Column Five vs. Shaped By: Choosing The Right Partner Column Five vs. Shaped By

Choosing a creative partner in B2B tech is ultimately a GTM decision. The right agency helps translate complex products into clear narratives that resonate with real buying committees and support long-term positioning—not just one-off campaigns. If you’re comparing Column Five and Shaped By, you’ve already landed on two respected firms with strong technology credentials.

The difference is in where they operate in the stack. Column Five approaches storytelling as a system, combining narrative positioning, content strategy, and multi-format execution to support SaaS GTM, demand generation, and brand authority at scale. Shaped By, a UK-based B Corp, focuses more narrowly on motion design and campaign-led visual storytelling. This comparison breaks down how each works—and which model best fits your goals.

Meet Column Five

Column Five got its start in 2009, when a group of friends—Ross Crooks, Josh Ritchie, and Jason Lankow—set up shop in Costa Mesa, California. They began with infographics and data visualizations, and then grew into a creative partner for all things brand, storytelling, and content.

Their roster features some standout names in tech and SaaS: Dropbox, Instacart, VideoAmp, Blend, Microsoft, Netflix, GitHub, Intuit, Salesforce, SAP, Zendesk, and J.P. Morgan Payments. That list shows they know the ins and outs of industries like software, fintech, edtech, and cybersecurity.

The team’s services are centered on brand storytelling as a GTM system and include:

Narrative strategy and positioning for B2B and SaaS companies, grounded in research and category context
Content strategy, planning, and production across formats, aligned to demand generation and long-cycle buying journeys
Data storytelling and research-driven thought leadership, designed to build credibility and authority
Visual storytelling, motion design, and video, supporting narrative clarity rather than isolated campaigns
Brand systems and identity, including voice, messaging architecture, and scalable brand guidelines
SEO-, AEO-, and AI-visibility–aware content programs, focused on discoverability, trust, and conversion rather than keyword volume

If you want to avoid managing several different agencies, that “under one roof” experience comes in handy.

The team has picked up recognition too, from a Content Marketing Institute award for a SAP podcast to the 2025 Breakthrough Culture Award. They also landed a spot as a top PR partner in fintech, with glowing reviews on Clutch (4.8 out of 5).

Meet Shaped By

Shaped By works from Bristol in the UK and is led by Nick Farrar. The agency’s all about motion design and building creative strategy for B2B tech. You’ll find names like Tom Ovens (Creative Director), Wei Kee (Client Services), and Parissa Motamedi (senior motion wizard) leading the work.

They picked up their B Corp Certification in May 2024. So, if social and environmental values play into your agency choices, that could catch your eye.

Motion design and animation are at the heart of their service. Shaped By produces:

Campaign videos
Animated visuals and data
Motion pieces driven by sound

Alongside that, they handle strategy to help tech brands stand out and be remembered.

Side-by-Side Comparison: Column Five vs. Shaped By

Company Snapshot: Column Five

Column Five has spent over 15 years shaping brands for startups and big names alike, with teams rooted in both California and New York. Their origin in data visualization paved the way for a full suite of brand and content services.

Shaped By is a newer presence with a focus on motion design. That B Corp badge also tells a story about their values.

Column Five’s experience, bigger portfolio, and longer track record make their strengths visible. Shaped By offers specialized depth in motion design, for brands wanting something bold and animated.

Core Services

Column Five covers all the creative bases, including:

Brand and visual identity – positioning, messaging, and identity systems
Content strategy and production—editorial planning, SEO, whitepapers, and ongoing content programs
Data visualization—turning complex topics into interactive or animated stories
Video and motion graphics—explainers, animated text, and original sound design
SEO and AEO content services
Web design, interactive experiences, and results-focused demand generation (tracking things like MQLs and web traffic)

That’s all underpinned by a measurement mindset, so the results actually show up in your numbers.

Shaped By keeps it focused:

Motion design and animation for campaigns, product launches, and tech illustrations
Creative strategy and branding for companies wanting to get noticed in a crowded space

If your goal is a sharper motion identity or creative jolt for a campaign, this is their wheelhouse.

Strengths

Column Five stands out for one big reason: proven results for SaaS and tech brands. For example:

VideoAmp saw an 850% increase in qualified leads after a tighter story and website experience
Blend’s traffic jumped by 183% through a new content plan
Instacart ran 200 projects with Column Five over 18 months, improving average keyword rankings by 29 spots

The team’s veteran founders brought their expertise from academia and publishing, which shows in their approach to data-rich storytelling. Awards and top reviews back up the quality.

Shaped By is all about mastery of motion. The creative team brings technical skill to high-stakes B2B campaigns. Their B Corp certification matters to those looking to align work with their values. Having delivered on complex projects for security companies like Noname Security and Palo Alto Networks, they get tech, compliance, and regulatory needs.

Best For

Column Five is best suited for companies ready to invest in a holistic, system-level approach to brand and content—where narrative strategy, research, storytelling, and creative execution work together to support GTM clarity and long-term growth. It’s a strong fit for:

Mid-market and enterprise B2B SaaS and technology companies
Teams with budgets of $10,000+ per month or $20,000+ for strategic initiatives
Marketing leaders looking for a close, strategic partnership rather than a vendor relationship

Column Five is particularly effective for companies approaching major growth inflection points—such as fundraising, category expansion, or pre-IPO positioning—where shaping perception and narrative consistency matters as much as demand generation.

Shaped By, by contrast, is best when the primary need is standout motion design. Their strengths are well-suited to security, infrastructure, and technical products that benefit from strong visual storytelling, especially during launches or rebrands. For organizations with supplier requirements tied to B Corp certification, Shaped By also meets that criterion.

Column Five lists big players among its clients:

Dropbox
Netflix
HubSpot Ventures
Instacart
GitHub
Intuit
Microsoft
Roblox
Salesforce
SAP
VideoAmp
Zendesk
J.P. Morgan Payments

Clients praise the team’s partnership, speed, and reliability. Instacart called Column Five “the gold standard for being an extension of our team.” Vercel shared that the agency has “a unique superpower for taking your ideas and making them 50x better.” Zendesk highlighted their fast turnaround and problem-solving spirit, describing them as “a true production partner.”

Shaped By works with clients like Noname Security and Palo Alto Networks.

Determining The Right Partner For Your Brand

Figuring out the right path starts with identifying the end goal. A team might need a partner capable of managing the entire ecosystem. That means figuring out the strategy, creating the content, and getting it in front of the people you want to reach. On the other hand, the project might just call for nailing a specific campaign with distinct motion graphics.

Both shops help B2B tech companies improve, but Column Five focuses on brands that want to scale using evidence of success. It helps to see real-world examples. See what they do to help SaaS companies navigate these challenges, or browse their client stories to see the results firsthand.