As a marketing or advertising agency owner in the GTHA, you’re no stranger to rapid change. From shifting client expectations to evolving tech platforms, you’ve adapted time and again. But artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just another trend. It’s a seismic shift—one that will fundamentally alter how you structure your team, hire talent, and protect your agency’s profitability.
Over the next three to five years, AI will redefine the roles you need, the skills your team must have, and how you manage your pricing and cashflow. If you’re not already planning for this transformation, you’re already behind.
The Disruption is Here—And Growing
According to McKinsey & Company, up to 30% of tasks in most occupations could be automated by 2030, with marketing and advertising among the most impacted industries. Routine tasks—like performance reporting, media buying, social listening, and even copywriting—are already being accelerated or handled entirely by AI.
This doesn’t mean you’ll replace your people with machines. But it does mean your staffing strategy must shift from headcount to skill count.
You’ll Need Fewer Generalists and More Strategic Specialists
As AI takes over repetitive tasks, you’ll need fewer junior employees and more high-value thinkers: strategists, creative directors, and analysts who can guide AI tools and turn insights into action.
“AI is not replacing marketers—it’s replacing marketers who don’t use AI,” says Paul Roetzer, founder of the Marketing AI Institute. You’ll want people who are not just comfortable with AI but who understand how to prompt, fine-tune, and apply it to meet business objectives.
Hiring for these skills now—before demand outpaces supply—can give you a significant competitive advantage.
Flexibility is Your Friend
Traditional full-time hiring models may no longer be sustainable. You’ll need to adopt more flexible workforce structures, mixing full-time employees with fractional talent, freelancers, and AI-enhanced services.
This flexibility helps preserve cash flow, especially when navigating unpredictable client demands or economic slowdowns.
Harvard Business Review reports that companies leveraging agile workforce models are 47% more likely to see revenue growth above industry averages. For agencies, this could mean the difference between thriving and surviving.
HR Will Need to Become AI-Literate Too
Your HR team will need to evolve as well. They’ll be tasked with identifying AI fluency, adapting job descriptions to reflect emerging roles, and building internal learning paths to reskill existing staff.
“AI adoption isn’t just a tech decision—it’s a people decision,” says Josh Bersin, a renowned HR industry analyst. “The most successful organizations will be those that align AI strategy with a robust talent strategy.”
What You Should Do Now
- Audit your current roles: Identify which tasks can be augmented by AI and where you’ll need human insight most.
- Invest in training: Upskill your current team on AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, Midjourney, and analytics automation platforms.
- Revise job descriptions: Future roles will require hybrid skills—creativity, tech fluency, and strategic thinking.
- Adopt flexible hiring models: Fractional executives, AI-savvy freelancers, and outsourced functions can help you scale with agility.
- Talk to your HR lead today: HR is no longer just an admin function—it’s a strategic lever for future-proofing your agency.
Final Thought
AI won’t eliminate the need for talented people—it will amplify their impact. But only if you’re intentional about who you hire, how you train, and how you staff. The right team, empowered by the right tools, will not only maintain your profit margins—but grow them.
In the next few years, the agencies that thrive will be the ones that adapt their HR strategies as fast as the tech itself evolves. Will you be one of them?
Whether you like it or not, you have to adapt…..or your agency won’t survive. You will want a Fractional Director of Client Service (A.K.A fCCO) who is experienced in navigating questions about pricing, outputs and processes that your agency evolves due to AI. Contact Kelle to find out how using a fCCO now can set you up for short and long-term success.
This article was produced with ChatGPT
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