Indie Agency News × The One Club
Trade Partnership Proposal
What We're Building Together
The One Club just launched indie-specific categories (independent agencies with 4 offices or fewer), and you need entries from the right agencies. We have 300+ verified indie agencies who are hungry for recognition but often don't know about these opportunities.
Meanwhile, we're growing our membership and want to connect our members with the most prestigious awards in the industry. This is a natural fit where both organizations win by serving the same audience.
What IAN Brings to The One Club
Direct Access to 300+ Verified Indies
300+
Verified Member Agencies
2,300+
Newsletter Subscribers
60%
Email Open Rate
7,000+
LinkedIn Followers
Geographic Reach
- Strong US presence: NY, LA, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis
- Growing international: UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Nepal
- Size range: Solo shops to 250+ person agencies
- Sweet spot: 11-50 person agencies (the ones who need you most)
Engaged Audience That Actually Opens Emails
Our audience doesn't just read—they act:
- 60% average open rate (3x industry standard)
- Video content: 400+ views for live shows, 800+ views for snippets
- Active engagement with indie-focused content
- Members who value recognition and want to enter awards
What We're Asking From The One Club
Help Us Grow Our Membership
First Year Membership Discount for One Club Entrants/Winners
- Offer IAN membership discount to agencies entering indie categories
- Special rate for indie category winners/finalists
- Co-branded messaging: "Enter the Indies + Join the indie community"
Visibility in Your Ecosystem
Newsletter/Email Mentions
- Feature IAN in One Club newsletters (2-3 times during entry period)
- Include IAN info in indie category confirmation emails
- Link to IAN in indie winner announcements
Creative Week 2025 Presence
- IAN mentioned as indie community partner during Creative Week
- Opportunity to co-host indie-focused celebration/gathering
- Access to indie winners/finalists for content/interviews
What IAN Commits to The One Club
Aggressive Promotion of Indie Categories
Newsletter Campaign (Dec 2025 - April 2026)
- Dedicated newsletter announcing indie categories (December)
- Monthly reminders with entry deadline countdowns (Jan-March)
- Final push week before deadlines (April)
- Winner celebration issue (June)
- All newsletters include direct links to entry platform
Social Media Push
- Weekly LinkedIn posts about indie categories (Dec-April)
- Instagram/Facebook cross-promotion
- Member spotlight posts: "Why [Agency] is entering The One Show Indies"
Live Show Integration
- Dedicated show about The One Show indie categories (January)
- Feature One Club team as guests discussing what judges look for
- Work showcase shows featuring past indie category-worthy work
- Post-award winner celebration show (June)
Content That Celebrates One Show Success
Pre-Award Content (Dec 2025 - May 2026)
- "How to Enter" guide specifically for indies
- "What Judges Look For" interview series
- Past winner case studies (if available from other categories)
- Entry deadline reminder content
Post-Award Content (June 2026)
- Dedicated coverage of all indie winners
- Video interviews with indie category winners
- Case studies on winning work
- "Why This Won" analysis pieces
Member Engagement & Entry Support
- Direct email to all 300+ members announcing indie categories
- Personalized outreach to agencies with award-worthy work from past year
- Entry deadline reminders via email and LinkedIn
- Optional: Awards Optimizer service offered at discount to members entering One Show
Jury Nominations
We'll provide 5-10 strong jury candidates from our member base who:
- Have significant creative recognition
- Understand indie agency challenges and strengths
- Can evaluate work across disciplines
- Examples: Andy Silva (Partyland), Matt Heath (Work in Progress), others TBD
Additional Value-Add Opportunities
Creative Week 2025 (May)
Indie-Specific Programming
Co-host "Show Off Indies Edition" during Creative Week
- Format: 5-minute work showcases from indie winners/finalists
- Venue: The Delancey (Lower East Side) - holds 200-300, known for good vibes
- Vibe: Celebratory, not stuffy. Indies celebrating indies.
Alternative: Separate party for indie gold winners who aren't "Best of Discipline" and won't be on stage at Cipriani.
Ongoing Content Collaboration
Work Archive Project
- Co-create library of great indie work from past One Show winners
- Interview series with past winners (any category, if they're indie)
- Build case for why indie work deserves its own spotlight
Student Connections (pending funding)
- Bring Portland State advertising students to Creative Week
- Co-create indie-focused campus tours/programming
- Pipeline: students → indie agencies → One Show entries
Timeline & Activation
December 2025
- Announce partnership publicly
- Launch first newsletter campaign promoting indie categories
- Begin jury nomination process
January 2026
- Dedicated live show about One Club indie categories
- Weekly social media campaign begins
- Member direct outreach campaign
February - March 2026
- Monthly newsletter features
- Continue social push
- Mid-deadline reminder campaign
April 2026
- Final push week before deadline
- Live deadline reminder show
- Heavy social media presence
May 2026
- Creative Week co-programming
- Indie celebration event
- Winner interviews begin
June 2026
- Winner announcement coverage
- Dedicated winner celebration content
- Case studies on winning work
Success Metrics
For The One Club:
- 50+ indie category entries from IAN members
- Increased awareness of indie categories among target agencies
- Stronger indie presence at Creative Week
- Quality jury candidates from indie community
For Indie Agency News:
- 30-50 new member signups from One Club entrants/winners
- Increased visibility during Creative Week
- Content library built from winner interviews
- Stronger positioning as "home for indies"
The Deal Structure
This is a trade partnership with no money changing hands. Both organizations leverage their platforms and audiences to help each other achieve growth goals.
IAN provides: Audience access, promotion, content, jury candidates, member engagement
One Club provides: Visibility, member benefits, Creative Week presence, co-branding opportunities
We're both investing time and platform access to serve the same community. The ROI comes from mutual audience growth and deeper engagement with indie agencies who need both organizations.
Next Steps
- Finalize deliverables - Are these the right commitments from both sides?
- Set timeline - Confirm launch date and key milestone dates
- Assign points of contact - Who owns what on each side?
- Create assets - Co-branded graphics, email templates, social media posts
- Launch announcement - Joint press release/social announcement in December