Ready or Not — The Next 18 Months Will Break Your Current Agency Model

With a focus on using AI for client value creation and agency growth, we’ve now trained hundreds of agency teams. This is what we’re seeing.

18 MONTHS. THAT’S IT.
That’s how long agencies have to seriously operationalize AI – before clients, competitors, and new tech move so far ahead there’s no catching up.

Yes, media and production teams are automating. Yes, creatives are experimenting. Yes, some are seeing efficiency gains.

But when it comes to creating meaningful client value — strategy, client advisory, and innovation tied to growth — most aren’t even out of the starting gate.

We see overwhelmed leaders everywhere:

• “There’s a new tool or prophet every minute!”
• “Where do we start? How do we prioritize? Get everyone on board?”
• “How do we defend the downward fee pressure of AI-accelerated work?”

Even the 4A’s had to publish: “From Skeptic to Alchemist: A Practical Guide to AI Maturity for Agencies.” The title alone says everything.

A small number are making tangible progress – but even they struggle with rollout, training, and adoption. 

WHAT’S AHEAD? WELL, IT’S ALREADY HERE.
Here’s one example – agencies are already using AI for strategic planning to:

• Develop analyst-level POVs on client categories, businesses, and growth drivers — with actionable client recommendations
• Surface deep audience insight through synthetic personas, modeled journeys, and mass research analysis
• Simulate, predict, and influence specific behavior
• Use tools like Magnolia for effective strategies and briefs in less time
• Pressure-test and iterate on new strategies
• Deploy mass personalization, all optimized at scale

Much of this wasn’t feasible at typical budget levels. Now it is. In fact, soon, strategies will become living AI models – constantly learning and optimizing. Strategic thinking shouldn’t be static. Meanwhile, shops like Gravity Global, Accenture Song, and Product are building full AI-powered operating systems to run their agencies.

THE POINT
Leverage AI’s collaborative power to create more value – drive client business growth. And charge more for it. 

This isn’t a margin threat due to the downward pressure of hourly fees for AI-accelerated work. It’s a revenue growth play for improving the quality of the work you provide your clients.

SO, HOW DO YOU KEEP PROGRESSING?
Here’s a more relevant, practical, and empowering entry point for your teams: Prompt Engineering. Well-crafted prompts generate incredible strategic and creative thinking.

With the right prompts, it’s like doubling your strategy team. It also levels up account and project managers into strategic leaders, not to mention improving all the other roles in your agency.

These are critical skills that provide new inspiration as teams experience the full collaborative power of the LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemine, Copilot, and more.

Focused on client-facing teams, lean in on our series of Agency AI Prompt Engineering posts that provide step-by-step instruction, guidance, and templates to continue your AI progression — with the goal of creating more compelling and effective work for your clients.

Here’s the first in our prompting series >

Jump in. Get rolling with prompting strategy. Generate more value for your clients.

FAFO.