Story Shop Named One of The Drum’s 100 Hottest Independent Agencies
When The Drum publishes its list of the 100 Hottest Independent Agencies in the World, it’s usually homework for us.
It’s the definitive list of who’s doing interesting work, who’s growing fast and and who we want to learn from.
This year, we opened it expecting to see the usual suspects – agencies like Bursty, Manifest Group and Day One Agency that we’ve admired from a distance while building Story Shop in Scotland.
But this year, we were verklempt to see our own name on the list. Story Shop was pride of place among the great and the good of independent agencies.
For a team that started as two people at a kitchen table in lockdown, it was a proper “stop and take this in” moment. Five years of graft, experiments, mistakes, near-misses, big wins, and a lot of ideas scribbled on scraps of paper, suddenly being recognised by an outlet we read and respect immensely.
We’ve always believed we belong in those conversations. But it’s very, very nice that The Drum thinks so too.
Scarlett Hollern and Gregor Hollerin, Co-Founders of Story Shop
What this means for us (and for clients)
We’re an independent PR agency in Glasgow, working with brands across Scotland and beyond. Being named one of The Drum’s hottest independents doesn’t change how we work day to day, but it does say a few important things:
our earned-first, journalism-led approach is cutting through
our small senior team can deliver work at big-agency level
challengers and ambitious brands who choose us aren’t taking a punt. Rather, they’re backing an agency recognised on a global stage
Alongside the awards, the work itself has levelled up. We’ve helped raise millions of pounds for charity. We’ve supported challenger brands as they become major players in their industry We’ve built founders into leaders who are now in a position to sell their businesses. We’ve taken purpose-driven brands and turned them into national stories, driving investment, sales, community impact and credibility far beyond their size. Every recognition we’ve picked up sits on top of that deeper belief: if you give us someone doing something meaningful, we’ll find the story, shape it properly, and make sure the world hears it.
If you’re a founder, marketing lead or comms director looking for a Scottish PR agency that can deliver international results by thinking deeply, asking awkward questions and fighting to earn you the credit you deserve, this is one more signal you’ve landed in the right place.
Email gregor@wearestoryshop.com to find out how we can help your brand punch above its weight.