AI for your industry / Other services
AI for marketing and design agencies
Agencies sell time and ideas, so AI changes their economics quickly. It drafts proposals and briefs, produces first drafts and variations of content, automates monthly client reporting and helps plan resources across projects.
Start with proposals and client reporting. Proposals win revenue and reports keep clients, and both eat non-billable hours.
5,485 UK firms in advertising and specialised design have 5 to 249 staff, out of 43,650 in total. Source: ONS, UK business: activity, size and location 2026.
Where AI pays back first
More revenue
Win more pitches with faster proposals and sell new AI-powered services.
Lower costs
Reduce non-billable hours on reports and admin.
Time back
Cut production time on first drafts and variations.
Jobs worth looking at
| Job | How it often runs now | Where AI can help | What a person still checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposals and pitches | Proposals are rebuilt from old decks. | Draft proposals from the brief and past work. | Directors set price and approach. |
| Client reporting | Data is exported and commented by hand. | Draft monthly commentary from analytics data. | Account managers check insight. |
| Creative briefs | Briefs vary in quality. | Turn client calls into structured briefs. | The account lead confirms. |
| Content production | Writers start from blank pages. | Draft first versions and variations. | Editors check brand and facts. |
Agencies use project tools such as Teamwork, Productive or Harvest, and creative suites with AI built in. Business assistants help with proposals and reports.
Different firms, different starting points
Marketing and digital agencies
Campaigns, SEO and reporting. AI helps content and reports.
Design and creative agencies
Concepts and production. AI helps briefs and variations.
PR agencies
Press releases and coverage reports. AI helps drafts and summaries.
Worked example
An agency that wins more pitches
A 25-person marketing agency writes about ten proposals a month and wins three. Directors write most of them after hours.
The team builds a library of case studies, approaches and rate cards. AI drafts each proposal from the brief and the library.
Directors review the approach and set the price. The agency tracks win rate and hours per proposal for a quarter.
Illustrative example with made-up details.
Try a practical task
Find your first job to fix
Paste this into a business AI account. Fill in the brackets. It asks you questions first, then suggests one job to test.
Try this in your AI app
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
CodexUsing Gemini? The button copies the prompt. Paste it into the new chat.
You are helping a UK agency find its first AI use. Ask me one question at a time.
Ask about our services, clients, tools and where non-billable time goes.
Look hardest at proposals, monthly client reports and first-draft content. For each idea, say how it changes our margin on fixed-fee retainers and what the account lead must still review.
Suggest three ideas ranked by revenue first, then cost, then time, and say what a person must still check for each.
Finish with a short test plan for the best idea and how we will measure it.
Rules that shape the work
The ASA's CAP Code applies to ads made with AI. Claims must be honest and not misleading.
Read the source: ASA: AI and advertising
Copyright in AI outputs is unsettled. The UK IPO's guidance explains current copyright law.
Read the source: GOV.UK: how copyright protects your work
Shadow AI
Staff use many AI tools on client work. List approved tools and clients' own rules.
Keeping data safe
Use business or enterprise AI accounts with model training turned off and a data processing agreement signed. Client launches and data are confidential, so check contracts.
A relevant public story
Proposal writing: from 10 hours to 45 minutes a week.
An earlier Remote Humans client cut weekly proposal preparation from 10 hours to 45 minutes, with reporting automated across systems. Agencies face the same proposal and reporting load.
What each leader should do first
Managing director
Start with proposals and reporting, and rethink pricing as AI cuts hours.
Head of delivery
Set approved tools and review steps for client work.
Questions owners ask
How are agencies using AI?
For proposals, creative briefs, first-draft content, design variations, client reporting and resource planning.
Will AI replace agencies?
AI changes the work and the pricing. Clients still pay for strategy, taste, judgement and results.
Should agencies change pricing because of AI?
Many are moving from hourly rates to value or outcome pricing as production time falls. Review margins by service before you change prices.
Who owns AI-generated content?
UK law on AI outputs is unsettled. Agree ownership and permitted tools in client contracts.