Big Tech’s AI Will Kill the Middle - And That’s Good News for Bold Agencies
It's not the end of agencies, but it could be the end of yours. Unless.
You feel it, don’t you?
The pitch decks are getting lighter. Clients are asking more questions about “efficiency.” And somewhere in the back of your mind is the creeping dread that an algorithm might soon be pitching against you… and winning.
Here’s the good news: it’s not the end of agencies.
Here’s the bad news: it’s the end of your agency — if it’s built on bloated headcount, slow timelines, and “we’ve always done it this way.”
Big Tech is coming for the middle. AI is going to chew through every undifferentiated, execution-heavy agency model. And unless you’ve got a war chest or a cult-like following, your only move is reinvention.
Today's Brief is for the agency owners, strategists, and creative leads staring down this new reality.
You’ve got two choices:
Cling to the past.
Weaponize your originality, plug it into AI, and make yourself unkillable.
Here’s what’s happening — and how to play it.
AI vs. Agencies: Crisis or Catalyst?
1. The Signal → What’s Happening
Big Tech just declared war on traditional ad agencies.
Meta, Google, and Amazon are rolling out full-scale AI ad creation platforms. Meta alone aims to automate most ad creative by 2026.
Wall Street noticed — holding company stocks took a hit. Meanwhile, independents are fighting back:
R/GA just went private to fuel a $50M AI innovation war chest
London indies like Mother are doubling down on creative purity
2. The Relevance → Why It Matters
If you run an agency, this isn’t background noise. It’s a fire alarm.
Clients will soon compare your proposal against a fully AI-generated campaign that’s faster, cheaper, and “good enough.”
If you’re charging by the hour for execution, you’re on a ticking clock.
The age of artisanal mediocrity is over.
3. The Insight → What It Means
This isn’t the death of agencies.
It’s the death of agencies that play it safe.
AI is commoditizing output.
Your value must shift to input: insight, strategy, creative soul.
What used to be a moat — headcount, process, scale — is now a weight around your ankles.
4. The Shift → What’s Changing
From execution → to expertise
From manpower → to machine-leveraged creativity
From generalist → to brutally focused specialist
We’re entering a new cycle:
The deconstruction of the agency model.
Power moves to those who are nimble, original, and tech-native.
5. The Opportunity → Where to Win
Be what AI can’t be. Original, weird, brilliant.
Sell what AI can’t sell. Strategic clarity, big ideas, true brand.
Scale what AI can scale. Use it to free your team from grunt work and focus on the work that matters.
If you’re small and sharp, this is your moment.
If you’re big and slow… good luck.
6. The Moves → What To Do Now
Kill your darlings.
Strip down services that are easily replaced by AI. Focus on high-value, defensible offers.Automate the bottom.
Use AI tools to handle production and repetitive creative. Reinvent how you deliver — not just what.Double down on positioning.
Get laser-focused. Be the only agency in the world that does what you do.Train your clients.
Shift the conversation from “deliverables” to “outcomes.” Educate them on what matters.Market the hell out of your originality.
Lead with point of view. Personality is now a differentiator, not a liability.
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