Indie agencies set for hiring blitz as advertising sentiment improves

BY Nathan Jolly

May 28, 2025 11:27

Indie agencies set for hiring blitz as advertising sentiment improves

Australia’s independent media agencies are predicting an increase in advertising spending in the coming financial year, with most set to hire new employees to meet demand.

This is according to the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA)’s 2025 Indie Census, an annual temperature check with representatives from 157 indie agencies.

Nearly two-thirds of IMAA agencies are now billing more than $11 million annually, according to the body, with 16% of indies now billing between $30 million and $50 million – which has doubled in the past 12 months.

While just 32% of census respondents are predicting a 10% rise in advertising spend from the current financial year, 77% expect a modest rise or flat spend. This is despite an overall dip in consumer spending and a continued cost-of-living crisis.

This positive sentiment within the indie agency world is driving recruitment plans within the sector. More than 70% of indie agencies plan to increase their staff headcount in the next 12 months, with 60% hoping to bolster their team by up to five new employees.

IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan, said this employment drive displays “the buoyancy in the national indie media agency sector”, noting “our members continue to feel positive about advertising spend and business growth, reflecting the overall state-of-play in the indie agency landscape.”

The makeup of media spend is also predicted to shift. Three-quarters of agencies have added programmatic out-of-home to their media plans in the current year, while 60% said they planned to manage media buying across Australia’s burgeoning retail media sector in the next 12 months.

The graphic supplied by the IMAA. Click to enlarge.

Agencies predict the biggest growth in advertising spend over the next 12 months will come from connected TV and BVOD, with 70% of indies predicting this sector to grow by 25% over this time. More than 60% believe that audio and podcast advertising will grow by a similar percentage during the coming financial year.

According to an end-of-year report from Group M, Australian advertising spend was up 2.2% in the calendar year 2024, and will rise 3.7% this year.

IPG’s Magna was bolder still in its predictions, forecasting a 6.5% leap in 2025.