Agency Business

Simon Hill, U.S. president of FutureBrand, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it takes to build a consultancy built around brand, inside one of the world’s largest holding companies.

Simon shares how FutureBrand operates as a brand-led strategy and design company within IPG, and how the firm balances its project-based model with the broader agency network. He discusses FutureBrand’s role at critical moments of change for clients—like M&A, private equity transitions, and category disruptions—and how the team works alongside AORs and sibling agencies across IPG to shape brands from the inside out.

Simon also explains how FutureBrand competes with both management consultancies and independent shops, why brand experience has become a priority for clients navigating commoditized categories, and how the firm thinks about talent, offshoring, and cross-border collaboration.

Plus, Olivia, Brian, and Simon dig into the news of the week, including:

• Stagwell’s bold projections for 9% annual organic growth and its surprisingly dismissive take on tariffs.
• WPP’s acquisition of data clean room provider Infosum, and what it signals about the industry’s growing appetite for software businesses.
• New Madison and Wall data on independent agency growth trends and why headcount is up at some performance-focused agencies.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter.

Agency Business features agency CEOs and financial decision-makers alongside third party experts, including agency pitch consultants. We are always accepting pitches, and are particularly interested in hearing from women and leaders of color.

Please reach out:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

This episode is sponsored by Ebiquity.

Picture this: complete confidence that every dollar of your media budget is working as hard as possible.

That's what Ebiquity delivers. They are the world's leading media investment analysts, helping global brands turn media complexity into competitive advantage. Through independent, data-driven analysis, they identify inefficiencies, create transparency, and unlock hidden value in your media investments.

Over 80 of the world's largest advertisers trust Ebiquity for a reason. Visit ebiquity.com today and discover how they can help your brand.

Lisa Clunie, co-founder and CEO of JOAN joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it takes to build and lead a modern independent agency.

From JOAN's origins in New York to its expansion into Berlin and London, Lisa shares how the company has evolved into a multi-faceted creative firm—with an advertising agency, production studio, and influencer arm—all while staying founder-owned and values-driven.

Lisa discusses the financial logic behind JOAN's production studio, how influencer marketing is diversifying beyond the “tonnage” model, and why integration across functions like creative, media, influencer, and social allows the agency to move with both agility and intention. She also explains how JOAN navigates resource allocation without external investors and how its growth decisions are often shaped by client needs and opportunity—not just ambition.

Plus, Olivia, Brian, and Lisa explore how holding companies are grappling with geopolitical and cultural tensions, what recent earnings reports from S4 Capital and M&C Saatchi suggest about agency performance, and why some agencies might regret playing it safe when it comes to their values.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter.

Agency Business works with sponsors, but it’s not pay-to-play. We consider guests who are decision-makers at the highest level of their agencies. We’d love to feature more women and leaders of color—if that's you or someone you know, please reach out:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

This episode is sponsored by Ebiquity.

Picture this: complete confidence that every dollar of your media budget is working as hard as possible.

That's what Ebiquity delivers. They are the world's leading media investment analysts, helping global brands turn media complexity into competitive advantage. Through independent, data-driven analysis, they identify inefficiencies, create transparency, and unlock hidden value in your media investments.

Over 80 of the world's largest advertisers trust Ebiquity for a reason. Visit ebiquity.com today and discover how they can help your brand.

Kate O’Brien, founder of Powers of Reasoning and former executive at Omnicom Media Group agencies such as Hearts & Science and Resolution Agency, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss evolving compensation models, balancing senior talent with efficiency, and the future of media agency leadership.​

Drawing from her extensive experience leading media strategy for global brands, Kate shares insights into launching her own consultancy and advising clients on media strategy, pricing models, and managing economic uncertainty. The conversation explores the tension between principal-based buying and transparent partnerships, as well as how agencies can deliver value while navigating client demands for efficiency and growth.​

Plus, Olivia, Brian, and Kate talk recent leadership changes at GroupM, trends in agency compensation, and the ongoing debate over performance-based models.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter.

Agency Business works with sponsors, but it’s not pay-to-play. We consider guests who are decision-makers at the highest level of their agencies. We’d love to feature more women and leaders of color—if that's you or someone you know, please reach out:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

This episode is sponsored by Ebiquity.

Picture this: complete confidence that every dollar of your media budget is working as hard as possible.

That's what Ebiquity delivers. They are the world's leading media investment analysts, helping global brands turn media complexity into competitive advantage. Through independent, data-driven analysis, they identify inefficiencies, create transparency, and unlock hidden value in your media investments.

Over 80 of the world's largest advertisers trust Ebiquity for a reason. Visit ebiquity.com today and discover how they can help your brand.

Jane Crisan, CEO of Rain the Growth Agency, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how independent agencies are navigating market uncertainty, balancing media and creative, and leveraging technology to drive client growth.

Jane shares her journey from leading digital practices at holding company agencies to taking the helm at Rain, a Portland-based, female-led independent agency. She talks about Rain’s performance-driven approach, the importance of integrating creative and media strategies, and how the agency’s proprietary technology infrastructure supports speed and agility in today’s complex environment.

Plus, Olivia and Brian discuss Coca-Cola’s media account shift to Publicis, Havas’ Q4 earnings and M&A strategy, the FTC’s second request in IPG/Omnicom’s merger review, and what WPP’s plans to break up Kantar signal for the future of market research.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter.

Agency Business works with sponsors, but it’s not pay-to-play. We consider guests who are decision-makers at the highest level of their agencies. We’d love to feature more women and leaders of color—if that's you or someone you know, please reach out:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

This episode is sponsored by Ebiquity.

Picture this: complete confidence that every dollar of your media budget is working as hard as possible.

That's what Ebiquity delivers. They are the world's leading media investment analysts, helping global brands turn media complexity into competitive advantage. Through independent, data-driven analysis, they identify inefficiencies, create transparency, and unlock hidden value in your media investments.

Over 80 of the world's largest advertisers trust Ebiquity for a reason. Visit ebiquity.com today and discover how they can help your brand.

Kern Schireson, chairman & CEO of Known, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to break down what’s wrong with today’s agency model and how data, AI, and a new approach to transparency could fix it.

Kern shares his journey from building a data science consultancy to leading Viacom’s advanced TV efforts and ultimately launching Known, an agency designed to address the inefficiencies of traditional holding company structures.

He shares his viewpoints on why separating media and creative has led to broken marketing strategies, how Known is applying AI to optimize media performance, and why the agency’s consulting-inspired business model is designed to align directly with client outcomes.

Plus, Brian and Olivia discuss agency holding company earnings, the latest M&A activity in adland, and how independent agencies are positioning themselves against industry giants.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

This episode is sponsored by Ebiquity.

Picture this: complete confidence that every dollar of your media budget is working as hard as possible.

That's what Ebiquity delivers. They are the world's leading media investment analysts, helping global brands turn media complexity into competitive advantage. Through independent, data-driven analysis, they identify inefficiencies, create transparency, and unlock hidden value in your media investments.

Over 80 of the world's largest advertisers trust Ebiquity for a reason. Visit ebiquity.com today and discover how they can help your brand.

Bob Lord, President of Horizon Media Holdings, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how Horizon is challenging the traditional agency model with AI, transparency, and performance-based pricing.

Bob explains why he believes the media industry is in a “Great Marketing Emergency”—lagging behind other sectors in adopting technology and transparency. He shares how Horizon’s proprietary platform, Blu+, is redefining agency-client relationships by putting more control in the hands of marketers and brands.

He also discusses the evolution of agency compensation models, the increasing demand for performance-based pricing, and why a single client making the switch could accelerate change across the industry. Bob breaks down the blurring lines between media and creative, why today’s CMOs are more tech-savvy than ever, and how independent agencies like Horizon are positioned to thrive.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

FirmDecisions, part of Ebiquity Group plc, is the world's largest marketing contract compliance specialist, dedicated to enhancing commercial transparency in client-agency relationships.

With expertise across all agency types—creative, media, influencer, and shopper—FirmDecisions provide comprehensive coverage of a brand's agency portfolio.

Stop wondering if your marketing budget is working as hard as it can. Let FirmDecisions help you strengthen agency relationships, improve governance, and drive better business outcomes.

Learn more at firmdecisions.com.

Tim Nollen, a longtime ad industry sell-side analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd. and previously at J.P. Morgan and Bear Stearns, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss the state of agency holding companies, their challenges, and the sustainability of their business models.

Tim explains how financial pressures, shifting client demands, and competition from consulting firms and ad tech companies are forcing holding companies to evolve. He shares insights on media and creative integration, how agencies are adapting to new economic realities, and the potential impact of the Omnicom-IPG merger.

He also reflects on his career analyzing the business of advertising and shares his perspective on where the industry is headed next.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

FirmDecisions, part of Ebiquity Group plc, is the world's largest marketing contract compliance specialist, dedicated to enhancing commercial transparency in client-agency relationships.

With expertise across all agency types—creative, media, influencer, and shopper—FirmDecisions provide comprehensive coverage of a brand's agency portfolio.

Stop wondering if your marketing budget is working as hard as it can. Let FirmDecisions help you strengthen agency relationships, improve governance, and drive better business outcomes.

Learn more at firmdecisions.com.

Kevin Wassong, founder & CEO of marketing analytics startup mktg.ai, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative and media, and why most marketers are struggling to keep up.

Kevin explains why creative and media have been siloed for decades, how AI is accelerating the velocity of content production, and why marketers are overwhelmed by a flood of assets they can’t effectively manage. He shares how mktg.ai is tackling these challenges by creating a creative operating system that helps brands optimize content performance in real time.

Kevin also reflects on his career, from launching some of the first digital marketing initiatives at major agencies to pioneering AI-powered solutions for modern advertisers.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

FirmDecisions, part of Ebiquity Group plc, is the world's largest marketing contract compliance specialist, dedicated to enhancing commercial transparency in client-agency relationships.

With expertise across all agency types—creative, media, influencer, and shopper—FirmDecisions provide comprehensive coverage of a brand's agency portfolio.

Stop wondering if your marketing budget is working as hard as it can. Let FirmDecisions help you strengthen agency relationships, improve governance, and drive better business outcomes.

Learn more at firmdecisions.com.

Samir Balwani, founder and CEO of media agency QRY, join co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss the evolving role of media agencies, the challenges of brand awareness investments, and how independent agencies can compete with industry giants.

Samir shares thoughts on why mid-sized brands struggle with top-of-funnel marketing and how his agency bridges the gap between performance marketing and brand-building. He explains the importance of media forecasting, how QRY helps clients de-risk brand investments, and why CFOs remain skeptical about long-term marketing returns.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

FirmDecisions, part of Ebiquity Group plc, is the world's largest marketing contract compliance specialist, dedicated to enhancing commercial transparency in client-agency relationships.

With expertise across all agency types—creative, media, influencer, and shopper—FirmDecisions provide comprehensive coverage of a brand's agency portfolio.

Stop wondering if your marketing budget is working as hard as it can. Let FirmDecisions help you strengthen agency relationships, improve governance, and drive better business outcomes.

Learn more at firmdecisions.com.

Co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser sit down with Chrissie Hanson, CEO of OMD USA, to discuss the evolving role of media agencies, balancing creativity with cost efficiency, and how brands can maximize the impact of their media investments.

Chrissie shares her journey from strategist to CEO, highlighting how her background in media buying and planning has shaped her leadership style. She offers a candid look at the challenges and opportunities facing agencies today, from the push for centralization within holding companies to the evolving expectations of clients navigating an increasingly complex media landscape.

From fostering a culture of innovation to leveraging data and technology for better media outcomes, this conversation explores the intersection of strategy, creativity, and business leadership in today’s agency world.

For sponsorship inquiries or to discuss potential guests, email:

📩 Brian at [email protected]

📩 Olivia at [email protected]

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia media manager Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work—plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

FirmDecisions, part of Ebiquity Group plc, is the world's largest marketing contract compliance specialist, dedicated to enhancing commercial transparency in client-agency relationships.

With expertise across all agency types—creative, media, influencer, and shopper—FirmDecisions provide comprehensive coverage of a brand's agency portfolio.

Stop wondering if your marketing budget is working as hard as it can. Let FirmDecisions help you strengthen agency relationships, improve governance, and drive better business outcomes.

Learn more at firmdecisions.com.