How Agencies Are Adapting to the AI Meteorite

At Marketecture Live in NYC, Bob Lord (President, Horizon Media) and Obele Brown-West (President, Colle McVoy), with Mike Shields (Founder, Next in Media) break down innovation cycles, legacy tech challenges, and why human creativity still matters in an AI-driven world. Takeaways: AI is creating massive confusion, but also an opportunity Legacy systems are the biggest barrier to progress The future is platform-based, not siloed AI won’t replace creativity, but will scale execution Upskilling talent is more important than replacing it Legal and transparency concerns are rising fast Agency business models must evolve Creative and media are converging again Chapters : 00:00 Introduction to Marketecture Live 01:23 The “AI Armageddon” Debate Begins 01:54 What Clients Are Really Saying About AI 02:53 Why Brands and Agencies Aren’t Ready Yet 03:28 The Need for New Marketing Operating Systems 04:40 Can AI Replace Agencies? 06:00 Legacy Tech Is Slowing Everything Down 07:30 Open Ecosystems vs. Fragmentation 08:28 Do New Agencies Have the Advantage? 10:06 AI, Jobs, and the Need for Upskilling 12:11 Rethinking Agency Pricing Models 14:04 Connecting Marketing to Business Outcomes 15:16 The Limits of AI in Creativity 17:07 AI Legal Risks and Client Concerns 19:19 Responsible AI Use in Agencies 20:46 The Future: AI as a Growth Engine 21:03 The Reunification of Creative and Media 22:05 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices