IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said the data reflects strong sentiment across the sector. Image: IMAA
Australia’s independent media agencies expect increased advertising expenditure in the 2025–26 financial year, according to the Independent Media Agencies of Australia’s 2025 Indie Census.
The annual report released today surveyed 157 agencies nationwide to identify trends across ad spend, media channel growth, recruitment, and operational priorities.
The data shows 77% of IMAA members expect ad spend to either increase or remain steady, with 32% forecasting growth of up to 10% on the previous year.
Nearly two-thirds of agencies now bill more than $11 million a year and the proportion billing between $30 million and $50 million has doubled in the past year to 16%.
Agencies expect the most growth across CTV/BVOD, programmatic out-of-home (OOH), digital video, podcasts and social media.
Almost 70% of respondents predict CTV/BVOD spend will rise by up to 25% in FY26, while more than 60% anticipate similar growth in audio and podcasting. Three in four agencies plan to include programmatic OOH in their FY25 media plans.
Recruitment is also trending upwards as more than 70% of agencies plan to increase headcount, with 60% looking to hire up to five new staff.
In media planning, 50.92% of respondents report using a unified strategy for audio, spanning radio, streaming and podcasts. While around 60.1% expect to manage media buying across Australia’s retail media in the coming year.
Meanwhile, digital branded content and advanced measurement adoption remain challenged by budget constraints, ROI concerns and lead times. Agencies cited education and cost as the main barriers to implementing new measurement tools.
AI and privacy remain key focus areas. Over half of agencies (57%) are using AI to drive operational efficiency or optimise campaign outcomes, KPIs and ROI. Privacy is also a priority, with 74% considering it an important factor when selecting publishers or platforms.
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said the data reflects strong sentiment across the sector.
“Our latest Indie Census is demonstrative of the buoyancy in the national indie media agency sector,” he said.
“Despite the cost-of-living crisis and reduced consumer spending, our members continue to feel positive about advertising spend and business growth, reflecting the overall state-of-play in the indie agency landscape.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen significant momentum for independent media agencies nationwide, with major account wins and investment, as brands realise the many benefits of working with indie agencies.
“Our members anticipate double-digit growth in ad spend in the next financial year, which is a vote of confidence in our Australian independent media sector, and backed by the IMAA’s industry-leading professional development and education initiatives.”
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