What Second Melody does

Second Melody is a privately held, New Jersey-based branding studio founded in 2005 by CEO Mike Graham. Operating from studio spaces in Chester and Montclair, the firm runs a project-based professional services model delivering integrated brand, communications, design, strategy, and website/UX work to mid-market and enterprise clients across industries including biotech and pharmaceuticals (CRISPR Therapeutics, ElevateBio, Insmed, AbbVie, Scholar Rock), consumer goods and electronics (Nike, Motorola, Casio, Panasonic, Dell, Portmeirion, Hiccupops), media (Condé Nast), education (Rutgers University, Columbia Business School, Saint Elizabeth University), and nonprofit organizations (Interfaith Food Pantry Network, United Disability Services, Dent Disease Foundation). The firm positions itself as industry-agnostic but selective about client fit, favoring organizations it characterizes as 'passion-driven,' and operates what it calls a 'virtual shop with options' — a remote-delivery model anchored by a physical New Jersey studio.

The studio is organized into five interconnected service pillars (Branding, Communications, Design, Strategy, and Website and Application) delivered by a roughly 20+ person team led by Founder & CEO Mike Graham, Chief Creative Officer Eva, Chief Strategy Officer Katie, and a director-level bench spanning brand design, production, web/UX, and accounts. There is no proprietary technology platform; the firm's product is human-led creative output, supported by an ongoing branded content initiative called 'The Mixtapes' — monthly curated music playlists produced by rotating team members since 2021. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no public pricing, no disclosed funding, and no institutional ownership signals. The firm celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 2025 and remains actively operating with open hiring for a Design Intern.

Name

Second Melody

Legal name

Second Melody

Website

https://secondmelody.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Second Melody is a privately held, New Jersey-based branding studio founded in 2005 that delivers integrated branding, communications, design, strategy, and UX services to mid-market and enterprise clients across biotech, consumer goods, media, education, and nonprofit sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branding and Creative Services: Project-based professional services revenue model. Second Melody generates revenue through customized branding, design, communications, and strategy engagements with clients. Work includes visual identity systems, campaign development, website and application design, and brand governance consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Second Melody is a branding studio that develops visual and verbal brand identities, campaigns, and communications for clients across industries. The studio delivers integrated services covering brand strategy, logo and identity systems, print and digital design, website and application UX/UI, and brand governance. Engagements are customized per client, primarily serving enterprise and mid-market organizations.

Product overview

Second Melody is a branding studio offering integrated services as a single unified offering rather than discrete products. The core portfolio consists of five interconnected service areas: Branding (visual and verbal identity, logo design, messaging, guidelines), Communications (campaigns, social media, content development), Design (print/digital collateral, placemaking, systems design), Strategy (workshops, research, audits, brand governance), and Website/Application services (UX design, wireframing, prototyping, development). Additionally, the studio produces monthly curated music playlists called 'The Mixtapes' as an internal creative initiative. All services are delivered through a virtual shop model with physical studio space in Chester and Montclair, NJ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services Full-service branding including visual and verbal identity systems, logo design, narratives and messaging, and brand guidelines development for enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Communications Services Campaign development, communications planning, social media management, and content development for brand messaging across enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Design Services Print and digital collateral design, experiences and placemaking, and systems design for brand implementation across client engagements.
• Strategy Services

Named customers20 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Interfaith Food Pantry Network (IFPN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-year nonprofit partnership supporting IFPN's mission to end hunger in Morris County. Second Melody provides strategic branding and web development services to strengthen the organization's outreach and mission communication. CEO Mike Graham accepted the IFPN Outstanding Partnership Award on behalf of the collaboration.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MetaDesign: International brand and design consultancy delivering identity systems, brand strategy, and digital design. Comparable in integrated, craft-led offering for enterprise clients.
• Pentagram: Partnership-structured design and branding firm offering identity, communications, and digital services. Closely comparable to Second Melody in offering integrated brand and design work for enterprise clients, though at much greater scale with offices in multiple cities.
• Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy and design firm specializing in simplicity-led brand systems, naming, and customer experience. Comparable in delivering integrated brand strategy and visual identity for large organizations.
• Mucca: Boutique New York branding and design studio serving mid-market to enterprise clients with identity, packaging, and digital work. Closely comparable in studio size, integrated offering, and client profile.
• Saffron Brand Consultants: Independent global branding consultancy offering brand strategy, naming, identity, and internal brand engagement. Highly comparable in operating model, sector mix (including healthcare), and senior-led client engagements.
• Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy serving enterprise clients with identity, naming, and brand experience work. Directly comparable to Second Melody's brand-strategy-led, enterprise-focused engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy offering strategy, brand, and product/experience design. Comparable in human-centered design methodology and enterprise client roster, though broader in scope.
• Landor & Fitch: Large global branding and design consultancy (WPP) covering brand strategy, identity, and experience design. Competes for similar enterprise branding engagements but with materially greater geographic reach and scale.
• R/GA: Interpublic-owned creative agency focused on brand, product, and experience design with technology enablement. Overlaps with Second Melody on branding and digital design for enterprise clients, though at much larger scale.
• FutureBrand: Interpublic-owned global brand consultancy offering strategy, naming, identity, and experience design. Competes for enterprise rebranding work across sectors where Second Melody also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-melody
• Instagraminstagram.com/secondmelody
• Xx.com/secondmelody

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Second Melody