It Was Never Just About The Fee
New WFA research widens the lens from how agencies are paid to the full commercial cycle. The results, contrary to popular belief, find that the strongest drivers of agency performance have little to do with money. Here’s what brands should do about it. For as long as I’ve been in this business, the conversation about […]
The Hour Is Up
From labor to output: the profound changes reshaping agency compensation—and the actions brands must take now to pay for what agencies deliver, not for how long it takes them to deliver it. For decades, the math behind agency compensation was simple. Count the people. Multiply by their hours. Add overhead and a margin. Negotiate hard […]
It’s Not The 50% You Get Right That Matters
Agency reviews rarely come out of nowhere. Learn how to use performance evaluations to catch warning signs before a costly review.
Volume 89 | July-August 2026
Executive Summary The past few months have reinforced a structural shift that we identified in prior Industry Updates: AI, consolidation, data ownership, and accountability are converging into a new agency operating model. AI is becoming an operating layer. Agency ecosystems are consolidating around control and scale. And marketing economics are moving from effort toward outcomes. […]
Volume 88 | May – June 2026
Executive Summary Talent remains the lifeblood of the advertising industry, yet it has never faced a more pivotal moment. AI is rewriting workflows, automation is compressing timelines, and new commercial models are redefining how value is created, measured, and rewarded. Creativity alone is no longer enough; brands increasingly expect proof of business impact, financial accountability, […]
Volume 87 | March – April 2026
Executive Summary The world feels unsteady. Tensions high across continents, alliances shifting, certainty fading. And while headlines capture global unrest, something transformative is also happening closer to home. Our industry is being rewritten in real time. Advertising is no longer what it was. The agency model that once defined creativity and scale is searching for […]
Volume 86 | January-February 2026
Executive Summary Welcome to an exciting 2026. If the past few years taught us anything, it’s this: In our industry, change isn’t a season—it’s the climate. And right now the temperature is rising. The agency business is undergoing a profound reinvention. Not a refresh. Not a rebrand. A structural shift in how work is produced, […]
4 Questions That Changed the Rules of Marketing Procurement
What marketing procurement leaders asked in recent years—and why the powerful answers changed everything The advertising industry crossed a line—and there is no going back. Momentum stacked on momentum. Assumptions cracked. New realities took hold. Tech innovation like artificial intelligence moved decisively from promise to power, reshaping how work is done, partnerships are built, and […]
Volume 85 | November-December 2025
Executive Summary If one song could capture the mood, momentum, chaos, and electric possibility of advertising as we charge into 2026, it would be Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger.” Why? Because everything is being rebuilt—new rules, new models, new ambitions. Because the industry is reshaping itself in real time through restructurings, mergers, acquisitions, and seismic roster shifts. […]
10 Hard Truths Every CMO Must Confront to Lead Fearlessly
A candid look at the choices, challenges, and convictions that define modern marketing leadership in a new partnership era In today’s hyperconnected business world, every decision sets off a ripple that can amplify strengths or expose weaknesses across an entire ecosystem. Among all the partnerships that shape a company’s destiny, few are as consequential as […]
Volume 84 | September-October 2025
Executive Summary AI is rewriting marketing’s talent equation. Large agencies, ad-tech firms, and platforms are automating routine work to unlock strategic creativity and, in the process, elevating CMOs into true transformation architects. Agentic AI, self-serve operating systems, and brand-side builds (from production accelerators to performance intelligence) are shifting resources toward strategy, design, and decisioning. The […]
10 Best Advertising Quotes | September-October 2025
Discover the top 10 quotes from September-October about the evolving advertising landscape, featuring insights from industry thought leaders like Lara Balazs (Adobe), Ramzi Chaabane (L’Oreal), Stephan Petrorius (WPP), Justin Thomas-Copeland (4A’s), and more. Stay informed with even more impactful quotes and expert perspectives in our bimonthly Industry Update newsletter, where we dive into key news […]