Klick dropped the numbers that reframe everything: 60% of questions now trigger Google AI summaries, 33% of AI summary sources are corporate content, and 89% of marketers are increasing AI budgets. VaynerMedia responded by showing their receipts—achieving full-badge status across TikTok (Agency Marketing Partner with all four seller certifications), Google (Premier Partner across all five ad categories), Meta (Certified Campaign Management Partner), and Snap Inc. (Strategic Agency Partner, one of only eight). Meanwhile, FUSE Create celebrated their ‘Schneiders vs. SchnAIders’ campaign winning gold at the Ad Age Small Agency Conference, especially meaningful in their hometown.
These Indie Agency News members are navigating the same platform proliferation, AI integration, and award season pressures facing every agency—but they’re approaching it with the kind of specificity that separates signal from noise.
🤖 The Algorithm Reality Check
We used to optimize for Google. Now we optimize for ChatGPT’s opinion of Google’s opinion of our client.
YPR Canada articulated what many feel but aren’t saying: AI doesn’t just answer questions, it shapes brand reputation. Before, analyzing everything said about a client before a crisis took hours on Google. Today, ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok summarize it in seconds—but they can hallucinate and spread false information at scale. Without credible traces online, AI won’t lend you a favorable story. Editorial articles remain the most powerful lever, serving as trust signals for algorithms.
VaynerMedia took the practical route, acknowledging that AI search isn’t coming—it’s already here. Their virtual event featured Chief Marketing Officer Avery Akkineni, Head of Investment Jon Morgenstern, and EVP of Media Benjamin Allison diving deep into conversational AI’s impact on search marketing.
🏆 Gold Standard Moments
Awards matter when they recognize work that actually moves needles.
Response Media used their Ad Age Gold Small Agency of the Year Award for Data & Insights to highlight their 45-year journey in growth marketing, leveraging behavioral science insights and data-led strategies for unparalleled customer engagement. Haymaker took a more philosophical view of their Small Agency Awards recognition, comparing it to “a Spurs dynastic run” rather than a threepeat—sustained excellence over individual wins.
Hydrogen Advertising earned recognition as the only advertising agency honored at the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Excellence in Wellbeing Awards, celebrating their people-first workplace commitment.
🚀 Launch Chronicles
Every agency launch is a bet on what the industry needs next.
Attention Arc officially launched as “a modern media agency built for mid-market brands and powered by 150+ people who believe passion and craft still matter.” Their strategic process—attract, resonate, convert—promises repeatable results. Not content with just launching, they also showcased creative work for Texas Pete, proving that straws can be media too and deliver “pretty tasty impressions.”
Another Thing went minimalist: “We’re doing this thing” with a link to their story about clients seeking something more. Sometimes the most intriguing positioning says less, not more.
📊 Intelligence Reports
In a world of approximations, specificity wins attention.
Quench Agency turned food trends into actionable intelligence with their 2025 Food & Beverage Trend Report, highlighting how “The Mini Revolution” sees bite-sized formats winning over consumers who want flavor, flexibility, and fun. After 16 years helping brands turn trends into action, they understand portable convenience isn’t just a fad.
BarkleyOKRP dropped their 2024 Impact Report “full of receipts (the good kind),” showcasing their B Corp commitment and partnerships with Chicago Sky WNBA, Veterans Community Project, Planet Fitness, Tony’s Chocolonely, and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Worldwide Partners highlighted how Moroch is scaling local nuance into national performance, building on “a bedrock of data, creativity and technology” to flip marketing upside down through local fluency.
💡 Creative Intelligence
The best ideas solve problems people didn’t know they had.
Left Hand Agency spotted genuine cleverness in Kizik’s new infant shoe, calling it a creative crush that solves real problems—no more shoe struggles—while innovating in a category that hasn’t seen much change.
Cornett introduced Oddrey, their new brand mark who’s “curious, carnivorous, and built to outsmart, outcompete, and grow.” Like Cornett, Oddrey doesn’t wait for attention—she grabs it. Created in collaboration with Ana Miminoshvili, it’s brand personality with literal teeth.
Buntin analyzed how back-to-school advertising evolved beyond predictable supply lists and discount promos. American Eagle teams with Snap Inc. to put 800 stores on Snap Map using AR, JanSport leans into intentionally awkward TikTok humor, and Kohl’s brings back Ellie Kemper as the iconic Kohl’s Mom.
🎙️ Conversation Catalysts
The best insights happen when smart people challenge conventional wisdom.
Reverve Agency asked the right question: “What if you don’t need a rebrand, but a new lens?” Their Permission to Seek podcast featured Kate Rush Sheehy, CSO at GSD&M, discussing how successful brands find fresh perspectives without starting over.
Model B continued their Beyond the Brief series with Erik Johnson, VP of Marketing at Harmony Healthcare IT, sharing lessons from working abroad. His takeaway: “Showing up, listening, and not being afraid to try can take you further than you think.”
Chameleon Collective offered practical job market intelligence, with Elise de St. Didier sharing what job seekers need to hear for senior marketing roles. They also explored how billing communications can make or break retention—every post-purchase message is a chance to reinforce trust or lose it.
🌟 Recognition Moments
Awards celebrate work that moves industries forward.
The Gerety Awards showcased winners of the Young Lotus Workshop from ADFEST 2025, featuring Dat Nguyen Thanh and Dung Cao from Dentsu Redder. Their work, “Journey to the DEPTH,” made them the first team from Vietnam to win the Young Lotus competition.
Raven Public Relations recapped their Ad Age Small Agency experience, congratulating winners Familiar Creatures, Bakery Agency, American Haiku, Rethink, and THE MAYOR.
Fortnight Collective returned from two days at the AdAge Small Agency Conference in Toronto, more convinced than ever that small agencies are where the magic happens (plus they got face time with JB Smoove).
💼 Growth Mode
The right people are infrastructure, not overhead.
VaynerMedia shared multiple perspectives on talent and culture. They told the 10-year journey of Siddharth Astir, who came as an intern and became EVP of Team GaryVee, offering career advice for new grads in a 45-second video. They also launched their first Culture Club in Canada with a rooftop yoga session led by Senior Analyst Krut Patel.
Bray & Co announced hiring due to growth: an inspiring Creative Director (NY only), a passionate Senior Account Manager, and something wonderfully different—a vibrant Inspiration Concierge (part-time) for someone who loves helping people rise above.
Blurr Bureau is expanding in Australia, seeking an ambitious Account Director who’s “equal parts strategic thinker, project leader, and relationship builder” with natural gravitas to guide clients and direct multidisciplinary teams.
🎯 Industry Intelligence
The best observations come from agencies actually doing the work.
Lewis featured CEO Ellen Praytor Faulkner in Bay Business News’ Spring/Summer 2025 edition, discussing the evolution of Lewis, their client-centric approach, and strategies keeping them at the forefront of industry innovation.
Slim Creative shared their Ad Age Small Agency Conference takeaways, highlighting Sarah Watson’s insight on founder agencies at existential crossroads, Samantha Rothaus making legal interesting, and the Own It community providing connection.
un-held challenged the “Always On” mentality, asking “Has ‘Always On’ become an ‘Always (Turn) Off’?” They argued for “Always Un”—cutting through like a machete versus churning like a machine, mic dropping versus mic hopping on every trending moment.
📚 Learning & Development
Professional development is about systems, not just inspiration.
Bluestripe Group launched Panel Power, a hands-on, half-day course for professionals who want to stand out on stage and make their company proud. Created by professionals who’ve spoken at Cannes, Advertising Week, and Madfest, it addresses the reality that too many panels are “stiff, over-scripted, and forgettable.”
Portland State University – School of Business shared networking wisdom through Angelika Vinevtseva, MBA ’25, whose biggest takeaway was that every conversation is an opportunity. By approaching networking with curiosity and authenticity, she opened doors aligned with her goals and values. They also celebrated graduate students Avery Kageyama and Noah Rappaport earning an Excellence Prize at Oxford’s Map the System Global Final.
🏢 Operational Excellence
The details that seem small often matter most.
Mower Agency highlighted how bank and credit union segmentation strategies might be overlooking their most valuable audience, hosting a July 31 event with expert insights from Mower, Carefull, and Credit Human.
Hunterblu Media celebrated Ava Cain as their Partner of the month, highlighting her quick turnarounds and smooth operations as truly lifesaving.
Left Off Madison offered a simple value proposition: “Experience with growing brands? Sure. Try growing 3 at once.”
Mintz + Hoke celebrated their work with the City of Torrington, helping communicate everything happening in the city including giving it a new brand.
⚖️ Strategic Perspectives
Legal and strategic thinking often overlap in ways agencies don’t expect.
Davis+Gilbert LLP broke down significant estate planning changes with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including permanent increases in lifetime gift and estate tax exemptions starting at $15M per person ($30M for married couples) beginning January 1, 2026.
Storythings captured a moment from Advertising Week Europe, speaking with féz from Goodfeather Music about what he thinks his job will be in 2050. His answer: retired, supposedly.
Coupe Studios Music + Sound Design summed up Boulder with characteristic honesty: A “weird circus?” Nothing describes Boulder better!
Indie Agency News connects independent agencies with the intelligence, community, and opportunities they need to thrive. If your agency is ready to join a network of ambitious indies sharing insights and wins, learn more about membership at indieagency.news.
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