads across search, display, social, and video), search engine optimization, web analytics implementation, and digital strategy consulting. The agency also offers a free self-service SEO Report Tool (Rapport SEO) that scans websites in 10 seconds to generate performance grades and recommendations. Services are tailored to businesses seeking e-commerce growth, website optimization, customer acquisition, and performance measurement.

Product overview

Cardigan is a digital marketing agency offering a suite of client-facing managed services supplemented by one self-service tool. The managed services encompass Digital Advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, search/display/social/video), Digital Strategy, Web Analytics, and Search Engine Optimization. These four service lines are delivered as consultative offerings, not as modular software products. The lone standalone product is the free Rapport SEO (SEO Report Tool), a self-serve online scanner that generates instant SEO performance reports for website owners. The agency does not operate a unified SaaS platform with multiple integrated modules; its offering is a services portfolio anchored by one complementary self-service digital tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Advertising Services Planning and execution of paid digital advertising campaigns on Google Ads and Facebook Ads platforms, including search, display, social, and video formats, for business clients seeking online customer acquisition.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search engine optimization services designed to improve organic visibility, site speed, relevance, and overall website performance for businesses with an existing online presence.
• Web Analytics Services Web analytics implementation and performance measurement services, including KPI definition, campaign tracking, and ROI analysis to support data-driven decision-making for business clients.
• Digital Strategy Consulting Digital strategy consulting engagements that help businesses define long-term growth objectives, sustainable acquisition strategies, and align digital channels with overall business goals.
• Rapport SEO (SEO Report Tool) A free instant SEO scanner that analyzes a website in 10 seconds and delivers a performance grade, prioritized recommendations, site speed diagnostics, usability validation, and security checks, available in shareable web and PDF formats.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GRIS-MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2024Pro-bono collaboration with GRIS-Montréal as part of Cardigan's commitment to positive social impact beyond commercial results. This partnership demonstrates their belief that marketing can have a positive impact on communities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• WebFX:

Direct peers

• Adviso: Montreal-based digital marketing consulting firm offering SEO, SEM, analytics, and digital strategy services to mid-market and enterprise clients across Quebec and Canada. Directly comparable to Cardigan on geography, service mix, and B2B professional services model.
• Noise Digital: Montreal-based digital agency offering paid media, SEO, programmatic, and analytics services to mid-market clients in Quebec. Comparable on geography, service offering, and mid-market B2B positioning.
• Absolunet: Quebec-based e-commerce and digital agency serving retailers with e-commerce platform builds, digital marketing, and performance campaigns. Closely comparable to Cardigan's e-commerce-focused segment and Quebec geographic base.
• Disruptive Advertising: US-based digital marketing agency providing PPC management, SEO, and CRO services with a strong e-commerce client base. Comparable on core service lines and the e-commerce customer segment Cardigan prioritizes.
• Directive: B2B digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, PPC, and content marketing for SaaS and technology companies. Comparable on the paid media and SEO service mix that anchors Cardigan's offering.
• KlientBoost: Performance marketing agency focused on paid media (Google Ads, Facebook Ads), CRO, and SEO for SaaS and e-commerce clients. Directly comparable to Cardigan's PPC and e-commerce focus areas with similar mid-market positioning.
• DAC Group: Montreal-headquartered performance marketing agency offering paid media, SEO, analytics, and digital transformation services globally. Overlaps with Cardigan on core service lines (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, SEO, analytics) and the Montreal/Quebec home market, though at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Sid Lee: Montreal-founded global creative and digital agency offering advertising, digital experience, and design services. Comparable on Montreal roots and digital capabilities, though operating at much larger scale and with broader creative scope beyond Cardigan's performance marketing focus.

Regional players

• Tink (Tink Communications): Montreal-based creative and digital agency offering web, brand, and digital marketing services to Quebec and Canadian clients. Comparable on Montreal/Quebec geography and B2B services model, though with broader creative scope.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cardiganmtl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardiganmtl
• Instagraminstagram.com/cardiganmtl
• Xx.com/cardiganmtl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cardigan