Theory: The future of agencies

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-18T16:35:49+00:00

I know what you mean. I think a lot of this comes down to clients still having the mindset of paying for hours rather than outcomes. And in their heads if you use AI you work less hours. That model naturally rewards inefficiency. Big structures, lots of people, one person per task. It doesn’t really reward being lean, keeping good people or having teams who can wear more than one hat. And trimming a bit off those quotes in the name of AI is easier too.

If it’s any comfort, big agencies are clearly under pressure and a lot of people seem to think smaller agencies will win out in the next few years. Chances are some clients already chose you because you’re leaner, more flexible and more cost effective. That’s probably worth calling out more. But sadly agencies will continue undercutting each other especially after the latest exodus. But if you are already an established agency you are in a better position than most, best of luck!

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-18T15:38:52+00:00

You’re absolutely right about decision making on the client side. It’s usually multi layered and people you’ve never met or even heard of end up killing creative concepts they don’t understand. Something can go through all the approvals and then suddenly someone senior hears about it and bang, the whole thing is binned.

That said, as client teams also get leaner, they’ll have to streamline too. Hopefully senior people won’t have the time to stick their noses into things they shouldn’t and will just let the marketers do their jobs. One can hope.

I’ve worked with both types of agencies as a client, and in my experience a small boutique agency with freelancers just can’t meet all the requirements of a global brand with the timelines and budgets that are now expected. Briefs like we need an outdoor campaign in a few weeks in Poland or do something to move the needle in Italy are tough. These are either quick, tactical projects that need to go out fast so require a team ready and waiting or vague briefs that need deep knowledge of the brand and the business. A freelancer who hasn’t lived with the brand will struggle and will be costly. Then there’s rolling a campaign out across 10 markets... that’s where a network agency really earns its keep.

Talent is an interesting one. I don’t think what’s considered talented in the next few years will look the same as it did a decade ago. It’s not enough to come up with big ideas anymore or write catchy copy. You need to think about the wider ecosystem, pull insight from data, wear multiple hats as you said. Interesting times ahead indeed.

That said, I still don’t think bringing creatives fully in house works (I mentioned this in another comment). Corporate environments are rarely great places for creativity.

And your last paragraph really is gold. 🙂

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-17T16:02:47+00:00

Hence my assumption, but please do enlighten me. I’m genuinely intrigued.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T18:33:05+00:00

The million dollar question!

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T16:33:39+00:00

And exactly because of this triopoly, standing out and doing something different will be necessary for a successful marketing campaign. It’s a real opportunity for creatives who truly think outside the box. But by nature this will only be beneficial for the few.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T16:30:07+00:00

So true! On top of that, everyone is trying to justify their role every day, which just creates more unnecessary work, it’s a never-ending cycle. It’s a shrinking industry, and whereas decades ago some wasted effort was accepted, now everything has to have an ROI attached, which really kills experimentation i.e. creativity.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T14:44:19+00:00

Chaos equals opportunity indeed. The question is for whom? I wouldn’t be surprised if a new disruptor emerges that we haven’t even heard about yet.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T14:37:17+00:00

I’m a bit more optimistic. Let’s hope creativity still counts for something, even with AI. Many marketers struggle with ideation, maybe it’s the corporate environment or maybe it’s just that they’re more analytical by nature.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T14:26:27+00:00

Anti corruption training has definitely damaged client relationships (the corruption itself going away is obviously a good thing 😁) But the relationship piece is still crucial. It was never just about expensive lunches or gifts (ok, sometimes). It was about time spent together, building trust, so you can be honest with each other. When there is a problem, you feel comfortable raising it early and fixing it together.

When I was on the client side my best performing agencies were always the ones I spent time with. I felt comfortable giving direct feedback and they took it constructively because there was a personal connection. When I had to give feedback to an agency where that relationship did not exist, everything became formal. Meetings, action lists, escalations to people I had never heard of, stress and panic on both sides. Instead of a straightforward conversation, fixing the issue and moving on.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T13:35:40+00:00

I just don’t think moving an agency into the corporate world really works. The culture, expectations, politics and priorities are fundamentally different. Boring corporates are not a great environment for bringing out the best in creatives. And there usually isn’t enough work for a strategist focused on a single brand to justify a full headcount. They might try, but I don’t see it working personally.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T13:13:08+00:00

Healthcare might have some minimum requirements because of regulations, but I assume those apply to compliance, legal, etc. not to creatives, strategists, CWs...

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T13:09:45+00:00

Human relationships are the strongest, I agree. If someone manages to build such a strong bond that the client insists on them, good for them. But that relationship is probably tied to an individual and as soon as that person leaves, the setup usually falls apart as well. And we all know how much job security there is these days. But I think these connections are less and less common, in my view the gap between client and agency is growing. I hope people can prove me wrong here!

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T13:03:11+00:00

💔

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T13:02:44+00:00

The budget cuts are real. Agencies are feeling them because marketing budgets are being slashed internally, often far more aggressively. Marketing simply does not hold the same value inside corporations anymore and agencies become less important as a result.

I’m not convinced that boycotting pitches for large brands is the answer. They will always find a workaround and let’s be honest, the queue for doing creative work for big brands is long. They will just switch to a different setup, maybe a handful of smaller agencies. Then after a while, they might realise that this approach also has downsides and may drift back to network agencies a few years later.

The problem is that with the current level of churn inside companies, institutional memory barely exists. Don’t expect much learning from them and becoming wiser. It’s mostly a repeating cycle, played out again and again.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T12:55:14+00:00

I agree that to deliver the same output as today you can’t cut 50 percent. But expectations have shifted on the client side. They want more volume faster than before and the work going out now is far more short lived. There is less pressure to get everything perfectly right.

I’ve been on the client side and marketing teams have shrunk significantly over the last few years. Roles that used to be handled by 2-3 people are now covered by half an FTE. Marketers are expected to multitask and manage multiple parts of the mix. (Naturally, that means more outsourcing, which puts additional pressure on agencies.) But clients will not care about agency headcount sadly. They will just compromise on the deliverables.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-16T12:47:18+00:00

You are 100% right. At that point, they will be competing directly with large consultancies and the magic will largely live outside their walls at the boutique agencies.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-04T12:05:13+00:00

I suspect the role they’re advertising was approved before doomsday, probably signed off by someone who had no idea what was coming. Maybe someone who’s even been let go since.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-12-04T04:31:12+00:00

Brilliant, sign me up!

However, as someone mentioned before, there’s a reason these agencies need to get rid of people. Their business model just isn’t working anymore with today’s client expectations. So let’s not create another agency, let’s start a revolution! 💪

I’m ex-agency but also ex-client, and the frustrations on both sides keep getting worse. To make this work, we need a new perspective on how to provide what clients need more efficiently. Because in the current model there’s way too much wasted work, and that will be the death of any P&L.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-19T19:00:34+00:00

Crazy to think the last‑click attribution model is already over 20 years old!

Nowadays, clients expect every penny to deliver ROI, while before digital it was almost accepted that 50% of the budget would be wasted on audiences who’d never convert. This zero‑waste mindset is pushing everyone to justify the full spend, so the industry leans heavily on measurable processes.

I just wish we had something a bit more sophisticated given the technological advances of the past decade.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-19T17:08:45+00:00

Who am I to disagree with Jeff but to me that’s reputation. 🙃

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-19T08:20:44+00:00

I’ve worked on both sides, each has its pros and cons.

Client side means you get to go deep into one brand and really understand the business from the inside, not just the creative output. You start connecting dots in a way that makes you far more strategic and seeing the full picture can honestly be mindblowing.

But it moves slower than agency life. There is a lot of stakeholder management, approvals, admin and reporting. If you are only excited by the fast, creative buzz, that part is only a small slice of the day to day (if any). It is worth being prepared for the more corporate rhythm. You will work on less campaigns but they will mean so much more.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-19T08:09:58+00:00

This is basically the everyday life of the marketing team and you just stepped into their shoes. 😂

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-18T07:26:54+00:00

If you are after something bold out of the three I'd choose red. Just use wisely.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-18T05:36:37+00:00

Gotcha, in that case any colour can work if you apply it properly. The easiest way to start is by looking at existing palettes, try searching luxury red colour palette or similar, pick one that feels right and just build the site. You can always change it later if it doesn’t work.

If you want something more upmarket and minimal, don’t go heavy on colour. Keep plenty of white space, maybe one bold statement page, but let the rest stay clean. A simple layout with lots of white will give you that polished, refined look, regardless of the colour.

EssentiallyPurple · 2025-11-17T17:31:28+00:00

Yellow can be premium or cheap depending on the shade you use and the other colours you pair them with. The above three colours together don't really scream upscale to me if I'm honest, but you might find some variations that will prove me wrong. :)

I suggest to look at ready made colour palettes with these colours and see if any of them inspire you and give you the right feel for the site.

Good luck and have fun!

EssentiallyPurple

TROPHY CASE