Smaller, digitally-native agencies are seizing an opening in CTV. By pairing precise planning with bold creative choices—and using technology to level the playing field—they’re outmaneuvering the big holding companies, showing that the future of advertising isn’t about headcount or legacy clout, but about mastering the craft of media planning.
We spoke with Andrew Rosenman, an advanced TV advertising business leader and the Founder and President of Arise Communications Inc. "I came from big agency; I worked at WPP and Omnicom, so I know how they get that vice grip on the client budgets," he noted. He argued that the indies' current success isn't a fluke, but the result of a deep-seated advantage in how they think, plan, and execute.
The fundamental advantage for indie agencies, Rosenman explained, lies in their planning DNA. While traditional media planning was built around casting a wide net over broad Designated Marketing Areas, digitally-native agencies were forged in a world of surgical precision. Streaming television simply gave them a bigger screen on which to practice their craft.
The precision advantage: "The digital folks have that precision, and now it's opened up to scale. That's why they've been able to compete," Rosenman said. "All these brands already know, 'Hey, these are the 40 zip codes that perform for me. I don't need the whole DMA, I just need those 40 zip codes.'"
But superior strategy is only half the story. Rosenman argued that the biggest roadblock to great work is often client-side risk aversion, a reality that leads to a systemic preference for safety. He described a common pitch process where agencies present three concepts: the bold one they hope to make, the safe one they expect to be chosen, and a throwaway. This dynamic, he contended, often neuters creativity before it has a chance.
The courage to run: "I've seen some amazing pitches that just go nowhere because the clients are not that courageous. Why would they take that risk?" he reflected. He pointed to the legendary launch of the Mini brand in the U.S. by independent agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky as the ultimate counterexample. The campaign was a runaway success, selling out the car's first-year inventory while being outspent nearly 10-to-1 by competitors. The reason was simple, according to Rosenman. "The guys at Mini said, 'You know what, we're not going to look over your shoulder. Do something to launch this product.' It's because Alex Bogusky, their chief creative, was given the room to run."
But Mini’s success, Rosenman argued, wasn’t about chasing outrageous stunts or a lucky break. It was the product of bold creativity executed with strategic discipline. "What really drives business is just a lot of singles up the middle. Procter & Gamble brand managers aren't told to go out and get home run campaigns; they're challenged to bring up their base volume by 2% a year, every year."
A fool's errand: He further cautioned that trying to engineer a viral "home run" is a fool's errand, as these moments are almost always accidental. "Capturing lightning in a bottle and catching the cultural zeitgeist at exactly the right moment is usually accidental. Nobody has a formula for that," he said, pointing to the viral Sydney Sweeney ad for American Eagle. "They stepped backwards into it. They didn't mean to cause a commotion."
And the divide extends beyond strategy into culture, where independents are pulling talent from the big shops. Rosenman argued that smaller agencies win not just with planning and creativity, but by offering a sense of humanity that stands in stark contrast to the cutthroat environment of the holding companies.
Saints vs. sharks: "Nobody's ever nominated a big agency executive for sainthood," Rosenman stated. "It's a savage business. And the people who rise to the top of those big agencies are generally good at succeeding. They're extremely practiced at swimming with sharks." In contrast, he pointed to smaller agencies like Mile Marker as succeeding because they combine talent with "soul and actual humanity," which in turn attracts more talent.
Ultimately, Rosenman brought the conversation back to a core business principle he believes the industry is rediscovering. In an era awash with performance metrics, the most enduring value lies in something less tangible but far more powerful: brand.
Brand equals margin: He recalled a conversation with a luxury automotive client to illustrate the point. "He pointed to the hood ornament and said, 'That adds 30% to the cost. Same equipment from another manufacturer, same comparative parity. Ours is 30% more. And that's all margin.'"
The lesson, Rosenman concluded, is that the agencies poised for future success are the ones that understand a fundamental truth: disciplined media planning paired with the long-game of brand building is what wins in the long run. "The ones who come back to the roots on that will be your next Crispin Porter + Bogusky."
