Cerco Creative Marketing Agency

What Cerco Creative Marketing Agency does

Cerco Creative Marketing Agency is a Calgary, Alberta-based full-service creative marketing agency operating under founder Danijel "DJ" Slisko with stated leadership experience spanning roughly three decades (company founded circa 1995). It delivers six integrated service pillars: Branding & Design, Web Solutions (including managed IT and WordPress development), Search Engine Optimization, Paid Ads, Marketing (content, social, CRM/automation, performance), and Merchandise (custom branded apparel, packaging, and trade show displays). Underlying technology is built primarily on WordPress, standard digital advertising platforms (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube), SEO tooling, marketing automation, and CRM integration, with no disclosed proprietary AI or platform IP beyond the UTAGG NFC digital business card product.

The business model combines project-based creative services with a tiered subscription stack. Monthly recurring packages range from $29.99/month hosting and $129-$131/month managed IT up through $499/month website, $1,250/month brand management, $2,500/month SEO and Marketing Advisory, and a top tier Embedded Fractional CMO at $14,000/month. All packages are month-to-month with no lock-in contracts. The go-to-market is sales-led via direct outreach, contact forms, email, and phone, with an embedded enterprise field-sales motion for the advisory/CMO line. Beyond services, the firm operates owned-media properties (BRAND Magazine, Family Psychology Magazine, The Private Exchange networking/events platform) and an e-commerce storefront (cerco.store) for UTAGG hardware, creating a content and community channel on top of paid delivery.

Cerco serves a heterogeneous mix of SMB and mid-market customers across Western Canada and beyond, including Delta Hotels, Alt Tech Inc., DAAS Architecture, Rea's Italian Cucina, Rhino Waste Management, and North Water, among a cumulative 312 referenced clients. The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, bootstrapped (no external funding rounds disclosed), and has accumulated a multi-year award portfolio from FWA, Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, and the Webby Awards. Headcount is small at roughly 8 core staff expanded by an extended freelance and contractor network.

Name

Cerco Creative Marketing Agency

Legal name

Cerco Creative Marketing

Website

https://cerco.design

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Calgary-based full-service creative marketing agency offering branding, web development, SEO, paid ads, marketing strategy, and merchandise on month-to-month subscription tiers up to $14,000/month fractional CMO, serving SMB and mid-market clients across Western Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAA

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

SECONDARYBPAFAAAB

Creative & Brand Campaign Development

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Full-Service Advertising Agencies

Keywords

• Creative marketing services
• Brand identity design
• Digital advertising agency
• Web development services
• Search engine optimization

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Service Subscriptions: Recurring monthly service packages including Brand Management ($1,250+/month), Marketing Advisory ($2,500/month), SEO ($2,500/month), Website hosting and management ($499-$29.99/month). No lock-in contracts - month-to-month flexibility.
2. Fractional CMO Services: High-value strategic leadership services at $2,500-$14,000/month, including Light Strategic Advisory, Strategic Advisory, Strategic Leadership, and Embedded Fractional CMO plans. Positioned for startups to mid-market companies seeking executive guidance.
3. Project-Based Creative Services: One-time project fees for branding, web design, advertising campaigns, and merchandise. Services include brand guides, website development, video production, and custom merchandise design and fulfillment.
4. Merchandise Sales: Custom branded merchandise including apparel, packaging, trade show displays, and the UTAGG digital NFC business card product. Physical products sold alongside design services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cerco Creative Marketing Agency is a Calgary-based, full-service creative marketing agency delivering branding and design, web solutions and managed IT, search engine optimization, paid digital advertising, strategic marketing, and custom merchandise design and production. The agency sells its services primarily through standardized monthly subscription packages (Website, SEO, Brand Management, Marketing Advisory, Google Workspace, Microsoft Business, and Hosting) and project-based engagements, supported by direct sales outreach and custom scoping with clients.

Product overview

Cerco Creative Marketing Agency is a Canada-based full-service creative marketing agency with 30+ years of leadership experience. The agency operates as a multi-disciplinary service provider offering six core service pillars: Branding & Design (brand identity, graphic design, web/digital design, creative direction), Web Solutions (digital transformation, managed IT, automation, web design/development, WordPress maintenance), Search Engine Optimization (local, e-commerce, national SEO), Paid Ads (digital and traditional advertising across Google, Facebook, Instagram, display), Marketing (strategic, content, social media, CRM automation, events, performance marketing), and Merchandise (custom merchandise, displays, production). The agency also offers subscription packages including website hosting, Google Workspace management, Microsoft Business management, and marketing advisory services at various tiers. Key products include UTAGG NFC Digital Business Card, BRAND Magazine, Family Psychology Magazine, and The Private Exchange networking platform. The agency is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta with Managing Director Danijel "DJ" Slisko as founder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UTAGG: Digital NFC Business Card - a modern networking solution that utilizes Near Field Communication technology to share contact information with a simple tap. Distributed by Cerco Design.
• Brand Magazine
• Family Psychology Magazine
• The Private Exchange

Products and services

• Branding & Design Studio designing brand identity (logo, colours, brand rules), graphic design, web and digital design, and creative direction for photo and video production for businesses.
• Web Solutions Managed IT services, technology setup and support, digital transformation consulting, tech implementation, automation and optimization, web design and development, and WordPress site maintenance for businesses.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Keyword research, on-page optimization, local SEO, e-commerce SEO, national SEO, Google Business Profile management, and technical SEO audits for businesses seeking organic search visibility.
• Paid Ads Digital advertising including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, display advertising, media strategy and buying, creative campaign development, and traditional advertising.
• Marketing Strategic marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, CRM and marketing automation, event and experiential marketing, digital marketing, performance marketing, and conversion rate optimization.
• Merchandise Custom merchandise design and production, branded displays, custom product design, production and customization, and e-commerce strategy for merchandise, for businesses across Canada.
• Website Package Performance-optimized, mobile-responsive website design with SSL security, on-page SEO foundation, and analytics setup. Starting at $499/month on a month-to-month basis with no lock-in.
• SEO Package Comprehensive SEO service including keyword research, on-page optimization, local SEO, Google Business Profile management, technical SEO audits, content strategy, link building, and monthly reporting. Starting at $2,500/month on a month-to-month basis.
• Brand Management Package All-in-one visual and media presence management including asset design, social media management, brand guide creation, reels, talking head videos, video editing, media management, and email signatures. Starting at $1,250/month.
• Marketing Advisory and Fractional CMO Plans Tiered monthly executive marketing advisory for startups to mid-market companies, including Light Strategic Advisory ($2,500/month), Strategic Advisory ($4,500/month), Strategic Leadership ($8,500/month), and Embedded Fractional CMO ($14,000/month). Includes light executive guidance, doubled strategy hours, roadmap and accountability, and embedded executive leadership.
• Google Workspace Management Google Workspace account administration and infrastructure support including account setup and offboarding, departure backups, email forwarding setup, multiple domain and endpoint management, and passkey/2FA enforcement. $131/month.
• Microsoft Business Management Microsoft licensing with web, mobile, and desktop Office apps, Exchange Email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, plus MFA setup and monthly security reviews. $129/month.
• Hosting Managed cloud hosting with unlimited bandwidth, free SSL certificate, free CDN service, daily automated backups, WordPress staging, malware scanning, 99.9% uptime, and 24/7 support. $29.99/month.
• UTAGG Digital NFC Business Card Custom NFC-enabled digital business cards that share contact information, social media, and website with a simple tap. Includes custom UV printing and profile customization. No subscription model — one-time purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.85/5 average customer rating based on client testimonials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Calgary Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint promotion providing $1000 gift cards to new Calgary Chamber of Commerce members that can be applied toward Cerco digital marketing products including website design, SEO, hosting, and paid ads. Calgary Chamber logo appears on Cerco website indicating ongoing partnership.
• UTAGGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCerco distributes the UTAGG Digital NFC Business Card product. Distributed by Cerco Design with custom branding and profile capabilities. The product is a modern networking solution using Near Field Communication technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WebFX: Full-service digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, web design, and content marketing on a results-driven, subscription-style engagement model. Closely comparable in service mix (SEO + paid ads + web) and mid-market positioning; notably Cerco's team has won an Awwwards Site of the Month for a WebFX client project.
• Major Tom: North American full-service digital agency delivering strategy, creative, web development, SEO, and paid media. Comparable in service breadth (strategy + creative + performance) and subscription/retainer delivery model for mid-market brands.
• KlientBoost: Performance-focused digital agency delivering paid advertising, CRO, and SEO for SaaS and ecommerce brands. Comparable in paid-media leadership, recurring retainers, and CRO offerings overlapping with Cerco's performance marketing service line.
• Disruptive Advertising: Mid-market digital marketing agency specializing in paid media (Google/Meta), SEO, and lifecycle marketing with a strong performance/audit-led GTM. Comparable in paid-ads and SEO focus and tiered subscription service packages.
• Jelly Marketing: Calgary-based full-service digital marketing agency offering branding, web design, SEO, paid media, and social. Direct regional peer competing for the same SMB and mid-market clients in Calgary/Alberta.
• LYFE Marketing: Digital marketing agency focused on social media management, SEO, PPC, and email marketing for SMBs. Comparable subscription-based service packaging, SMB customer focus, and remote-delivery model.
• Sculpt (Sculpt Communications): Canadian integrated creative and digital agency offering branding, web, and marketing services. Comparable in scale and full-service creative positioning, and competes for similar Calgary/Western Canadian mid-market clients.

Emerging players

• Chief Outsiders: Fractional CMO firm placing experienced executives into growth-stage companies. Direct overlap with Cerco's Embedded Fractional CMO and Marketing Advisory tier — a strategic threat and partner depending on execution depth.

Broad incumbents

• WPP: Global advertising and marketing services holding company. Represents the broad-incumbent ceiling — global creative, media, and PR capabilities — that competes for the same mid-market brand and enterprise marketing budgets as Cerco's higher-tier offerings.

Regional players

• Thunder Tech: Cleveland-based integrated digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, paid media, and branding. Comparable full-service agency model and mid-market positioning; competes for similar profiles of growth-stage clients in its region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cerco-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Cerco Creative Marketing Agency