VoxComm urges agencies to rethink value in AI era
VoxComm, the global voice of agencies, has called on agencies to overhaul their business models in response to artificial intelligence, warning that time-based remuneration structures are no longer sustainable.
In a new report, Redesigning the Agency Value Model, the organisation argues that selling hours rather than outcomes risks eroding agency revenue and long-term viability.
The guidance is aimed at CEOs, CFOs and senior leadership teams, encouraging agencies to decouple revenue and profit from headcount and shift towards solution-led, productised offerings.
From staffed services to outcome-based models
The report contends that pricing adjustments alone will not address the structural challenges created by AI and automation, which reduce billable hours while increasing efficiency. Instead, agencies are advised to codify their expertise into repeatable solutions built around business outcomes.
Examples cited include 72andSunny, BOND, Bond Brand Loyalty, Droga5 / Accenture Song, FIG, Monks, Time Under Tension, VCCP and We. Communications, which have begun shifting towards alternative commercial models.
The report outlines four recurring stages agencies experience: Busy By Design, Scaling with Strain, Expertly Undervalued and the target state, Distinctly Scalable. At the final stage, revenue aligns with impact through fixed, subscription or performance-based pricing, and is no longer tied directly to staffing levels.
Christian de la Villehuchet, President of the European Association of Communications Agencies and member of VoxComm: "AI, automation and evolving procurement dynamics are not a regional nuance, but global forces reshaping our industry. European agencies compete globally, and our clients operate across borders, so our response must therefore be equally global and coordinated. Across every market, we see that a staffing-based model cannot reward effectiveness and efficiency we bring to clients in an AI-enabled world. We are the only industry that is being paid on the time it spends and not on the value we create. If we continue to define value by hours, we risk undermining the very innovation and expertise our clients rely on. It is time to bring this conversation to our clients and rethink together how agency value is evaluated. Both sides benefit from greater clarity, accountability and outcome-led models.
By redefining how value is created, captured and rewarded, we protect creative competitiveness and secure the long-term sustainability of our industry."
Practical roadmap for transition
The report opens with a foreword by Tim Williams, Founder of Ignition Consulting Group, and includes guidance from Brian Kessman, Founder of Lodestar Agency Consulting. It draws on interviews with agency leaders and insights from commercial transformation engagements.
Brian Kessman, Founder, Lodestar Agency Consulting: "Pricing is the last step in making the transition. Agencies must first redefine what they sell before changing how they price and strong value definitions are critical. Vague terms such as ‘full-service’ invite commoditization, while productized solutions can be differentiated and repeatable. Repeatable solutions enable outcome-based pricing. They build a body of proof, reducing risk for agencies and increasing credibility for clients."
The report also addresses common concerns around client reaction, procurement resistance and retainer transitions. It argues that senior decision-makers often respond positively to clearer accountability and outcome-focused models, while gradual transitions can ease long-standing clients away from fee-based retainers.
VoxComm positions the guidance as a coordinated global response to AI-driven disruption, urging agencies to move beyond staffing plans towards modular, scalable solutions designed and priced for measurable impact.
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