Collective Motion

What Collective Motion does

Collective Motion is a boutique strategic communications and integrated marketing agency headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Founded by Patrick Gladney, who brings more than 25 years of experience across healthcare, education, public affairs, consumer marketing, technology, and nonprofit communications, the firm operates as an assembled network of senior strategists, writers, designers, developers, filmmakers, researchers, and digital marketers, deploying specialists per client rather than maintaining a large fixed in-house team. The agency serves mission-driven organizations including non-profits, charities, foundations, research organizations, healthcare organizations, educational organizations, advocacy groups, purpose-led businesses, and small-to-medium businesses across Canada.

The agency's service offering spans three interconnected areas: brand strategy (audience research, communications planning, positioning, messaging, and thought leadership), media production (websites, video, content, social media, SEO, and email marketing), and campaign execution (digital advertising, fundraising campaigns, advocacy, media relations, and community engagement). The firm has no proprietary technology platform; its core capabilities are creative, strategic, and executional rather than software-based. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue generated through project fees and retainer arrangements.

Collective Motion's client portfolio includes enterprise engagements with Sun Life Financial (Group Benefits division) and Geotab (global fleet telematics), as well as mid-market and SMB clients such as Second Harvest, Phase 5, Campisi Personal Injury Law, CIHE, Zero Skin Care, Ritter Sport, Springfree Trampoline, Swiss Chalet, and Shark Ninja. Engagements are sold and delivered directly by senior leadership, with no heavy account management layers. The firm is privately held, founder-owned, has no disclosed institutional investment, and operates without a parent company structure. There is no public revenue disclosure, no funding history, and no evidence of M&A activity.

Name

Collective Motion

Legal name

Collective Motion

Website

https://collectivemotion.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Collective Motion is a Toronto-based boutique advertising agency that provides strategic communications, integrated marketing, and creative production services to mission-driven organizations across Canada, including non-profits, purpose-led businesses, and SMBs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Marketing Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Representatives (54184)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

Keywords

• Strategic communications consulting
• Brand strategy services
• Integrated marketing agency
• Digital advertising campaigns
• Content production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: The agency provides senior strategic communications expertise to mission-driven organizations, functioning as an extension of the client's team. Engagements include brand strategy, messaging, positioning, audience research, campaign development, and ongoing integrated marketing support. Revenue is generated through project fees and retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Collective Motion is a boutique strategic communications and integrated marketing agency that helps mission-driven organizations turn complex ideas into compelling stories. It sells project-based and retainer consulting engagements spanning brand strategy, audience research, messaging, positioning, thought leadership content, websites, video, social media, SEO, email marketing, digital advertising, fundraising campaigns, advocacy, media relations, and community engagement, delivered by an assembled network of senior specialists.

Product overview

Collective Motion is an advertising agency that offers a unified suite of marketing services rather than a modular software product. Their core offerings span three interconnected areas: Brand Strategy Services (audience research, communications planning, campaign strategy, positioning, messaging, and thought leadership), Media Production Services (websites, video, content, social media, SEO, and email marketing), and Campaign Services (digital advertising, fundraising campaigns, advocacy, media relations, and community engagement). These services are delivered through an assembled network of senior specialists to mission-driven organizations including non-profits, foundations, purpose-led businesses, and small-to-medium enterprises across Canada. The agency does not offer a self-service product platform but rather provides strategic consulting and execution as a service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Services Strategic consulting service covering brand positioning, messaging development, audience research, and thought leadership content creation, sold to mission-driven organizations that need to clarify and articulate their story.

Quantifiable outcome

• Built one of Canada's fastest-growing historical education platforms (CIHE) through storytelling, social media, and public engagement.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Public Inc. Toronto-based communications agency purpose-built for non-profits, charities, and mission-driven organizations. Directly comparable to Collective Motion in target market (Canadian non-profits and charities) and service mix (brand strategy, fundraising, advocacy, digital).
• Manifest Communications: Toronto agency focused on social-purpose and non-profit clients, offering brand strategy, fundraising campaigns, and digital engagement. Closely overlaps Collective Motion's primary non-profit segment and integrated campaign model.
• Junxion Strategy: Strategy and communications consultancy serving purpose-driven businesses, non-profits, and sustainability-focused organizations. Comparable to Collective Motion in mission-driven positioning and senior-led consulting delivery.

Regional players

• Narrative PR: Toronto PR and communications firm serving mission-driven and lifestyle brands. Comparable in geography and mid-market/specialty positioning, with overlapping media relations and content capabilities.
• Bensimon Byrne: Toronto-based creative and strategic agency serving brands across Canada, with nonprofit and purpose-led work in its portfolio. Comparable in scale and integrated marketing approach within the Canadian market.
• Taxi (Toronto): One of Canada's largest independent creative agencies, headquartered in Toronto. Comparable as a domestic Canadian creative and brand strategy shop competing for similar mid-market and enterprise brand work.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global communications marketing firm with a large purpose and non-profit practice. Competes for the same mission-driven mandates as Collective Motion but at a global scale with significantly more resources and breadth.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and integrated marketing agency serving enterprise, non-profit, and advocacy clients. Comparable in the integrated communications and PR services Collective Motion offers, but at a much larger scale.
• Hill+Knowlton: Global communications consultancy with deep public affairs and non-profit experience. Represents the kind of incumbent Collective Motion competes against for purpose-led and advocacy mandates.
• DDB Canada: National Canadian arm of the global DDB creative network. Competes for integrated brand, advertising, and content mandates of similar scale to Collective Motion's enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Collective Motion