Agency Business

Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Agency Business is a podcast about ad agencies, from media industry analysts Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley. In our interviews with agency CEOs and industry experts, we explain the week's agency news and provide the context you need to navigate the business. Check it out on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 1D AGO

    #38: How AKQA EMEA Is Evolving Under WPP Integration and AI Transformation — Geoff Northcott

    This week on Agency Business, Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser speak with Geoff Northcott, CEO of AKQA in EMEA. Geoff's been there 18 years, building a career at the intersection of creativity and technology. From launching Nike+ campaigns to opening offices around the world, his path reflects AKQA’s dual commitment to craft and innovation. Now leading one of AKQA’s three global P&Ls, Geoff describes how the agency is evolving after a period of major change. Its founder stepped down, WPP reorganized AKQA into three regional structures, and a new global CEO arrived with a consulting background. Geoff explains what this new model means in practice, how AKQA is integrating more tightly with WPP platforms like WPP Open, and why the role of AI is reshaping both client work and staffing models. He also reflects on the enduring tension between autonomy and scale in creative agencies. While AKQA has moved away from its studio-level P&L system, he argues that the new structure maintains entrepreneurial energy at the local level while giving clients access to the full depth of the network. Plus, News of the Week, with analysis of the headlines impacting agencies today: A raid at Hyundai and LG’s battery plant in Georgia and its potential impact on cross-border talentStagwell canceling a London event amid scrutiny of its work for the Israeli governmentThe Trump administration’s reported plans to ban pharmaceutical advertising on television Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    28 min

  2. SEP 8

    #37: How James Dale Scaled Sine Digital in Broadway and the West End

    Welcome to Agency Business. This week, James Dale, CEO and founder of Sine Group and Sine Digital, joins Olivia on the show. Dale’s path into agency life was anything but conventional. A former musician whose band once played at Glastonbury and toured with Band of Horses, he saw his career collapse when streaming upended the music business and data slipped away from artists. That experience led him to build an agency rooted in performance marketing, conviction-based media, and data ownership. Sine Digital began advising musicians and grew quickly into a 50-person agency serving Broadway and West End productions, music artists, and major arts institutions. Dale explains how the company scaled by building out its own programmatic desk and data warehouse, expanding into connected TV and digital out-of-home, and developing deep relationships with producers and venues. He also reflects on the volatility of project-based work in theater, how the agency manages staffing when shows suddenly close, and why Sine Digital has stayed focused on a specialized niche rather than diversifying into full-service creative. Plus, News of the Week, with analysis of the headlines impacting agencies today: WPP’s leadership shuffle, with Laurent Ezekiel staying on as Ogilvy CEOEmpower acquiring Ocean Media in a significant independent media mergerServiceplan’s MediaPlus hiring its first COO in North America Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    33 min
  3. #36: From The Richards Group to Independence: Pedro Lerma’s Agency Playbook

    SEP 1

    #36: From The Richards Group to Independence: Pedro Lerma’s Agency Playbook

    Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Pedro Lerma, CEO and founder of LERMA/ joins us on the show. Pedro shares his unconventional career journey—from selling radio spots in Wichita Falls to spending 23 years at The Richards Group, where he built both its digital practice and its Hispanic marketing arm, Richards/Lerma. He explains how that experience laid the foundation for launching LERMA/ as an independent agency in 2021, and how he has scaled it into a purpose-driven shop working with brands like The Home Depot and Salvation Army. He also discusses how LERMA/ approaches multicultural marketing through its “cultural fluency” practice, helping brands grow by leading with underrepresented communities without alienating legacy customers. And he reflects on the challenges and opportunities of running an independent agency at a moment when inclusivity is both politically charged and essential for growth. Plus, News of the Week, with analysis of the headlines impacting agencies today: Dentsu considers divesting its international business, raising questions about what buyers might emerge and whether the company can avoid a prolonged decline.T-Mobile pulls creative in-house while Walgreens reverses course on media in-housing, highlighting the shifting balance between external agencies and internal teams.S4 Capital is reportedly cutting its workforce. Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    35 min

  4. AUG 25

    #35: Why Mid-Size Agencies Have an Edge, With Kat Ott of Havas Chicago

    Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Brian interviews Kat Ott, president of Havas Chicago. Kat’s unconventional path into advertising—from professional ballerina to agency president—shapes her perspective as what she calls a “modern marketer.” She explains how Havas Chicago operates like a speedboat: integrated, mid-size, and agile enough to make quick turns that larger holding companies can’t. She also describes how Havas Chicago won Stanley Steemer after competing in a pitch that started with 50 agencies. The scale of that process shows how competitive the pitch market has become—and how agencies must invest heavily to stand out. Plus, News of the Week, with analysis of the headlines impacting agencies today: WPP wins MasterCard, while Dentsu retains VodafoneAccenture acquires influencer agency Super DigitalGravity Global buys Marketing Doctor Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    37 min

  5. AUG 18

    #34: Anthropology, Independence, and Growth at Kelly Scott Madison, with President Chad Maxwell

    Welcome to Agency Business. This week, co-hosts Brian and Olivia are joined by Chad Maxwell, president of Kelly Scott Madison (KSM). Maxwell’s path into advertising started in anthropology, a background that still informs how he runs KSM today—both in understanding consumers and in building culture inside the agency. He shares how that perspective shapes hiring, talent development, and client strategy. We also discuss: How the agency balances independence with partnerships in creative and technology.The role of geography in staffing and client relationships.Why Chad emphasizes relationships over spend thresholds in navigating platform support. Plus, in News of the Week: Dentsu’s international struggles and layoffs.Globant’s slowdown and what it could mean.S4 Capital’s odd and short-lived talks with One Equity Partners. Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    31 min

  6. AUG 11

    #33: Building a Social-First Ad Agency — Movement Strategy CEO Jason Mitchell

    Welcome to Agency Business. This week Jason Mitchell, CEO of Movement Strategy, joins us to discuss how a social‑first shop scales from a college startup into a 180‑person creative agency. He explains why early pricing was a competitive advantage, how Movement Strategy grew from social AOR work into 360 creative projects, and why creator marketing works best when platform tools are paired with real relationships. Jason also breaks down the agency’s pod-based reorg for speed, its investment in a proprietary AI stack, and a partner-led approach to international expansion—plus where media buying fits alongside creative without trying to be a full-service media AOR. Plus, in this week’s news recap: WPP’s earnings show a 5.8% organic decline and broad regional weakness.Omnicom–Interpublic move closer to closing with U.K. clearance, raising questions about client and talent shifts.Marketers continue exploring in-housing: Georgia-Pacific’s programmatic example prompts a wider look at what’s realistic to bring inside—creative vs. media. Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    37 min

  7. AUG 4

    #32: The Business of Comedy in Advertising, with Party Land’s Haley Hunter

    In this episode of Agency Business, Haley Hunter, co-founder, COO, and CMO of Party Land, joins us to discuss building a comedy-forward creative agency that can still win serious business. Haley shares how Party Land has scaled from a scrappy indie shop into a creative force behind campaigns for brands like Liquid Death, Every Man Jack, JanSport, and Google. She explains how the agency’s clear focus on comedy—as both a strategic and emotional tool—has helped it stand out in a crowded landscape. We talk about how Party Land embeds humor in campaigns without sacrificing performance. Plus, Haley gets candid about attracting top talent, the agency’s evolution beyond just top-funnel work, and how staying “very human” might be the best defense against mediocrity in the AI age. Plus, in this week’s news recap: Stagwell touts revenue growth, but organic gains remain modestHavas sees improved margins, keeps growing steadily and quietlyDentsu sees more high-level turnover as execs exit amid continued change. Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    28 min

  8. JUL 28

    #31: Inside MediaLink With Andrea Kerr Redniss: Agency Reviews, UTA Synergies, and Strategic Growth

    In this episode of Agency Business, Andrea Kerr Redniss, managing director and co-lead of marketing transformation at MediaLink, joins us to discuss how the firm has evolved from its relationship-driven origins into a full-fledged strategic consultancy. She shares how MediaLink works with Fortune 100 brands on marketing transformation, AI integration, and agency strategy—often in partnership with, rather than in competition with, agencies themselves. We cover what “agency therapy” really means, and why the firm’s relationship with parent company UTA makes sense. Plus, in this week’s news recap: WPP loses Laurent Ezekiel to Publicis in another blow to its Coca-Cola businessFalfurrias-backed Brainlabs acquires Exverus, signaling continued private equity interest in midsize independents?Interpublic posts improved margins—should it get credit despite major account losses? Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis every Monday. Reach OutAgency 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. Email us! 📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com 📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates. Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends. 🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

    27 min
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About

Agency Business is a podcast about ad agencies, from media industry analysts Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley. In our interviews with agency CEOs and industry experts, we explain the week's agency news and provide the context you need to navigate the business. Check it out on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley
  • Show Website
    Agency Business

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