Yes and no. We publish editorial content like a trade, but we're built differently. We're a hybrid—part media platform, part member network, part service provider. Think of us as a trade publication that's designed to help you, not just cover you.

We saw a gap. Independent agencies weren't getting consistent coverage and didn't have a clearly-defined, 24/7/365 home. Marketers kept asking "tell me about agencies I need to know about." And when we were at the trades, we were stretched thin, and a lot of great thinking never saw the light of day. We built Indie Agency News to fix all of that.

We prioritize live and video. We do a lot of written work, but we want people to see and hear your thinking. Additionally, Indie Agency News can have a point of view and always be on the side of members and the indie agency world. We can say the unpopular thing and advocate for our members.

Yes. Doug Zanger (the founder) was a senior editor at Adweek and The Drum, and worked in comms at Martin Agency. That experience taught us what works—and what agencies need to help build their stories and raise visibility.

Doug Zanger is the founder and leads the platform. Kyle O'Brien, Katie Walley-Wiegert and Angela Natividad are part of this and have ownership in the platform. We're a small, focused team with decades of combined experience in trade journalism, agency comms, and marketing. We've been editors, we've been on the agency side—we know both perspectives.

Membership is based on agency size, starting at $595/year for agencies of 1-10 people. Your rate locks in forever—it never goes up as long as you're a member. Check out our pricing section above for the full breakdown. And you get all benefits included in the price.

Absolutely. We work with creative shops, media agencies, design studios, influencer firms, production companies, strategy consultancies—anyone, in any agency category, building an independent agency. If you're independent and helping brands and people succeed with your teams and talent, you belong here.

Not owned by publicly-traded holding companies or consultancy—any percentage. Privately-held networks, PE and agencies with parent companies not in this industry as main business line qualify as independent to us. Size doesn't matter—we have solo shops and 300-person agencies. What matters is independence.

No—we're global. We have members across the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Our goal is to be 50% North America/50% the rest of the world. You can pay in your local currency through Stripe. Independent agencies are everywhere, and so are we.

As little as possible. We don't want you to have second job syndrome because you already put in a lot of work already. We proactively come to you with show ideas. We track your LinkedIn posts to find story and show angles. If you want to be more hands-on, great—but it's not necessary. We're built to make this easy, not add to your plate.

Our members are investing in building a global home for independent agencies. In return, they get access to everything—coverage, tools, community, all of it. It's a fair exchange. Plus, investment helps us grow so we can listen to our members and build what they need to improve their visibility. We work for our members, not pageviews.

No. We're designed to complement what your PR and comms teams are already doing, not replace them. Think of us as an extra set of expert eyes and ears—people who know what works. Your team still drives strategy. We help make their work stronger as part of your teams.

Yes, strategically. We use AI to stay organized, track member activity, and power our 1stPass analysis tools. But humans make all the editorial decisions. AI catches patterns—humans add context and nuance. We're about 50/50, and the human part is what matters most. Additionally, we have opted-out to all AI/LLM platform training. Once we take care of your project, all the data is deleted.

Perfect timing. We can help you figure out which lane to play in, what story to tell, and how to tell it. The 1stPass tools give you a framework. The 15-minute sprints help you talk through strategy. And seeing what other members are doing in the community shows you what's possible. We meet you where you are.

Even the most sophisticated and famous agencies can benefit. We've spent 15 minutes tweaking major awards entries that led to wins. Fresh eyes catch things you're too close to see. We've helped tell more of an agency's story and highlighted new people. Plus, the community connection, the tools, the content you own, and having experts on call—that's valuable at any level. Your visibility journey is more sophisticated, but we can still be a positive force.