Stellar Agency and Coastal Collective (COCO) have officially partnered to bring together two powerful forces in social media strategy, digital storytelling, and brand innovation. This partnership merges COCO’s community-driven, social-first approach with Stellar’s award-winning digital, web, and technology capabilities. Together, they are building a new agency model designed for how today’s audiences interact, connect, and consume.
Rather than treating this as a traditional acquisition, both agencies emphasized that this is a values-led partnership grounded in a shared belief: the most successful brands of the future will lead with human connection, social intelligence, and creative storytelling, and then scale that connection through digital solutions and technology.
Martin Pedersen, CEO and Founder of Stellar Agency, shared, “This partnership is about building the agency model of tomorrow. COCO has mastered the art of cultivating loyal brand communities and leading with human connection. Stellar brings the platforms, digital systems, and innovation to scale those communities with intention. Together, we are pioneering a unified social-first and digital-powered approach that helps brands stay relevant in the fast-moving world shaped by mobile, culture, and community.”
COCO will maintain its name, brand identity, client relationships, team, and culture. Its bold voice and community-led ethos will stay intact. Founder Brooke Apffel will continue leading COCO and will join Stellar’s leadership circle to guide social strategy, storytelling, and brand voice development across both organizations.
“COCO has always stood for human-first brand building. We design content and experiences that spark connection before conversion,” said Brooke Apffel, Founder of Coastal Collective. “Partnering with Stellar allows us to scale that mission with stronger digital infrastructure, innovation, and strategic technology. Our clients keep everything they love about COCO, and now they gain access to an extended team with deeper digital capabilities so their content, systems, and community can grow faster and more intentionally.”
Read More:Â SalesTechStar Interview with Hein Hellemons, Chief Revenue Officer at Darktrace
The partnership arrives at a time when brands are facing a massive shift in how audiences consume. Today’s consumers move quickly, scroll quickly, adopt trends instantly, and expect relevance, personality, and authenticity from the brands they choose. They also expect seamless digital experiences that connect the dots between social media, websites, platforms, and brand ecosystems.
This new model gives brands exactly that.
What This Partnership Means for Clients
- Social-first strategy that builds community, cultural relevance, and brand loyalty
- Integrated digital, web, and technology solutions that help that community scale intentionally
- Creative and data combined to elevate what content means, not just how it looks
- Access to both teams under one shared vision, while each agency maintains its own strengths and identity
- Innovation that amplifies creativity rather than replaces it
- Social-first, digital-powered brand building designed for modern audiences
COCO and Stellar will continue serving clients independently while collaborating across strategy, innovation, creative direction, and platform development when it benefits the client. Both teams are committed to expanding this shared vision while preserving the character, culture, and strengths that make each agency distinct.
Together, Stellar Agency and Coastal Collective are shaping a future where digital innovation makes brands more human, not less, and where community is not just another metric but the foundation for real, lasting brand growth.
