Agency Scope 2027/28 to kick off in May 2027 with new additions

South Africa’s seventh edition of Agency Scope is set to start fieldwork in May 2027 (Image source: © 123rf 123rf)

“We see 2027 as the opportunity for marketers and their agencies to study the industry and apply innovations from the recent past, while continuing to seek new ways of collaborating and growing their businesses, based on robust data,” says Cesar Vacchiano, president and CEO of Scopen International, who will be arriving in South Africa in February to talk to agencies about new additions to the study ahead of the fieldwork.

“The seventh wave of the Agency Scope study is starting to build momentum in South Africa," says Johanna McDowell, Scopen partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), who notes that the study is published every two years after in-depth interviews with the highest-level decision makers across marketing, communications and advertising, from the largest to the smallest spending marketers in South Africa.

“In interviewing over 3,000 CMOs around the world, we’re excited to see what 2027 brings,” she says. “A key objective next year will be to interview more marketing professionals from more companies.”

Consumers don't have an ad problem: Great ideas haven't changed, the industry has

23 Mar 2026

Ramping up Agency Scope’s evolution in SA

Another step in Agency Scope’s evolution will be interviewing new profiles of key decision makers within the participant companies, encompassing leaders in digital, technology and innovation.

“These managers also hire and work with agencies and other partners,” says McDowell, “which will bring even greater depth to the value of data we collect.”

The fieldwork will also identify and include other profiles of client companies, over and above the usual investors in communications.

In this section, the study will note start-ups, the tech sector and digital platforms that are working with agencies more than ever before.

“Numbers in this area are growing rapidly,” she says, “and it’s certainly an area we need to be aware of to keep our finger on the pulse.”

Lastly, among the additions to Agency Scope 2027/28, the study will amplify its sample of agency professionals interviewed, an important viewpoint to understand as they assist in determining which agencies are most attractive to work for.

McDowell adds that going into the 2027/28 study, this data will be richer and even more valuable.

Agency Scope fieldwork calendar

Interviewers will hit the ground running in May 2027, with their tasks completed by the end of August.

Analysis and processing will run through September and October, and reports will be presented from late October for a month.

One-on-one meetings with the agencies will be held in February, when Vacchiano arrives in the country and spends a week talking to subscribers.

“We’ll be gathering the commentary of agencies around what they feel is important to glean from the study.”

She adds, “Samples of the research from 2016 to 2025 show how this sector has grown from 191 respondents across marketing, creative and media professionals in 2016 to 553 in 2025.”