机构蓝图：人工智能如何平衡竞争环境

04Executive Summary: AI Levels the Playing Field 06Methodology 08From Patchwork to Powerhouse 12Turning the Black Box Into a Glass Box 16Special Report: What Agencies Want from their DSP 26Goodbye Vanity, Hello Validation Independent Agencies, AI is transforming chaos into clarityand independence into an edge Infillionconducted this research tounderstand how independent agencies A new era of independence is taking shape.For years, independent agenciesthrived by sheer force of creativity,outthinking networks with ten times Our findings show asector in mid-transformation. Every (100%)agency we surveyed has automatedsome part of its media workflow. Yetthe shift is not painless;halfsay AI still Now the balance is shifting again. AI is giving independents back thesuperpower they lost: control.Itautomates the drudge work, unifies The smartest independents are alreadyproving it. They are automating Independents are “winning largereviews by showing greater agility,transparency and innovation, aided -Ad Age, 2025 to-day workflows so strategists canreclaim time. Freed from repetitivetasks, they’re turning efficiency into automation is doing more of the work,while agencies are focused on proving This is whereInfillionsees bothresponsibility and opportunity.Independent agencies deserve Despite industry fears of cuts, mostindependents expect stable or shiftingteams rather than net losses. Next year,7 in 10expect staffing to stay the same and That is thelevel fieldbeing built today.And for those willing to lean in, it’s also At the same time, cost pressures arecolliding with the rise of AI. Clients are Methodology This report, commissioned and conducted byInfillion, combines qualitativeinsights from an in-depth agency roundtable with quantitative survey data to QUALITATIVE ROUNDTABLES Infillion hosted a moderated focus group in July 2025with leaders from independent agencies across diversedisciplines and spend levels. The discussion was conducted Participants included executives fromStella Rising, BrunnerWorks, ModCo Media, Gravity Global, Media by Mother,AMS Growth Partner, Dex-P, andInvisibly, among others. QUANTITATIVE SURVEY Between August and October 2025,Infillion, in collaborationwith the4A’s, AAF, and MAGNET, fielded an online survey SAMPLE SIZE:175 qualified respondents QUALIFICATION:Privately owned, non-holding-company RESPONDENT ROLES:Owners/partners, C-suite, VPs, directors,and managers;97%have some role with media placement SPEND TIERS REPRESENTED:From < $1 million to > $250 million inannual media placement volume, with a plurality(45%)between PRIMARY DISCIPLINES:Full-service/integrated(68%), mediabuying & planning(49%), performance/growth marketing(10%), Results were analyzed in aggregate; no individual agency responses were identified.Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding or multi-select questions. From Patchwork to Independents are rebuilding the mediamachine for speed, scale, and flexibility Our research looked closely at how independent agencies execute across buyingmodels: how they choose partners, where budgets flow, and what drives those decisions. Agencies are modernizing their buying models under tighter economic conditions. Digiday+ Researchreports that nearlyhalf of agencies saw client budgetsdecrease in 2025, as brands grew more cautious amid cost pressures and economic The Old Way For independents, media buying was once defined by fragmentation. Agenciesmanaged apatchwork of vendors, tools, and intermediaries, each with its owndata, workflow, and fee structure. Even simple campaigns required multiple contractsand systems that did not talk to each other. The model worked when reach mattered The New Way Today, that dynamic is changing. Independents nowflex across every executionmodel—from direct publisher deals to programmatic and managed-service buys.. Nearly 9 in 10buy direct from publishers, with a smaller segment(68%)completingdirect purchases via ad tech vendors or other partners. Additionally,87%still rely on Agencies are building portfolios of buyingpaths thatbalance client expectations,pricing models, and speed. A single Independence used tomean you picked a lane.Now it means you know What’s Driving the Shift Margin pressure is the great equalizer. 94%of respondents are concerned (and26%extremelyconcerned) about platform fees cutting into working But economics are only part of the story. Trust has becomethe real differentiator. In our roundtable, agency leaders How much am I gonna put intofunding ad tech profit versus — Brandon Heagle, Stella Rising Turning the Black Box Inside the preferred-partner era,where trust earns every dollar evaluate who earns their confidence andtheir budgets. It’s a signal of maturity: Independent agencies are building ecosystems defined by clarity,control, and co-creation. After The partners that rise to the top arethose that reflect these same values in their design.The Infillion Platform™wa