AMSTERDAM, 7 July 2026 – Substack, the international platform for independent writers and creators, has chosen HAGENS to lead its communications strategy in the coming period, following an extensive agency selection. As strategic PR and communications partner, the agency will be responsible for increasing brand awareness, media profiling and further building the fast-growing local community. The partnership has already kicked off successfully with the announcement of two new features.
Strategic expansion and local leadership
The choice of HAGENS marks an important next phase in Substack’s international growth plans. Since its launch in 2017, the platform has seen sustained growth, with more than 5 million paid subscriptions worldwide and, in the Netherlands, more than one hundred thousand paid subscriptions. With the appointment of Margot James as Head of Partnerships Netherlands, Substack is investing further in the Dutch market.
James brings a wealth of experience: she previously helped build Spotify in the Netherlands from the start-up phase and, from London, worked on the streaming service’s further growth in more than 30 international markets. She then supported Podimo in its start-up phase with commercial strategy and revenue models for several European markets. From Amsterdam, she is responsible for Substack’s relationships with Dutch writers and creators and for further building the platform in the Netherlands.
First successful PR campaign
HAGENS and Substack have already joined forces with a first achievement: the introduction of local leaderboards and the expansion of the automatic translation feature. With the launch of these features, the Netherlands, together with a number of other European markets, was the first outside the United States. The lists show that established public voices such as Rutger Bregman, culinary heavyweights such as Mara Grimm, rapidly rising newcomers such as Lisa Loeb and independent news publications all score strongly on the platform.
Margot James, Head of Partnerships Netherlands at Substack: “The Netherlands is full of talented writers and creators, and we have seen strong growth on the platform here for years. From the very first conversation, HAGENS felt like a partner that truly understood our mission, tone of voice and ambition for the Dutch market. They bring the experience, strategic knowledge and Fingerspitzengefühl needed to build Substack further locally. We look forward to growing a strong Dutch ecosystem for independent writers and creators together.”
