The seventh edition of AGENCY SCOPE in South Africa will begin fieldwork in May 2027, with the biennial study expanding its reach to include more marketing professionals, technology and innovation leaders, and agency employees.
Johanna McDowell, SCOPEN partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), says the 2027/28 study aims to complete 825 interviews, up from 553 respondents in 2025 and 191 in the inaugural South African study in 2016.
SCOPEN president and CEO Cesar Vacchiano will visit South Africa in February 2027 to meet with agency subscribers and gather their views on the issues the next wave of research should address.
AGENCY SCOPE draws on in-depth interviews with senior decision-makers across marketing, communications and advertising, covering businesses of different sizes and levels of marketing investment.
“In interviewing over 3 000 CMOs around the world, we’re excited to see what 2027 brings,” says McDowell. “A key objective next year will be to interview more marketing professionals from more companies.”
Broader range of decision-makers
The 2027/28 edition will broaden its scope by including additional decision-makers within participating companies, particularly those working in digital, technology and innovation.
“These managers also hire and work with agencies and other partners,” says McDowell. “This will bring even greater depth to the value of data we collect.”
The study will also seek to include a wider range of client organisations beyond traditional communications investors. These will include start-ups, technology businesses and digital platforms, reflecting their growing engagement with agencies.
“Numbers in this area are growing rapidly,” she says. “It’s certainly an area we need to be aware of to keep our finger on the pulse.”
Another planned development is an expanded sample of agency professionals. Their perspectives will provide further insight into what makes agencies attractive places to work, adding another dimension to the study’s findings.
McDowell says these additions are expected to make the data collected in 2027/28 richer and more valuable to the industry.
Fieldwork begins in May 2027
The research schedule will see interviews conducted from May to the end of August 2027, followed by analysis and processing during September and October. Reports are expected to be presented from late October over a period of approximately one month.
Vacchiano’s February visit will provide an opportunity for one-on-one meetings with agency subscribers to discuss the study and identify the questions they believe the research should address.
The expansion builds on the growth of AGENCY SCOPE in South Africa over the past decade. According to McDowell, the number of respondents increased from 191 in 2016 to 553 in 2025, across marketing, creative and media professionals.
The 2027 target of 825 completed interviews would represent a further substantial increase in the study’s reach.
“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 Vacchiano.
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