What Russell Herder does

Russell Herder is a privately held, B Corporation-certified full-service advertising agency founded in Minneapolis in 1985 by Carol Russell (CEO) and Brian Herder (Chief Creative Officer) and operating for approximately 40 years. The firm offers an integrated portfolio of brand planning and research, creative and content production, digital marketing (paid search, paid social, SEO, analytics, email), public relations and crisis communications, social media management, and user experience design, delivered from a single headquarters in International Market Square, Minneapolis. It markets itself around seven named verticals: Associations, Design & Construction, Destinations, Finance, Government, Law, and Health & Medical.

The agency's underlying technology is a standard professional services stack built on mainstream CMS and ecommerce platforms (WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, SquareSpace) for client web work, combined with Google Partner and Microsoft Advertising certifications for paid media execution; no proprietary platform, API, or AI/ML product is disclosed. Revenue is generated through project-based and multi-year retainer professional services fees, sourced primarily through direct, CEO-led sales outreach and referral networks. Notable anchor engagements include the Minnesota Department of Human Services opioid-awareness campaign, the National Association of Social Workers national rebrand, Odyssey Resorts (nine properties), Timberland Partners, and the University of Minnesota. The leadership team of approximately eight named executives plus an 11-50 employee base supports a mid-sized, vertically specialized agency model serving regional and national clients.

Name

Russell Herder

Legal name

Russell Herder

Website

https://russellherder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Russell Herder is a privately held, B Corporation-certified full-service advertising agency founded in Minneapolis in 1985, serving regional and national clients across government, healthcare, associations, finance, hospitality, law, and construction with integrated brand, creative, digital, PR, social, and UX services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Material Distribution Services (541870)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Field Sales & Brand Ambassador Programs (MPAAAJAG)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Brand strategy development
• Digital marketing campaigns
• Public relations communications
• User experience design

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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. Advertising and Marketing Services: Full-service agency providing brand planning, creative development, digital marketing, public relations, social media management, and UX design services. Revenue generated through professional service fees, project-based work, and ongoing retainer arrangements with clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Russell Herder is a full-service strategic advertising agency that sells integrated marketing services to client organizations across government, healthcare, associations, finance, hospitality, destinations, design & construction, and law. Its core deliverables span brand planning and research, creative and content production, digital marketing (paid, SEO, web), public relations, social media management, and user experience design. Engagements are delivered as project-based and retainer professional services from its Minneapolis headquarters.

Product overview

Russell Herder is a full-service advertising agency offering a unified portfolio of marketing services including Brand Planning & Research, Creative & Content, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, and User Experience (UX) Design. The agency also showcases select client work through case studies (Timberland Partners, Odyssey Resorts, Know the Dangers, Healing Hearts Connection) demonstrating capabilities across industries including associations, design & construction, destinations, finance, government, law, and health & medical sectors. These services work together as an integrated marketing offering rather than discrete product modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Planning & Research Strategic brand planning and custom research services including qualitative research, ethnographic research, customer journey mapping, brand equity assessments, and loyalty program ideation, sold to client organizations across the agency's seven verticals.
• Creative & Content Creative services covering brand identity development, copywriting, graphic design, video production, and full-spectrum media creative execution for client organizations.
• Digital Marketing Digital marketing services encompassing paid advertising, web development, SEO audit, search engine marketing, paid social, campaign management, analytics, organic social media, and email marketing, executed under Google Partner and Microsoft Advertising credentials.
• Public Relations Public relations services including issue management, crisis communications, employee communication, social responsibility campaigns, media relations, and influencer partnerships for client organizations.
• Social Media Social media marketing services covering social strategy, organic social media management, influencer management, and paid social media advertising for client brands.
• User Experience (UX) Design User experience design services including research, user testing, accessibility implementation, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design delivered across WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, and SquareSpace platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• KnowTheDangers.com reaches thousands monthly with opioid crisis resources, naloxone finder map, and recovery information
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationRussell Herder is a certified Google Partner with demonstrated expertise in Google Ads, search engine marketing, and digital advertising. The partnership enables the agency to deliver accountable, effective strategies ensuring maximum search engine visibility for clients.
• Microsoft AdvertisingcoreTechnology or IntegrationRussell Herder holds Microsoft Advertising certified professional status, enabling delivery of digital advertising campaigns across Microsoft platforms.
• B LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerB Lab is the nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and planet. Russell Herder's B Corp certification requires ongoing compliance with B Lab's rigorous standards for social and environmental performance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Godfrey: Mid-size B2B and consumer marketing agency offering brand, digital, PR, and content services. Comparable on full-service positioning and mid-market client profile.
• Exponent PR: Mid-sized PR and integrated communications firm serving consumer, technology, and healthcare brands. Comparable on size, multi-vertical model, and integrated service mix.
• Space150: Minneapolis-based creative and digital agency with similar mid-market reach across brand, content, and media services. Direct competitor for local and regional clients in the same verticals.
• Colle+McVoy: Long-standing Minneapolis creative agency serving brands including healthcare and consumer categories. Compares on Midwest roots, mid-size team, and integrated brand-building capabilities.
• JPA Health: Mid-size healthcare communications and marketing agency serving pharma, biotech, and public health clients. Comparable on vertical specialization in healthcare, government-adjacent public-health work, and size.
• Haberman: Minneapolis-based integrated marketing and PR agency known for purpose-driven and cause-marketing work. Highly comparable given its values-led positioning, similar Minnesota roots, and mid-sized team.
• Lippe Taylor: Mid-size PR and integrated marketing firm with deep healthcare, consumer, and technology verticals. Comparable in size, mid-market positioning, and vertical specialization relevant to Russell Herder's healthcare strength.
• Periscope: Minneapolis-based integrated marketing agency offering brand, digital, and creative services to national and regional clients. Direct competitor in the same metro with similar full-service footprint.
• Carmichael Lynch: Minneapolis-based creative and advertising agency of similar vintage and size, serving brand, healthcare, and consumer clients. Directly comparable on geography, full-service model, and mid-market positioning.

Emerging players

• Tier One Partners: Smaller integrated communications agency specializing in B2B technology and healthcare PR. Adjacent competitor with comparable verticals but narrower focus and smaller team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/russellherder
• Facebookfacebook.com/russellherder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/russell-herder
• Instagraminstagram.com/russellherder

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Russell Herder