Rebuilding the agency model for the AI era, with Roy Murphy
Welcome to episode 149. If you've been watching AI reshape the marketing landscape and wondering what it really means for agencies, this conversation is going to be particularly interesting for you.
Roy Murphy and I dig into whether the traditional agency model can survive in its current form and what you can do about it. Roy is the Co-Founder of G3NR8, a business focused on applying a centralised intelligence layer for organisations to implement AI successfully.
We cover:
- Why he believes the current agency model is on borrowed time and the data behind that bold claim.
- How client in-housing, AI adoption and economic pressure are converging into a perfect storm.
- What the rise of creative automation really means for designers, strategists and account managers.
- How forward thinking agencies are building new business models that focus on client outcomes and not ours.
- And the three M's every agency leader needs to embrace, which are mindset, model and mechanics.
It's a lively, honest discussion, packed with examples, a bit of provocation and plenty of practical takeaways for anyone trying to figure out how to future-proof their agency. Roy's message is really clear. AI isn't coming for agencies. It's already here and it's those agencies that are going to adapt and who are going to thrive. So rethinking your business model, retraining the team and rebuilding the offering around client outcomes.
You can connect with Roy at https://www.g3nr8.com/ and subscribe to his brilliant newsletter. You can also read his viral LinkedIn post that we mention in our chat here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/roymurphy_ai-agencies-work-activity-7383090246873149440--6Su
Additional links:
Sales and Marketing AI Playbook https://www.g3nr8.com/ai-sales-and-marketing-ecosystem
Marketers AI roundtable https://www.g3nr8.com/senior-marketers-ai-roundtable
G3NR8 AI newsletter https://www.g3nr8.com/blog (featuring BAD AI where they skewer poor AI practice, every week, without fail).
If you'd like to know how AI-ready you are in your account management role, then you can go over to my website, https://www.accountmanagementskills.com and take your free AI readiness quiz. You'll get a personalised report and also some insights and tips and strategies for using AI in your client management role.
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How to stay legally safe when using AI in your agency, with Ryan Lisk & Kay Yung
Welcome to episode 148. This episode is going to be really useful if your agency has started using AI tools or if your team are experimenting with AI note-takers, ChatGPT, or generative image tools and you want to make sure you’re staying legally safe, compliant and transparent with your clients.
My guests are Ryan Lisk, Founder, and Kay Yung, Senior Commercial Lawyer at Hybrid Legal. The company helps business leaders prevent and solve legal headaches in a way that is easy to understand without breaking the bank. They specialise in creating and reviewing contracts, advising on tech law including AI and data privacy, employment & HR and M&A.
We talk about:
The biggest legal blind spots agencies have when it comes to AI use
Why transparent conversations about AI can actually strengthen your client relationships
How to run an internal “AI audit” — finding out who’s using what and where the risks lie
What to include in your AI policy and client contracts to protect your business
How to manage freelancer agreements and IP when AI tools are involved
Ryan and Kay share real stories from agency clients, including one that perfectly illustrates how easy it is to get into legal trouble and how to avoid it.
If you’ve ever worried about data privacy, IP ownership, or simply how to have the AI conversation with your clients, you’ll take away some really practical actions from this one.
You can follow or connect with both Ryan and Kay on LinkedIn, and check out the Hybrid Legal website to sign up for Legal Loop their free bi-weekly newsletter with legal updates and AI insights for agency owners.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmlisk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-yung-creativelawyer/
https://www.hybridlegal.co.uk/the-legal-loop
If you’d like account management tips, updates on upcoming podcast episodes, and invitations to my free trainings, make sure you sign up for my newsletter at https://www.accountmanagementskills.com
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How agencies are adopting AI and what's coming next – a compilation of expert guest insights
Welcome to episode 147.
In this special compilation episode, Jenny Plant revisits standout moments from her conversations with leading voices in the agency world about how AI is transforming agencies and agency account management. With change accelerating and clients already asking tough questions, this episode brings together practical frameworks, provocative thinking and real-world use cases that can help agency owners and account managers lead the AI conversation rather than follow it.
Across five key themes – from industry-wide disruption and agency adoption, to shifts in search, pricing models and client expectations – you’ll hear from strategists, pricing experts, consultants and AI practitioners on what’s working, what’s changing, and what to prioritise next.
If you want a sharper perspective on AI’s role in agency growth, this is your starting point.
If you’d like to see how ready you are to use AI in your client management role, I’ve put together a free AI readiness quiz. It takes about three to five minutes. You’ll get a tailored report with tips for how to start integrating AI into your workflows for client retention and growth. You can do that here: https://accountmanagementskills.com/ai-account-manager-quiz/
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Account management in the Nonprofit sector, with Lauren Jones
Welcome to episode 146. This episode will be really valuable if you're an agency account manager or an owner working with charities, nonprofits or mission driven brands, or if you're just curious about how the social impact sector operates differently and what account managers can learn from it. Lauren Jones is Senior Director of Client Services at Wide Eye, a digital creative agency for purpose-driven organisations & changemakers, and has spent her entire career in the Nonprofit sector.
In this episode, we cover:
• what makes working with nonprofit clients different from for-profit
• why impact, not revenue, is often the most important KPI.
• how to build and structure an account management function inside an agency.
• how to shift your agency from project based sort of more transactional work into longer term strategic partnerships.
• practical strategies for measuring and demonstrating impact, often through powerful storytelling rather than just data.
• Creating a really interesting stakeholder engagement design.
• coaching clients so they can evangelize about your work internally
• building long-term trust that keeps your account strong and sustainable.
Even if your clients are all commercial brands, then Lauren's advice about strategic thinking, building relationships and aligning with client priorities will definitely resonate.
You can connect with Lauren via LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-m-jones-1b623259
or via her own website: http://lmjones.com/
if you'd like to see how ready you are to use AI in your client management role, I've put together a free AI readiness quiz. It takes about three to five minutes. You'll get a tailored report with tips for how to start integrating AI into your workflows for client retention and growth. You can that here: https://accountmanagementskills.com/ai-account-manager-quiz/
If you want to be alerted to new podcast episodes coming up, hear about tips for account managers and any mini trainings I'm doing, you can also sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/AMSUpdates
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What your client’s Procurement team wants: insights and strategies, with Tina Fegent
Welcome to episode 145. This episode is going to be particularly useful if you want to understand how to engage with your client’s marketing procurement department and understand the world through their eyes when selecting an agency to work with.
I'm delighted that global marketing procurement consultant, Tina Fegent, has joined me for a second time on the podcast. Tina is a leading expert and pioneer in marketing procurement, with over 30 years of experience shaping the industry. She launched her consultancy in 2006 to help brands unlock greater value from their marketing spend through strategic, commercially focused procurement. Tina has worked with global brands and agencies to drive efficiencies, improve ROI, and foster better client–agency relationships. She is a regular speaker, advisor, and industry commentator, known for advocating collaboration between marketing and procurement. Passionate about innovation and impact, Tina continues to influence best practices and champion the evolving role of procurement in delivering creative and commercial success.
Here’s what we covered in this episode:
- Why procurement is becoming more important within companies and what that means for agencies
- How agencies can make themselves more attractive to companies with in-house procurement
- The role of intermediaries in helping clients find new agencies to work with vs direct search
- Tina's insights on the shift from agency-of-record relationships to project-based work and what this means for different sized agencies
- The current state of AI adoption in marketing – and how to initiate conversations about AI with procurement
- How to position “Output-based” pricing to Procurement
…and lots more.
You can connect with Tina Fegent here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-fegent-fcips-2103573/
If you'd like to assess your “AI readiness for client retention and growth in your agency, you can go to my and take the quiz. It takes 3-5 minutes and you'll receive a report with tips for how you can incorporate AI into your client management workflow. https://accountmanagementskills.com/ai-account-manager-quiz/
And if you don't want to miss my news on agency account management, mini trainings, podcast episodes etc sign up to my weekly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/AMSUpdates
This podcast is for you if you are managing day to day client relationships in a creative agency. The aim of the podcast is to share insights and tips to help you add more value to the client's business, strengthen your relationships with your clients, develop your skills in account management and grow your agency's business.
Ireland