The Variable
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 1999
- Employees
- 51-200
- Offices
- 1
About The Variable
The Variable is an integrated advertising agency and business innovation consultancy headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It combines business and product strategy with creative advertising, brand design and media execution, helping clients connect decisions about what they offer with how they reach and engage customers.
The agency focuses on challenger and “underdog” brands seeking to gain market share without matching the spending of larger competitors. Its approach addresses consumer indifference through a combination of behavioral insights, positioning, product innovation and coordinated creative work. Engagements can extend from defining a business problem and understanding customer behavior to developing campaigns, digital experiences and market-facing products.
Strategy through execution
Its strategic capabilities include market research, brand architecture, business model innovation and customer journey mapping. Creative teams develop campaign concepts, copy, art direction, commercial films and content for multiple platforms. Design work encompasses visual identities, typography, packaging, websites and interactive experiences.
Media services connect this work with planning, buying and performance measurement across programmatic advertising, search, paid social and retail media. The agency also develops platform-native social campaigns, creator collaborations and short-form video, alongside AI-accelerated content production. This combination allows strategic, creative and distribution work to sit within the same agency offering.
The Variable serves markets including automotive and aftermarket products, food and beverage, household goods, healthcare, technology, apparel and lifestyle products. Its work spans national advertising, retail marketing, brand launches and consumer engagement, with assignments ranging from brand positioning to integrated campaign delivery.
Evolution and expansion
The business traces its roots to PAVE Creative Group, established in 1999, and adopted The Variable name in 2011. A 2021 recapitalization supplied expansion capital while retaining management leadership. In August 2026, it acquired Carson+Doyle, adding specialized youth-culture, Gen Z, Gen Alpha and creator-economy expertise to its broader offering.
More about The Variable
Leadership
- Courtney Lewis became Chief Executive Officer in July 2025, succeeding Jodi Heelan after serving as Chief Marketing Officer.
- Courtney Williams joined as Partner and Chief Growth Officer in May 2026, following a growth leadership role at The Martin Agency.
- The report identifies Keith Vest as Chairman and Joe Parrish as Senior Advisor; both co-founded The Variable's 2011 evolution.
Production and media infrastructure
The agency operates Signal, its proprietary programmatic trading desk, and manages AI-accelerated visual and content workflows through Liminal Studios.
Industry recognition
The Variable has received Ad Age Small Agency of the Year honors multiple times, including Southeast Small Agency of the Year. It was also named to Fast Company's Top 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators across three consecutive evaluations; the supplied report does not specify the award years.
Venture development
Its wider venture activity includes 100watt, described as an innovation accelerator and sister venture, and Sunshine Beverages, an incubated beverage brand co-founded by Keith Vest.
Notable credits
16 creditsOffices
Where The Variable is based
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Winston-Salem offices
HeadquartersAbout this office
**Office** Status: active Headquarters Address: 450 N. Patterson Avenue, Suite 600, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States Phone: +1 (336) 721-1021 Overall company headquarters in Bailey South, occupying the fifth and sixth floors and housing leadership, strategy, creative, media and production teams. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: 575 E 4th Street, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States Former premises at Plant 64 in the Innovation Quarter, preceding the move to Bailey South.
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