Heresy

What Heresy does

Heresy is an independent brand and digital studio founded in Austin, Texas in 2010 by Josh Sklar, former Global Digital CCO at WPP, alongside a founding creative team that has remained intact for 15+ years. The firm operates as a fully distributed, senior-led studio across 8 cities on 4 continents, organized around a 'closed-room' model in which brand strategy and creative execution are delivered by the same practitioners from initial conversation through production — without handoff chains, agency overhead, or junior staffing. Its service offering comprises six integrated disciplines: Brand Strategy, Identity Design, Digital Experience, Creative Direction, Content & Campaigns, and Digital Training, structured as Project, Retainer, Advisory, or Workshop engagements.

Name

Heresy

Legal name

Heresy LLC

Website

https://heresy.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heresy is an Austin-based independent brand and digital studio founded in 2010 that delivers brand strategy, identity design, digital experience, creative direction, content, and training to enterprise and mid-market clients globally through a senior-only, fully distributed team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

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 - Brand Strategy and Creative: Senior team delivers brand strategy, identity design, digital experience, creative direction, content and campaigns, and digital training workshops. Engagement types include Project, Retainer, Advisory, and Workshop structures. Revenue is service-based, generated through direct client engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heresy is an independent brand and digital studio delivering six integrated professional service disciplines—Brand Strategy, Identity Design, Digital Experience, Creative Direction, Content & Campaigns, and Digital Training—through Project, Retainer, Advisory, and Workshop engagements. The senior team works end-to-end on strategy through execution for enterprise and mid-market clients repositioning after growth, acquisition, leadership change, or new platform launches.

Product overview

Heresy is an independent brand and digital studio offering six integrated professional service disciplines—Brand Strategy, Identity Design, Digital Experience, Creative Direction, Content & Campaigns, and Digital Training—delivered by a single senior team from strategy through execution. Rather than separate product lines or software platforms, Heresy's offering is a unified service model where the same strategists and creatives work throughout an engagement, with engagements structured as project work, retainers, advisory, or workshops. The studio operates as a closed-room model where strategy and creative come from the same source without handoff chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Positioning, naming, brand voice, architecture, and competitive analysis services that identify unoccupied market territory and build defensible brand platforms. Designed for enterprise and mid-market organizations needing to claim and defend category positioning.
• Identity Design Visual identity systems including logo design, typography, color systems, and collateral designed to hold together from business cards to billboards across all formats. For organizations needing cohesive identity systems that scale across touchpoints.
• Digital Experience Web design, UX/UI design, app design, and platform build services delivered by the same team that understands the brand strategy. For organizations needing digital experiences aligned to strategic positioning.
• Creative Direction Art direction, campaign concept development, copywriting, and content strategy services that establish creative standards before production. For organizations needing senior creative leadership across campaigns and content.
• Content & Campaigns Editorial, video production, social media, email marketing, and SEO services built around actual audience behavior rather than media plan assumptions. For organizations needing content and campaigns tied to strategic positioning.
• Digital Training Hands-on workshops, eLearning design, curriculum development, and assessment services for building digital capability inside organizations. For organizations needing to develop in-house digital and brand expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coca-Cola returned to CJ CGV cinema ecosystem with $10 million investment after leaving the category
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft distributed the CJ CGV connected cinema ecosystem platform across new devices as part of a major brand partnership within the experience ecosystem.
• Coca-ColacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoca-Cola returned to the CJ CGV cinema ecosystem with a $10 million investment after leaving the category, funding major brand activation within the connected theater platform.
• Vietnam AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam Airlines funded global travel rewards within the CJ CGV connected ecosystem as part of their brand activation in the cinema platform.
• Universal StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversal opened access to its studios and talent within the CJ CGV connected cinema ecosystem, providing exclusive content and celebrity engagement for the platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Partner-led, senior-only design and brand studio with no layers and no handoffs — the closest structural analogue to Heresy's model, though larger in scale and broader in design disciplines.
• GUT: Independent, founder-led creative network with award-winning brand work for major global brands; directly comparable on independent structure and senior creative leadership.
• Code and Theory: Senior-led digital-first agency and brand studio serving large enterprises on brand strategy, design, and digital experience; closely comparable on services, client tier, and senior delivery model.
• 72andSunny: Independent creative agency working with major consumer and technology brands via a collaborative, senior-led model; comparable on independent positioning and brand-led campaign work.
• Droga5: Independent, founder-led creative agency known for senior-driven, strategically dense work for F500 brands; close analogue on independent structure and brand strategy depth.
• Mother: Independent creative agency known for senior talent and high-profile brand work; comparable on independent structure, brand-led creative, and senior-only engagement model.
• Mekanism: Independent creative agency with strong brand and content capabilities serving major consumer and technology brands; comparable on independent positioning and integrated brand/content work.
• Anomaly: Independent brand and digital studio with a senior-partner model and strong enterprise client roster; comparable on independent structure, digital/brand integration, and senior-only delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Wieden+Kennedy: Independent creative agency of much larger scale with deep F50 client relationships (Nike, Coca-Cola) and award-winning brand work; directly comparable on client tier and independent positioning.
• R/GA: Larger digital agency with deep enterprise technology and consumer client work, including AI and digital experience; broader incumbent but overlapping on digital experience and brand strategy services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heresy-llc
• Xx.com/chiefheretic

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 Heresy