The Alliance of Independent Agencies has partnered with Experian to launch the Indie Intelligence Council, a new invite-only community designed to help independent marketing and advertising agencies navigate the evolving landscape of AI, data, identity, and marketing technology. 

The Council  will bring together senior leaders from across the independent agency community, alongside industry experts and technology partners, for peer-to-peer discussion, expert insight, and shared learning. The initiative is supported by Experian, who bring deep expertise in data, identity, and audience intelligence to help agencies apply these capabilities in practice in the next era of media, marketing, and advertising.  

The Council has been created in response to growing demand from agency leaders for practical guidance on various topics which reflect the pace of change facing agencies today including: 

• AI adoption 
• Audience intelligence 
• Measurement  
• Data infrastructure   
• Future operating models  

From the rise of agentic AI and shifting consumer behaviour to the growing need for robust data and identity foundations; agency leaders are being asked to make increasingly complex decisions at pace, often in areas where best practice is still emerging. 

The Council launches with strong industry backing, with more than 30 Alliance members already signed up, alongside a line-up of expert speakers at the cutting edge of agentic AI and its impact on the industry.  

Its inaugural session on 15th July will feature Tony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, who will discuss the standards and frameworks emerging around agentic advertising, alongside Alisdair Newman, director, advertiser solutions, marketplaces EMEA at PubMatic, who will provide a perspective on how agentic technologies are already being applied in practice. Future sessions will feature speakers including Brian O'Kelley, CEO and co-founder of Scope3, and Tracey Pilon, AI acceleration director EMEA & LATAM at Microsoft AI. 

Terry Martin, managing director of the Alliance of Independent Agencies, said: "Independent agencies have always thrived through their agility, entrepreneurial spirit and ability to adapt. But the pace of change across AI, data and marketing technology means no individual organisation has all the answers. The Indie Intelligence Council creates a space where leaders can come together to share experiences, learn from experts and collectively explore the issues that will shape the future of our industry." 

Jamie Hewitt, head of effectiveness at the Alliance of Media Independents and managing director of MI Media, added: "AI has quickly moved from being a technical discussion to a boardroom issue. Every agency is trying to understand how new technologies will impact planning, measurement, operations, and client outcomes. The Council is designed to help agencies make sense of that change by bringing together different perspectives, encouraging open discussion, and focusing on practical learning that members can take back into their businesses." 

Danny Holmes, consulting partner, media & agency at Experian, said: "Independent agencies are grappling with many of the same questions around AI, data, measurement, and audience intelligence, yet there are limited opportunities for leaders to discuss and address these challenges openly." 

"Experian sit at the centre of the marketing ecosystem, connecting agencies, brands, publishers, and technology partners through high-quality audience signals and scalable digital identity. This uniquely positions us to enable the cross-industry collaboration needed to help independent agencies more effectively leverage data, identity, and audience intelligence in the agentic era. We're proud to support the Council and help bring together the expertise, insight, and industry voices that will enable independent agencies to navigate what's next."

Independent agencies interested in joining the Indie Intelligence Council can register their interest via the Alliance of Independent Agencies and learn more about the Council's programme of expert-led discussions and industry insight. 

Experian

Experian Marketing Services empower brands to better understand, connect and engage with their target audience through deep consumer insights. Our expertise spans demographics, research, and dynamic behaviour analysis, providing actionable insight to...

More about Experian »

Powered by PressBox