Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Channel | ClickZ Indie Agency News

PLUS: How Trump Tariffs Are Impacting Brand and Media Strategy

Author

Zihan Lyu
April 16, 2025

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Top 5 adtech tools this week: Fospha, Pentaleap, Compliant, Oktopost and Claritas | Performance Marketing World

Top 5 adtech and martech tools this week: from decoding competitor strategies to proving the ROI of in-game ads, here’s our round up of new ways to power up your tech stack.

This week:
– Fospha: Halo tool measures true cross-channel marketing impact on DTC Amazon sales
– Pentaleap: teams up with Vantage to offer retail media networks a unified path-to-purchase
– Compliant: working with Fiducia to boost programmatic media quality for clients
– Oktopost: new Content Marketing Intelligence to decode competitor strategies for B2B clients
– Claritas: teaming up with Anzu.io to prove ROI of intrinsic in-game ads

Sector Spotlight 🎥

MEDIA STRATEGY

The volatility introduced by President Trump's tariffs is reshaping brand and media strategies, with marketing leaders adapting to a complex economic landscape. Trade tensions impact earnings and media budgets, compelling brands like Constellation, Delta, and Levi's to reevaluate their approaches. Marketers must navigate these challenges by focusing on agile strategies that protect budgets while maximizing impact in an evolving market.

AGENCY EVOLUTION

Michael Farmer highlights the urgency for agencies to overhaul outdated economic models, shifting to a scope-of-work-based compensation structure to align client payments with measurable outputs. This necessity arises as workloads increase amid declining fees, a situation further exacerbated by holding companies' financial focus that undermines agency capability in the digital landscape. Such transformative change demands joint effort from both clients and agencies to ensure survival and relevance in modern marketing environments.

Michael Farmer

AGENCY GROWTH

The Drum's Miami Report meticulously highlights Miami's ascent as a robust hub for agency excellence, propelled by business-friendly conditions and cultural diversity attracting creative talents. This report will identify key agencies, analyze the role of leadership in Miami's creative revival, and explore how agencies there utilize multicultural insights. Miami's unique combination of direct market access and vibrant culture positions it as a compelling destination for agency talent and innovation.

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHT

Allied Global Marketing secured seven awards at the 2025 APMC Star Awards, underscoring their impact in experiential and integrated marketing. The agency's Heineken 0.0 Player 0.0 campaign won the prestigious Grand Prix, demonstrating their ability to produce campaigns that resonate deeply with audiences.

Recognizing Louise Carey's Rising Star accolade further highlights the agency's commitment to nurturing future creative talent, making them a pivotal entity in shaping evolving industry trends.

MARKETING COLLABORATION

Reddit's new Partners page offers brands and agencies enhanced collaboration tools for managing campaigns on its platform. By enabling businesses to share profiles, usernames, and credit lines, as well as providing agencies the ability to control permissions and advertising activities, Reddit aims to streamline partnerships and boost advertising efficacy. This development holds significant potential for marketing professionals seeking innovative ways to leverage social media for client campaigns efficiently.

Influencer Corner 📢

Experience Over Possession, Gen'Z Luxury | Juan Campdera

Gen Z values experiences over owning luxury goods, favoring moments they can share and showcase on social media. This has driven demand for experiential luxury like exclusive events, pop-ups, and limited-edition releases that foster community and exclusivity.

+71% Gen Z say they would rather spend money on an experience than a product.

+75% Gen Z beauty consumers claim that "the brand’s values and storytelling" significantly influence their purchasing decision.

The “Marketing & Communication Manager” Starter Pack 👩🏼‍💻 | Emma Bauditz Hansen

Included in the box:
💻 A MacBook that never closes
☕ Coffee, because ideas don’t come without it
🎧 AirPods (always connected to the wrong device)
🕶️ Sunglasses for the lunch breaks outside ofc
 📱 LinkedIn and Canva, where the magic (and mild panic) happens
 💄 A touch of lipstick for a perfectly practiced “I’ve got this” face
& a smile that means “This brand is in good hands”

Optimization Hub ⚙️

ACCOUNT-BASED MARKETING

LinkedIn stands out as the premier platform for account-based marketing due to its unmatched targeting capabilities that effectively reach specific companies and roles. Leveraging LinkedIn's tools, such as matched audiences and layered targeting approaches, significantly enhances conversion rates and ROI, as engagement-based strategies increase retargeting prospects by 40%. To maximize LinkedIn's power, marketers should define precise ideal customer profiles and integrate AI-powered tools for dynamic audience optimization.

AI SEARCH STRATEGIES

Google's AI Mode is transforming search by integrating AI-driven, conversational interactions akin to ChatGPT into its platform, reshaping SEO efforts. This demands a focus on generative engine optimization and enhanced content quality, leveraging structured data, and developing authoritative backlinks to remain visible and competitive. AI tools and insights are critical for adapting strategies to this new search paradigm.

AI INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy underscores the necessity of significant AI investments to enhance customer experiences and maintain competitiveness. With around $8 billion invested in AI startup Anthropic, Amazon integrates AI into its offerings, such as the revamped Alexa voice assistant. This positions the company at the forefront of providing enriched, personalized experiences, serving shareholders and aligning with industry trends.

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