Sam Buchanan, CEO, Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA).
No one can argue that change is everywhere in our industry. But this time it feels different. It’s less about short-term shifts and pivots that change demands, to a deeper structural reset.
Several factors are influencing this change. Clients are seeking more tailored service and transparency, and deeper relationships rather than a package of services and layers of people.
They want flatter structures, faster decisions and access to senior leaders to create valued partnerships.
The rapid growth and evolution of technology and AI has democratised the playing field, where specific digital and channel expertise counts.
Coupled with shifting remuneration models, with performance, outcomes and even skin in the game built in, this move to personalised service, deeper relationships and specialist expertise is more than just a trend, it’s the industry’s new foundation.
And it is where independent agencies shine. We have always known that agility, transparency and ROI are critical to success, where big isn’t always better, now clients are aligned.
Last year was a watershed moment for the independent media agency sector. For the first time, we saw a shift from the indies simply “keeping up”, to leading the industry. Indies firmly took a front seat at the pitch table, in the talent pool and in government conversations.
This year, it’s all about experience. Clients want attention and accountability from senior agency leaders who have the expertise, the skills and the lived experience to deliver results. And the talent is also gravitating to the independents.
Senior agency staff are moving to indies for the chance to make a real difference, for equity and ownership and the chance to build their own business and client stable, while still getting on the tools with their teams, to achieve results.
It’s also about stability.
The past 12 months have revealed a sector in crisis with mass consolidation and layoffs, reduced service levels, talent churn and less time spent on strategy and advertisers are feeling the brunt of the shift. In contrast, indies offer brands much-needed stability in an ever-changing market.
They’re often privately owned, profitable and not driven by quarterly shareholder expectations, so they’re able to reinvest in their people, and their product.
They are helmed by senior, deeply experienced leaders, who remain hands-on with their clients and business, and are committed to offering consistency, high-level strategy and expertise.
Indies also offer flexibility in a market that’s all about the pivot. With the rise of generative AI, data privacy changes, creator-led content, retail and commerce media, and brand-owned content ecosystems, clients need agencies that can experiment, partner and shift quickly.
This agile thinking is built into indies’ DNA - they’re set-up to think and move fast, without being burdened by internal politics or rigid structures.
Across the board, there’s renewed calls to support local and to back Aussie jobs. For many advertisers, there’s a cultural alignment with backing local decision-making, along with the
benefits of working with an agency that understands the nuances of the local market, and profits benefitting local economies.
And the government is listening too. The IMAA has led several advocacy efforts, calling for a change in the protocols surrounding master media contracts at both a Federal and state level.
Put simply, it’s time for a rethink - in 2025, the Federal Government handed out $171 million in contracts to holdcos, a 35% jump in Federal Government spending, compared with the same period in 2024.
Last year, the government finally heeded our cry.
The Federal Government and the Queensland and Western Australian governments pledged to prioritise Australian-owned agencies and the local economy in contract arrangements, opening the door for the indies, for the first time, to have a bigger seat at the table.
Change has arrived.
One-size-fits-all agency models are being replaced by more flexible, specialised and client-centric partnerships, with a firm eye on results, and rebalancing the industry to favour independence.