Pitch slapped: Indies band together as costs bite

Australian independent agencies have formed comm:unity to share staff, compare business advice and team up on briefs they couldn’t take on alone. 

Those That Do founder Ben Walker launched the group after conversations with fellow owners kept returning to the same problems: tighter budgets, unpaid pitch work, and the demands of running an agency.

Members will have access to a peer “shadow board” for business decisions, pitch and market information, and a bank of shared staffing resources.

Who’s involved

The founding group includes Those That Do, Banter, Beyond The Narrative, BRX, Chello, Electric Lime, Faction, Fourteen10, HSLR, Hustle, JNR, MadeHR, MK Media, POEM, Third Avenue Group, Traction Studio and Unheld.

Comm will run bi-monthly, in-person sessions on pitching, client retention and profitability, alongside a digital community for advice and collaboration.

The first members will establish how the group operates, with each agency then nominating another business to join.

Walker said running an independent agency could be an isolating experience.

“Establishing and running an independent creative agency isn’t for the faint-hearted. It can be an incredibly isolating experience, where you’re single-handedly celebrating the wins, but also navigating the challenges - imposter syndrome, hard knocks and learnings.

“The idea for Comm was born from the pressures of running an indie and the common conversations shared among owners. Over the past few years, the collective theme among indie owners is that independence is getting harder. We’re contending with tighter budgets, the pitch tax, ever-increasing unbilled hours, the pressure to do ‘more for less’ and a growing sense of isolation, particularly when you’re expected to manage everything from HR to R&D.”

Working together on larger briefs

The group will also connect agencies with complementary skills so they can pitch for larger, multidisciplinary accounts.

“We know indies have something special. While the holdcos win on scale and integrated offerings, indies win on soul, agility and a commitment to craft excellence. The thing indies have been missing isn’t size; it’s a network of peers who get it.

“This is a community for independent agencies that believe the best work doesn’t happen in isolation, but when smart, generous people share what they’re learning, challenge each other and spot opportunities together. ”

Walker cited Forrester research on the demands facing independent agencies, including productivity gains and AI transformation.

“The report also notes, however, that those indie agencies with ‘differentiated thinking, specialised expertise, strong talent, and fast execution’ will remain attractive to marketers. We know there are challenges for the indie sector ahead, but we also know there’s opportunity. And that opportunity is going to be better harnessed collectively, with owners working together as one united force,” Walker said.

“It's our job as a collective to defend the indie sector, and it’s more important than ever to take action to make Australian indies buck the global trend.”

First meeting held

Comm held its first meet-up last week. Beyond the Narrative founder Anna-Rose (Posie) Stancombe was among those who attended.

“It was great to spend time with other founders of independent businesses and discuss the issues facing businesses today and into the future. Inspiring, collaborative and thoughtful conversation. Thank you to Ben for initiating, and I look forward to the next community session,” she said.

Further agencies will be invited over the coming months. Owners can register their interest at indies.community.