Independent agency M&A is intensifying. Here’s how we read it.

Ad Age reports that independent agency M&A is accelerating, driven by marketer demand for integrated services and a growing wariness of holding company complexity. The story highlights a wave of combinations, including the 2024 union that created BarkleyOKRP, and points to media, data, and creator-led marketing as the capabilities agencies most want to add.

We agree with the core of it. Clients want an independent partner that can bring strategy, creative, media, and data together at scale. They want fewer handoffs, clearer accountability, and teams that act like one.

Where we’d add to the conversation: scale is not just a headcount number or a list of acquired capabilities. What matters is whether those capabilities work together, and whether the result is better outcomes for the brand. At BarkleyOKRP and MissionOne Media, our team members work across creative, media, CRM, SEO/SEM, and data engineering with that goal in mind.

As the market continues to consolidate, we’d encourage marketers to ask any agency partner a few simple questions. How do your teams actually collaborate? How is the work measured? Who is accountable for outcomes? The answers matter more than the label on the door.

Read the full coverage.

  • Read the full story on Ad Age.