Six positioning scores, 1 to 10.
See Methodology.
| Dimension | Score | vs.Entire Market | vs. Revenue Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|
AI-first Dedicated AI Strategy and Transformation practice, AI IP (The Machine agentic OS, ContextLens), Adobe/Microsoft AI partners, multiple AI thought leadership pieces, and 'agentic'/'co-pilot' hot-words; AI is prominent but shares billing with creative and marketing positioning. | 7Strong | Top 61% | Top 63% |
Consultative partner Positions as 'strategically driven' with end-to-end solutions from strategy through engineering, business/organizational consulting, named transformations (200+ newsrooms), and outcome metrics (+37.5% engagement, +284% conversions, +17% AOV). | 8Strong | Top 6% | Top 3% |
Clear differentiator 'Technology-first creative agency living at the intersection of creativity and technology' is a clear, plainly stated differentiator reinforced by media/publishing transformation heritage, though the creativity-meets-tech framing is somewhat common in agencies. | 7Strong | Top 28% | Top 37% |
Thought leadership A prolific, broad case-study library across many topics with an occasional research report (WSJ Intelligence on AI/CX) gives a credible body of work, but sporadic cadence, no visible recency, no author seniority signal, and a portfolio-led rather than point-of-view-led format hold it below strong. | 6Present | Top 56% | Top 58% |
Industry specialization Several deep-named verticals (media/publishing with 200+ newsrooms, financial services, retail/e-commerce, B2B tech) plus moderate healthcare/public sector/automotive, backed by extensive marquee client roster and sector-specific proof. | 8Strong | Top 2% | Top 2% |
Technology-forward, owns IP Two branded platforms (ContextLens design system, The Machine agentic OS) plus NBC Big Board processing 10M+ data points; productized but with limited public technical depth and only medium substantiveness. | 6Present | Top 35% | Top 38% |
Size
201 to 1,000 people
Revenue
$50M to $250M(medium confidence)
HQ
New York, NY
AI emphasis
Normal
Homepage positioning
“We Are a Technology-First Creative Agency”
Code and Theory is a strategically driven, digital-first agency that lives at the intersection of creativity and technology. They solve consumer and business problems with end-to-end solutions across strategy, design, engineering, data, and integrated marketing. They serve major global brands across media, financial services, retail, travel, sports, public sector, and more.
Selling points
- 20+ years and 200+ newsrooms transformed as media and publishing's trusted digital transformation partner
- Back-to-back Fast Company Most Innovative Companies winner
- ANA B2 B2B Agency of the Year 2025
- Ad Age A-List B2B Agency of the Year 2025
- AI Services and Opportunities — Building AI at Speed and Scale
- End-to-end solutions that flex to meet the needs of today's ever-changing digital landscape
Named clients
- JBL
- TIME
- Microsoft
- Amazon Ads
- NBC
- NFL
- YETI
- The Ritz-Carlton
- TIAA
- JPMorganChase
- Nasdaq
- Champion
- Albertsons
- Thrive Market
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Lucid Motors
- Volvo Trucks
- Rivian
- The Venetian
- Vrbo
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- New York State Senate
- Brand USA
- USTA
- Washington Football Team
- Qualcomm
- TikTok
- Apollo Global Management
- Baron Capital
- Expedia Group
- Major League Baseball
- Manchester City Football Club
- Shore Capital Partners
- Thomson Reuters
- Minnesota Star Tribune
- ETS
- RealClearPolling
- Blick
- The California Post
- Sutter Health
- Amazon
- EY
- Polestar
- Simpli.fi
- Comcast
- Equifax
- Tipico
- Harris Williams
- Allstate Protection Plans
- Meta for Business
- Pfizer
- Allspring
- Citizens Bank
- Galleri
- Adidas
- The New School
- Citadel
- KPMG
- Johnson & Johnson
- Kaplan
- Pagaya
- 1-800-FLOWERS
- ConEd
- Party City
- H&M
- College Board
- The Commonwealth Fund
- National Council on Aging (NCOA)
- Daymaker
- Bare Necessities
- SCORES Network
- RealClearPolitics
Services and capabilities
Data and analytics
Data, Analytics and Research
A data-driven approach that enables understanding of every aspect of end-to-end consumer journeys, powering work from start to finish.
Advisory and strategy
Business & Organizational Consulting
Works with clients not only to define and deliver products, services and communications, but also to design the business itself.
Product engineering
Transformational Technology
Helps clients reinvent their technical infrastructure and roadmap in order to deliver for the needs of today and tomorrow.
Product engineering
Services, Platforms & Products
Creates best-in-class platforms built around both the user and the business goals, often extending into connected physical expressions.
Advisory and strategy
Integrated Marketing
Delivers the right messages to new and existing customers across the entire ecosystem.
AI and ML
AI Strategy and Transformation
Leverages AI to unlock impact and show how creativity compounds when you build the right systems around it; helps organizations unlock AI as a lasting competitive advantage.
Industries
Media and entertainment
Deep focusMedia and Publishing's Trusted Digital Transformation Partner — 20+ years, 200+ newsrooms transformed
Financial services
Deep focusReimagining the Financial Services Model — transforming an antiquated industry through anticipatory experiences at the bleeding edge of tech and creativity
Retail and consumer
Deep focusEvolving E-commerce — shaping the digital transformation of the industry by creating strong connections between audiences and brands
Travel and hospitality
Deep focusElevating Experiences in Travel & Hospitality — helping clients make the journey more exciting and efficient
Public sector
Named focusClosing the Citizen Experience Gap — transforming the public sector backed by over a decade of trusted digital partnerships with government leaders
Technology
Named focusDriving B2B Growth — partnering with some of the world's largest companies to fuel their business-to-business expansion
Manufacturing
Named focusFueling the Automotive Future — over two decades of experience building and designing digital experiences for automotive giants and disruptors
Healthcare
Named focusC&T Health — a dedicated health-focused practice (health.codeandtheory.com)
Education
MentionedEducation sector clients including ETS, Kaplan, College Board, The New School
Thought leadership
Code and Theory uses its 'Things We Make' portfolio as its primary thought-leadership vehicle — a prolific, case-study-driven library spanning digital transformation, AI strategy, e-commerce, media/publishing, B2B, and financial services. The program is supplemented by an occasional research report (e.g., the WSJ Intelligence collaboration on AI and CX) and an AI services hub, projecting a confident, results-oriented point of view on technology-led creativity.
Volume
Prolific
Cadence
Sporadic
- JBL | Pioneering AI-Powered CommerceCase studies
- TIME | Reinventing a 102-Year Icon for the Modern Attention EconomyCase studies
- Microsoft — Connecting with Developers to Drive Loyalty and GrowthCase studies
- Code and Theory x The Wall Street Journal — Experience Gap: AI's Imminent Impact on CXReports
- AI Services and Opportunities — Building AI at Speed and ScaleGuides
- Amazon Ads — Winning SMB's in 'Ads That Work As Hard As You Do' CampaignCase studies
- NBC — Transforming Steve Kornacki's Big BoardCase studies
- YETI — From Browsing to Buying: Elevating YETI's E-commerce ExperienceCase studies
- The Ritz-Carlton — Redefining the Legacy of Luxury for a Powerhouse in HospitalityCase studies
- The Commonwealth Fund — Rebuilding a 100-Year-Old Foundation For The Next CenturyCase studies
Owned IP
Surfaced from what the firm names on its homepage and primary navigation, plus what a quick crawl turns up. Large firms may own more than is shown here.
ContextLens
PlatformAn AI-powered design system described as the first AI-driven design system for publishers, transforming RealClearPolitics' experience.
Our assessment: Branded AI product with a case-study page and clear publisher focus, but limited technical depth shown publicly.
ViewThe Machine
PlatformDescribed in job postings as 'the agentic operating system for marketing, built by Code & Theory' that plugs into tools marketing teams use and turns disconnected workflows into unified operations; also referenced as Stagwell's AI-powered marketing OS.
Our assessment: Appears prominently in hiring and internal descriptions but no dedicated public product page surfaced; reads as a real internal/client-facing product in development.
Hot-words
The buzzword spaces this firm chooses to lean into.
“the agentic operating system for marketing”
“Leaders in digital CX make $1.4B more”
“Building AI at Speed and Scale”
“Our data-driven approach enables us to understand every aspect of end-to-end consumer journeys”
Contact surface
Ways we found to reach this firm.