Nominee

What Nominee does

Nominee Design, LLC is a privately held strategic brand and creative studio headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, founded in 2010 by Matt Stansberry. The firm delivers project-based brand strategy, visual identity development, packaging design, place branding, and event/marketing materials to clients across three primary verticals: consumer goods (e.g., Jack Daniels Hard Tea, El Jimador, Organic Squeeze Kids, Westerlund Audio), place branding (e.g., Will Rogers World Airport, West Village District, Clara Luper Civil Rights Center), and innovative education (e.g., MLS STEM Goals, EcoTour, TEDxOklahomaCity). It positions itself around a "branding on purpose" thesis, combining commercial work with a social-good commitment expressed through The Impact Grant pro-bono program and a stated 10% profit donation to nonprofits. In January 2026, the studio was acquired by 617 Collective LLC, a New York-based modern holding company, under a partner-holdco model that preserves founder leadership and creative independence rather than functioning as a traditional roll-up.

The firm's business model is a bespoke professional services agency: projects are scoped and quoted on a per-engagement basis with prospective clients initiating contact via website, email, or phone. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market relies on portfolio-driven demand generation (website case studies, social media, email newsletter, and referrals) rather than paid acquisition, consistent with a B2B creative services firm. The management team is small and stable, comprising eight named leaders including a CEO, Chief Strategy Officer, Creative Director, brand strategists, designers, and project management — consistent with the stated 11-50 employee band. The firm has no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no patents, no API, and no mobile app; its output is human creative labor rendered into client deliverables.

Name

Nominee

Legal name

Nominee Design, LLC

Website

https://nominee.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy & Design Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship Activation & Experiential Marketing (THAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Brand strategy services
• Creative design studio
• Consumer goods branding
• Place brand development
• Packaging design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

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, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nominee is a strategic brand and creative studio that designs purposeful brand systems for consumer goods companies, place/civic clients, and innovative education initiatives. The studio delivers brand strategy, visual identity, packaging design, place brand systems, marketing materials, and event branding on a per-engagement basis. It also runs The Impact Grant, an annual pro-bono branding program for nonprofits aligned with social and sustainable causes.

Product overview

Nominee is a strategic brand and creative studio founded in 2010, offering comprehensive branding and creative services. The company operates as a single integrated service offering focused on strategic brand development, visual identity creation, and creative production. Their portfolio spans three main verticals: Consumer Goods Branding (for brands like Jack Daniels Hard Tea, El Jimador, Organic Squeeze, and Westerlund Audio), Place Branding (for locations like West Village District, Will Rogers World Airport, and Clara Luper Civil Rights Center), and Innovative Education Branding (for programs like STEM Goals, EcoTour, and TEDx OKC). The company also runs The Impact Grant, an annual pro-bono program supporting nonprofits in social and sustainable causes. In January 2026, Nominee was acquired by 617 Collective LLC, a New York-based modern holding company, under a 'partner-holdco' model that preserves Nominee's culture, leadership, and creative independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Brand and Creative Services Full-service strategic branding and creative design engagement offering brand strategy, visual identity development, and creative production for client projects across consumer goods, place/civic, and education sectors.
• The Impact Grant Annual pro-bono branding engagement providing full strategic brand and creative services to one selected nonprofit that operates in social and sustainable causes.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Proverb: Purpose-driven creative agency focused on brand strategy, identity, and storytelling for mission-oriented and consumer clients. Highly comparable to Nominee's 'branding on purpose' positioning and impact-oriented client mix.
• Focus Lab: Boutique brand strategy and design firm with deep experience in consumer goods, packaging, and identity systems. Comparable to Nominee in size, service offering, and consumer brand packaging focus.
• Resn: Independent creative studio delivering brand, digital, and experiential work for global clients. Comparable to Nominee in boutique scale, multi-disciplinary creative output, and founder-led studio model.
• Pentagram: Independent brand identity and design firm with a partner-led model spanning brand strategy, visual identity, packaging, and place branding. Closest direct peer to Nominee in service offering, multi-vertical approach, and founder/partner-driven creative culture.
• &Walsh: Independent creative agency offering brand identity, art direction, and strategy for consumer and cultural clients. Comparable to Nominee in boutique scale, multi-disciplinary creative scope, and focus on brand systems with strong visual point-of-view.
• Mucca: Boutique creative and branding agency specializing in identity, packaging, and brand strategy for consumer goods and cultural clients. Directly comparable to Nominee in service mix, studio size, and project-based B2B creative work.
• Beardwood&Co: Independent brand design and creative agency serving consumer, hospitality, and cultural clients with a founder-led model. Closely comparable to Nominee in boutique scale, NYC-mid-size positioning, and integrated brand identity work.
• Civilization: Brand strategy and design studio working across consumer goods, education, and cultural institutions. Direct peer to Nominee in studio scale, multi-vertical scope, and emphasis on strategy-led brand systems.
• Manual: Independent creative agency delivering brand strategy, identity, and design across consumer, hospitality, and technology sectors. Comparable to Nominee in boutique positioning and integrated brand strategy-to-design offering.

Broad incumbents

• Lippincott: Established global brand strategy consultancy serving Fortune 500 clients across industries. Comparable to Nominee in brand strategy and identity work but operates at significantly larger scale with broader research and consulting capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearenominee

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 Nominee