What The HERD Agencies does

The HERD is a Dutch creative agency collective founded in 2021 by Alen Sirovica and Fabian de Jong, operating a cooperative model that brings together four specialized boutique agencies under one umbrella: Elephant (digital agency for websites, webshops, and web applications), RAFT (online marketing bureau), Mosquito (branding agency), and LEF Media (content creation and video). The group employs 45+ creative and digital experts across offices in Dordrecht, Rotterdam, and Breda, positioning itself for clients that are 'too small for a large agency and too large for a small agency.' Service offerings span five expertises—branding, lead generation, content creation, recruitment marketing, and websites & platforms—delivered through project-based engagements with enterprise and mid-market clients in the Netherlands.

The underlying technology is conventional web agency infrastructure: WordPress and WooCommerce for site builds, Zoho CRM for sales automation, and ATS integrations for employer branding sites such as Holland & Barrett's careers platform. The collective's differentiator is its cross-agency coordination methodology rather than proprietary technology, allowing Elephant's web developers, RAFT's marketers, Mosquito's brand strategists, and LEF Media's content creators to staff complex engagements jointly. Integration patterns include WooCommerce/Zoho CRM pipelines (e.g., Garagepark) and WordPress/ATS integrations (Holland & Barrett).

Revenue is generated primarily through professional services—project-based creative, web, marketing, and branding engagements—with two emerging recurring streams: Mosquito's 'Team as a Service' (fixed monthly fee for a dedicated creative team) and the Verkenners Community (€250/month peer membership for agency owners). The go-to-market is sales-led via personal outreach and discovery consultations, supplemented by thought-leadership content (weekly Verkenners Podcast, blog, events) that drives inbound referrals. Enterprise clients include Holland & Barrett, Lamb Weston, GoBright, Hell's Kitchen, Urban Gym Group, Garagepark, Facilicom, and Hogeschool Rotterdam.

Name

The HERD Agencies

Legal name

the HERD

Website

https://theherd.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The HERD is a Dutch cooperative of four specialized boutique creative agencies (Elephant, RAFT, Mosquito, LEF Media) employing 45+ experts across branding, web, marketing, content, and recruitment services for mid-market and enterprise clients in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dordrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Project-based creative and digital services including branding, websites, marketing campaigns, and content creation across member agencies
2. Recruitment Marketing: Employer branding and recruitment marketing services, including werken-bij websites, campaigns, and content creation to attract talent
3. Lead Generation Services: Online marketing and lead generation services including strategy, campaigns, and customer journey optimization
4. Team as a Service: Mosquito offers Team as a Service - a creative team for a fixed monthly fee
5. Community Membership: Verkenners Community membership at €250 per month for agency owners and leaders seeking peer connection and learning

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The HERD is a Dutch collective of four specialized boutique creative and digital agencies (Elephant, RAFT, Mosquito, LEF Media) providing integrated branding, lead generation, content creation, recruitment marketing, and website/platform services to mid-market and enterprise clients. The cooperative model combines the personalized attention of small agencies with the comprehensive capabilities of larger agencies, leveraging 45+ creative and digital experts to address complex challenges across multiple disciplines.

Product overview

The HERD Agencies is a collective/holding of multiple boutique creative and digital agencies offering a 360-degree approach to organizational growth. The group comprises four specialist agencies: Elephant (digital agency for websites, webshops, web applications), RAFT (online marketing bureau for strategy and campaigns), Mosquito (creative branding agency), and LEF Media (content creation and video). The collective leverages collaboration between independent agencies while maintaining their specialized focus. Core service offerings span five expertises: Branding, Lead Generation, Content Creation, Recruitment Marketing, and Websites & Platforms. Each expertise area encompasses specific services including brand positioning, campaign management, video production, social media, UX audits, and ATS integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elephant: Digital agency specializing in websites, webshops, web applications, and employer branding websites with 15 years of experience
• RAFT
• Mosquito
• LEF Media

Products and services

• Elephant (Digital Agency) Digital agency specializing in websites, webshops, web applications, and employer branding websites. Combines strategy, technique, and web design to create digital experiences for brands. Uses WordPress, WooCommerce, and integrates with Zoho CRM and ATS systems.
• RAFT (Online Marketing Bureau) Online marketing bureau that translates ambitions into achievable marketing strategies. Offers marketing strategy, recruitment marketing, lead generation, and marketing campaigns using the See-Think-Do-Care customer journey model.
• Mosquito (Branding Agency) Creative branding agency that brings brands to life through branding, campaigns, and creative content. Also offers Team as a Service with a creative team available for a fixed monthly fee.
• LEF Media (Content & Video Agency) Content creation and video agency specializing in storytelling, vlog production, podcasts, and video content creation. Joined The HERD to expand service offerings through the collective.
• Verkenners Community Membership Peer community membership for agency owners and leaders connecting challenges with solutions, tools, and people. Priced at €250 per month (excluding VAT). Includes events and networking among Dutch agency professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 hires in 18 months for Lamb Weston through Gen-Z targeted content campaigns
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ElephantcoreOthersDigital agency specializing in websites, webshops, and web applications. Part of the HERD collective since founding, offering technical expertise in WordPress, WooCommerce, and custom web development. 15+ years of combined technical and creative excellence.
• RAFTcoreOthersOnline marketing bureau focused on marketing strategy, recruitment marketing, lead generation, and marketing campaigns. Founded 2021 by Roy de Kok with Alen and Fabian. Specializes in See-Think-Do-Care model for customer journeys.
• MosquitocoreOthersCreative branding agency bringing brands to life through strong branding, campaigns, and creative content. Joined HERD January 2024, adding 7 branding experts. Founded 2015 by Koen Joosen with mission of creative-first marketing approach.
• LEF MediacoreOthersContent creation agency specializing in storytelling and vlog production. Founded 4 years ago by Lieke van der Plas, who was nominated for Rotterdam Business Woman of the Year 2021. Joined HERD to offer expanded services beyond just content creation.
• Verkenners CommunitycoreOthersPeer community for agency owners and leaders connecting challenges with solutions, tools, and people. €250/month membership for agencies seeking peer networking and shared learning. Hosts events and provides connection among agency professionals.
• Community Members (WADM, Online Results, Hoppinger, Flabbergasted, DLG, and others)minorOthersVarious Dutch digital and creative agencies participating in the Verkenners Community peer network, sharing experiences and learnings.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoppinger: Amsterdam-based Dutch digital agency offering strategy, design, marketing and technology services to mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable to HERD's Elephant/RAFT bureaus and explicitly named as a participant in HERD's Verkenners Community, so both compete and co-exist in the Dutch mid-market space.
• N=5: Amsterdam-based Dutch digital agency combining strategy, data, creative and technology. Operates in the same mid-to-large Dutch segment as HERD with overlapping capabilities in branding, content and platforms, and competes for similar enterprise briefs.
• Greenberry: Dutch digital agency collective that pioneered a multi-brand model in the Netherlands combining specialized digital, creative and technology boutiques. Closest structural analogue to THE HERD's bureau model and a direct comparator for how such cooperatives are positioned and valued in the Dutch market.
• Online Results: Dutch digital marketing agency focused on performance marketing, recruitment marketing and lead generation. Directly comparable to RAFT's online marketing offering and a Verkenners Community peer that competes for the same recruitment-marketing budgets.
• WADM: Rotterdam-based creative and digital agency serving mid-market Dutch brands across web, content and marketing. Comparable to HERD on service mix and regional positioning, and explicitly listed as a Verkenners Community participant.
• DLG (Digital Lodge Group): Dutch digital creative agency working with brands on strategy, content, performance marketing and employer branding. Sits in the same mid-market Dutch segment as HERD, with overlapping service lines (recruitment marketing, lead generation) and is named as a Verkenners Community participant.

Broad incumbents

• MediaMonks: Global creative and production agency within S4 Capital, with deep Dutch roots and significant content/video production capability. Represents the scaled-network competitor that HERD positions against on the 'too big for a boutique, too small for a network' axis, though at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Valtech: Global digital agency with strong Dutch roots delivering strategy, creative, marketing and technology services. Competes with HERD on enterprise digital transformation pitches and employer branding, but operates at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Dept Agency: Global digital agency headquartered in Amsterdam with thousands of employees across creative, marketing and engineering. Targets the same mid-to-large Dutch enterprise segment as HERD but at far greater scale, competing head-to-head on multi-disciplinary briefs while lacking the boutique personalization HERD sells.

Regional players

• Flabbergasted: Dutch creative/digital agency with strong content, video and storytelling capabilities comparable to HERD's LEF Media bureau. Listed as a Verkenners Community participant and competes for similar content-led briefs in the Dutch market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theherdgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-herd-agencies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 The HERD Agencies