With AI expected to reshape marketing, what role do external partners play and how might this change?
We asked senior marketing and communications leaders to quantify, describe and forecast their agency outsourcing and we were (pleasantly) surprised at their heavy reliance on companies like ours.
The clearest driver is resourcing.
94% of respondents reported constraints in this area, whether as a persistent challenge or an acute one. And we know that managing resource scarcity with an external commission is often internally more palatable - easier, faster and lower risk - than adding permanent headcount.
But beyond capacity, the quality bar is proving difficult to meet too.
We think there is another critical value that external agencies provide to their clients - and we even include this among our own marketing taglines: confidence.
Teams that lack confidence generally default to doing what has worked for them before, but when the landscape is changing as quickly as it is currently, doing the same could put you in the slow lane.
No one can afford to be complacent in a fast-moving environment, including those with deep experience.
The pace of change demands constant curiosity. We all need to stay informed, stay adaptable, and above all, stay sharp.
