The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has announced its Leadership Growth series of webinars to support the indie media agency sector continue to grow and thrive.
The webinars will feature some of the industry’s most experienced leaders in pitching, marketing, public relations and LinkedIn.
Among the leaders speaking include Darren Woolley, Founder and Global CEO at Trinity P3; Kathleen Gunther, Marketing Strategist from Gunther Consulting; Jennie Wagner, Agency Development Lead ANZ and Helen Girdlestone, Head of Agency Development ANZ, at LinkedIn; and Rochelle Burbury, Principal and Julie Wright, Managing Director at Third Avenue Consulting.
“With a Federal election looming and as Australia faces ongoing uncertainty from international political events and, closer to home, a challenged economy and cost of living pressures, it’s more important than ever for our members’ leaders to have access to support and ongoing education,” IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan, said.
“We are delighted to offer our members some of the best in the business through out Leadership Growth webinar series to share their knowledge and equip agencies with the tools and skills to continue to grow and succeed.”
The first Leadership Growth series webinar will be held on 9 May, presented by Woolley and entitled What is the state of the pitch in Australia, and what can you do about it? This webinar will review the findings of the latest State of the Pitch Report and discuss strategies for winning in the face of economic instability, high cost of living, and the often-fraught pitch process in Australia.
“Monitoring the breadth and depth of the growing number of challenges facing the media market, particularly the agencies operating in this market, we realise it is essential to provide industry-leading skills training and access to subject matter experts to keep ahead of the changes and maximise performance,” Woolley said.
“This is even more important for the dynamic and growing independent agencies. Marketers and advertisers are looking to this group to innovate and disrupt the market, which you can only do when you are across emerging opportunities.”
The Sustainable Growth for Independent Agencies: A Pragmatic Approach webinar, will be presented by Gunther on 21 May and will look at how agencies can create sustainable growth through strategic, consistent marketing without overextending resources.
Gunther said: “Independent agencies don’t need to choose between growth and sustainability; they need pragmatic strategies that deliver both. The indie sector thrives on agility and creativity, but often struggles with consistent marketing that doesn’t drain resources. My framework gives agencies practical tools to market themselves authentically over time.”
On 28 May, Burbury and Wright will present The power of PR: The importance of having a profileand how a planned and consistent PR program can build awareness, credibility, reputation and new business leads.
Burbury said: “Having worked with the IMAA since its inception in 2020, the indie industry body has become a case study for how to do PR well. The indie agency sector is now a sought after thought leader in the industry and large clients have turned to indie agencies for their demonstrated agility and experience. PR is an important component of this but it’s equally important to get it right.”
The final session, The Building Blocks for a strong voice on LinkedIn, will be held on 4 June by Jennie Wagner and Helen Girdlestone who will present an interactive workshop to help agency leaders craft authentic LinkedIn profiles, build thought leadership, and engage with purpose.
Girdlestone said: “Supporting indie agencies is a priority for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. Through the IMAA Growth Series and our broader support programs, we’re giving leaders the tools to grow their teams, pitch with confidence and sharpen their B2B strategies to unlock real business impact.”