What Manifesto does

Manifesto Agency LLC is a privately held, US-based boutique brand strategy and creative agency founded in 2011 by twin brothers Tim Dyer and Dave Dyer. The firm operates from three US offices in Milwaukee (headquarters), Portland, and Nashville/Franklin, serving enterprise and mid-market clients across multiple verticals including technology/logistics (Amazon Flex), human resources and payroll (Paylocity), quick-service restaurants (Arby's), retail brokerage (Harvest Group), and education (University of Wisconsin). The agency's offering is organized around three interconnected service pillars: Branding & Strategy (research, positioning, messaging, identity, naming, and brand standards), Integrated Campaigns (media planning, launch campaigns, CSR and sustainability work, cross-channel activation), and Brand Activation (brand anthem videos, social and digital content, experiential concepting, and trade show and earned media ideation). The agency's core methodology, branded as the "Onlyness" framework, focuses on uncovering the unique positioning claim a brand alone can credibly own, and is articulated in the downloadable Rally Cry white paper playbook.

The business model is professional services revenue generated through project-based engagements and ongoing agency partnerships. GTM motion is sales-led, relying on direct client engagement via website contact form, phone, and email, supplemented by content marketing (blog, Monday Memo newsletter), social channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), the Rally Cry white paper as a lead magnet, and Jeffersonian-style Table for Ten dinner events for relationship building. There is no disclosed pricing model; the website contact form includes budget tiers, indicating custom project-based pricing. Manifesto has no proprietary technology platform, no external institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity. The company is entirely founder-controlled, with Tim Dyer serving as Chief Storyteller and Managing Partner and Dave Dyer serving as CEO and Managing Partner. Industry recognition includes Clutch Top Brand Strategy Company (2023), Clutch Top Creative Agency Milwaukee (2023), Expertise.com Top Content Marketing Agency Milwaukee (2021), and Clutch Top B2B Companies Global and Top 1000 Companies Global (2020).

Name

Manifesto

Legal name

Manifesto Agency LLC

Website

https://manifestoagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manifesto Agency LLC is a US-based boutique brand strategy and creative agency serving enterprise and mid-market clients across verticals like technology, HR, QSR, retail, and education from three offices in Milwaukee, Portland, and Nashville.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy & Creative Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Strategy & Positioning (BPAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Strategy & Identity Systems (MPAAAEAA), Naming & Verbal Identity (Taglines, Messaging) (MPAAAEAB), Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Branding agency services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Integrated marketing campaigns
• Brand identity development
• Creative agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy and Creative Services: Professional services revenue generated through brand strategy consulting, creative development, campaign creation, and ongoing agency partnerships with clients. Projects typically involve branding, integrated campaigns, and brand activation work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Manifesto is a courage-led brand declaration agency that helps brands, agencies, non-profits, and startups transform beliefs into authentic behavior through culturally disruptive ideas. The agency sells three core service pillars: Branding & Strategy (research, audience segmentation, positioning, messaging, identity, naming, brand standards), Integrated Campaigns (media strategy, brand/product launches, CSR and sustainability campaigns, cross-channel activation), and Brand Activation (anthem videos, social/digital content, experiential concepting, trade show and earned media ideation). It uncovers each client's "Onlyness" — the unique brand claim no competitor can make.

Product overview

Manifesto is a courage-led brand agency offering three interconnected service pillars: Branding & Strategy, Integrated Campaigns, and Brand Activation. The agency specializes in purpose-driven branding, crafting authentic brand narratives that resonate deeply with audiences. Their approach uses human insights to unlock brand truths, identifying each client's 'Onlyness' — the unique positioning no competitor can claim. Services range from research and audience segmentation to brand standards development and experiential concepting. The agency showcases its work through case studies including Paylocity's complete brand overhaul, Amazon Flex's gig economy positioning, and Arby's #MeatSweats social campaign. Manifesto also publishes a weekly Monday Memo newsletter and offers downloadable thought leadership resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 minor and core.

• Generous.Life NashvilleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023Manifesto partnered with Generous.Life Nashville for a Table for Twenty dinner event gathering creators, entrepreneurs, and artists for a Jeffersonian-style dinner experience with storytelling.
• Urban Light FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManifesto is a proud partner and creative contributor to Urban Light Foundation, a non-profit working to empower at-risk young males in Thailand to live a life outside the grasp of exploitation and trafficking. They help with branding and visual collateral for the organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Preacher: Preacher is an independent creative agency specializing in brand strategy, campaign development, and brand activation for ambitious clients. Comparable boutique creative shop with strong cultural positioning analogous to Manifesto's.
• Barkley: Barkley is an independent Kansas City-based creative agency offering brand strategy, advertising, and integrated campaigns. Comparable as a US Midwestern-rooted, independently held creative agency with similar enterprise client mix.
• Mucca: Mucca is an independent creative agency offering branding, strategy, and integrated campaigns with a culture-led, storytelling-forward approach. Comparable boutique scale and 'courage-led' creative sensibility align closely with Manifesto's positioning.
• Red Antler: Red Antler is a boutique brand strategy and identity agency known for founding-stage and growth-stage brand work for ambitious clients (e.g., Allbirds, Casper). Directly comparable to Manifesto's positioning & identity development for 'Ambitious Brands' with similar size and service mix.
• Mother Design: Mother Design is the design and branding arm of Mother, offering brand identity, strategy, and creative services for ambitious brands. Comparable in identity/branding focus and boutique creative positioning.
• Manual: Manual is a creative and branding agency serving ambitious consumer and B2B brands across strategy, identity, and campaigns. Directly competes in the same mid-market/enterprise brand strategy boutique category as Manifesto.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Interbrand is a global brand consulting firm specializing in brand strategy, identity, and brand valuation for large enterprises. Represents the established, scaled competitor in the brand strategy and identity space where Manifesto also competes.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is a globally renowned independent creative agency known for brand storytelling and integrated campaigns. Serves as a higher-end reference point for the brand storytelling craft Manifesto sells, often competing for the same enterprise RFPs.
• Droga5 (part of Accenture Song): Droga5 is a major creative agency offering brand strategy and integrated campaigns at global enterprise scale. Represents the larger end of competition for the same enterprise brand work Manifesto targets.

Emerging players

• Gin Lane (now MNTN): Gin Lane was a comparable boutique brand strategy agency for ambitious DTC and tech brands; acquired by MNTN. Represents both the exit trajectory and the consolidation pressure facing boutique agencies like Manifesto.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ManifestoAgency
• Facebookfacebook.com/ManifestoAgency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manifesto---a-brand-declaration-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/manifestoagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Manifesto