Rough Paper Creative
Rough Paper Creative is a two-person brand and content strategy studio in Pune, India, founded by Deepak Gopalakrishnan and Divya Ramesh. It delivers brand foundation, copywriting, and digital marketing strategy services to 45+ enterprise, SME, and cultural brand clients globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPune, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rough Paper Creative does
Rough Paper Creative is a two-person brand and content strategy studio based in Pune, India, operated virtually by co-founders Deepak Gopalakrishnan (Chuck) and Divya Ramesh under the legal entity Crikey Creative Solutions, LLP. The studio positions itself as a boutique alternative to traditional advertising agencies, delivering four core service pillars: brand foundation development (positioning, tone of voice, naming, manifestos); brand content for websites and key collateral; digital marketing and content strategy; and a set of add-on offerings including workshops, scripts, audits, podcasts, and pitch/investor deck development. Engagements range from brief consultation calls to comprehensive multi-month projects, with no productised pricing publicly disclosed.
The studio operates on a project-based professional services revenue model with sales-led acquisition through direct outreach, website CTAs, an active blog ("Inspired by Anywhere"), LinkedIn presence, and a curated network of partner agencies (design studios, production houses) that refer clients needing strategy and copywriting support. There is no proprietary technology stack and no software or platform product; the value proposition rests on senior-level attention from the two founders, a workshop-driven discovery process, and the ability to draw eclectic cross-category references. The client base spans 45+ brands across diverse industries — including enterprise clients such as TCS, Lupin, Spotify, cult.fit, IIT Madras, and Seshaasai Technologies, alongside SMEs and cultural brands — with global delivery (US and UK clients) despite an India-based operating footprint.
Rough Paper Creative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rough Paper Creative
- Legal name
- Crikey Creative Solutions, LLP
- Website
- https://roughpaper.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rough Paper Creative is a two-person brand and content strategy studio in Pune, India, founded by Deepak Gopalakrishnan and Divya Ramesh. It delivers brand foundation, copywriting, and digital marketing strategy services to 45+ enterprise, SME, and cultural brand clients globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rough Paper Creative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand Strategy Consulting
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ghostwriting & Collaborative Writing Services (MPAJAJAI)
Keywords
Where Rough Paper Creative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pune
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rough Paper Creative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Services: Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements, including brand strategy consulting, copywriting, content strategy, website content, and related creative-adjacent services. Engagements range from brief consultation calls to comprehensive multi-month projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rough Paper Creative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rough Paper Creative is a two-person brand and content strategy studio that provides brand foundation development (positioning, tone of voice, naming, manifestos), brand content for websites and key collateral (copywriting for packaging, brochures, signage, app screens), digital marketing and content strategy, and additional offerings including workshops, scripts, audits, podcasts, and pitch/investor deck development. Engagements range from brief consultation calls to comprehensive multi-month projects, delivered directly by the two co-founders.
Product overview
Rough Paper Creative is a brand & content strategy studio offering a unified set of consulting and creative services. Their core portfolio consists of four interconnected service pillars: Brand Foundation Development (positioning, tone of voice, naming, mission/values), Brand Content for Website and Key Collateral (website copy, packaging, brochures, signage), Digital Marketing and Content Strategy (campaign strategy from awareness to post-purchase), and Additional Offerings (workshops, scripts, audits, podcasts, voiceovers). They function as a service studio rather than a software product, working with companies across industries, sizes and growth stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Foundation Development Strategic brand positioning, tone of voice development, manifesto creation, naming and taglines, mission and values narrative, and brief development for partner teams and agencies. Designed for founders, startups, and established companies seeking to articulate or refresh their core brand identity.
- Brand Content for Website and Key Collateral Website content, product packaging copy, app screens, brochure content, in-store signage, and category-specific copy spanning consumer goods, B2B, and finance. Tailored for businesses needing polished written content across digital and physical touchpoints.
- Digital Marketing and Content Strategy Strategy covering the customer journey from awareness to post-purchase, spanning brand communications to performance, backed by ideas, examples and references for brands, individuals, leaders, and specific campaigns. Aimed at marketing teams needing senior strategic direction for digital channels.
- Additional Offerings An add-on bundle of complementary services including workshops for creative teams, corporates and colleges; scripts for brand videos, explainers and content marketing; brand, competition and content audits; pitch and investor deck development; blog and whitepaper authoring; podcast conceptualisation and hosting; website development project management; voiceovers; and music festival emcee scripts. Designed for clients needing adjacent creative support beyond the core brand and content work.
Quantifiable outcome
- Snapshots viewers engaged with the TCS site twice as much (in terms of time spent and pages visited). Additional 1 hour of engagement per $1 spent on Snapshots.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rough Paper Creative
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rough Paper Creative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rough Paper Creative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 9133 Design StudiocoreCollaborated on multiple brand projects including Herbs & Kettles (full rebrand, visual identity led by 9133, brand story and content by Rough Paper) and Mischief & Co. (complete brand overhaul including naming, strategy, and copy). The partnership is long-standing with several joint case studies.
- Studio Ping PongcoreDesign partner on AUTUS Wealth website content project and Wagtime signage project. Studio Ping Pong leads visual identity and design while Rough Paper provides brand strategy and copy.
- Hyperlink Brand SolutionscoreWorked together on Aadyam Theater (Season 7) and Mahindra Independence Rock festival. Hyperlink leads the client relationship and on-ground production; Rough Paper provides brand strategy, copywriting, and communications guidance.
- Kotloos Media ProductionscoreEngaged by Kotloos to develop website content for Seshaasai Technologies ahead of its IPO. Kotloos managed the broader brand direction and project coordination.
- Timbre MediaminorProfessional podcast production partner for cult.fit's 'One Rep At A Time' podcast in its initial phase. Managed professional production and distribution across podcast platforms.
- Trifecta RecordsminorTook over podcast production and distribution for cult.fit's 'One Rep At A Time' after the Timbre Media phase, continuing professional audio production.
- Noland StudiocoreVisual identity and design partner for Inspiriko's complete rebrand. Noland Studio led packaging, design system, and digital experience while Rough Paper handled brand strategy, positioning, and all copy.
- CoreVoicecoreEngaged by CoreVoice to lead the creative and content front for AskIITM — a transparency initiative for IIT Madras. CoreVoice conducted research and managed student engagement; Rough Paper handled platform naming, UX, content strategy, and all copy.
- Studio Ping PongminorStudio Ping Pong led identity, space graphics, illustration, and design system for Wagtime (pet creche in Kolkata), commissioning Rough Paper for signage and poster copy.
- Design Studios, Photographers, Video & Animation Agencies, Event Production Experts, Market Researchers, Paid Marketing SpecialistsminorThe studio maintains a trusted network of complementary service providers including design studios, photographers, video production agencies, animators, motion graphics artists, event production experts, market researchers, and paid marketing specialists to enable close-to-full-service setups for clients.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rough Paper Creative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
Direct peers
- Spring Marketing Capital: India-focused brand and content strategy firm serving venture-backed startups and growth-stage companies — directly comparable in offering (brand strategy, content, digital marketing) and customer profile.
- Covo Studio: Boutique brand and marketing studio working with founders and enterprises on positioning, content, and digital strategy — a closely comparable small-team services model competing for similar Indian and global startup clients.
- Paper Plane Creative: India-based boutique brand and content strategy studio offering brand foundation, copywriting, and digital marketing services to startups and enterprises — directly comparable in service mix, boutique scale, and target segments to Rough Paper Creative.
Broad incumbents
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm — comparable on brand foundation work (positioning, naming, identity systems) but operates at significantly larger scale and across geographies versus Rough Paper's boutique model.
- Taproot Dentsu Creative: Large Indian creative agency within the Dentsu network, providing brand strategy, advertising, and content services to enterprise clients — overlaps with Rough Paper's positioning and copywriting work but at significantly greater scale.
- Famous Innovations: Established Indian creative agency offering brand strategy, advertising, and content across enterprise and consumer clients — a broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise brand mandates Rough Paper serves (e.g., TCS-tier work).
- Leo Burnett India: Major Indian ad agency where co-founder Deepak trained; provides brand strategy, creative, and content services to enterprise clients — competes for similar brand-building mandates but offers a much wider full-service portfolio.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rough Paper Creative social profiles
Digital presenceRough Paper Creative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rough Paper Creative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rough Paper Creative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rough Paper Creative 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 Rough Paper Creative
What does Rough Paper Creative do?
Rough Paper Creative is a two-person brand and content strategy studio that provides brand foundation development (positioning, tone of voice, naming, manifestos), brand content for websites and key collateral (copywriting for packaging, brochures, signage, app screens), digital marketing and content strategy, and additional offerings including workshops, scripts, audits, podcasts, and pitch/investor deck development. Engagements range from brief consultation calls to comprehensive multi-month projects, delivered directly by the two co-founders.
Is Rough Paper Creative a public or private company?
Rough Paper Creative is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rough Paper Creative founded?
Rough Paper Creative was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rough Paper Creative based?
Rough Paper Creative is headquartered in Pune, India, in the Asia region.
How does Rough Paper Creative make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services.
Who are Rough Paper Creative's main competitors?
Ogilvy India is listed as an others. Direct peers are Spring Marketing Capital, Covo Studio and Paper Plane Creative. Broad incumbents are Landor & Fitch, Taproot Dentsu Creative, Famous Innovations and Leo Burnett India.
Does Rough Paper Creative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rough Paper Creative.
What industry is Rough Paper Creative in?
Rough Paper Creative's product category is Brand Strategy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAI, Ghostwriting & Collaborative Writing Services. Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 7330.