Who are 39steps?
We’re an Edinburgh-based creative agency on a mission: to transform tired brands.
With our guidance, YOUR business can be more attractive, more appealing and more confident. Could you work with us?
our story
We love to make things better.
Like every creative agency, we like to think we’re different from the others. Truth is, we’re probably not but like every business, we have our own unique story that shapes who we are and how we do things. We don’t know if our story makes us better than the others but we do know that lots of people like working with us. Maybe you would?
We like to transform things, that’s why we do this. We love to make things better. If we see an organisation that isn’t reaching its potential, we want to get stuck in and find out what’s gone wrong and how we can help make it brilliant.
You want a team that will guide you through your brand transformation, support you with marketing campaigns and help get you from where you are now, to where you want to go. At 39steps, we can look at the whole marketing picture: research your market, create the strategy, design and produce assets, and implement the strategy.
Born in 2003, 39steps looks to the future, keeping on top of the latest industry trends, aiming to explore and explain them in understandable, jargon-free language. We’re on a quest to simplify the complex and make marketing your business FUN.
Meet our creative team
We’re a wee team with big ideas and oodles of experience from across the creative industry.
Our clients tell us they like us, what we do for them, how we do it and the impact we have on their business. Which is just as well, as that’s what gets us up in the morning!
We’d love to be part of your story and for now, here’s a bit about us:
Julie Diver
Gaffer
A designer and illustrator, Julie set up 39steps in 2003 and is the gaffer at the helm of Team39. She is the first point of contact for new enquiries and provides valuable consultancy on marketing and brand direction. Julie is also part of Edinburgh-based charity Kids Love Clothes which helps struggling families across the Lothians. Aside from work, she’s mildly obsessed with shoes, Scandi noir, her two small boys and red wine. Not in that order, of course…
Steven Thomson
Director
Steven started in publishing and freelanced before heading up the creative team of a training company. Recently he’s been more involved in digital marketing, having built up some considerable knowledge over the years. In fact, he’s the main man behind our digital marketing service. As well as an illustrator, Steven is a major car geek and is a tragically accurate resource on all things automotive.
Charlotte Chapman
Planner
Charlotte is a multi-award-winning planner and researcher with over 15 years’ experience. She has worked in customer insight and planning roles, both in-house and agency side, across multiple sectors including public and third sector, FMCG, construction and financial services. When she’s not working or chasing after her children and puppy, Charlotte is the world’s slowest runner, often to be seen being overtaken by a tall man walking.
Eri Griffen
Digital Director
Eri is a seasoned multidisciplinary designer, and has worked extensively over the past 20 years in her native Japan, Australia, Ireland and the UK, for both commercial and corporate clients. On her days off, she loves drawing (award-winning!) illustrations and walking her cute pugs Gyoza & Mochi around the Meadows area.
YOU?
Designer of Awesome
We’re looking for a cracking, experienced designer with oodles of ideas, a smile and a can-do attitude.
Might that be you? Get in touch!
Gordon Sheppard
Web Support
Gordon is our go-to web guru, providing valuable maintenance and support to many of our web clients. What he doesn’t know about WordPress frankly isn’t worth knowing. With a career spanning over 30 years in technology support, marketing and service delivery he understands the pressures business owners feel in trying to position themselves ahead of their competition and he’s well placed to advise on web best practice. One thing not on his CV is that Gordon has no sense of smell! Just don’t go asking if he’s left the gas on…
Gyoza
Crumb Vacuum
Gyoza is a 6 yr old multi-tasking studio security guard and floor cleaner. Now employs a junior, Mochi. Why have a dog and bark yourself, right?
Mochi
Face-licking Intern
Mochi is learning the ropes, under the exacting tutelage of her big furry sister, Gyoza.
Yeah, so we’re a pretty clever bunch AND we’re easy to work with, too. Drop us a line and let’s see if we’d be a good fit for you.
What our clients say…
Julie and the team are great to work with and we are absolutely delighted with our brand. we are pleased the team captured the essence of what William Purves is about with what was a challenging brief and look forward to working with 39steps in the future!
Professional, knowledgeable, personable and masters of their craft, I can’t recommend 39steps enough.
Working with 39steps creative agency was an absolute dream… every member of the project team was impressive, knowledgeable and friendly.
We’re not ones to brag but as you’ve read, our clients are pretty happy with us. It can’t just be ‘cos we’re nice people! Learn how our Edinburgh creative team helped them grow and get inspired…
got questions?
Are you a good fit for my organisation?
We’ve worked with a diverse bunch of clients over the years, from global corporations to one-man bands (er, person :)). It took us a long time to realise who we work best with and since we did, we’ve not looked back. So, if you’re a B2B business owner, with a team of 20 – 200 staff and a turnover of £1 million to £20 million, you’re almost slap-bang in our ideal client range. We say almost because there are a couple of other even more important stipulations… First and foremost, we work best with business owners that care about something bigger than just the bottom line. Secondly, we work best with people who listen.
Not everyone will fit neatly in our ‘ideal client’ box, we also work well with marketing executives within similar-sized charities and not-for-profit organisations. The main thing is, you’re receptive to advice and care about more than just money.
If this sounds like you and you’re feeling a bit ashamed of your brand, then you should definitely put 39steps on your list, we’ve got a very strong track record of helping people like you transform their business. Let’s meet up.
Do you work across the UK?
We love helping local businesses to grow. It’s great to meet face-to-face and pass our designs as we walk down the street but we’ve also worked with businesses from as far afield as Hemel Hempstead, and even Germany.
It isn’t a problem for us to take on a website project from anywhere in the UK, or Europe. We can communicate via telephone and Skype and we manage all of our projects in Teamwork to keep things on an even keel. If the budget allows, we’ll even visit!
Why are you called 39steps?
We’re often asked where our name came from, and yes it was influenced by the Hitchcock film, based on the book by John Buchan. Here’s why…
Our first offices, were a couple of grimey little rooms in a Victorian block on the seedy-sounding Fleshmarket Close. It was a setting that seemed more suited to a private eye with a drink problem, than an Edinburgh-based creative agency.
Julie and her colleagues were struggling to come up with a name but were keen to have a number as part of it – so it would appear at the start of directories, of course!
As they mused over the many options, the sound of train platform announcements could be clearly heard echoing up the close from Waverley Station. It was then that they remembered the scene from “The 39 Steps”, where Richard Hannay boards a train from Waverley and heads out across the Forth Rail Bridge to evade capture.
It just seemed to fit with the vibe of mystery and seedy intrigue. It had a number and was short, too — job done!
It wasn’t until a few weeks later, long after registering the business name, that they actually counted the number of steps from the bottom of Fleshmarket close to the office door. You’ve guessed it, there were 39!
We’ve moved twice since then, once to Great King Street in Edinburgh’s posh New Town, around 2008. We stayed there for 6 years but never really got along with the vibe (it only had 12 steps!).
In 2014 we moved to our current place, near Edinburgh city centre in Morningside. We love it and would you believe it, after signing the lease, we counted the number of stairs up to our office – 39 again. Sometimes, things are just meant to be!
take the next step
Let’s discuss YOUR project and see which bundle suits you best.