The decision to join an agency network is a critical one for independent agency owners and it is greatly influenced by their aspirations and the goals they have for their agencies.
As a fierce entrepreneur, the independent agency owner has often built their business from the ground up. Independent networks recognize this and allow members to retain their independence and run their agencies how they see fit, while also enjoying the numerous advantages that their membership provides.
“We’ve gained invaluable insights from our member agencies,” says Sylvia Zanetti, MD of Stratitude (AMIN/South Africa). “Our dealings with Slingshot in Dallas are a great example of this. They shared financial management models and processes with us, which we adapted to suit our agency and unique market. This helped us to not only better manage our rate cards but also our billings and financial projections.”
Joining a network also opens independent agencies up to new business opportunities. For example, if a client of a member agency is interested in breaking into a new market and is looking at creating awareness abroad, a network provides the opportunity for collaboration, where agencies can pull in local partner agencies to scale their offering with highly local experts.
“We regularly collaborate with our member agencies across multiple territories”, says André van der Meer, MD of Campagne (AMIN/Netherlands). “Our clients benefit because they have local know- how, ownership of their strategies, international reach and in-market expertise.”
When it comes to networking opportunities, member agencies reap the benefits. Conferences provide a vital platform where independent agency owners and management can directly connect with agencies from around the world and get exposure to international best practice and pertinent case studies, while forming a formidable network of global contacts.
“We have two annual and exclusive conferences that we use to share learnings and insights, identify opportunities for collaboration and discuss challenges in our industry,” says Hans Van Eemeren from iO (AMIN/ Belgium)and Chairman of AMIN Worldwide’s EMEA region. “These conferences make collaboration particularly efficient and productive, bringing to life our AMIN mantra ‘You Have Allies’. They also provide support, assistance and friendship, which energises our attendees and makes them invaluable to members and their teams.”
A further benefit to joining an independent agency network is that it strengthens your credentials while offering clients competitive costs, more agility, local knowledge and expertise, independent
market research and direct access to agency owners who choose to be more involved in their business. Clients, especially large corporate businesses, will often require that a prospective agency pitching on work be part of a network and those independent agencies that are not tend to be disqualified.
Most independent agency owners understand that while their independence can provide a competitive advantage, it is not a guarantee of success. In addition, this independence can often isolate the agency from happenings in the industry. By joining an independent network, you are surrounded by founder-owned and operated agencies from around the world, where like-minded entrepreneurs can provide invaluable information that will help you better manage and run your own agency.
“In our network, all agency principals are allies who share the same goal: the desire to see their business succeed. It is with this goal in mind that we enable our members to help them grow their talent and collaborate with other member agencies, while also providing the tools and knowledge to help them be more efficient and provide more value to their clients,” says Van Eemeren.

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About AMIN Worldwide
The Advertising & Marketing Independent Network (AMIN) Worldwide is an alliance of 50+ independent marketing firms across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and
Asia. Since 1932, AMIN has been providing award-winning solutions at greater value. The network increases the reach of members and clients through industry expertise, global market insight and knowledge of emerging trends. AMIN member agencies are independently owned, but collaborate to meet challenges, from connecting with new clients and growing into global markets, to building stronger brands and giving access to local insights. For AMIN Worldwide partners and locations: www.aminworldwide.com.

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For more information contact:
Sylvia Zanetti on
sylvia@stratitude.co.za
+27 11 449 7333