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WHY THE BEST CLIENTS BUILD AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS, NOT SUPPLIER LISTS

Independent Agency Network2026-06-25T14:46:53+02:00 Many brands spend months searching for the right agency, only to spend years treating them like suppliers. In an industry where many client-agency relationships remain transactional, Penquin’s business development director, Sean Devlin, is calling on marketing leaders to shift from treating agencies as mere suppliers to building genuine strategic partnerships that drive superior business outcomes. Article...

BRAVE GROUP SECURES TOP RANK IN DIGITAL, AI, AND TRANSFORMATION IN 2025/26 AGENCY SCOPE STUDY

Independent Agency Network2025-12-12T13:45:39+02:00 Independent research positions communications company as a market leader across six critical performance categories. Article published in WWW.BIZCOMMUNITY.COM – 5 December 2025 by BRAVE GROUP IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: BRAVE GROUP Brave Group has emerged as a market leader in the critical pillars of modern communication, technology, and transformation, according to the 2025/2026 Agency Scope South Africa report. The biennial study, conducted...

HOW TO USE AI IN DIGITAL MARKETING, ACCORDING TO MAJOR BRANDS

Independent Agency Network2025-09-30T12:14:17+02:00 AI should not replace human ingenuity — it should enhance it Published in businesslive.co.za/redzone – 15 September 2025 - 11:40 by Lynette Dicey IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: 123RF Generative AI has experienced one of the fastest adoption curves in history, reaching nearly 40% of US adults within two years. It took the internet five years and personal computers almost 12 years to achieve...

HOW BOLD BRANDS WIN

Independent Agency Network2025-08-05T10:21:27+02:00 There is creative bravery in targeting smaller audiences to reap more authenticity and have a stronger effect Published in businesslive.co.za/redzone – 14 July 2025 - 12:30 by Elaine van Wyk IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: Google user content Businesses can no longer afford to have an all-encompassing, or mass, approach to social media marketing and assume that everyone is homogeneous and will react...

WHAT NEW PR TRENDS MEAN FOR AFRICAN BRANDS

Independent Agency Network2025-07-22T09:43:40+02:00 There are more demands than ever for practitioners to demonstrate the integrity and trustworthiness their messaging conveys Article published in businesslive.co.za/redzone – 15 July 2025 - 12:00 by Ethel Ramos IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: 123RF/eamesbot As the global communications community reflects on the evolving role of public relations (PR) in a world marked by division, distrust and digital disruption on World PR...

HOW TO BE AT EASE WITH NOT BEING AT EASE IN BUSINESS ANYMORE

Independent Agency Network2025-06-18T16:42:46+02:00 In times of flux, empowering teams to be honest about what they don’t know and giving them the support to explore can lead to unexpected breakthroughs Article published in businesslive.co.za/redzone – 09 June 2025 - 08:00 by Tarryn Knight IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: Unsplash/Kyle Glenn   The world is in flux, with unprecedented geopolitical upheaval and long-standing alliances in tatters. For many professionals...

#BURNINGPAPER: WHY ARE INDEPENDENT AGENCIES WINNING?

Independent Agency Network2025-06-02T12:09:34+02:00 A cheat sheet from Jarred Cinman on how to consider the right agency partner. Article published in marklives.com - 22 May 2025 By Jarred Cinman CEO of VML South Africa IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: Marklives.com If you’re in a big network agency like I am, you can’t have failed to notice the uptick in client and award wins going to...

THE SECRET INGREDIENTS REVEALED BY KANTAR’S MOST EFFECTIVE CREATIVE AWARDS

Independent Agency Network2025-04-11T11:43:45+02:00 The world’s most effective ads highlight four rising creative trends in the industry Article published in businesslive.co.za/redzone - 9 April 2025 - 12:28 by Lynette Dicey IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: 123RF/rawpixel Marketing data and analytics company Kantar has announced that Coca-Cola, Desperados, Freya’s and Deliveroo are the winners of its annual Creative Effectiveness Awards. The awards showcase the most effective ads across digital...

LOYALTY PROGRAMME USAGE SOARS AS COST OF LIVING BITES

Independent Agency Network2025-04-01T13:40:31+02:00More than 80% of South Africans are using loyalty programmes — up from 76% in 2023 Article published in businesslive.co.za/redzone - 27 March 2025 - 11:56 by Lynette Dicey IMAGE/PICTURE SOURCE: Alaister Russell Cash-strapped consumers are using loyalty programmes more than ever before to combat the impact of rising food and energy costs each month. The latest South African Loyalty...

WHY CLIENT PITCHES ARE NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE

Alliance of Independent Agencies2025-01-31T11:43:33+02:00Alliance of Independent Agencies - 7,150 followers January 30, 2025 "On a cold and wet evening at the end of January, the Alliance of Independent Agencies, as a member of The Debating Group, hosted a debate in the Houses of Parliament, with the motion “The pitch process is no longer fit for purpose” - Omar Oakes __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ‘There’s no such...