The Social Deck
The Social Deck is a B-Corp certified Australian social marketing and engagement consultancy that delivers research, strategy, community engagement and communication services to government agencies, non-profits and select corporates, with specialisation in inclusive engagement and evidence-based behaviour change.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNoosa Heads, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Social Deck does
The Social Deck is a privately held, B-Corp certified social marketing and engagement consultancy headquartered in Noosa Heads, Queensland, with additional staff presence across Brisbane, Northern NSW, Canberra, Melbourne, Byron Bay and Geelong. The firm delivers four core service lines: Research (evidence-based understanding, testing and evaluation), Engagement (policy, program and legislative consultation), Strategy (driving population-level behaviour change), and Communication (persuasive, accessible messaging), with particular specialisation in inclusive engagement with First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people with disability. Its methodology stack combines Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM), the EAST framework, and the COM-B behaviour change model.
The business model is project-based professional services, with revenue generated through direct procurement and listing on multiple Australian government panels including the Commonwealth Creative and Digital Communication Services panel (CDC190), BuyICT Digital Marketplace 2, Queensland Professional Services and Market and Social Research Panels, Victorian Digital Marketplace and Victorian Marketing Services Register, and the ACT Government panel. The firm serves Australian federal, state and local government departments (e.g., Department of Health and Aged Care, Department of Education, Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works, Brisbane City Council), non-profits and healthcare organisations (Cancer Council NSW, World Vision, Nunkuwarrin Yunti), and a smaller cohort of corporate clients. Pricing is anchored to Commonwealth direct-procurement thresholds (below $125,000) and multi-year panel contracts.
The firm reinvests profits into social and environmental outcomes, holding B-Corp certification (rating 120.3), a documented pro-bono bank of 2,123+ hours, a net-zero-by-203 commitment with Greenfleet as offset partner, and 100% rooftop solar at head office. With approximately 20 named team members across research, engagement, creative, production and executive functions, and recent work spanning large-scale national consultations (NDIS, National Disability Strategy, National Autism Strategy, National Obesity Strategy, Foundational Supports), the firm operates as a specialist SME competing on expertise, credentials and methodology depth rather than scale.
The Social Deck firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Social Deck
- Legal name
- The Social Deck
- Website
- https://thesocialdeck.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Social Deck is a B-Corp certified Australian social marketing and engagement consultancy that delivers research, strategy, community engagement and communication services to government agencies, non-profits and select corporates, with specialisation in inclusive engagement and evidence-based behaviour change.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Social Deck industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social marketing and community engagement consultancy
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
Keywords
Where The Social Deck is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Noosa Heads
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Social Deck business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Research and Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements for government and non-profit clients including research, engagement, strategy, and communication services. Engaged through direct procurement or government panels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Government Panel Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Social Deck product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Social Deck provides project-based consultancy across four service lines: Research (evidence building, testing, and evaluation); Engagement (consultations, co-design of policy, programs, and legislation); Strategy (driving positive community change and population-level action); and Communication (persuasive, accessible messaging). Engagements are delivered primarily to Australian federal, state, local, and ACT government agencies and to non-profit organizations across specialty areas including social policy, health and wellbeing, environment and sustainability, justice and human rights, diversity/inclusion/accessibility, education/skills/youth, energy and transport, and social impact and innovation.
Product overview
The Social Deck is a B-Corp certified agency offering professional services in research, communication, social marketing, and engagement. Rather than a software product platform, the company provides specialized service offerings including: Research (using evidence to understand, test and evaluate); Engagement (helping governments and organisations develop policies, programs, legislation and ways of working); Strategy (creating and driving positive change in communities); and Communication (persuasive communication to reach target audiences). The company also delivers specialized services in areas including social policy, health and wellbeing, environment and sustainability, justice and human rights, diversity/inclusion/accessibility, education/skills/youth engagement, energy/transport, and social impact/innovation. Services are tailored for government agencies, NGOs, and companies focused on social responsibility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research Research service that uses evidence to understand, test, and evaluate initiatives, helping government and non-profit clients anchor strategies and policies with evidence and optimise communications for target audiences.
- Engagement Engagement service that helps governments and organisations develop robust, effective, and informed policies, programs, legislation, and ways of working through community and stakeholder engagement.
- Strategy Strategy service that helps organisations create and drive positive change in their communities and encourages individual and population-level action through behaviour change and social marketing approaches.
- Communication Communication service that helps organisations communicate persuasively to reach target audiences through tailored methods and messaging, including accessible communication for diverse and marginalised communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2123+ hours of pro-bono services provided to community projects
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Social Deck
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Social Deck technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Social Deck partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GreenfleetcoreCarbon offset partner through which The Social Deck offsets all personal emissions of their team members as part of their net zero commitment.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Social Deck competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nous Group: Australian management consultancy with a dedicated public policy and social impact practice serving federal, state and NGO clients on engagement, strategy and program design. Larger and broader than The Social Deck but competing head-to-head for the same government panel work.
- Cultural Perspectives: Australian research consultancy focused on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, providing engagement and social research for government and NGO clients. Overlaps with The Social Deck's CALD and inclusive engagement practice and competes for similar federal/state panel work.
- Clear Horizon Consulting: B-Certified Australian consulting firm specialising in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) for government and not-for-profits. Directly comparable in service lines (evaluation, research, stakeholder engagement) and target buyers (federal/state departments, NGOs).
- ARTD Consultants: Australian social research and evaluation consultancy working with NSW and federal government on policy evaluation and program review. Closely comparable in service mix (research, evaluation, engagement) and target buyer (federal/state departments), with similar headcount scale.
- Sweeney Research: Australian market and social research firm on government panels providing stakeholder research, evaluation and engagement services. Direct overlap with The Social Deck's research and engagement offerings for federal and state agencies.
- Behavioural Insights Team: Global leader in applying behavioural science to public policy, founded in the UK Cabinet Office and now operating in Australia (BIT Australia). Direct comparator in applying CBSM/EAST-style behaviour-change methodologies to government programs at scale.
- ThinkPlace: Australian human-centred design and research consultancy that delivers community engagement, service design and policy research for federal/state government clients. Directly overlapping with The Social Deck's engagement, research and behaviour-change offerings across the same government panel universe.
Broad incumbents
- Deloitte Australia (Human Services / Social Impact): Big-4 advisory firm with a dedicated Human Services and Social Impact practice delivering policy, engagement, evaluation and reform work for Australian government. Direct incumbent competitor for large federal panel contracts alongside The Social Deck.
- KPMG Australia (Social Impact): Big-4 advisory firm with an established social impact and human-services practice serving federal, state and NGO clients. Competes for the same government panel work as The Social Deck while bringing much deeper bench strength and broader service bundling.
- PwC Australia (Indigenous Consulting / Social Impact): Big-4 advisory firm with PwC Indigenous Consulting (PIC) and broader social impact practice serving federal, state and NGO clients, including on First Nations engagement where The Social Deck also competes. Broader incumbent with stronger resourcing and cross-border reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Social Deck social profiles
Digital presenceThe Social Deck compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
The Social Deck financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Social Deck leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Social Deck funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Social Deck M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Social Deck
What does The Social Deck do?
The Social Deck provides project-based consultancy across four service lines: Research (evidence building, testing, and evaluation); Engagement (consultations, co-design of policy, programs, and legislation); Strategy (driving positive community change and population-level action); and Communication (persuasive, accessible messaging). Engagements are delivered primarily to Australian federal, state, local, and ACT government agencies and to non-profit organizations across specialty areas including social policy, health and wellbeing, environment and sustainability, justice and human rights, diversity/inclusion/accessibility, education/skills/youth, energy and transport, and social impact and innovation.
Is The Social Deck a public or private company?
The Social Deck is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Social Deck founded?
The Social Deck was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Social Deck based?
The Social Deck is headquartered in Noosa Heads, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Social Deck make money?
One revenue line is on record: research and Consulting Services.
Who are The Social Deck's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nous Group, Cultural Perspectives, Clear Horizon Consulting, ARTD Consultants, Sweeney Research, Behavioural Insights Team and ThinkPlace. Broad incumbents are Deloitte Australia (Human Services / Social Impact), KPMG Australia (Social Impact) and PwC Australia (Indigenous Consulting / Social Impact).
Does The Social Deck have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Social Deck.
What industry is The Social Deck in?
The Social Deck's product category is Social marketing and community engagement consultancy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning, with a secondary code of BPADAGAH, Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights. Its NAICS code is 541720 and its SIC code is 8742.