With a focus on using AI for client value creation and agency growth, we’ve now trained hundreds of agency teams. This is what we’re seeing.

18 MONTHS. THAT’S IT.
That’s how long agencies have to seriously operationalize AI – before clients, competitors, and new tech move so far ahead there’s no catching up.

Yes, media and production teams are automating. Yes, creatives are experimenting. Yes, some are seeing efficiency gains.

But when it comes to creating meaningful client value — strategy, client advisory, and innovation tied to growth — most aren’t even out of the starting gate.

We see overwhelmed leaders everywhere:

• “There’s a new tool or prophet every minute!”
• “Where do we start? How do we prioritize? Get everyone on board?”
• “How do we defend the downward fee pressure of AI-accelerated work?”

Even the 4A’s had to publish: “From Skeptic to Alchemist: A Practical Guide to AI Maturity for Agencies.” The title alone says everything.

A small number are making tangible progress – but even they struggle with rollout, training, and adoption. 

WHAT’S AHEAD? WELL, IT’S ALREADY HERE.
Here’s one example – agencies are already using AI for strategic planning to:

• Develop analyst-level POVs on client categories, businesses, and growth drivers — with actionable client recommendations
• Surface deep audience insight through synthetic personas, modeled journeys, and mass research analysis
• Simulate, predict, and influence specific behavior
• Use tools like Magnolia for effective strategies and briefs in less time
• Pressure-test and iterate on new strategies
• Deploy mass personalization, all optimized at scale

Much of this wasn’t feasible at typical budget levels. Now it is. In fact, soon, strategies will become living AI models – constantly learning and optimizing. Strategic thinking shouldn’t be static. Meanwhile, shops like Gravity Global, Accenture Song, and Product are building full AI-powered operating systems to run their agencies.

THE POINT
Leverage AI’s collaborative power to create more value – drive client business growth. And charge more for it. 

This isn’t a margin threat due to the downward pressure of hourly fees for AI-accelerated work. It’s a revenue growth play for improving the quality of the work you provide your clients.

SO, HOW DO YOU KEEP PROGRESSING?
Here’s a more relevant, practical, and empowering entry point for your teams: Prompt Engineering. Well-crafted prompts generate incredible strategic and creative thinking.

With the right prompts, it’s like doubling your strategy team. It also levels up account and project managers into strategic leaders, not to mention improving all the other roles in your agency.

These are critical skills that provide new inspiration as teams experience the full collaborative power of the LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemine, Copilot, and more.

Focused on client-facing teams, lean in on our series of Agency AI Prompt Engineering posts that provide step-by-step instruction, guidance, and templates to continue your AI progression — with the goal of creating more compelling and effective work for your clients.

Here’s the first in our prompting series >

Jump in. Get rolling with prompting strategy. Generate more value for your clients.

FAFO.

Before we get to the AI – let’s talk client value creation.

Client expectations of agencies have spiked. They want stronger leadership, deeper strategic thinking, more integrated activation, and tangible business impact.
In fact, clients define value as work that has a meaningful impact on their most pressing business growth needs — no matter what the poorly written assignment from the mid-level marketing manager reads. The decision-maker needs impact.

Leverage AI’s collaborative power to create more value – drive client business growth. And charge more for it. 

AI isn’t a margin threat. It’s a revenue growth play. In other words, use AI to give clients more of what they want.

A more relevant entry point for your teams: Prompt Engineering. Well-crafted prompts generate exponentially better outputs.

With the right prompts, it’s like doubling your strategy team. It also levels up account and project managers into strategic leaders.

Focused on client-facing teams, lean in on our series of Agency AI Prompt Engineering posts that provide step-by-step instruction, guidance, and templates to continue your AI progression — with the goal of creating more compelling and effective work for your clients. 

Here’s the first in our prompting series >

☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

We’ve created a series of posts, pulled from our training: Putting AI to Work at Your Agency – An Introduction.

In this first video with Brent Hodgins, he steps back and breaks down how the different types of tech industries work together to bring us AI as we know it today. This is followed by a look at some of the most impressive capabilities of AI – and how some are taking advantage of this with brand new agency models.

See the next session in this series >

☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video with Brent Hodgins, he tracks the incredible pace of AI in just one year and spotlights the agencies that are leading the way in adopting AI.

See the next session in this series >

☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video with Brent Hodgins, he highlights the application of AI within your day-to-day software workspace. To get the most out of them, he introduces the idea of “rethinking datasets” as comprising everything from past presentations and workback schedules to client emails and current events.

See the next session in this series >


☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video with Brent Hodgins, he outlines how to write an effective prompt – including the five critical sections that ensure you get deeper, more valuable insight from your outputs. 

He begins by building the case for the first prompt – client and category business analysis. It’s critical that agency teams understand each client’s most pressing business goals so they can prepare the agency to address them.

See the next session in this series >


☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

Building on the prior session, Brent Hodgins showcases the importance of using iterative prompts to generate deeper, more valuable insight in your outputs. 

In this example, he continues with uncovering business insights. This approach enables you to gain category and client insight that positions you as a strategic partner – and sets your agency up for organic growth.

See the next session in this series >


☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video with Brent Hodgins, he explores how to use AI to uncover more valuable audience insight more quickly. Using a structured prompt, he showcases how you can discover actionable insight about your clients’ target audience – insight that leads to ideas to grow their business. 

See the next session in this series >


☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video, Brent Hodgins discusses how you can bring your target audience to life by building synthetic audiences (that you can engage as if they’re real human beings). The same applies to creating synthetic clients to aid in the development and feedback of all agency work, long before you actually present it. 

See final post >>


☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >

In this video with Brent Hodgins, he summarizes the main points from this series and briefly lays out the most important steps for agencies wanting to capitalize on AI’s transformative power.

☀️ ALSO CHECK OUT MIRREN AI 2025
Explore 20+ agency AI use cases at Mirren AI 2025 | Oct 29 | Virtual

Use Code “Mirren150” to save an additional $150 off the current early rate for the All Access Pass

☀️ SEE MORE AI TRAINING FOR CLIENT-FACING TEAMS AT Mirren.com >