Hard Refresh on agencies
The agency model has been declared “dead” more times than we can count — but it keeps coming back in new shapes. In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Andrés López-Varela is joined by Hannah Muirhead (Founding Strategy Partner, Chapter), Missy Burrell (Director of Social, Mainstay Media), and Freddy Hollow (Director of Sales & Marketing, GolfBox) to explore what the next 25 years might hold.
From the boom in in-house teams to AI eating junior jobs, the panel debates whether agencies can still prove their value and whether the future belongs to nimble independents, fractional experts, or the holding groups .
From the boom in in-house teams to AI eating junior jobs, the panel debates whether agencies can still prove their value and whether the future belongs to nimble independents, fractional experts, or the holding groups .
In this episode:
- In-housing is surging
Hannah cites IAG data showing 78% of Australian marketers now have some kind of in-house function, up significantly in recent years. In-house teams excel at brand guardianship and consistency, but often lack the “out of the box” creative firepower agencies can bring. - The skills-gap risk
Missy warns that if AI takes over too much grunt work, the next generation won’t get the “in the weeds” experience that shapes great strategists and tastemakers. Agencies have long been training grounds; without that, who makes the big calls in 2040? - Fractional models on the rise
The panel agrees that clients don’t always need a $250k strategist on staff, but they do need access to that calibre of thinking occasionally. Agencies offering fractional or freelance-based models may be the most sustainable future. - IP, pricing, and blockchain
Hannah floats the idea of blockchain-tagged creative assets to ensure agencies are fairly paid when their ideas scale and potentially moving advertising pricing closer to music or licensing models. The group debates whether this could reshape client–agency trust. - Indies vs holding companies
Freddy argues indies will remain attractive because they’re nimble, even as holding groups offer scale and efficiency. But without retainer models, the challenge will be whether small agencies can create space for creativity and craft to flourish.
This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, live at State of Social '25.
Creators and Guests
Host
Andrés López-Varela
Andrés is a senior marketing leader, one of State of Social's best-rated speakers, and a proud cat-dad.
Guest
Freddy Hollow
Digital and full service marketing and advertising background having worked with best in class clients across most major WA industries including, retail, mining, event venues, building and construction, healthcare, finance, Government Utilities and tertiary education. Memorable clients include, St John Ambulance, Westrac, VenuesWest, St John of God Health Care, ECU and The Water Corporation. As well as dipping toes on the operations space, most recent experience prior to GolfBox was in Healthtech working in growth, brand and leading the Marketing function. Extremely passionate about leading and developing high performing marketing teams.
Guest
Hannah Muirhead
Hannah is an experienced head of brand strategy with over 20 years’ experience in the brand and advertising industry. Over the years she has led the brand and marketing efforts of some of Australia’s most trusted brands, including NRMA, Tourism Australia, Arnott’s, Woolworths, Bankwest, Tourism WA, and UWA. Hannah has worked across multiple categories including fashion, finance, tourism, education, retail, healthcare, B2B, government and not-for-profits. She has won multiple awards for Effectiveness across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
Guest
Missy Burrell
Missy started her career as a broadcast journalist before moving into television and digital content production for shows like The Voice and 60 Minutes. A social strategist and copywriter, she’s created content for brands including Microsoft, Uber, and Mirvac, blending engaging storytelling with platform-savvy execution. Now a PhD candidate researching AI and writing, Missy brings sharp insight into leveraging technology while retaining creative control. Her approach fuses creative instinct with journalistic rigour to craft content that builds community, earns trust, and performs powerfully in search and social.
