What The Future of Marketing Looks Like with IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan

Sam Buchanan probably has one of the clearest views of what’s happening inside Australia’s independent media agency sector right now.

As CEO of the IMAA, he’s across more than 175 indie agencies, which means he’s seeing first hand what consumers and businesses want from marketing right now in 2026. 

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Sam to get an honest read on where the market is heading and what the best agencies are doing right. 

Key moments:

0:00 - Where Australian media is sitting right now, and why agencies are dealing with more change, fragmentation and uncertainty than ever

2:40 - How indie agencies went from being the “wild card” in a pitch to winning most of them

5:46 - Why 2026 could be the year indie agencies stop being the alternative option

10:39 -  Why the indie agency network is working so well right now (and will it continue to?)

12:36 - How the IMAA actually manages competition between members when everyone knows everyone and the market is so small

14:27 -  What CMOs need to understand when they pick the cheapest agency in a pitch

16:09 - What the strongest indie agencies have in common, from how they hire to how they use tech

22:20 - What happens when brands start taking more media in-house, and where agencies still have a role to play