Nicole Wagenecht and Loan Morris. Credit: ABL Digital Media
ABL Digital Media has appointed a general manager and overhauled its internal operations as it begins expanding into Europe, taking a cautious approach to growth amid broader sector optimism.
Nicole Wagenecht has been named general manager and tasked with building the systems to support scale while maintaining the agility that defines smaller players.
“The biggest risk in growth mode is mistaking activity for progress,” Wagenecht told AdNews.
“A lot of agencies reach a point where what worked for a team of 10 breaks down at 50. The focus now is on scalable processes, clear accountability and protecting the things that drive results.”
Wagenecht’s comments land as the wider indie agency market turns bullish.
The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) 2025 Indie Census shows 77% of agencies expect advertising spend to increase or remain steady in FY 2025–26.
Nearly a third predict growth of up to 10%.
Most are gearing up accordingly.
Over 70% plan to grow their teams, while 60% expect to hire up to five people.
Nearly two-thirds now bill more than $11 million annually, with the proportion billing $30–50 million doubling in the past year.
ABL is taking a slower, more deliberate route.
Wagenecht is overseeing the rollout of clearer roles, leadership layers and performance frameworks designed to support long-term scale, not just short-term revenue bumps.
While hiring is on the agenda, it’s being approached gradually, with a focus on cultural fit and operational readiness.
“Culture is one of the most fragile elements during growth. It’s easy to lose sight of what made the team strong in the first place,” Wagenecht said.
“We’re investing time in making our values explicit and building them into the operating model.”
Founder and CEO Loan Morris, who now splits her time between Australia and Europe, told AdNews decisions are being made with longevity in mind.
“The easy path is to chase every opportunity, stack services and scale quickly,” she said.
“But the risk is dilution of focus, delivery and culture.
“We’re focused on doubling down on proven value, rather than reinventing the wheel for the sake of scale.”
ABL’s current focus sits neatly alongside broader industry signals, but with a more restrained take on how to pursue them.
While IMAA data shows 70% of agencies expect growth in CTV and BVOD and over 60% in audio and podcasts, ABL is active in those areas through a performance-first lens, without rushing to add complexity.
Three in four agencies now include programmatic out-of-home in their plans, another area where ABL’s simplified delivery model may offer an edge.
On the tech front, 57% of indie agencies are integrating AI into campaign workflows and 74% cite privacy as a leading factor in platform decisions.
ABL’s approach to AI, described by Wagenecht as a “co-pilot”, reflects a trend toward cautious integration rather than wholesale automation.
“AI is excellent for scale, speed and surface-level optimisation,” she said.
“But it doesn’t replace strategic thinking, empathy, or creativity. At ABL, AI will continue to support the work, not lead it.”
The independent agency is also steering clear of services with unclear outcomes.
Measurement and branded content remain industry-wide challenges, with the IMAA pointing to “budget constraints, ROI concerns and long lead times” as common barriers.
Wagenecht said ABL is prioritising delivery clarity and client experience over adding services that lack defined value.
“Growing with purpose means knowing when to say no,” she said.
“Not every opportunity is the right one, and not every service should be scaled.”
International expansion is already underway, with work in France and Norway supporting ABL’s dual-continent model.
The approach aims to offer central oversight while giving clients access to local insight.
“Operating in two regions brings obvious logistical challenges, time zones, regulation, market expectations, but it also brings strength,” Morris said.
“We’re already privacy‑first and GDPR‑compliant, which gives us an edge in regulated markets.”
The leadership structure is expected to evolve, with Wagenecht’s role likely to broaden as new hires join.
The goal, Morris said, is to build leadership that can sustain growth, without the dead weight of unnecessary hierarchy.
“The aim is to stay nimble while adding the right expertise at the right time. We’re not building layers for the sake of it,” she said.
While ABL’s tone and tempo may differ from its peers, its focus on discipline, culture and performance-led delivery puts it firmly in step with where the indie market is heading.
“The ambition is to be recognised as a leading independent agency across Australia and Europe,” Morris said.
“But more than that, we want to grow without losing the values and agility that got us here.”
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