Courtesy of the author; created in Midjourney
“What’s the future of Advertising?”
I was asked this question recently on Jason Harris’ very good Soul & Science Podcast.
In a moment filled with more inspiration than preparation, I blurted out something like, “90% of all agencies will be systems agencies. And only 10% will be interesting.”
After the initial investments and implementations of tech stacks, data, media, and now AI, a first-mover advantage is short-lived.
Something like that.
After the show, I continued to reflect on it, and I believe I’ve hit on something.
It’s the notion that truly creative companies will stand out.
You see, after the initial investments and implementations of tech stacks, data, media, and now AI, a first-mover advantage is short-lived.
The hardware, software, and compute edges quickly turn into parity.
Soon enough, everyone’s got a data thing and an AI workflow.
Don’t get me wrong, these technologies are awesome.
But, as I’ve referenced before, “technology is nothing until it’s in the hands of the artists.”
Of course, we’ve seen this movie before in different industries.
Once cars adopted a similar set of basic technologies like reliable combustion engines, modern suspensions, and safety features, the differences between models increasingly came down to design, character, and branding. The VW Beetle, for instance, didn’t stand out because it had a radically superior engine but because its quirky design, personality, and marketing created an emotional appeal that set it apart.
Similarly, in the early days of personal computing, many systems were built on the same basic hardware architecture and were running similar operating environments (like DOS). Apple broke out and broke through by reimagining the user experience with a distinctive, human-friendly design and graphical interface.
And what about Vegas, baby?
It’s all “X’s” and “O’s.” Meaning, nearly every casino on the Strip has the same architectural blueprint. Think about it from overhead: the X is where the rooms are. The O part is the casino. In every hotel, you must walk into the O first. And once through the casino you hit the X — the residential part. And, of course, all the gaming technology is the same.
So you try to differentiate with a Venetian theme, a Parisian theme, a pirate theme, etc.
It’s different, but if you’ve ever stayed in a Vegas hotel, you know: it’s the same.
What happens in Vegas doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas, as this same-same thing is now happening in Silicon Valley. Technology, and yes, even AI will reach a point of parity. Even homogeneity.
Then what?
Well, then someone is going to need an idea.
Any creatives in the house?
Rob Schwartz is the Chair of the TBWA New York Group and an executive coach who channels his creativity, experience and wisdom into helping others get where they want to be. This was originally posted on his Substack, RobSchwartzHelps, where he covers work, life, and creativity.
Header image by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash.
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