Storycatchers ranked top 10 independent agency in the UK

We’re pleased and proud to share that Storycatchers has been named one of The Drum’s top 100 independent agencies in the world, ranked joint 36th globally and 9th in the UK.

It means a great deal to us, not least because independence has always been fundamental to the agency we want Storycatchers to be. We don’t believe we could run the agile, people-first business we want, work with clients we believe in and deliver fully against our strategic and creative ambitions for those clients if we weren’t independent.

Having no shareholders to answer to means we can choose the clients we work with – or not – based on our values and whether we believe we can genuinely add value to their organisation, rather than focusing on what they can bring to our bottom line. It means we can collaborate with the best external partners for each brief, rather than being constrained by the boundaries of a group and its purchasing policy. And it means every single decision affecting our people, our clients and our work is made here, by the people responsible for it.

And that really is the heart of why we are so proudly, stubbornly independent. It would be foolish of me to say that we’d never consider the opportunity to join a group, but it would have to be a very compelling proposition because the way we are able to deliver the strategic thinking, creative execution and real-world impact that have earned us our place on The Drum’s list is by being accountable to ourselves, our people, our clients and the brief. No one else. That means we can make decisions based on what will produce the best outcome for the job, rather than what protects the highest margin.

To paraphrase Uncle Ben, with great freedom comes great responsibility. It’s tough out there, and businesses of all shapes and sizes are digging deep and leaning into challenging economic headwinds that are showing no signs of letting up. Being a small indie in this day of our Lord is something of a rollercoaster and, as directors, we are acutely aware that every decision starts and ends with us.

But that’s also the deep privilege and utter joy of it.

We get to shape the culture we want, support our people in the way we choose, work with suppliers we respect, choose clients we can genuinely help and put the work and its efficacy above everything else.

So to be named by The Drum as one of the world’s most exciting independent agencies, on the strength of the work we produce and the business we’ve built around it, feels particularly special.

A very big thank you to our clients, collaborators and every Storycatcher, past and present, who’ve supported our success over the last 13 years.