26 Branding Agency Success Stories [2024]
A branding agency helps create, develop, maintain and improve brands. The role of branding agencies is to create, plan, measure, and manage branding strategies for clients to support them in advertising and other promotions.
Business branding has always been a vital part of a business. With branding, businesses reach more customers daily and stay relevant to their existing customers. As companies compete to get more customers and remain relevant, there is a high demand for branding solutions.
Starting a branding agency can be a profitable and satisfying business venture. To start a branding agency, you must be able to weave together disparate pieces of data and information into compelling narratives so you can help a business convey its story or express its unique values and culture.
In this list, you'll find real-world branding agency success stories and very profitable examples of starting a branding agency that makes money.
1. CreateApe ($4.2M/year)
Alessandro Fard, the founder of CreateApe, developed the idea for his business after realizing the importance of a solid foundation in digital projects. Through years of trial and error, he created the Create Ape Jungle Guide, a comprehensive process that allows clients to fulfill the research and ideation phase of their projects and lays the foundation for successful user experience, design, and development. With impressive revenue growth between 50 and 100% year-over-year, CreateApe is a leading player in the digital agency space.
How much money it makes: $4.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 55
CreateApe, a full-service digital agency specializing in user experience design, has seen yearly revenue growth between 50-100%, with $350,000 in monthly revenue and success attributed to their almost reckless embrace of partnering with their clients.
2. The Creative Collective ($2.4M/year)
Yvette Adams, founder of The Creative Collective, came up with the idea to start her marketing agency out of both ambition and necessity. With a diverse background in marketing and media, she saw the potential in offering a one-stop-shop for creative services on the Sunshine Coast. She began by offering her services to people she knew and quickly gained clients and referrals, positioning her agency as a pioneer in the industry.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 20
The Creative Collective is a full-service marketing agency that has grown its revenue and doubled its team in the past year, with around 100 active clients and responding to an average of 160 inquiries each month.
3. Bop Design ($2.4M/year)
Kara Jensen, co-founder of Bop Design, initially started the company as a side gig while working full-time. After experiencing the instability of the financial industry during the subprime mortgage crisis, she convinced her husband to join her and they focused on B2B website design and marketing services. Through smart financial management and a focus on value-added services, Bop Design has grown to become a multi-million dollar marketing agency, making the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list two years in a row.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 13
Bop Design, a B2B digital marketing agency, evolved through working with high-tech, software, industrial, and life science companies to develop lead-generating websites, brand platforms, and content marketing programs, and saw 153.1% revenue growth, landing them on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for two years in a row.
4. UX studio ($2.03M/year)
Budapest-based UX studio was founded by Dávid Pásztor, a computer engineering and information technology graduate, who started his journey by selling his lego collection to buy his first computer and creating his first website. After working as a part-time UX designer, Dávid took the leap and turned his contracting work into a full-fledged UX design agency, offering services to clients worldwide. With a focus on marketing and attracting international clients, UX studio has grown to become a top design agency, recognized by industry-leading platforms such as Clutch and Zeplin.
How much money it makes: $2.03M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 41
UX Studio, a user experience design agency based in Budapest, Hungary, founded by Dávid Pásztor, has grown to generate almost $2 million USD in revenue per year with a profit rate of 20.5%, while supporting dozens of clients across various industries and running two successful independent product teams.
5. Never Settle ($1.8M/year)
Kenn Kelly, co-founder of Never Settle, came up with the idea for the digital agency after experiencing the ups and downs of the tech startup world. He realized the importance of taking care of people and decided to create a company that values and empowers both clients and staff. With a focus on service and building long-lasting relationships, Never Settle has become a globally recognized leader in mobile, website, and marketing solutions, completing over 1,000 projects in seven years.
How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 15
Never Settle, a digital agency with over 1,000 completed projects and a focus on lean methodology and building relationships with clients, has made a name for itself in the eCommerce space, offering comprehensive solutions to businesses of all sizes while maintaining consistent and moderate growth.
6. Spencer Patterson ($1.68M/year)
Spencer Patterson, an ex-financial broker turned product developer, launched a paywall platform in 2019 initially to streamline his own content operations. Seeing its potential as an alternative to Patreon, he monetized the bootstrapped SaaS to $125,000 - $142,000 MRR, ultimately selling it for $3.5M on Flippa.
How much money it makes: $1.68M/year
How much did it cost to start: $6K
How many people on the team: 1
This case study is about a founder who launched a paywall platform for content creators in 2019, bootstrapping it from $0 and eventually selling it for $3.5M on Flippa, with the platform generating between $125,000 - $142,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) on 95% margins.
7. Percept ($1.32M/year)
Lewis Jenkins, the founder of Percept Brand Design, started his business 24 years ago with a vision of creating a design agency that prioritized work-life balance and did not rely on unpaid overtime. Despite starting as a one-man show, Percept has grown to a team of 10 and now generates approximately $1.5 million in revenue each year. By implementing a pricing structure that tripled the quality of work delivered and the billing rate, Jenkins was able to achieve financial success while also maintaining a high quality of life.
How much money it makes: $1.32M/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
How many people on the team: 8
This case study is about how Lewis Jenkins bootstrapped his branding and creative agency in Sydney, which now turns over approximately $1.5M/year, employs 10 staff, and has worked with high-profile clients such as Unilever, Dulux, Toyota, Sennheiser, and The Australian Government, while maintaining a focus on company culture and work/life balance.
8. Tungsten Branding ($1.2M/year)
Phil Davis, a brand naming expert, came up with the idea for his business, Tungsten Branding, after realizing that the traditional advertising agency model was broken. He wanted to create a new type of agency that focused on natural attraction and alignment to help businesses succeed in a more intuitive and effective manner. Starting with a basic website and leveraging referrals and networking, Phil grew Tungsten Branding into a top-five global-rated naming and branding agency that now bills nearly seven figures a year.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 5
Tungsten Branding, a naming and branding agency started with virtually no expenses and showcasing only quality work, has become a top-five globally rated naming and branding agency, billing nearly seven figures a year and naming over 500 companies, products, and services including international companies such as Hitachi, Johnson Control, Lumenis, and AO Smith.
9. OrangeBall Creative ($480K/year)
Beau Nordby, along with his partners, launched OrangeBall Creative in 2012, initially offering print and digital creative services. However, they realized that their clients struggled with finding the right words to describe their businesses and differentiate themselves. This led them to create Brand Bounce Bootcamp, a set of exercises designed to help businesses simplify their marketing messages and tell their stories. They now offer these exercises in a downloadable, online format, bringing affordable marketing help to small and mid-sized businesses.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How many people on the team: 3
OrangeBall Creative's co-founder shares how they launched Brand Bounce Bootcamp, a set of brand messaging exercises that has helped hundreds of businesses simplify their marketing messages, differentiate themselves, and understand their audience's driving forces.
10. MOTIF® ($420K/year)
After facing several failures in his eCommerce journey, Ash, an eCommerce branding and marketing consultant, came up with the idea for his business Motif. He realized that by niching down to the Luxury Fashion industry and offering value-driven marketing services, he could attract and retain clients in a profitable and impactful way. Now, his agency maintains a 75% profit margin and has plans to expand operations and become a pioneer agency in the Luxury Lifestyle space.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 15
Learn how a growth-driven digital agency targeting luxury fashion and lifestyle brands grew from making $10k a month to $50k-$100k in recurring revenue, with a niche client focus, specialized content marketing, and a focus on value-based pricing and driving results.
11. Waxing Kara ($396K/year)
Kara Brook Brown, the founder of Waxing Kara, came up with the idea for her business while working as an artist painting with encaustic, a paint made with beeswax. Through her beekeeping hobby, she became fascinated by honey production and the importance of bees to our food supply. This led her to start Waxing Kara, creating natural Bee Inspired food products and skin-loving bath and beauty goods that include ingredients made possible by honeybees.
How much money it makes: $396K/year
How many people on the team: 3
This case study follows the journey of Waxing Kara, a Bee Inspired® food products and bath and beauty goods business which generates $33K per month, and highlights the importance of inventory management, education, and relationships with customers and bee colonies.
12. VixelStudio ($240K/year)
At age 12, Munir's curiosity in tinkering with computers turned into a passion for web design. After various entrepreneurial attempts during college, he co-founded Vixel Studio with friends by capitalizing on ubiquitous lawn signs saying "Need a website?"—driving them to generate $20,000 per month within eight months.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 2
A young entrepreneur started a Web Design and SEO Company, Vixel Studio, generating over $20,000 per month within eight months of launch, managing over 50 clients and doubling that amount over the next four months, with a goal to generate $300,000 in revenue by the end of 2024 and scale to generate 1-4 million per year.
13. Agent C. Advertising ($240K/year)
David Caruso, the founder of Agent C Advertising, was motivated to start his own agency after disagreeing with the way the other partners ran the business. He felt that their focus was on creating work that could win awards rather than creating work that would benefit the client. He wanted to build an agency that valued customer relationships and created work that solved the problems the clients needed to have solved.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 4
Agent C Advertising is a full-service ad agency, emphasizing content creation for print ads, social media, and video productions, that started with just two clients in 2018 and now has more than 35 clients who are active at least quarterly and generates over $20k per month, all through word of mouth referrals, thanks to the agency's focus on building and maintaining strong relationships with its clients.
14. Aun Digital ($240K/year)
When a friend's cleaning business couldn't afford a website, Aun Ali discovered that many UAE startups faced similar challenges, inspiring him to launch Aun Digital. The firm offers affordable, comprehensive digital services and now generates annual revenue between $200,000 and $300,000, serving 20 regular clients.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60K
How many people on the team: 50
Aun Digital, a UAE-based web design company, generated $200,000 to $300,000 annually by offering affordable and reliable digital services to small businesses, startups, and medium-sized enterprises, with 20 regular clients per year and an average project cost ranging from $10,000 to $15,000.
15. Athlo agncy ($192K/year)
Jay Fuller, along with co-founders Aly and Isaac Nauta, came up with the idea for athlo agncy after a mom reached out to Jay about helping her daughter with NIL opportunities. With Aly's expertise in personal branding and Isaac's experience as a former college athlete, they saw a gap in the market and decided to create a personal branding startup specifically for college athletes navigating the NIL landscape. Through grassroots marketing, strategic partnerships, and cold outreach, they have been able to gain traction and attract potential customers before their official launch.
How much money it makes: $192K/year
How many people on the team: 0
Athlo agncy co-founder Jay Fuller shares the story of how the personal branding startup for college athletes navigating NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) was able to generate brand awareness through strategic partnerships and grassroots marketing initiatives, securing athlo ambassadors, event participation, and on-campus workshops with two different universities in pre-launch mode.
16. Designproof ($180K/year)
Designproof was founded by Eva Maganja and Urban Bradesko as a solution to the frustrations they experienced with other design agencies. Eva's friend had a negative experience with an agency that charged by the hour and delivered subpar results, while Eva herself dealt with agencies that lacked communication and customization. This led them to create Designproof, an agency that offers fixed monthly rates, unlimited design requests, and direct communication with designers, resulting in happy clients and a starting revenue of $15k per month.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $168
How many people on the team: 2
Designproof is a startup design agency that provides affordable, fixed monthly-rate design solutions for businesses and startups and is gaining traction with word-of-mouth growth, seeing impressive profits of $15k per month with just two employees in six months.
17. Draftss ($180K/year)
Junaid Ansari and Amin Memon co-founded Draftss.com, a productized graphic design and frontend code service. They started by providing graphic design services and later added frontend coding to their list of offerings based on customer requests. In 2019, they made $66,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), and as of July 2020, they hit $9.6k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). Their focus is on automation and improving their service to retain customers and scale their business.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 25
Draftss.com is a productized graphic design and front-end code service on subscription that made $66k ARR in 2019, has an MRR of $9.6k as of July 2020, and offers add-ons such as designers being added to team in interacting tools and front-end code services on WordPress using various page builders like Elementor and Divi.
18. Digital Butter ($132K/year)
Robyn Mays and Richard Eltringham, the founders of Digital Butter, started their profitable digital marketing agency by doing a lot of work for free. Their generosity and genuine relationships built through pro-bono work have led to exponential growth, with revenue increasing 71% this quarter and a team that has expanded to 6 members. Their success is a testament to the power of generosity and word of mouth in attracting and retaining clients.
How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 5
Digital Butter, a profitable digital marketing agency based in South Africa, was started five years ago by doing free work for non-profit organizations, and has since grown almost completely through the act of generosity and based on word of mouth, resulting in a full-time team of 4, 2 part-time team members, and clients from more than 10 different countries.
19. Above 8000 Creative ($120K/year)
Mimi and Delaney, the founders of Above 8000 Creative, came up with the idea for their business after realizing the demand for affordable and high-quality branding services for small businesses. They used their experience in graphic design, photography, and content creation to offer a full-service creative agency, helping other businesses stand out in their industries. With word-of-mouth referrals and targeted outreach on platforms like Instagram, they have successfully attracted and retained clients, leading to profitability and future growth.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Above 8000 Creative is a successful creative agency started as a side hustle by a husband and wife team, specializing in graphic design, website design, photography, content creation, and Instagram marketing, and has grown to include many clients and services due to word of mouth referrals.
20. Elva Li Luxury Branding ($120K/year)
Elva Li, a brand stylist and designer, came up with the idea for her luxury branding agency when she realized that she could combine her love for creating beautiful designs with her passion for helping female entrepreneurs turn their visions into premium brands. After building her side hustle while working full-time in her corporate job, Elva launched her business by offering branding and website design services and gradually increased her prices as her portfolio grew. With a clear business plan and a commitment to taking massive daily action, Elva successfully quit her job and turned her side hustle into a thriving business.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How many people on the team: 1
How one founder started a luxury boutique branding house and quit her corporate job, becoming a successful entrepreneur with a team of contractors, interns, and VAs, expanding services to personal styling, social media management, and content creation, while building an online course and planning to become a community for female entrepreneurs.
21. Catherine Nguyen Photography ($99.6K/year)
After a trip to France, Spain, and Vietnam, Catherine Nguyen discovered her passion for photography. She decided to pursue a career in photography after her cousin suggested it, and with her background in design and project management, she was able to start and grow her own photography business. Now, Catherine has a thriving business with a strong client base and an organic Instagram following, and she continues to attract new clients through referrals and publications.
How much money it makes: $99.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 1
From freelance photography to six-figures: This case study shows how a Raleigh-based photographer grew her business through organic Instagram growth to gain new client inquiries almost daily, built brand awareness through publications, and hired a marketing firm.
22. Branperience ($96K/year)
Teju, an Intuitive Empath and Founder of Branperience, came up with the idea for her business after realizing the importance of emotions and feelings in decision-making. Through her unique approach and strategic experiential marketing, she has been able to increase brand equity by 87% and revenue by 72%, while fostering strong relationships with stakeholders. Despite facing financial challenges, Teju launched Branperience with just $65 and has since attracted new contracts through word of mouth.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 3
Branperience is a full-service brand experience firm with a unique, people-focused approach to increase brand equity, loyalty, and return on investment, resulting in a 22-37% revenue increase each year and a diverse portfolio supporting an array of industries.
23. Love & Logic ($96K/year)
Angela had been the co-founder of a large successful agency for over a decade. However, her work-life balance wasn't optimal, and she was struggling to juggle roles between an agency owner and a creative person. Finally, she decided to take the leap and start her own solo creative studio with a clear mind and a focus on freedom.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
How many people on the team: 0
Love & Logic is a profitable solo creative studio, specializing in brand identity, animation, and motion graphics, averaging around $8k per month, targeting ethical brands, local authorities, and universities with a clear brand strategy, manifest, and reputation for quality and value-based pricing.
24. WOO Branding ($48K/year)
Ulas Uygun, the founder of WOO Branding, came up with the idea after watching a viral animated video. With no prior experience in graphic design or starting a business, he took online courses and practiced for 6 months before landing his first client. Through Instagram marketing and cold outreach, he was able to grow his business and eventually shift the strategic focus to B2C, bringing in $4,000 monthly revenue in the first half of its first year.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 2
WOO Branding, a B2B/B2C logo design and branding service, grew to bring in $4,000 monthly revenue in just six months as a B2C service with a profit margin of over 90%, and founder Ulas Uygun shares tips for aspiring graphic designers to self-learn and build a brand on almost no monetary investment.
25. Karen Canlas ($36K/year)
Karen Canlas, the founder of luxury branding studio Karen Canlas, came up with the idea for her business while reading the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" during the pandemic. Inspired by the book and her desire to take action and pursue her dreams, she joined Upwork as a virtual assistant and eventually discovered her passion for luxury branding and design. Through strategic branding and web design, Karen has been able to elevate her clients' brands and attract top clients, earning $2,500 per client.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
Luxury brand strategist, Karen Canlas, explains how she went from earning $200 to $2,500 per client by niching down and offering bespoke luxury branding experiences to her target market of founders and lifestyle brands.
26. Indiebrands ($15.6K/year)
Laurids came up with the idea for Indiebrands after realizing that there was a need for better business names and logos at affordable prices. He was inspired by a website selling digital products in a simple way and knew he could provide a superior product. After launching on Product Hunt and making over $1,000 in less than 24 hours, Laurids realized that his idea could be a successful business.
How much money it makes: $15.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $400
How many people on the team: 0
Indiebrands sells company names completed by ready-made logos and a great top-level domain, making an average monthly revenue of $1,300 in the last 12 months and growing about 200% in the last year through selling to startup founders and indie hackers.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
