Are AI tools signalling the death of creative agencies as we know them today?

On the second anniversary of his consulting business, Spark AI, the regular guest lecturer on the Advanced Diploma for AI in Business at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Jules Love joins me to discuss how the agency landscape is shifting fast.

He even wrote the book on the subject, SHIFT.

Yes, our host James Welch chats with Jules to break down exactly how Generative AI is upending the agency model. And what he's helping agencies do about it

In this session, we’ll explore a bunch of topics, in the usual format. What's caught your eye, what are you up to then the quick fire 'high five' round that is never as quick as that as it's so interesting to find out what makes people tick.

Key Takeaways:

1. The End of Project Pricing: Why agencies are shifting towards monthly subscriptions by selling AI-powered capabilities rather than human time.
2. The Bottleneck Shift: How speeding up asset creation with AI forces structural bottlenecks further down the pipeline into governance and quality control.
3. Future-Proofing Talent: Why forward-thinking companies are overhauling graduate programmes to focus less on technical skills and more on client relationship building.

In this episode, we dive deep into B2B marketing strategy and the latest consumer behaviour trends with Annabel Venner, former Global Brand Director at Coca-Cola and Hiscox. If you want global marketing insights that challenge the status quo and reveal how to pivot your campaigns for modern audiences, this is a must-listen.

Key Takeaways:

1. The New Consumer Thoughtfulness: Why buyers are ditching generic expensive gifts for hyper-personalised, practical gestures—and how brands must adapt.
2. Career Agility: How Annabel successfully transitioned from consumer goods (Coca-Cola) to complex B2B financial services (Hiscox), and why continuous learning is non-negotiable.
3. The Myth of "Asia": Why treating the Asian market as a single homogeneous entity is a costly mistake, with on-the-ground lessons from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

In an ad-tech world increasingly driven by AI, human connection remains the most powerful strategy we have. Join us as we explore the future of programmatic curation and supply-side decisioning with Fern Potter, SVP of Strategy & Partnerships at Multilocal.

In this episode, Fern explains how streamlining the audience experience is creating viable alternatives to the walled gardens. We also dive into fascinating consumer trends, unpacking why Gen Z is abandoning static images for video storytelling to filter out AI disruption. Finally, we cover the deeply human side of business, discussing the vital importance of setting psychological boundaries and separating personal ego from professional outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Curation: How bridging audience experiences on the supply side makes programmatic advertising less expensive and more efficient.
2. Monetising Data Assets: How supply-side decisioning allows publishers to control performance and pricing directly.
3. Leadership & Boundaries: Why internalising the success or failure of a project can be damaging to your career.
4. Finding the Signal: Why futurists like Deborah Kantt and empathy experts like Brené Brown are essential guides for modern leaders.

Chapter Timestamps:

1. 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome
2. 00:31 - The Signal in the Noise: Futurism & Media Indicators
3. 00:43 - Gen Z Media Consumption & Filtering Out AI Disruption
4. 04:56 - Navigating People's Attention in Advertising
5. 05:22 - What is Programmatic Curation in Ad-Tech?
6. 07:58 - Standing Out in a Competitive Ad-Tech Marketplace
7. 10:43 - Monetising Data Assets via Supply-Side Decisioning
8. 14:22 - Leadership Hero: Brené Brown
9. 18:14 - The Importance of Psychological Boundaries in Business
10. 21:59 - Finding Community: Digital Leading Ladies & Panel Power

Links & Resources:

1. Watch the full video interview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/zW74gTDu74g
2. Connect with your host, James Welch, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswelch1234/
3. Connect with today’s guest, Fern Potter, on LinkedIn: