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Ross MacRae, founder of Agency Source explains why success in 2025 demands honesty, transparency, and accountability from brands, agencies, and production companies alike.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/demo.techsystintel.com\/press_kitchen_dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Mediensturmer.X3iy5f5T.png\")
Collaboration in the advertising industry is essential, but the relationship between brands, agencies, and production companies appears disconnected. Despite depending on each other to create campaigns, no one seems aligned on what they need to do, especially heading into 2025.
It seems everyone has different incentives that don\u2019t necessarily align with one another, and everyone has a different definition of success. Brands are expecting faster turnaround times and bigger overall impacts. Agencies work on strategy, execution, and trendspotting, while also trying to cut costs and retain talent. Production companies are expected to deliver more for less with half the information they previously had in the past.
The thought that agencies hold long-term brand relationships is outdated. Agency Source data shows that average agency creative tenure dropped from 34 months in 2012 to just 22 months by 2022. Agency relationships don\u2019t last, teams don\u2019t stick around, and experience doesn\u2019t carry over. So brands are skipping the middleman. In 2015, we tracked 10 brand-side TV Producer titles. 10 years later, it\u2019s well over 1000. When agencies can\u2019t offer clarity or consistency, brands go around them.
Alongside these shifts, we saw a spike in agency talent going freelance. Agency Source added over 1,300 freelance agency producers in the US alone between 2023 and 2025, all tagged by genre and experience. Agency and production leads keep saying that it\u2019s hard to find freelance producers with the right experience when they need them.
Production companies often get asked to deliver work before details are finalized. Dates shift, talent changes, and creative ideas evolve mid-shoot, but budgets don\u2019t adjust while demands keep increasing. Production is treated like a last step, not a partner. That\u2019s why production teams are working directly with brands. Our data shows brand contacts surpassed agency contacts in 2023 because brands are more straightforward than agencies.
AI is fuelling these shifts. The IAB reports 86% of advertisers already use or plan to use generative AI for video ads. Meta is building tools to automate creative production end-to-end. PwC projects global entertainment and media revenue will hit $3.5 trillion by 2029, driven largely by AI-powered digital ad growth.
If brands, agencies, and production companies don\u2019t clearly state what they need from each other, they\u2019re in danger of wasting resources. Brands demand speed and results. Agencies need defined scopes and guardrails against scope creep. Production requires finalised briefs and budgets that reflect the actual work.
Without clear communication and aligned expectations, the entire ecosystem suffers. Success in 2025 demands honesty, transparency, and accountability from brands, agencies, and production companies alike. Each must state their needs clearly, respect the others\u2019 limits, and commit to delivering on shared goals. Anything less guarantees wasted time, wasted money, and missed opportunities. The future favours those who stop guessing and start committing to direct and transparent communication.<\/p>\n