Mediaweek has teamed up with the IMAA to give its indie leaders a platform to talk about their work, their take on the industry, and what keeps them busy beyond the day job.
For Ben Henzell, owner of BFJ Digital, that day job sits squarely at the intersection of data and decision-making.
His business works with clients across Australia, using audience insights, performance data and strategic planning to shape digital marketing outcomes. It’s a model that’s less about chasing trends and more about understanding what actually moves the needle, then building from there.
Here, Henzell steps out from behind the dashboard to talk about the realities of running an independent agency, how he approaches growth, and what keeps him interested in an industry that rarely stands still.
What sparked your interest in launching your own indie agency?
I was made redundant during the GFC, so I asked that employer to become a
client. In that process, I started with five clients. It wasn’t a grand plan; it was
survival. A difficult process that turned out amazing, the previous employer is a client to this day.
What sets your agency apart from others?
We focus on client revenue, not platform metrics. That’s driven how we’ve built the service model.
AI is forcing agencies to rethink how they charge and deliver work. We focus on technology to ensure we report on revenue for our clients, not typical platform metrics.
Our Martech department enables that through CRM and website development, meaning our service line starts with acquisition and extends all the way to the P&L.
Indie agencies are increasingly seeing success with major pitches.
What differentiates your pitch approach from that of larger agencies?
The big agencies are still structured around hours. That model is under
pressure. Indies can adapt faster – especially with AI changing how work gets done.
I’d suggest the hunger of us Indies is clearly important for clients. We’re
more nimble and can adjust our service lines to match the brief more easily than the big guys can. The lower overheads also mean commercially we’re
more attractive, with quite often better client outcomes.
Who are your latest agency account wins?
It’s been a big year – Endeavour, Ainslie Bullion, Guide Dogs Australia, The Ekka, Healthgine, Myob, Healious, to name a few.
What’s interesting is the mix – not-for-profit, health, fintech – but the underlying problem is usually the same.
What’s a piece of work you’re most proud of?
There are two: the support we offer our NFP clients, like Lutheran Services
Queensland, or taking SmartClinics Medical group from one clinic, to being
acquired by Better Medical (100-ish clinics), who’ve now been acquired by
Medibank.
In each of those acquisitions, most agencies would be at risk; we’ve been able to maintain those clients due to the effectiveness of our work.
As a leader, how do you switch off from work and unwind after a busy
week?
My kids. Family is everything for me. I still work huge hours, on the weekends, etc., but I love it. I’ve set up my home environment so I can multitask with work and the family when required.
That said, switching off has taken a lot of work even before the kids. How? Hobbies. I use hobbies to think about when I want to switch off, when I need to.
What does success look like for you over the next 12 months?
We’ve launched internal AI tools that are already saving significant time
across the team. The goal isn’t to replace people – it’s to elevate them into
more strategic roles.
It’s incredibly exciting what we’ve built. The purpose of tools is to enable our clients access to the latest trends, while ensuring our ‘never finish with AI’ mandate runs true.
See here for past editions of IMAA Spotlight.
Main image: Ben Henzell