The ACE Agency

What The ACE Agency does

The ACE Agency is a private, founder-owned public relations and marketing services firm founded in 2009 by Ashley Patterson and headquartered at 650 Town Center Drive, Suite 120, Costa Mesa, California. The firm delivers an integrated suite of communications services spanning public relations and reputation management, brand and marketing strategy, digital marketing (including social media, email, SEO, and website optimization), partnerships and influencer engagement, advertising and media strategy, content and creative production, and experiential events. There is no proprietary technology platform; the firm's outputs are human-delivered professional services built around media relationships, storytelling, and campaign execution rather than software products.

The ACE Agency targets five primary verticals: destinations (tourism boards, harbors, waterfront resorts), lifestyle centers and wellness (shopping destinations, lifestyle centers, spa/resort properties), food and beverage (restaurants, wineries, food festivals), public sector (municipalities, parks, water districts), and arts and culture (museums, cultural institutions). Its operating geography is concentrated in Southern California, with a documented roster of 25+ named clients including Dana Point Harbor, Lido Marina Village (Vestar), Glen Ivy Hot Springs, OC Parks, City of La Quinta, Laguna Art Museum, California Wine Festival, Newport Dunes, and Catalina Museum, plus newer healthcare/cosmetic engagements with Coral Surgery Center and CosmetiCare.

The firm operates as a relationship-driven B2B professional services business, selling through direct enterprise and mid-market engagement with custom, quote-based pricing. Revenue is generated through project-based work and retainer arrangements; no public pricing or revenue is disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-client across a small senior team of approximately 11 people, with no external institutional investors, parent entity, funding rounds, M&A activity, or geographic expansion beyond Southern California documented in the available record. The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, and self-funded through operating cash flow.

Name

The ACE Agency

Legal name

The ACE Agency

Website

https://theaceagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ACE Agency is a Costa Mesa-based, founder-owned PR and marketing services firm founded in 2009, delivering integrated public relations, brand, digital, influencer, advertising, content, and experiential services to Southern California destinations, lifestyle centers, food and beverage, public sector, and arts and culture clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Integrated Public Relations & 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

Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Public relations services
• Integrated marketing agency
• Destination marketing services
• Lifestyle brand PR
• Experiential event production

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (PR & Marketing): The agency generates revenue through integrated PR and marketing services including public relations, brand marketing, digital marketing, partnerships & influencer engagement, advertising & media, content & creative, and experiential & events. Revenue is earned through project-based work and retainer arrangements with B2B clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The ACE Agency is a boutique integrated PR and marketing agency that delivers public relations and reputation management, brand and marketing strategy, digital marketing, partnerships and influencer engagement, advertising and media strategy, content and creative production, and experiential events for destinations, lifestyle centers, food and beverage operators, public sector organizations, and arts and culture clients primarily in Southern California. Engagements are sold directly to enterprise and mid-market clients through custom, scope-based project work and retainer arrangements led by the agency's founder and small senior team.

Product overview

The ACE Agency offers a unified suite of integrated PR and marketing services for destinations, cultural, and lifestyle brands. The core offering spans Public Relations & Reputation Management, Brand & Marketing strategy, Digital Marketing (including social media, SEO, and email), Partnerships & Influencer Engagement, Advertising & Media Strategy, Content & Creative production, and Experiential & Events. These services work together as an integrated communications offering rather than discrete product modules, designed to deliver measurable results through strategic storytelling and multi-channel execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Relations & Reputation Management Strategic communications services that shape perception, build trust, and protect brand reputation through media relations, brand storytelling, crisis management, and thought leadership placement, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Brand & Marketing Strategy Strategic planning service that aligns vision, audience, and business objectives through brand positioning, audience research, messaging frameworks, and integrated marketing strategy, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Digital Marketing Integrated digital strategies including social media management, content marketing, email marketing, SEO, and website optimization sold to enterprise and mid-market clients to increase visibility and drive measurable results.
• Partnerships & Influencer Engagement Service that expands client reach through authentic relationships with influencers, cultural tastemakers, and key partners, including identification, campaign management, and performance measurement, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Advertising & Media Strategy Strategic media planning and targeted campaign delivery including paid social advertising, PPC, display advertising, media buying, and campaign optimization, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Content & Creative Creative service transforming ideas into impactful stories including brand identity, copywriting, graphic design, video production, and marketing collateral, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Experiential & Events Event strategy and production service including brand activations, launch events, media events, sponsorship activations, and event logistics management, sold to enterprise and mid-market clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22M+ media impressions generated for Dana Point Harbor campaign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers28 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Coral Surgery CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerACE announced collaboration with Coral Surgery Center, a trusted name in Newport Beach for cosmetic enhancement. The partnership focuses on shaping confidence through thoughtful, expert care marketing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lewis Global Communications: Integrated PR, marketing, and digital agency serving consumer and lifestyle brands globally. Comparable integrated service offerings to ACE but with substantially larger scale and global footprint.
• 5W Public Relations: Mid-size U.S. public relations agency offering integrated PR and digital services across consumer, lifestyle, and corporate verticals. Comparable to ACE as a multi-service PR firm with similar client profiles in lifestyle, hospitality, and consumer destinations.
• Havas Formula Media: Specialized lifestyle, entertainment, and consumer PR arm of Havas. Comparable to ACE in consumer/lifestyle/destination PR focus but operates at significantly larger scale as part of a global network.

Direct peers

• J Public Relations: Boutique integrated PR, social media, and influencer agency serving lifestyle, hospitality, wellness, and food & beverage brands. Closely comparable to ACE in service mix, vertical focus (lifestyle/destinations), and team-driven boutique model.
• Quinn PR: Boutique PR and marketing agency serving lifestyle, hospitality, food & beverage, and wellness brands. Direct overlap with ACE on lifestyle/destination verticals and integrated PR-plus-marketing service offering.
• Walker Sands Communications: B2B marketing and PR agency with integrated services spanning media relations, content, digital, and demand generation. Comparable to ACE's full-service integrated model and similar scale of operation across multiple verticals.
• DGPR Group: Boutique full-service PR, social media, and events agency serving lifestyle, hospitality, food & beverage, and consumer brands. Closely comparable to ACE in service mix and boutique positioning.
• Champion Management Group: Lifestyle-focused PR and events agency serving hospitality, beauty, food & beverage, and consumer brands. Comparable service menu (PR, events, influencer) and similar boutique positioning to ACE.

Emerging players

• RDPR Group (Ruder Finn Destinations Practice-style boutique): Small integrated PR and marketing boutiques serving destination, hospitality, and lifestyle clients. Directly comparable to ACE in vertical specialization around tourism and lifestyle, with similar boutique scale.
• TURNER (broadcast & experiential agency): PR and events agency specializing in lifestyle, hospitality, and tourism brands. Comparable to ACE in destination/lifestyle focus and integrated PR-plus-events model, typically serving as a regional or boutique alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theaceagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/theACEagency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ace-agency/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaceagency
• TikToktiktok.com/@theaceagency_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 ACE Agency