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The Alliance of Media Independents (AMI), the UK’s largest collective of independent media agencies, has announced data company Experian as its first official partner as it seeks to drive innovation and empower the independent agency sector.
Experian will provide member agencies with access to a range of data insights and tools to create smarter, more targeted and effective campaigns, helping to strengthen their competitive edge.
“The UK independents are a large and vibrant part of the agency sector and Experian wanted a specific way to serve them. The alliance was an obvious partner to work with,” said Danny Holmes, consulting partner, media and agency, at Experian. He was talking exclusively to The Media Leader in Cannes.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to the independent sector and we are excited to work as part of this new partnership with the alliance and their members,” he continued. “This is a genuine flexible partnership, which is the beauty of indies.”
As part of the partnership, AMI and Experian will collaborate to produce a series of industry initiatives to champion independent agencies and the role of data.
These include a series of co-hosted podcasts as part of the Ask the Experts series, as well as roundtables covering the most pressing research challenges agencies are facing today.
“Experian are well-placed to be a leading voice in the sector and we are excited to offer training as part of this,” added Holmes, who said it will focus on compliance and educating the market on the use of third-party data.
The aim is to promote the exchanging of ideas, spark innovation and reinforce the strategic value of independent agencies within the media ecosystem.
AMI and Experian’s partnership will also see joint representation at global industry events, including at Cannes Lions 2025.
Martin Woolley, chair of AMI, commented: “Experian’s partnership is a testament to the growing influence of independent media agencies in the UK. By collaborating with Experian, we are equipping our members with the data and insights needed to stay at the forefront of the industry and deliver outstanding results for clients.”
The Alliance of Independent Agencies (AIA) and the Land of Independents launched AMI in January.
Members continue to compete in pitches, but the organisation works to promote the power and potential of indies more generally.
The collective now has 26 members with combined annual billings of £1.56bn.
Indie agencies team up for Alliance of Media Independents
