Credit: IMAA
Independent agencies must overhaul workflows, cut operational friction and double down on trust as AI reshapes marketing, speakers told the Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) Indie-Pendence Day conference in Melbourne.
More than 200 agencies and industry bodies attended the event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, sponsored by News Australia and Tubi.
Finance commentator Betsy Westcott said brands face more deliberate spending and rising scrutiny from consumers prioritising comfort, convenience and perceived life quality.
“This year, we expect to see an emergence of values-led consumerism, where customers are being more intentional with their spending, having greater scrutiny over their discretionary purchases and are prioritising memory creation, comfort and convenience.
“For brands, it’s products and services that reduce stress, reduce friction and increase perceived life quality that will win,” she said.
Westcott said agencies should approach AI as a structural shift rather than a tool upgrade, arguing vision, workflow redesign and skills development will determine who benefits.
She also warned trust will become a competitive advantage as automation accelerates.
Headspring founder Mark Byrne said most organisations are underusing generative AI and have not embedded it into how work gets done.
“Indie agencies are well-placed to lead in this space. They’re typically owner-led, which means they can run at these opportunities faster than the holdcos and they often have a culture that genuinely cares about craft,” he said.
In a session with Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier, Australian Centre for AI in Marketing co-founder Louise Cummins examined how agencies can remove process that no longer adds value.
“A lot of businesses, especially in marketing, consulting and production, rely on friction, they need weeks to complete tasks, tiered production models, processes as theatre, the ceremony of meetings,” Ferrier said.
“All of it is friction disguised as value. But when AI is everywhere and execution is immediate, friction stops looking premium and starts looking incompetent.”
IMAA chair Jacquie Alley said the conference sets the direction for the year and flagged renewed investment in the IMAA Academy, a new Tech Council to guide AI transformation and an expanded board.
“This year’s Indie-Pendence Day event brought together some of the nation’s top thinkers in AI, futurism, consumer sentiment and marketing, to offer strategic insights and expertise that agencies can take back and embed within their own operations,” she said.
“The calibre of this year’s speaker line-up is testament to the strength of the independent media agency sector and the IMAA’s position as one of the nation’s leading industry bodies.”
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