How is AI Really Changing the Agency Model?

It’s nothing new to say that AI is changing how agencies work.

But ask most agencies how they price, and it’s usually the same answers: retainers, fixed-price projects, and a spreadsheet of hours and day rates underneath.

That’s a problem when clients know you’re using AI – and start asking why something that takes half the time doesn’t cost half the price.

So, how is AI actually changing the agency model – and what should you be doing about it?

Mike Lander, of Piscari, has spent the past year tracking how AI is reshaping agencies’ operating and commercial models. He collects market signals every week and turns them into a quarterly Agency Reset report.

In this session, he’ll share the latest findings.

We’ll be talking through things like:

• What’s actually shifting. The biggest risks to agencies right now, and where indies may have an advantage over networks.
• How operating models are changing. What other agencies are doing differently in how they’re structured and how they deliver.
• What clients and procurement are asking for. How buyers are reacting to AI, and what that means for your rates.
• Moving beyond the hourly rate. How some agencies are moving to subscription models, packaging up access to people, tools, knowledge and data – plus success fees tied to client outcomes.
• The end of the static PDF. Why clients want interactive, dynamic thought leadership – and why owning your knowledge is becoming a commercial question.