# Russell Herder

> Russell Herder is an independent, woman-owned Minneapolis advertising and brand agency founded in 1984. It combines research, creative, digital marketing, public relations, social media and user-experience work, with a distinctive co-creation practice that brings community members into the development of campaigns - especially in public health, government and social-impact work.

- **Founded:** 1984
- **Headquarters:** Minneapolis, United States
- **Founders:** Carol Russell (Co-founder and CEO), Brian Herder (Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer)
- **Products:** Brand planning and research, Creative and content, Digital marketing, Public relations and social media, User experience and web
- **Notable:** Founded in 1984 and remained independent under two original founding partners through its 40th anniversary in 2024., Certified as a B Corporation in March 2017; achieved a 114.3 B Impact score in its 2024 recertification, versus the 80-point certification threshold., Named a 2024 Real Leaders Top Impact Company and one of 14 marketing and media firms on that year's list.

## Products & services

- **Brand planning and research** — Market research, audience analysis, ethnographic research, creative testing, customer journeys and positioning.
- **Creative and content** — Brand identity, copywriting, campaigns, photography, video, collateral and content development.
- **Digital marketing** — Paid advertising, paid social, search marketing, email, campaign management and analytics.
- **Public relations and social media** — Media relations, crisis communication, influencer collaboration, community engagement and platform content.
- **User experience and web** — UX research, web design, web development, accessibility and performance-oriented digital experiences.
- **Co-creation practice** — An inside-out process that develops campaigns with members of the geographic, cultural or age communities they are intended to serve.

## Achievements

- Founded in 1984 and remained independent under two original founding partners through its 40th anniversary in 2024.
- Certified as a B Corporation in March 2017; achieved a 114.3 B Impact score in its 2024 recertification, versus the 80-point certification threshold.
- Named a 2024 Real Leaders Top Impact Company and one of 14 marketing and media firms on that year's list.
- Won three 2024 Healthcare Advertising Awards, including Best in Show for a Know the Dangers television commercial and Gold for The Story of 988.
- Reported 27% growth in new clients and 96% client retention in 2024.
- Reported that 2024 client campaigns raised click-through rates 107% year over year while lowering cost per click 9%.
- Reported more than $500,000 in pro bono services over the three years ending in 2023, including $280,000 for 20 organizations in 2023.
- Know the Dangers reported more than 2.3 million site visits, 84 million in social reach, 929,000 social engagements and 1.7 million digital-ad clicks.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Minneapolis approved a $50,000 increase to Russell Herder's eligible-agencies master contract, bringing its ceiling to $100,000.
- **2026-01** — The agency published new guidance on web trends, ROI metrics and refreshing the National Association of Social Workers' legacy brand.
- **2025-10** — Russell Herder highlighted new mental-health work spanning Know the Dangers, Minnesota's 988 Lifeline, veterans, Wilder and the Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation.
- **2025-06** — The agency launched Stay CoolMN with the Minnesota Department of Health after focus groups with caregivers and outdoor workers.
- **2025-05** — Russell Herder reported campaign work on Minnesota's 988 Lifeline and cannabis-expungement education.

## Links

- Website: https://russellherder.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/russell-herder/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/russellherder
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/russellherder/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/russellherder

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/russell-herder
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-20