COMM:UNITY LAUNCHES TO UNITE AUSTRALIA’S INDEPENDENT AGENCIES IN THE FACE OF INDUSTRY PRESSURES

Australia’s leading independent creative and associated agencies have joined forces to launch Comm:unity, a new peer-led collective aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing and business growth. The initiative seeks to help independents tackle mounting commercial pressures while strengthening the sector through shared expertise, resources and opportunities.

Australia’s independent agency sector has unveiled a new collaborative initiative designed to help businesses navigate mounting industry challenges, with the launch of Comm:unity, a curated collective bringing together some of the country’s leading independent creative and associated agencies.

Positioned as both a professional support network and a platform for collaboration, Comm:unity seeks to create what its founders describe as a vibrant neighbourhood and a “shared table” where agency leaders can exchange insights, share resources and leverage collective expertise.

The collective launches with a handpicked group of agencies united by common values centred on craft, reputation and care for their people. Founding members include Those That Do and Banter, Beyond The Narrative, BRX, Chello, Electric Lime, Faction, Fourteen10, HSLR, Hustle, JNR, MadeHR, MK Media, POEM, Third Avenue Group, Traction Studio and Unheld.

Central to the initiative will be bi-monthly in-person deep dives exploring issues such as pitching, profitability and staff retention, alongside a real-time digital community where members can seek advice and collaborate on opportunities as they arise.

The founding cohort will play a key role in shaping the collective’s culture and direction, with Comm:unity intended to serve as a peer-led sanctuary where agency owners can openly discuss challenges and learn from one another. Each founding member will also nominate another agency to join, helping the community expand while maintaining its curated approach.

Among the resources on offer will be a “shadow board” where independent owners can test major business decisions, shared market intelligence to support pitches, access to a common talent resource pool and opportunities to partner on larger, multi-disciplinary briefs.

According to Those That Do founder Ben Walker, the idea emerged from the unique pressures faced by independent agency owners.

“Establishing and running an independent creative agency isn’t for the fainthearted,” Walker said. “It can be an incredibly isolating experience, where you’re singlehandedly celebrating the wins, but also navigating the challenges, imposter syndrome, hard knocks and learnings.”

Walker said conversations with fellow agency leaders over recent years revealed growing concerns about the sustainability of independence amid tighter budgets, increasing expectations from clients and rising operational pressures.

“Independence is getting harder,” he said. “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.”

While large holding companies continue to benefit from scale and integrated service offerings, Walker believes independent agencies retain significant advantages through agility, creativity and specialist expertise.

“We know indies have something special,” he said. “The thing indies have been missing isn’t size, it’s a network of peers who get it.”

The launch comes against a backdrop of increasing uncertainty for the global independent agency sector. A recent study by Forrester predicts that 20 per cent of the world’s estimated 50,000 independent agencies could be squeezed out of the market by 2027 as clients pursue productivity gains and AI-driven transformation.

However, the report also highlighted opportunities for agencies that can demonstrate differentiated thinking, specialised expertise, strong talent and rapid execution.

Walker argues that collaboration rather than competition will be critical to ensuring Australian independents thrive in that environment.

“It’s our job as a collective to defend the indie sector,” he said. “There’s challenges ahead, but there’s also opportunity, and that opportunity is going to be better harnessed collectively.”

The appetite for such collaboration was evident at Comm:unity’s first gathering last week. Beyond The Narrative founder Anna-Rose “Posie” Stancombe described the session as an inspiring opportunity to discuss both current and future business challenges with fellow founders, adding that she looked forward to future meetings as the collective continues to grow.