Independent Agency Bolsters Media Buying With Network-Trained Talent

Australian independent media agency The Media Store has appointed Brady Lyon as Investment Director, a newly created role designed to strengthen the agency's media buying and revenue management capabilities.

A New Role Built for Buying Scale

Lyon brings nearly a decade of media investment and sales experience to the position. He spent almost eight years at EssenceMediacom, the GroupM and WPP-owned media network, where he led investment teams across offline media channels. In 2022, he was appointed Investment Director at EssenceMediacom's Melbourne office, managing media spend for clients across the consumer goods, charity, and finance sectors.

Prior to joining The Media Store, Lyon served as Agency Sales Director at GoTransit Media Group, where he built supplier and client partnerships across out-of-home advertising campaigns.

CEO Stephen Leeds said the hire reflects the agency's ability to attract network-trained talent. "Brady's appointment is testament to the calibre of media experience we are able to attract, and our commitment as a business to bringing highly skilled, passionate people to our team," Leeds said.

Lyon described The Media Store as "the ideal place" for his career progression. "I'm excited to work with the team and look forward to supporting their 2026 growth plans," he said.

Sequential Leadership Build-Out Ahead of 2026

The appointment follows The Media Store's earlier hire of Tanvi Singh as Head of Strategy and Planning. Together, the two hires address both the strategic planning and media buying functions of a full-service agency, capabilities historically associated with large global networks.

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The agency's current client roster includes RMIT University, ENGIE, Hino, Rugby World Cup Experiences, Melbourne Royal Show, and newly added sustainable rideshare company Splend. Lyon's background across consumer goods, charity, and finance verticals maps directly to this multi-sector client base.

The Media Store describes itself as a completely non-aligned independent agency, positioning its "Media: Reimagined" approach as a differentiated alternative to global network agencies.

Independent Agencies Compete Through Specialized Talent

The appointment reflects a broader pattern across the Asia-Pacific region, where independent media agencies are recruiting talent from global networks to close the competitive gap on buying sophistication.

The Asia-Pacific marketing agencies market is projected to grow at a rate exceeding 7% per year through 2030, driven by digital transformation and strategic acquisitions. That growth creates both opportunity and pressure for independents competing against established global groups.

Consolidation pressures add urgency to the picture. According to Strategic Asia Marketing Alliance (SAMA) data, two-thirds of marketers globally plan to consolidate their agency relationships by 2027. For independent agencies, winning consolidated accounts requires demonstrating buying scale and investment expertise alongside creative and strategic credentials.

Across the region, independent agencies have demonstrated that specialized functional expertise can compete directly with network scale. GIGIL in Southeast Asia won Gold at the 2025 Boomerang Awards for Jollibee's Joy Meter campaign. Choojai and Friends in Bangkok won the Film Grand Prix at Spikes Asia 2024 and was named Independent Agency of the Year. Both wins came against global network competition.

Agency Background and Client Growth

The Media Store is one of Australia's largest independent media agencies. The agency's service offering spans strategy, planning, sponsorship, and partnership integration.

The addition of Splend's digital media account represents recent client growth alongside the leadership investments. Lyon's mandate includes developing the agency's buying footprint, managing revenue operations, contributing to industry expertise, and supporting new business pitching.