In the vast ocean that is digital advertising, if the big agencies are whales, affecting the entire ecosystem in their lumbering way, independent agencies are more like dolphins, nowhere as large but far more nimble and quick to react to sea change. And both the species are acing the survival-of-the-fittest in their own particular fashion.

2024 is going to be a pivotal year, asnew technologieslead to paradigm shifts across businesses and industries, and over two billion people in close to 75 countries vote in elections that will determine the globe’s geopolitical future, and the internet cookie finally crumbles, and it’s a leap year to boot.Everyone has plans, including independent agencies.

Shrenik Gandhi, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, White Rivers Media, says that in 2024 you can expect independent agencies to sharpen their edge with smoother efficiency, bolder innovations and engaging brand messaging.

“No more tech bloatware, just integrated platforms fueling seamless collaboration and solutions that click. Smooth campaign execution will be even easier to achieve with dedicated operations leads that ensure efficiency, transparency and uncompromising performance. Independent agencies will also continue to lead vibrant ecosystems that attract, retain and cultivate top talent. Agile and unencumbered, they are primed for a banner year,” he says.

From changes in theconsumer demandlandscape to the rise of new AI tech, Swati Nathani, Co- Founder and CBO, Team Pumpkin, observes that 2023 was certainly a wild ride. “However, there is much to be excited about as we look towards 2024. Many of us have encountered and conquered obstacles, making us more determined and increasing our desire to achieve greater potential. We are already at the forefront of tech integration, client retention, innovation, service excellence and customer satisfaction. These pillars have established an industry standard defining us as an agency.”

“Looking ahead, we not only want to maintain our leadership but push the boundaries of what is possible. Our goals and aspirations for 2024 are all focused on providing high quality services to our clients. We want to ensure that every campaign we work on represents the best standards of originality, effort and strategy,” she adds.For Raghav Bagai, co-founder of Sociowash, 2024 is shaping up to be a really big year for the agency, as they go all in on their strategic plans. “Top of mind is cementing our position globally, as one of the go-to marketing partners in the industry, known for truly best-in-class work, be it creative, production, influencer, media, tech, and beyond. Going integrated is the way for any agency to genuinely be able to add value to the brands that they are working with, and that is the direction that we are continuing to be on.”

“Growth across verticals is something that we have been working towards, from a business standpoint, we are looking to go 2x across the board. A major focus will be expanding our international footprint in a meaningful way. Fingers crossed we can get our New Zealand and Dubai offices up and running smoothly by year's end. It would be amazing to bring home some major global-level awards. That would help signal our arrival on the worldwide stage. External validation for a job well done is always appreciated,” adds Bagai.

Danish Malik and Preety Singh, the Co-Founders of Boomlet Group, expect theInfluencer Marketingindustry to reach a 20-billion-rupee market in India by the end of 2024. “We anticipate that brands will increasingly focus on influencers who can leverage a higher degree of creativity to produce engaging content, with Instagram being the most preferred social media platform.”

Speaking of things under scrutiny, the crisis communication sector is expected to see a significant increase in the number of brands opting for partnerships with agencies to collaborate with influencers as a contingency.

“This shift is a result of brands becoming more proactive in their Crisis Communication strategies, brands have started to build strategies through analysis and predictions for potential crises and have also recognized the crucial role of social media in shaping brand perception. Additionally, we expect the roles of influencers, crisis communicators, and key opinion leaders to expand, especially with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” say Malik and Singh.

“For the year 2024, we have set an ambitious target of achieving a 2x growth in our revenue. Our goal is to establish our verticals, namely BCreates (the content creation wing) and BNext (the exclusive talent management vertical), as the most preferred partners for brands. In our Crisis Communication Business, we anticipate a 35-40% increase in revenue, aiming to achieve this by providing specialized units for unique storytelling and exclusive content creators,” they add.

There is also a call across the creative units as well as boardrooms of these agencies for greater acceptance whether it comes to representation and voices as well as the content they create, as Gen Z increasingly enters the conversation, with an even more egalitarian Gen Alpha right behind them.

“I hope in 2024, the entire influencer industry aims to encourage and support diversity. Whether these are mom influencers, influencers representing marginalized communities - ethnic, racial, LGBTQIA+, body positivity influencers, influencers advocating for sustainability and environmentally conscious decisions, or influencers making educational and skill development content,” says Poonam Shah, Business Acquisition Head at Nofiltr Group.

This support could be shown by activating more conversations with these influencers, offering a collaborative platform for them to share their stories and giving them equal recognition as any other influencer from a commercial category gets.

Rohit Varma, Founder, narrative, agrees that social impact is a category which is growing and “As an organization, we would like to focus on this market segment.  We would like to work with these organizations and help them in driving impact. This segment is very close to our heart.”

“We are in the time where brands are in the process of simplifying their identity. Minimalistic, simple, easy to understand and connect are the norms today. We anticipate a lot of brand refreshes in 2024. Branding is our core offering and we are working with some of the brands for brand refresh,” he says, adding, “New-age brands which are focused on transactional communication can’t hold customers, and customers will shift from one brand to another very fast. Discounts and offers can drive the first purchase but you can’t build a relationship basis with these offerings.”

“At WRM, we're not chasing trends, we're setting them. From our 'Capital Z' lab that enables deciphering Indian Gen Z to brands better, to our 'CulTech Curation Matrix' that blends tech and culture, we are now a nationwide tech-first powerhouse. We crave partners who share our passion for game-changing innovation and hacking subcultures, not just echo chambers,” asserts Gandhi, adding, “We're looking forward to breaking borders with our storytelling and aiming for bigger global wins in 2024.”