Media Agencies Must Adopt AI Agents to Survive Industry Shifts

Lindile Ndube, group strategic director at PHD Media, argues that media agencies face a critical choice: adapt to AI-driven transformation or become irrelevant.

The AI Imperative

AI dominates discussions across industries, but its potential to revolutionize media remains underappreciated. Ndube highlights a case where an Agentic AI tool analyzed real-time consumer dialogues in multiple South African dialects, uncovering insights traditional methods (surveys, social listening) missed. This breakthrough exposes a harsh truth: agencies still rely on outdated models, billing for hours rather than measurable outcomes.

The Value Crisis

Clients demand proof of ROI, not vanity metrics like "engagement rates." Trust between agencies and marketers is declining, as shown in the WARC Marketer’s Toolkit. Ndube warns that without pivoting to AI-powered intelligence, agencies risk losing relevance to tech giants.

Challenges and Opportunities

AI isn’t flawless—it can hallucinate or perpetuate biases. However, innovations in safety and governance are addressing these issues. Agencies must act now or cede control to Silicon Valley. AI enables:

• Transparent ROI: Linking media spend directly to revenue.
• New Revenue Models: Performance-based pricing or equity partnerships.
• IP Protection: Safeguarding data from rampant scraping, as noted by Reuters.

A Collaborative Future

Ndube urges agencies to collaborate on industry standards, akin to open-source platforms like GitHub. By combining AI’s analytical power with human creativity, agencies can rebuild trust and become strategic partners—not just vendors.

"The tools are ready. The question is: are we?"

Read the April 2025 issue of The Media here.