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New Business Is Your Agency’s Biggest AI Risk
New Business Is Your Agency’s Biggest AI Risk Over the past year, I have observed ad agency leaders discuss AI with visible excitement and underlying apprehension. Many agree: “This changes everything.” The problem is that…
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Will AI Kill the Craft of Advertising
Will AI Kill the Craft of Advertising Spend ten minutes on LinkedIn, and you would think the agency model is either dead or about to be fully automated. AI will replace strategy.AI will generate creative.AI…
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The AI Marketing Operating System
The AI Marketing Operating System For decades, marketing ran on a familiar structure. Leadership sets direction.Analysts processed data.Strategists planned campaigns.Creatives brought them to life.Media teams executed.Account people managed the process. People were the engine. But…
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What’s different, what’s the same in BD
Agency business development looks very different from a year ago. Even more so than five years ago. At least on the surface. Underneath, it’s the same animal it’s always been since I started doing this…
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Three Things to Consider in 2026
Three Things to Consider in 2026 December is that magical time when agency owners swear next year will be different. Fewer fire drills. Better clients. Cleaner pipelines. More sleep. It’s also the season of denial.…
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The Next Agency Inflection: 2026’s Blueprint for Growth
The Next Agency Inflection: 2026’s Blueprint for Growth Forget “business as usual.” The world agencies once dominated is breaking. The Forrester “Predictions 2026“ already gives us a structural map: agencies must become resellers, product‐builders, embedded…
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The Art of the List: Win More and Better Clients
The Art of the List: Win More and Better Clients For many ad agencies, new business often feels like an endless hustle. Pitches, proposals, referrals, and the occasional inbound lead that leads nowhere. But here’s…
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Why September Planning Wins
Why September Planning Wins After working with more than 50 agencies of all shapes and sizes, I’ve learned that the key to consistent growth is simple: early planning. And September is the ideal time to…
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10 BD Problems and How to Bury Them
10 BD Problems and How to Bury Them If you’re running an agency in 2025 and your new business pipeline feels thin, inconsistent, frustratingly quiet, or deceased, you’re not alone. I talk to agency owners every…
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Some Agencies Are Winning Now: How About You
Some Agencies Are Winning Now: How About You Let’s not sugarcoat it. 2025 tested every agency leader’s grit. Margins are under pressure. Marketers are in triage mode. Headcounts are leaner. Budgets are delayed. And the…
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3 Essential Steps: Awareness, Understanding, Trust
3 Essential Steps: Awareness, Understanding Trust Ad agency business development is easy. The first thing to do is make your future clients aware of your agency. “Yes. I’ve heard of that agency,” says the CMO.…
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Why Most Agencies Waste Money on Consultants (And How to Be the Exception)
Why Most Agencies Waste Money on Consultants (And How to Be the Exception) Many believe this will be a big year for the ad industry. Budgets are up. Enthusiasm is up. Technology is revolutionizing the…
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The Business Development Dilemma
The Business Development Dilemma 2025 is fast approaching, and agencies are finding themselves at a critical inflection point. The industry is rapidly evolving in three dimensions simultaneously, presenting exciting opportunities and tough challenges with agency…
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Adding Value and Building Trust: 15 Steps to Better Biz Dev
Adding Value and Building Trust: 15 Steps to Better Biz Dev Are you planning your new business strategy now? Or thinking about planning soon? Maybe you’re too busy to think about tomorrow? Wherever you are…
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Best of Times or Worst of Times
Best of Times or Worst of Times Do you think this is the best of times or the worst of times for your agency? Have you adjusted your agency new business strategy? If you attended…
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2nd Half Agency Growth Playbook
2nd Half Agency Growth Playbook Missing your first-half forecast is a tough pill to swallow. Your passion-driven new business goals are starting to feel more like pipe dreams. The pressure is mounting to turn things…
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Winning the battle for new clients
Winning the battle for new clients As the pace of change continues, agencies must adapt to the ever-evolving landscape to win the battle for new clients. Reports indicate increased difficulty obtaining new business opportunities, necessitating…
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Perfect is the Enemy of Good
Perfect is the Enemy of Good No truer words for ad agencies this time of year. “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” Gen. George Patton. The clock…
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The Allure of a Silver Bullet
The Allure of a Silver Bullet In the fast-paced, ever-evolving advertising world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for survival. New trends and techniques emerge daily, promising to revolutionize how we reach potential audiences.…
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The ad agency sales cycle
The ad agency sales cycle Agency business development is a long game, unfortunately. The average client-agency relationship is about two and a half years. The average CMO tenure is between three and four years. Marketing…