Gillespie Group

What Gillespie Group does

Gillespie Group is a privately held, family-owned full-service advertising and marketing agency headquartered in Springfield, Pennsylvania, serving the Philadelphia region and select national clients. Founded in 1992 by Mike Gillespie Sr., the firm offers an integrated portfolio spanning creative services, media buying and planning, graphic design, digital advertising, healthcare advertising, and arts marketing. Its core proposition is an "Advanced Advertising" methodology that converges message, media, and metrics into omni-channel campaigns, executed through a stack of industry-standard tools including Nielsen, Scarborough, Strata, SEMrush, Moz, BrightEdge, WordStream, and Google Partner platforms.

The agency operates with a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market targeting mid-market and enterprise clients across four primary verticals: healthcare organizations, automotive dealerships, arts and cultural institutions, and Catholic and non-profit organizations. Revenue is generated through project-based fees, retainer arrangements, and media commission structures on multi-year contracts. Notable long-tenured clients include Quality Plus Ford Dealers (22+ year relationship), Independence Blue Cross, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Rothman Orthopaedics. The firm has managed over $30 million in cumulative media billings for 14 active clients and is led by the founder alongside his sons in VP Client Services and VP Creative Services roles.

The business model is institutionally stable but structurally constrained: a small headcount (11–50, with ~9 named team members), no external funding, no M&A or inorganic expansion, and reliance on a concentrated set of legacy relationships. Geographic reach is anchored in Southeastern Pennsylvania with selective national accounts, and the technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary. Competitive positioning rests on vertical specialization, longevity, and media negotiation expertise rather than scale or technology differentiation.

Name

Gillespie Group

Legal name

Gillespie Group Marketing & Advertising

Website

https://gillespiegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gillespie Group is a family-owned, full-service Philadelphia advertising agency offering integrated creative, media buying, digital, and vertical-specific marketing services to healthcare, automotive, arts, and non-profit clients across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Media buying planning
• Creative production services
• Digital advertising campaigns
• Healthcare marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Services: Full-service agency providing creative services, media buying, digital advertising, and marketing campaigns. Revenue derived from project-based fees, retainer arrangements, and media commission structures for clients across healthcare, automotive, arts, and non-profit sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gillespie Group is a full-service Philadelphia-area advertising and marketing agency that plans, creates, and places integrated campaigns across traditional and digital channels for enterprise clients in healthcare, automotive, arts, and non-profit sectors. Core offerings include Advanced Advertising (convergence of message, media, and metrics), Media Buying & Planning (TV, radio, cable, digital, print, out-of-home, B2B), Creative Services (concepting, TV/radio production, graphic and web design), Digital Advertising (SEO, SEM, display, video), and verticalized Healthcare Advertising and Arts Marketing practices.

Product overview

Gillespie Group is a full-service Philadelphia advertising and marketing agency offering a portfolio of integrated services built around an Advanced Advertising philosophy. The core offerings include Advanced Advertising (integrated campaign strategy combining message, media, and metrics), Media Buying & Planning (covering TV, radio, cable, digital, print, out of home, and B2B), Creative Services (concepting, TV/radio production, graphic design, web design), Graphic Design, Digital Advertising (SEO, SEM, digital campaigns), Healthcare Advertising, and Arts Marketing. The agency combines traditional advertising with digital capabilities to deliver converged, omni-channel campaigns for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Advertising Integrated advertising approach combining message, media, and metrics to form campaigns and analyze deliverables. Provides a single, seamless approach to client messaging and marketing strategies using data-driven analysis and industry-leading advertising technology.
• Media Buying & Planning Omni-channel media buying services covering broadcast TV, radio, cable, digital media, print, out-of-home, and B2B media. Includes media negotiation and planning across all traditional and digital platforms for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Creative Services Creative concepting, TV production, radio production, graphic design, and web design services. Includes print collateral design, social media management, e-commerce solutions, and direct mail fulfillment.
• Graphic Design Graphic design services including billboard design, collateral design, web design, and digital design for various advertising and marketing materials.
• Digital Advertising Digital advertising campaigns combining metrics, media, and message. Services include SEO-driven web design, on-site optimization, content creation, SEM paid search campaigns, digital display/banner/video campaigns with quarterly performance audits.
• Healthcare Advertising Healthcare marketing services spanning senior living programs, opioid awareness campaigns, urgent care branding, and emergency room awareness. Serves healthcare systems, hospitals, senior living facilities, medical practices, and healthcare advocacy organizations.
• Arts Marketing Arts and cultural marketing services focused on driving subscription sales and single-ticket revenue. Specializes in concert ticket sales, museum attendance, advertising, cross-promotions, and media partnerships for orchestras, museums, performing arts centers, and cultural organizations.
• Website Design & Development Custom website design and development services creating user experiences for clients across various sectors including healthcare, religious organizations, and non-profits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $30 million in media billings managed

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationGillespie Group is a Google Partner, utilizing Google's advertising platforms and tools for client campaigns including search, display, and video advertising.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Allen & Gerritsen: Philadelphia-based full-service advertising agency with similar integrated creative, media buying, and digital capabilities serving mid-market and enterprise clients in the Northeast. Direct competitor in the same regional market with overlapping vertical expertise.
• Brownstein Group: Philadelphia full-service advertising, branding, and digital marketing agency. Similar size, structure, and service portfolio to Gillespie Group, also family-rooted and serving regional enterprise clients across healthcare and consumer verticals.
• Harmelin Media: Philadelphia-area media buying and planning agency specializing in multi-channel media planning, analytics, and campaign execution. Comparable in regional focus and media buying expertise that Gillespie Group cites as a core competency.
• Quintile Group: Mid-sized Philadelphia agency offering integrated marketing and advertising services with comparable client profile and full-service capabilities. Direct competitor for regional enterprise accounts.
• LevLane: Philadelphia-based advertising and marketing agency of similar size and structure, offering creative, media, digital, and brand strategy services. Overlapping service portfolio and regional market.
• Brian Communications: Pittsburgh/Philadelphia-area integrated marketing and communications agency with similar full-service offerings (advertising, PR, digital). Comparable in size and regional Mid-Atlantic focus.
• Customer Communications Group: Philadelphia-based healthcare-focused marketing and advertising agency serving healthcare clients with branding, advertising, and digital services. Direct peer in Gillespie's primary healthcare vertical.

Broad incumbents

• WPP (Ogilvy, Grey): Global advertising holding company with multiple agency brands offering integrated advertising, media buying, and digital services. Represents the large-scale competitive set Gillespie competes against for enterprise clients seeking global capabilities.
• Omnicom Group (DDB, BBDO): Global advertising holding company with full-service agency networks. Competes with Gillespie for healthcare and automotive accounts where holding companies offer scaled, multi-market capabilities.

Emerging players

• Deardorff Associates: Smaller Philadelphia-area creative and branding agency. Comparable in size and local market focus, often competing for similar regional mid-market and non-profit clients.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gillespieads
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheGillespieGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/GillespieAds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gillespie-group-marketing-&-advertising
• Instagraminstagram.com/gillespiegroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Gillespie Group