39 Storyation

Launched in late 2013 by former Fairfax Media executives Lauren Quaintance and Mimi Cullen, Storyation provides brand content designed to help companies add substance to their marketing strategies.

The business has seen 100% growth year-on-year, bringing in revenues of more than $2 million in the last financial year, and snagging spot 39 on this year’s Smart50 list.

A shift in the marketing landscape in recent years has made it harder for brands to capture the attention of consumers, Quaintance says, meaning “useful and inspiring content that meets an audience need has become a critical tool for cutting through the noise”.

Individual devices have put more power into the hands of consumers, she adds, while the impact of television and billboards is diminishing.

“To connect with audiences, brands need to provide something of value to them long before the point of purchase, which means producing content that is truly audience-centric — not focused on brand or product,” Quaintance says.

However, this changing industry has also brought its challenges for Storyation. When the founders set up shop, it was written content that was king, but now the industry is shifting towards video.

“We have had to stay agile,” Quaintance says.

Research suggests video will make up some 80% of the internet within the next two years, she adds, while changes to Facebook’s algorithm mean video is prioritised.

“It became clear producing high-quality, low-cost video would be critical to our future growth, and we took a leap of faith and hired a video producer to help us grow this side of the business, Quaintance adds.

Storyation is built on a culture of flexibility, with parents working part-time, a staff member who is completing their first documentary feature film, another who is writing a novel, and one who has recently completed a master’s degree.

Despite staff members having other commitments, the company’s staff retention rates are more than 90%, Quaintance says.

“We think it makes for a richer workplace and benefits our clients immensely,” she says.