What did Bob Lord say about FTE pricing?
What changedAt Smartly's Advance event in Manhattan, Horizon Media Holdings president Bob Lord called full-time-equivalent and principal-based pricing "the old system… how the holdcos make their money" (Adweek). He argued labour-based fees make clients subsidise agencies' tech investment, called for pricing tied to growth, and predicted clients will stop accepting FTE models within five years.
Why it mattersWhen a holding-company president attacks hours-based pricing in public, independents get much wider cover to do the same. The idea is being normalised from the top, which changes what clients feel able to ask for at their next renewal.
Independents are winning on specialism
What changedA busy week for independents (Campaign). Gut won Dave & Buster's as creative agency of record, Colle McVoy took Visit Durango out of an RFP, and Kin was named US partner for UK charity Sightsavers. Saylor merged with gaming specialist Mutiny, buying a capability rather than building one, and TRG became the first independent North American agency to sponsor the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute.
Why it mattersThe pattern under the names: independents are winning category-specific briefs and buying their way into niches such as gaming and effectiveness science, instead of selling generalist breadth. Specificity is the wedge, and evidence of effectiveness is being bought as a positioning asset.
Advertising Week: AI is out of the pilot phase
What changedAdvertising Week New York opened with a clear change of tone (Digiday). Executives described moving "quickly from experimentation to implementation", with enterprise AI agreements signed and CFOs now part of cost conversations. Trust in data and measurement was the recurring worry. Creators were promoted to a headline act, with attendance by creators up from about 1,000 to about 2,500.
Why it mattersImplementation plus CFO scrutiny means buyers want AI tied to a cost or outcome number, not a capability deck. Agencies still selling AI as a story will struggle. Creators are also hardening into a budget line that agencies either own or give away.
Havas puts principal media and founder-led new business on the record
What changedIn an interview with Campaign, Havas CEO Yannick Bolloré spoke about principal media buying, the creative freedom he is protecting at acquired independent Uncommon, and his own hands-on role in winning new business.
Why it mattersTwo live tensions in one conversation. Principal media, where an agency buys as principal and takes a margin, is changing how media money is made and disclosed. And "buy an independent and leave it alone" is now a stated playbook for protecting creative value after acquisition. A clear position on media transparency is becoming a trust signal for independents.
Getting off hours, or picking the one category to own, looks different in every agency. Working out what it means for yours is the conversation I have with agency owners, and it is what the call is for.