Story

What Story does

Story is a privately-held UK integrated creative agency founded in 2002 in Edinburgh by Sue Mullen, with a secondary office in Newcastle upon Tyne. It operates as a subsidiary of The Mission Group plc, a London-listed collective of creative agencies employing roughly 1,000 people across 29 locations. The agency delivers a full-service offering spanning advertising, brand strategy and development, planning and research, web development, content creation, B2B marketing, packaging and product design, internal communications, social media, digital advertising, eCRM, and visual design. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-led by creative, planning, account, and production teams based in the two UK offices.

The agency's client base is concentrated in the UK enterprise and public sectors and spans whisky and luxury food & drink (notably a 20+ year relationship with Ardbeg, including operation of the 130,000+ member Ardbeg Committee), financial services (M&S Bank credit cards and mortgages), real estate (Savills NEW YARDS, Qmile Group Haymarket), insurance (NFU Mutual, appointed January 2025), public health and government (NHS 24, Home Office police recruitment, Fresh Smokefree North East), and charities (Erskine). Documented campaign outcomes include £343,000 raised for Erskine with a 43% rise in direct debits, 55 million M&S Bank credit card transactions and over £1 billion in spend, and 100% pre-letting of the Haymarket Edinburgh development two years ahead of completion.

The business model is professional services-based: revenue is generated through project fees, retainers, and campaign-based engagements won via competitive pitches and direct enterprise sales. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-client via the Edinburgh and Newcastle offices under regional sales leadership, with no intermediary, reseller, or marketplace channels. The agency holds ISO 14001 environmental accreditation and is committed to a 44% emissions reduction across all three scopes by 2029 under The Mission Group's Science Based Targets initiative. In March 2026, founder Sue Mullen stepped back as Chair and Charlie Cutler, previously Digital Director and co-founder of acquired digital shop The Weather, became Managing Director, installing a new senior leadership team.

Name

Story

Legal name

Story UK

Website

https://story.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Story is a privately-held UK integrated creative agency founded in 2002, headquartered in Edinburgh with a Newcastle office, serving enterprise, government, and charity clients across whisky, financial services, real estate, and public health with advertising, branding, packaging, digital, and eCRM services as a subsidiary of The Mission Group plc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Full-service integrated creative agency providing advertising, brand strategy and development, planning and research, web development, content creation, B2B marketing, packaging and product design, internal communications, social media, digital advertising, eCRM, and design services. Revenue generated through project-based fees, retainer contracts, and campaign-based engagements with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Story is an integrated creative agency delivering advertising, brand strategy and development, planning and research, web development, content, B2B marketing, packaging and product design, internal communications, social media, digital advertising, eCRM, and design services. The agency works across sectors including automotive, financial, food and drink, public sector, property, and charity, serving enterprise and government clients.

Product overview

Story is an integrated creative agency offering a comprehensive suite of marketing and communications services organized around core disciplines: Advertising, Brand Strategy and Development, Planning and Research, Web Development, Content, B2B Services, Packaging and Product Design, Internal Communications, Social Media, Digital Advertising, eCRM, and Design. The agency works across diverse sectors including automotive, business-to-business, charity, financial, food and drink, healthcare, property, public sector, retail, travel and leisure, and utilities. Story's approach centers on strategic brand development and creative campaigns, with particular expertise in packaging design for food and beverage brands (notably long-standing work with Ardbeg whisky), financial services launches, public sector campaigns, and property marketing. The agency also manages eCRM programs like the Ardbeg Committee with over 130,000 members globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advertising

Quantifiable outcome

• Ardbeg Committee grew to 130,000+ members across 130+ countries
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Mission Group plccoreOthersStory is a subsidiary of The Mission Group plc, a listed UK company and 'collective of creative agencies with 1,000 people working in 29 places across the world.' Story operates as part of Mission's brand performance group, with the parent company providing access to 'all the tools, tech and specialist skills' needed to deliver client work. Mission Group's emission reduction targets, validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative, apply to Story as part of their environmental commitments.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Leith Agency: Edinburgh-based integrated creative agency with a comparable mix of brand strategy, advertising, packaging, and digital work across Scottish and UK enterprise clients. Direct regional competitor to Story in the Scottish creative market.
• Mother London: Independent London-based creative agency known for integrated campaigns, brand storytelling, and willingness to take equity/deferred payment deals. Closely comparable in size, independence, and creative-agency positioning.
• Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH): London-headquartered independent creative agency producing award-winning brand campaigns for global enterprise clients. Comparable in offering integrated brand, advertising, and digital work with strong creative reputations.
• Wieden+Kennedy London: London office of global independent creative network with strong track record on integrated brand storytelling and enterprise clients. Comparable as a large, award-driven indie creative agency.
• Lucky Generals: London-based independent creative agency offering integrated brand and campaign work for UK enterprise clients including government and consumer brands. Comparable mid-size UK indie peer.
• Joint London: Independent London creative agency known for integrated brand work, packaging, and campaigns for FMCG and consumer clients. Comparable as a mid-size UK indie with F&B and consumer expertise.
• Creature London: Independent London creative agency with packaging and brand-design capabilities for consumer brands. Comparable as a mid-size UK creative shop with packaging design expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Saatchi & Saatchi: Global network agency (Publicis) with strong UK presence offering full-service advertising, brand, and digital work. A broader incumbent that competes with Story on enterprise creative pitches.
• DSmith (D&AD-affiliated agency network): UK-founded integrated creative and production agency with full-service capabilities across advertising, design, and digital. Broader incumbent competitor in the UK integrated agency space.

Emerging players

• Atomic London: Mid-size London creative agency combining brand, advertising, and design across consumer and B2B clients. Comparable indie UK peer with emphasis on brand-led creative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/storyuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Story