For thirteen years, The Agency Edge has had its finger on the pulse of the agency world. Created by Drew McLellan (Agency Management Institute) and Susan Baier (Audience Audit), this annual research series goes beyond surface-level trends to uncover the real drivers of agency-client relationships.
What makes clients stay or leave? What sparks increased spending? And how do agencies truly inspire and get the most out of their teams? The research always includes a unique attitudinal segmentation analysis that reveals client emotions and motivations, those ‘aha’ moments that change everything.
From confident to anxious, from engaged to dismissive, client mindsets reveal the “why” behind the decisions they make, the challenges they struggle with, and the goals they have for their agency relationships.
This year, we’re pairing Agency Edge with findings from Agency Core 2026 — a parallel study of agency leaders — to show you where you and your clients see eye to eye, and where the gaps are costing you. Are you ready to learn what your clients are actually thinking?
Download your copy of the 2026 Agency Edge executive summary here.