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Meet an Indie Agency: Storythings
An obsession with ideas in B2B
Storythings is a UK-based agency built for thoughtful, strategic, and format-driven storytellingโespecially for B2B brands. Founded by Matt Locke after years at the BBC and Channel 4, the agency takes cues from media, not marketing, to create work thatโs human, original, and sticky. Locke teamed up with Anjali Ramachandran and Hugh Garry, both former BBCers, to form a hybrid of strategy consultancy and production studio. โWe obsess over formats and ideas,โ said Garry. From payroll docs to culture-first podcasts, Storythings builds storytelling experiences that people actually want to consume. As Locke puts it, โWe bring media craft to B2B.โ
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What the Agency is Best Known For and Strengths
Locke started Storythings after launching a storytelling conference called โThe Story.โ He left Channel 4 and wanted to bring the energy of documentary, comedy, and journalism into the brand world. โI just hired a venue and curated the best storytellers across sectors,โ he said.
Ramachandran said, โWe make B2B content humanโnot zombie-like.โ She added that too much content today is generic or AI-driven. Their work stands out by focusing on narrative structure, format innovation, and putting people at the heart of every story.
Strategy, storytelling, and format creation are their superpowers. โWe learned a lot from public broadcasting,โ said Garry. They use that knowledge to create original formats for video, podcasts, and editorial contentโespecially for complex, global B2B organizations.
Why Independence is Important
โIndependence lets us build the right team for the client,โ said Locke. Rather than having in-house staff they have to use, they assemble top-tier talent per project. โWe work more like a TV production company than an agency.โ
Why Brands Should Work with the Agency
Storythings has long-term partnerships with clients like ADP because they make high-quality, human storytelling at scale. โYou donโt normally hear what payroll means to real people,โ said Locke. โBut thatโs the kind of work we doโstories that resonate.โ
Why Talent Should Consider the Agency
โWe nurture people and give them space to do their best work,โ said Ramachandran. Garry added they have a โprototyping culture,โ encouraging creatives to experiment. From wrestling podcasts to DIY zines, โwe let people play and flex their creativity,โ he said.
Weirdos, Misfits, or Underdogs?
โUnderdogs,โ said Locke. โWeโre not the biggest, but when people find us, they love us.โ Garry compared them to Prefab Sprout: โWeโre not the Smiths, but the fans who know us are obsessed.โ Theyโre content nerdsโand proud of it.
The Marketer and/or CMO They Want to Say Hello To
Locke picked hidden heroes: โI want to talk to the folks at NASDAQ and Xero. Theyโve got incredible stories waiting to be told.โ Ramachandran shouted out Raja Rajamannar (Mastercard) and Ariel Kelman (Salesforce). Garry added, โAny CMO who wants to do something differentโweโre here.โ
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