The New Agency Job Nobody Told You About: Creative Consultant for In-House Teams
Talking Points to Make You Sound Smarter
Agencies are moving beyond making ads into creative consulting.
Clients want help with AI tools, staffing, and smarter workflows.
Agencies like Vayner (CoLab) and Imaginary Friend are leading the shift.
AI literacy is now a must-have skill for juniors.
Indie shops that blend creativity with tech are gaining ground fast.
"Agencies aren’t just making ads anymore. They’re teaching clients how to work."
That’s the reality Ad Age reporter Brian Bonilla laid out on our Labor Day episode. If you’re aiming to break into advertising, you need to understand this change.
Agencies are stepping into a role that looks more like consulting than execution. Vayner launched CoLab to embed with client teams. Imaginary Friend advises brands on who to hire for production shoots. These are signs of a new normal. Brands are no longer satisfied with agencies as vendors. They want partners who help them think smarter.
AI is driving the urgency. Clients are asking which tools to use, how to train teams, and how to adjust their process. Agencies that can answer these questions are winning. Those that can’t are slipping. For aspiring creatives, this means AI literacy is no longer optional. You don’t have to build models, but you do need to know how AI shifts creative workflows.
Follow where the talent is moving. Andrew Swinand left Leo Burnett to join Inspired Thinking Group, a company built on automation. Shops like PMG, Known, and Brandtech are thriving because they fuse creative output with tech solutions. These are the places shaping the future.
So what does this mean for your career? Start by rethinking your portfolio. Don’t only show polished executions. Show how you approach process and collaboration. Show how you can explain complex ideas clearly. Clients value creatives who can guide, not just produce.
The entry role is still about making ads. But the fastest-growing opportunities will reward people who can consult, teach, and problem-solve for clients. Advertising is shifting from execution to enablement. If you build for that reality, you’ll stand out.
Listen to the full episode with Brian Bonilla for a deeper breakdown of this trend and what it means for your path into the industry.
Watch or listen to the show:
Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oWBnwGuFet5FXvzKxWy7o?si=ztNVj6NHTj-dEOAOyB68tQ
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJRzB0kMd4&ab_channel=Breaking%26EnteringAdvertising
Leave a review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-next-for-agencies-ai-in-housing-and-indie-wins/id1506434104?i=1000724363982
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