FIFTEEN

What FIFTEEN does

FIFTEEN (commercial name Agency 15) is a privately held, full-service advertising and marketing agency founded in 2009 and headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The firm operates through four service pillars—Branding (strategy, naming, verbal and visual identity), Creative (concepting, copywriting, design, photo and video, animation), Digital (web development, UI/UX, social media, email, digital media), and Media (research, planning and buying across traditional, digital, programmatic, and SEM channels)—executed through a five-stage process (Discovery, Strategy, Create, Launch, Measure). A 21-person team delivers integrated campaigns and rebrands for clients spanning education (SUNY Niagara), food manufacturing (Rich Products, Upstate Farms), home services (T-Mark Plumbing), and healthcare (SCU Health System).

The agency's most differentiated operational asset is a dedicated Content Factory managed service for Rich Products, executing 12+ photoshoots and 6+ videoshoots per year across a 3,000+ product portfolio with full post-production. The firm is a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) and runs The FIFTEEN Project, donating 400 pro bono hours annually to MWOBs and 501c3 nonprofits in Western New York. Distribution is direct-to-client via website contact forms and in-person engagement at the Buffalo headquarters, with no channel partners or resellers.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees for strategy, creative development, media planning and buying, web development, and production work, under a quote-based engagement model. The firm is founder-led (Zack Schneider) with key operational leadership in place across Creative Direction (Rachel Spence, Nate Dolce), Account Management, Digital Strategy, Technology, Finance, Photography, and Media.

Name

FIFTEEN

Legal name

Agency 15

Website

https://agency15.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FIFTEEN (Agency 15) is a Buffalo, NY-based full-service advertising and marketing agency with 21 specialists delivering branding, creative, digital, and media services to mid-size and enterprise clients across food manufacturing, education, healthcare, and home services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising and Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Naming & Verbal Identity (BPAFAEAB)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Brand strategy development
• Creative production services
• Digital media planning
• Web development design

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

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 branding, creative, digital, and media services. Revenue generated through professional service fees for strategy, creative development, media planning and buying, web development, and production services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FIFTEEN (Agency 15) is a full-service advertising and marketing agency that provides end-to-end brand, creative, digital, and media services for businesses ranging from small family-run companies to large enterprises. Its core offerings span four pillars — Branding (brand strategy, naming, verbal and visual identity), Creative (concepting, copywriting, design, photo and video production, animation), Digital (web development, UI/UX, social media, email), and Media (research, planning and buying across traditional, digital, programmatic, and SEM) — delivered through a five-step Discovery–Strategy–Create–Launch–Measure process, with an additional dedicated Content Factory managed-production operation and integrated Public Relations support.

Product overview

FIFTEEN (Agency 15) is a full-service advertising and marketing agency headquartered in Buffalo, NY, operating as a single integrated agency rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering spans four primary service pillars: Branding (brand strategy, naming, verbal and visual identity), Creative (copywriting, design, photo, video, animation), Digital (web development, UI/UX, social media, email), and Media (research, planning, buying across traditional, digital, programmatic, and SEM). Beyond these core service pillars, FIFTEEN operates a dedicated Content Factory for Rich Products as a managed production service, and runs Project FIFTEEN as a pro bono community program. The agency also publishes educational resources including an ADA compliance checklist and a guide for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Case studies document integrated campaigns for clients including T-Mark Plumbing (celebrity spokesperson), SUNY Niagara (comprehensive rebrand), Milk For Life (product launch), and Rich Products (ongoing content production).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services Strategic brand development including brand strategy, naming, verbal identity, and visual identity creation, delivered through a five-stage process: Discovery, Strategy, Create, Launch, and Measure, for businesses seeking cohesive brand articulation.
• Creative Services Creative production including concepting, copywriting, design, photo and video production, animation, and quality assurance testing, spanning both traditional and digital formats for client campaigns.
• Digital Services Digital capabilities covering web development, UI/UX design, social media management, digital media, email marketing, and project management for digital-first brand experiences.
• Media Services Media planning and buying across traditional, digital, programmatic, and search engine marketing channels, supported by research and ongoing campaign optimization and measurement.
• Public Relations PR services including media relations, press strategy, and communications support, integrated within broader campaign and launch planning.
• Content Factory A dedicated content production operation executing 12+ photoshoots and 6+ videoshoots per year, with full post-production, web design, and thousands of media, collateral, tradeshow, social, and digital executions across a portfolio of over 3,000 food products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients achieve 10-20% year-over-year growth
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2021Membership in the 4A's provides access to proprietary resources including research and thought leadership, benchmark data, training and development, and business intelligence. The organization promotes, advances, and defends the interests of member agencies, employees, and the overall advertising community. FIFTEEN gained access to networking with other agencies across the U.S. and a voice in setting industry agenda.
• The FIFTEEN Project PartnersminorOthersPro bono partnership program supporting certified Minority and/or Women-Owned Businesses (MWOB) and 501c3 organizations in Western New York. The agency donates 400 hours annually of services including branding, website design/development, video production, photography, social media, PR, content marketing, and event activation. Internal DE+I Committee and all team members help choose which organizations to support.
• Dawson KnoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCelebrity spokesperson partnership between T-Mark Plumbing (client) and Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. The partnership aligned T-Mark's blue-collar, family-run brand with Knox's rugged persona. This represented the largest investment of its kind for T-Mark and was managed by Agency 15.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gelia: Mid-size independent full-service agency (Webster, NY) with integrated brand, creative, digital, and media planning/buying capabilities — comparable size and service scope focused on similar mid-market enterprise clients.
• Pinckney Hugo Group: Upstate New York (Fairport) full-service advertising agency of similar size offering branding, creative, digital, and media services to mid-market and enterprise clients across the Northeast.
• AMP Agency: Mid-size independent agency providing brand strategy, creative, digital marketing, and media services to enterprise clients — similar full-service model targeting comparable mid-market enterprise opportunities.
• The Martin Group: Buffalo-headquartered full-service agency serving mid-market and enterprise clients with integrated branding, advertising, digital, and PR services — directly comparable service model and regional footprint.
• Crowley Webb & Associates: Buffalo, NY-based full-service advertising and marketing agency with comparable service breadth across creative, digital, and media. Closest geographic competitor with similar mid-market full-service positioning.
• Hub International Creative: Buffalo/NY-based full-service creative agency offering advertising, branding, digital, and media services to mid-market regional clients — comparable independent full-service operating model.
• Barkley: Independently held full-service agency offering branding, creative, media, and digital services to enterprise and challenger brands. Comparable independent mid-size full-service positioning with strong creative credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Ogilvy: Global full-service advertising network (WPP) competing for the same integrated brand campaign RFPs as FIFTEEN, particularly for enterprise clients like Rich Products and Upstate Farms.
• Droga5: Globally recognized creative-led agency within Accenture Song; competes for the same enterprise integrated brand campaigns FIFTEEN targets but operates at vastly larger scale and recognition.

Regional players

• Behan Communications: Upstate New York (Saratoga Springs) integrated communications agency offering advertising, PR, digital, and branding services to similar regional and mid-market clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agency_15
• Facebookfacebook.com/agency15
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agency-15
• Instagraminstagram.com/agency_15

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 FIFTEEN