del·fai – home to oracles
DELPHI
An exclusive insights network for digital agency leaders
Uncertainty
is growing
“Is it me, or the market?”
“Is AI a threat?”
“What’ll move the needle?”
Delphi Knows
Members get exclusive access to our Leadership Outlook Index + the “Why” behind it
Cautious Optimism: Agency leaders are slightly more optimistic heading into Q4 2025 than they were mid-year. Over 60% expect Q4 to be better than Q3, pushing our Leadership Outlook Index up to 3.55 (on a 5-point scale) from 3.39 in the mid-year survey.
Leader sentiment has shifted as mid-year outlooks were largely cautious or negative, with frequent references to uncertainty, fear, or the need to “survive” the rest of the year.
By contrast, Q4 brought a mix of continued caution but with new pockets of optimism. Some leaders reported that business had “picked up quite a bit compared to Q2”, leading to hopes for a strong finish, or that a once-frozen pipeline had begun to thaw by year’s end.
Still, many maintained a “cautiously optimistic” or tentative stance. They saw glimmers of improvement but were wary of challenges like slow sales cycles and budget-conscious clients.
Overall, the core challenges: hesitant clients, long sales cycles, and budget pressures persisted throughout 2025, but by Q4, agencies had adapted in various ways. Some saw modest rebounds or found new opportunities (through niche services or marketing efforts), while others continued to struggle. The overall mood evolved from widespread uncertainty in Q2 to a more tempered outlook in Q4, balancing optimism with the reality of ongoing market constraints.
You
Need
Better
Data
Why
A network exclusively for digital agencies providing actionable quarterly insights. Our data helps agency leaders make better decisions, faster. Members get exclusive access to findings and influence over future survey topics.
should
Four quarterly surveys to uncover specific market conditions, key leader concerns, sales and marketing focuses, reviews of last quarter, and plans for next quarter.
I
Members are invited to participate in quarterly surveys, each survey runs for a week, the data is analyzed and insights are distributed to the network.
Care?
We arm agency leaders with the most up-to-date, market segmented insights possible. We keep it simple and actionable to directly help your agency’s growth strategy.
The Goods
Leadership Outlook Index
The definitive answer to “is it me, or the market?” tracked and reported quarterly to help agency leaders know when to pivot or stay the course.
Quarterly Briefs
Actionable reports on what’s happening in the agency space and how you can apply it directly to your agency’s growth strategy.
Live Readouts
Quarterly webinars where we review the analysis, discuss the key themes impacting the industry, and host a Q&A session for delphi members.
Exclusively for Agencies
The data comes directly from operators of digital agencies, and the insights shared are exclusively for leaders of digital agencies.
Membership is Free
There’s no fee to be a member. Simply participate in the quarterly surveys, and you’ll keep receiving quarterly insights.
Optional Research
There are fully optional research opportunities that’ll be available to the group. Some will be surveys, some will be interviews, some will be paid, all will be optional.
We Take Privacy Seriously
Insights and data will be handled as confidential and only shared in anonymized aggregate form, and no identifiable info is ever shared without explicit consent.
Who’s Delphi?
Define the future