Possibilities
My next question to the AIs was about which entity is best placed to build the agency of the future.
The AI-first agency of the future will likely emerge from several different players, each bringing unique strengths to this transformation:
Leading Contenders
- AI-Native Startups & Specialists
- Unique advantage: Built around AI from day one with no legacy constraints
- Key strengths: Speed to market, disruptive pricing models, technical innovation
- Examples: Specialised firms like Synthesia (AI video), Jasper (AI content), Runway ML
- Challenge: Building strategic credibility and brand trust beyond being seen as tech vendors
- Consulting Giants with Creative Ambitions
- Unique advantage: C-suite relationships, enterprise AI expertise, massive resources
- Key strengths: Accenture (7% market share in generative AI services, $3B AI investment)
- Examples: Accenture Song, Deloitte Digital ($4B AI expansion plans)
- Challenge: Overcoming perception as “soulless” and attracting top creative talent
- Tech Giants & Platforms
- Unique advantage: Own the foundational AI models and massive data ecosystems
- Key strengths: Vertical integration, unmatched computational resources
- Examples: Microsoft/OpenAI, Google (Gemini), Adobe (Firefly), Meta (Llama)
- Challenge: Overcoming trust issues as platforms that compete for advertising dollars
- Legacy Agency Networks (With Transformation)
- Unique advantage: Client relationships, creative heritage, global infrastructure
- Key strengths: Resources to acquire AI capabilities, massive scale
- Examples: WPP’s NVIDIA partnership, Publicis’ CoreAI platform, Dentsu’s Merkury data platform
- Challenge: Bureaucracy, billable-hour mindset, talent retention against tech companies
- Forward-Thinking Martech & SaaS Companies
- Unique advantage: Data-driven DNA, existing marketing technology stacks
- Key strengths: Access to first-party data, established marketing workflows
- Examples: Salesforce, HubSpot, agentic AI platforms
- Challenge: Building creative credibility beyond technical capabilities
- Decentralised Creator Networks
- Unique advantage: Authenticity, direct access to creators and communities
- Key strengths: Fractional talent models, cultural relevance
- Examples: Web3 DAOs, platforms like Fiverr or Contra enabling on-demand teams
- Challenge: Ensuring brand consistency, scaling for enterprise needs
- Client In-House Operations
- Unique advantage: Direct control over data, speed, and costs
- Key strengths: Alignment with business objectives, proprietary data
- Examples: Coca-Cola’s Creative Juice studio, Unilever’s internal capabilities
- Challenge: Risk of insular thinking, losing outside creative perspectives
The Winning Formula
The most successful builders of the agency of the future will demonstrate:
- Hybrid DNA: Blending technical AI expertise with genuine creative vision
- Platform Thinking: Operating as orchestrators of talent, tools, and technology
- Ethical Leadership: Setting standards for responsible AI use in marketing
- Data Advantage: Proprietary data assets or methodologies for AI training
- Cultural Agility: Attracting talent comfortable in both technical and creative domains
The Likely Outcome
Rather than any single player type dominating, we’ll likely see:
- Ecosystem Convergence: Blurring lines between traditional categories as acquisitions and partnerships reshape the landscape
- New Entrants Rising: AI-native startups with disruptive models challenging established players
- Legacy Transformation: Some traditional agencies successfully reinventing themselves through aggressive restructuring
- Tech Platform Evolution: Tech giants extending their platforms into agency-like services
The future belongs to organisations that can democratise AI without losing creative soul, operate as fluid networks rather than rigid hierarchies, and balance scale with speed. The biggest threat isn’t competition—it’s irrelevance for those clinging to 20th-century agency models while the world races toward AI.
