Business Spotlight: The Content Emporium

The Content Emporium is a fast-growing content agency, based in Bristol, whose clients include some of the UK’s top brands, including FTSE 100 companies. With deep expertise in the shopping centre sector and a reputation for blending strategic thinking with fast, agile delivery, the agency has carved out a unique space in the content marketing landscape.

In 2025, The Content Emporium joined GlobalWelsh’s Business Membership Programme. We spoke with the agency’s Welsh founder and CEO, Charlotte Laing, to learn more about the story behind the company, its biggest milestones, and what’s next as it continues to scale…

Can you share the story behind The Content Emporium?

The Content Emporium started quite humbly back in 2009, when I was working as a solo freelancer. At the time, it wasn’t called The Content Emporium; it was just me, taking on freelance work and gradually building up a client base, particularly in the shopping centre sector.

One of The Content Emporium’s first major projects was producing a customer magazine for St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff. That opportunity really opened doors for me, and from there, it evolved into a business which grew organically through word of mouth within the industry.

Fast forward to today, and The Content Emporium are now operating as a full-service content agency. We now have a team of 63 people - 42 on payroll, and we have a roster of great and trustworthy freelancers that we work with very regularly. We currently work with 20 shopping centres across the UK, creating content that spans all digital platforms - TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and even X, though that’s become a smaller part of the mix. 

In addition to social media, we handle design, email marketing, website content, and broader digital strategy. We often lead multi-channel campaigns, coming up with creative concepts and delivering them across all platforms, whether it’s a student-focused initiative or a seasonal activation.

What have been the biggest milestones or achievements since starting your business?

One of the milestones I’m most proud of is retaining our largest client which is a FTSE 100 company. As a Bristol-based challenger agency, without the legacy or scale of the big-name London firms, we’ve always focused on delivering outstanding service and being the kind of partner our clients can truly depend on. Over the years, while other agencies have come and gone, we've remained a consistent and trusted presence, evolving in step with their changing needs. That long-term trust and partnership mean a great deal to us.

Another major milestone was surpassing £1 million in revenue. For many businesses, it’s a pivotal moment when you transition from a founder-led setup to a more structured and scalable operation. It meant building a leadership team, implementing proper systems, and stepping back from trying to do everything ourselves. Successfully navigating that shift and emerging as a sustainable and profitable business was a defining achievement for us as well.

What sets The Content Emporium apart from other content marketing businesses?

There are two key things that really set us apart. The first is our niche - we specialise in the shopping centre sector. We don’t just understand content; we truly understand shopping centres. We work closely with centre directors, retail teams, and the individual brands within each centre, from fashion to food. Over the years, we’ve developed a deep, almost intuitive understanding of how these destinations operate, what drives footfall, and how to communicate effectively with their audiences. That niche expertise allows us to create content and campaigns that genuinely land.

The second is our unique combination of strategic capability and agility. We have a highly experienced senior leadership team and offer professional, insight-driven strategy. But we also pride ourselves on being incredibly responsive. Unlike larger agencies, where delivery can often feel distant or slow, we operate more like an in-house team. When our clients need something, we’re on it - typically within the hour. That level of closeness and speed, combined with the depth of our expertise, is what really differentiates us.

What’s been the most exciting campaign you’ve worked on as a content agency?

One of our most successful and impactful campaigns in recent years has been launching shopping centre clients on TikTok. A couple of years ago, we spotted a clear opportunity for our clients to reach a younger, highly engaged audience through the platform - something that hadn’t really been done in the shopping centre space at that point.

We proactively developed a proposal and business case to show why TikTok made strategic sense for them. It was a bit of a leap, given the platform's fast-moving style, but we struck the right balance. We reassured our clients that we could walk the line between being on-brand and responsible, while still creating the kind of fun, culturally relevant content TikTok demands.

As a result, we’ve now launched TikTok channels for eight major shopping centres across the UK. The results have been fantastic, audiences have grown rapidly, and the channels have unlocked an entirely new demographic, particularly Gen Z, who are engaging with the centres in a completely new way.

What’s been especially exciting is how the content integrates with the physical experience. For example, when a new brand opens or an event is happening, we’re there creating TikTok content live, which not only drives footfall but also turns those moments into part of the spectacle itself. It’s brought a whole new energy to how shopping centres present themselves - and it’s been a real growth area for us as an agency.

Why did you join GlobalWelsh, and how can we support your journey?

Joining GlobalWelsh was a way for me to reconnect with my roots. I grew up in Newport but left to go to university, and now I live over the bridge with my English husband. Over time, I’d started to feel a bit disconnected from Wales - not intentionally, but just as life moved on. Discovering GlobalWelsh and realising there was a thriving Welsh business community - many of whom live outside of Wales - really appealed to me. It felt like a way to come back into that network and celebrate a shared identity that still means a lot to me.

Since joining, I’ve already connected with a few fellow members, and one of them, who had experience at a major marketing agency, even offered some really valuable advice about growing The Content Emporium. Those kinds of conversations are incredibly meaningful and useful at this stage in our journey.

Pitching at Connect to London gave me the chance to introduce our business to a broader audience in a supportive, energised environment. I really felt the strength of the community, and it was fantastic to be part of something that’s not just about business, but also about identity, pride, and shared ambition.

What are your goals for The Content Emporium in the next few years?

We’re in a really exciting phase right now, sitting on a lot of opportunities. Over the next six months, we’re launching a major business development push. A key focus is expanding our client base to include more enterprise-level brands, particularly FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies. We’ve already proven that we can operate at scale with our shopping centre clients, and we know our strategic and creative capabilities translate well into sectors like fashion, beauty, food & drink, leisure, and placemaking.

We're also exploring how to embrace AI in a meaningful and responsible way. For us, it’s about enhancing, not replacing, the creativity and expertise within our team. We're currently integrating AI tools into our internal processes and training the team to use them effectively. The goal is to improve efficiency while staying at the forefront of innovation in our industry.

Lastly, one of our goals is to start entering and winning industry awards. We’re incredibly proud of the work we do, and we know it stands up on a national stage. Now it's just about carving out the time to tell those stories and put ourselves forward for recognition.

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