About Crowl Marketing | Creative — Northeast Ohio's Marketing Partner Since 1959
About Crowl Marketing | Creative — Northeast Ohio's Marketing Partner Since 1959
Three generations of marketers. One office in North Canton. Decades of brands grown the right way.
A Northeast Ohio marketing agency built on relationships
Crowl Marketing | Creative was founded in 1959 by Ray Crowl as a small Northeast Ohio advertising shop with one belief: do the work, do it well, and treat clients like neighbors — because most of them are. More than 65 years later, that operating philosophy has not changed. What has changed is the scope of what we do. We have grown from a regional ad agency into a full-service marketing and creative firm offering branding, web design, SEO, digital marketing, video production, photography, media planning, public relations, and online training out of our North Canton, Ohio headquarters.
Through three generations of leadership, an acquisition of Covey-Odell Advertising, and the constant reinvention required of a digital-first agency, the throughline has remained the same: senior-led teams, transparent communication, and creative work that actually performs.
Our story, briefly
1959 — Founded by Ray Crowl in Stark County, Ohio. 1981 — Becomes Crowl, Montgomery & Clark, Inc. under Ray’s son Jeff Crowl and partner Mark Clark. 2007 — Long-time team member Rod McGregor purchases the agency. 2017 — Drew McGregor joins, continuing the father-son legacy and leading new business and digital strategy. 2024 — Acquires Covey-Odell Advertising, expanding our roster and reach. Today — Operating as Crowl Marketing | Creative, serving clients across Northeast Ohio, the U.S., and select international markets from our office at 713 South Main Street, North Canton, OH.
What we believe about marketing
We believe marketing should make money, not just art. We believe creative without strategy is decoration, and strategy without creative is a spreadsheet. We believe a great brand and a great website are not luxuries — they are how modern customers decide whether to call you. We believe a North Canton manufacturer deserves the same caliber of work as a Cleveland Fortune 500 brand. And we believe the best agency relationships are measured in decades, not deliverables.
How we are different from the typical Northeast Ohio agency
Most agencies in Northeast Ohio are either tiny freelance shops without strategic depth, or they are giant Cleveland firms where your account is run by junior staff. We sit in the middle — senior-led, full-service, and small enough that the people you meet on day one are the people doing your work on day 365.
We are also one of the few marketing agencies in Northeast Ohio that genuinely delivers branding, web, SEO, paid media, video, photography, and PR all in-house. That matters because integrated programs win. When the same team writes your brand voice, codes your website, optimizes your SEO, scripts your video, and pitches your story to the press, the work compounds instead of conflicts.
Who we serve
Manufacturers, industrial B2B companies, healthcare and senior-care providers, professional services firms, financial institutions, nonprofits, foundations, schools and universities, franchises, and consumer brands. Most of our clients are headquartered in Northeast Ohio — Canton, North Canton, Akron, Cleveland, Massillon, Hudson, Stow, Wooster — but we also work with national and international brands that prefer our blend of strategic depth and personal attention.
Continental Tire
International Tire Manufacturer
Ken-Tool
Truck Tire Changing Tool Manufacturer
Andreas Furniture
Furniture Sales
The Great Lakes Construction Co.
Northeast Ohio Construction Company
Polymer Packaging, Inc.
Packaging Manufacturer
Innoveyance
Conveyor Manufacturer
B&J Rocket
Tire Retreading Tool Manufacturer
Greenport Financial Advisors Inc.
Financial Advisors
Get to know us
Read our full company overview, learn our process and approach, meet the team, and explore the work we have shipped for clients across Northeast Ohio and beyond. Or skip the reading and call us — most clients tell us they wish they had reached out a year sooner.
Curious whether we are the right fit?
Call (330) 494-6999 or schedule a free strategy call. We will tell you honestly whether what you need is something we should do, something you should hire someone else for, or something you can probably handle in-house.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When was Crowl Marketing | Creative founded?
Crowl was founded in 1959 by Ray Crowl in Stark County, Ohio. We have operated continuously as a Northeast Ohio marketing agency for more than 65 years.
What does 'full-service agency' mean?
It means we deliver branding, website design, SEO, digital advertising, social media, public relations, video, photography, and media planning all in-house — instead of subcontracting pieces out to other vendors.
Do you only work with Northeast Ohio clients?
No. While most of our clients are in Northeast Ohio, we also work with national and international brands. Many of our long-term clients started locally and grew with us.