"It's probably the biggest distinction between indies and holdcos that the former tend to remain more "promiscuous" in their adoption of tech - not committing to one provider but leaving their architecture open enough to adapt to changing tech needs. After all, only three years ago it looked as if blockchain and metaverse tech was going to rule the media universe, so much so that Facebook changed its name to Meta."
"Technology enables independents to deliver the same or similar - sometimes even more agile - results for clients than holdcos, which not only tend to commit deeply to one provider, but also carry a lot of legacy tech baggage from prior tech innovations. PMG, an independent that now finds itself in competition with holdcos for new business, has emphasized tech innovation as a foundational principle, largely because its founder, George Popstefanov, is kind of a tech nerd himself."
Independent media agencies are investing in adaptable, often open or free, technology to position themselves against agency holding companies. Horizon Media launched HorizonOS as an open operating system and built Blu, an AI-driven marketing platform designed to be agnostic to AI LLMs. Independents typically avoid deep commitments to single providers, keeping architectures customizable and free of walled gardens. New shops cite limited tech debt and faster revenue acceleration as advantages. Holding companies often carry legacy tech baggage and stronger vendor lock-in, while independents emphasize tech innovation and agility to win medium-sized and new business.
Read at Digiday
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