Array Creative

What Array Creative does

Array Creative (doing business as 'Array') is a privately held, North Canton, Ohio-based creative agency founded in 2004 by Eric Rich after more than a decade at Newell Rubbermaid. The firm specializes in brand strategy, packaging design, merchandising systems, advertising, and product marketing services for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) product companies, operating across five industry verticals: Tools & Hardware, Housewares, Food & Beverage, Apparel & Sporting, and B2B. Its client roster includes recognizable enterprise brands such as Morton Salt, Coca-Cola, Valspar, Wooster Brush, Libbey Glass, CLR (Jelmar), and multiple brands under Winston Products (SmartStraps, SWOPT, FlatCat Golf).

The company's core deliverable is a research-driven creative methodology branded as 'The Array Process,' a hands-on, collaborative framework developed over 20+ years that guides clients from product-market-fit validation through brand positioning, naming, packaging design, merchandising systems, and product launch campaigns. The agency supplements this with an end-user research approach (e.g., 500-respondent concept testing for CLR) intended to validate creative direction before implementation. Service offerings are organized into three pillars: Product Strategy, Product Communication, and Product Marketing, delivered through project-based engagements tailored to each client's scope. The firm has earned industry recognition including GDUSA Awards (Libbey Glass, SmartStraps), Addy Awards, and a LogoLounge Book 13 feature for its 2022 brand refresh.

Array generates revenue exclusively through project-based professional services fees with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers or contract values, supported by long-tenured client relationships and direct sales motion. The team is small (1-10 employees per firmographic data) and led by Founder/Principal Eric Rich and Managing Partner Ian Marin, both former Newell Rubbermaid executives. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, parent company, or institutional ownership; in 2022 it rebranded from 'Array Creative' to 'Array' and invested in a new website to support lead generation. Revenue, headcount growth, and any AI tooling are not disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Array Creative

Legal name

Array Creative

Website

https://arraycreative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Array Creative (DBA 'Array') is a North Canton, Ohio-based creative agency founded in 2004 that provides brand strategy, packaging design, merchandising, and product marketing services to CPG product companies across Tools & Hardware, Housewares, Food & Beverage, Apparel & Sporting, and B2B verticals, using a proprietary research-driven creative methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand & Marketing Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC), Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD), Creative Boutique Agencies (MPAAAAAB)

Keywords

• Brand strategy services
• Packaging design agency
• CPG product branding
• Retail merchandising design
• Product marketing agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: Array Creative generates revenue through project-based professional services including brand strategy, packaging design, merchandising design, advertising campaigns, and product marketing. Projects are quoted and scoped individually based on client needs, with engagement lengths varying from brand refreshes to complete rebranding initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Array Creative is a CPG product branding and marketing agency delivering brand strategy, packaging design, retail merchandising systems, and product launch/marketing services to consumer packaged goods manufacturers. Engagements span everything from product naming and logo design to planogram setup and end-cap merchandising, executed through a proprietary collaborative methodology called the Array Process. The firm serves enterprise and mid-market product companies across tools/hardware, housewares, food/beverage, apparel/sporting, and B2B verticals.

Product overview

Array Creative is a CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) product branding and marketing agency that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The agency provides three interconnected service pillars: Product Strategy (research, consulting, branding), Product Communication (packaging design, merchandising, event marketing), and Product Marketing (advertising, product launches, digital/social media). These services are delivered across five industry verticals: Tools & Hardware, Housewares, Food & Beverage, Apparel & Sporting, and B2B. The agency's core differentiator is The Array Process—a proprietary collaborative methodology that guides clients from creative conception to completion. Services are tailored for consumer product companies ranging from startups to established brands like Wooster Brush, Morton Salt, Libbey, and Coca-Cola, helping them go from napkin sketch to retail shelf placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product Strategy Research, consulting, and branding services that help CPG clients confirm Product-Market Fit, Product Positioning, and Brand Strategy, leveraging 20+ years of experience.
• Product Communication Packaging design, merchandising systems, and event marketing services including off-shelf displays, end cap displays, and point-of-sale communication.
• Product Marketing Advertising campaigns, product launch campaigns, digital marketing including social media strategy, social media marketing, and web design services.
• The Array Process Proprietary hands-on and collaborative creative process that guides clients through milestones from creative conception to completion to discover brand purpose and differentiated brand positioning in the marketplace.
• Tools & Hardware Industry Services Brand strategy and packaging design services for national tool and hardware brands including comprehensive brand and packaging guidelines, planogram setup, and merchandising solutions.
• Housewares Industry Services Strategy and retail design services for housewares brands, from startups to well-established brands, specializing in target audience analysis, consumer insights, and creative packaging design.
• Food & Beverage Industry Services Brand transformation services for food and beverage products including comprehensive retail packaging design, social media content creation, and video/photography coordination.
• Apparel & Sporting Industry Services Creative branding approach for apparel and sporting brands including product naming, logo design, full identity development, and collateral development.
• B2B Industry Services Brand strategy services for B2B companies including website design, trade show booth design, corporate communications, and promotional material development.
• Brand Strategy Services Brand development including product naming, brand positioning, brand development and logo design, and brand guidelines creation for consumer product brands.
• Packaging Design Services Full-service packaging design including messaging hierarchy, photography direction, and packaging production services for consumer products at retail.
• Merchandising & POS Solutions Integrated merchandising systems including off-shelf displays, end cap displays, countertop displays, and point-of-sale communication materials.
• New Product Launch Kits Launch kits providing companies with a unique way to place products directly in front of target customers, including product samples, informational brochures, and branded materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wooster Brush new package design outperformed old packaging 4 to 1 in testing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Design ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArray collaborated with Design Research in Lawrenceville, NJ to test and validate CLR logo and packaging concepts with 500 end-users. This partnership enabled Array to conduct concept validation testing for the CLR brand redesign project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MetaDesign: MetaDesign is an independent brand design agency with global offices specializing in brand strategy, brand identity, and packaging for major consumer and CPG brands. Directly comparable to Array in its CPG focus, packaging specialism, and integration of strategy with design execution.
• Pearlfisher: Pearlfisher is an independent, design-led brand agency with deep CPG packaging and brand identity capabilities serving global consumer brands. Directly comparable to Array: similar boutique CPG-focused model, signature proprietary creative methodology, and award-winning packaging work for household-name consumer brands.
• Motif (formerly Brandient): Motif is an independent brand strategy and design agency with packaging expertise for CPG and consumer goods. Comparable to Array in its combined brand strategy and packaging design offering for mid-market to enterprise consumer companies.
• Beardwood & Co. Beardwood & Co. is an independent creative agency focused on branding, packaging, and integrated campaigns for consumer brands including CPG, food and beverage, and lifestyle. Comparable in size, specialism, and client mix to Array, serving similar mid-market to enterprise consumer brands with research-led, design-driven work.
• Turner Duckworth: Turner Duckworth is an independent creative agency renowned for packaging and brand identity work for major CPG brands including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Amazon. Comparable to Array in their independent positioning, packaging specialism, and CPG client roster, though at meaningfully larger global scale.
• Sterling Brands: Sterling Brands is a New York-based independent branding and design agency specializing in brand identity, packaging, and naming for consumer products. Comparable to Array in delivering integrated branding, packaging, and strategy for CPG and consumer companies with a boutique senior-lead engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Interbrand is a global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, naming, design, and brand valuation across industries including CPG. As a much larger incumbent it competes with Array on enterprise branding engagements, offering more comprehensive strategy and analytics layers Array does not.
• Bulletproof (Simon-Kucher brand design arm): Bulletproof is a packaging and brand design agency with strong CPG, food and beverage, and consumer goods expertise, now part of Simon-Kucher's brand-led growth network. Comparable to Array in its packaging specialism and CPG vertical focus, with the backing of a larger consultancy platform Array lacks.
• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch is a WPP-owned global brand consulting and design firm offering brand strategy, identity, packaging, and retail design for consumer-facing brands. While much broader in capability and global reach, the agency competes with Array on enterprise CPG packaging and brand repositioning work.
• FITCH (part of Project Worldwide): FITCH is a global design and brand experience agency specializing in retail and brand environments with strong CPG, retail, and merchandising capabilities. Overlaps with Array on retail merchandising systems and in-store brand experience design for consumer brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArrayCreative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/array-creative
• Instagraminstagram.com/arraycreative
• Xx.com/array_creative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Array Creative