How will agencies thrive through the AI shift?
Why the old model is buckling (and what we’re building to support what comes next)
I'm writing this from a manor house in the English countryside, surrounded by sharp founders at Bifrost's quarterly gathering, all grappling with the same reality: AI is replatforming entire industries, but the infrastructure to use it effectively doesn't exist yet.
Agencies especially are caught in the middle. They're not behind—they're stretched thin and overwhelmed.
Here's what's actually happening:
Tools have outpaced playbooks
Clients are questioning where value lies
Teams are overwhelmed by choices that sound promising but rarely integrate cleanly
Traditional distribution channels aren't delivering like they used to
GTM engineers are emerging as key players, yet many agencies can't justify the cost
Meanwhile, the traditional agency model is buckling under all this change.
The real impact trickles down
When AI tools claim to "do it all," agencies are left justifying every line item. The small businesses they serve are navigating tighter budgets and rising acquisition costs. Marketing is often the first thing cut.
This shift is affecting every layer:
→ The value proposition of agencies
→ The structure of their teams
→ The expectations clients bring to the table
The old operating model can't stretch much further.
What agencies need next
If marketing is being replatformed by AI, agencies don't just need more tools. They need new infrastructure—systems that actually support how modern teams work, deliver value to clients, and adapt at speed.
At Elysium Venture Studios, we're building exactly that.
We're building MarTech that turns simple input into scaled output—helping agencies break through content bottlenecks without the manual production constraints that limit their growth.
Here's how we're redesigning agency operating systems for the AI era:
Tools that reduce manual effort without sacrificing quality
Playbooks that pair automation with sound human judgment
Frameworks that make AI adoption scalable—not scattered
Instead of drowning in disconnected point solutions, agencies get infrastructure that actually works together. One input, scaled output across all their content needs.
Where agencies go next
Every agency leader knows their teams and processes need to evolve to meet the future… without breaking what's still working today. That's the core challenge.
This shift isn't about replacing everything. It's about applying core principles differently, with new tools, sharper systems, and a clearer sense of what really drives value to audiences now.
We're not here to spectate this transformation. We're building tools—and a community—that helps agencies cross the bridge, together.
If you're leading a marketing team, I want to hear from you.
What's the biggest challenge you're facing as AI changes how your team works? Reply, comment, DM.
Let's build something that lasts beyond the hype of disconnected AI tools giving short-term wins. We're in this for the stretch.
