AI Adoption in Creative Agencies: Overcoming Fear

The biggest barrier to AI adoption in creative agencies is not technical capability but mindset, according to Jules Love, founder of consultancy Spark AI. Love argues that agencies often fail to integrate AI because they lack the psychological framework and structural support necessary for successful implementation. He emphasizes that simply providing access to tools like ChatGPT or Gemini without proper strategy leads to failure.

Based on his work with more than 60 agencies, Love has developed six core strategies to future-proof creative teams. These include creating specific accountability through an AI taskforce, providing targeted training, and establishing protected time for employees to experiment without the pressure of billable hours. He warns that agencies focusing only on speed will commoditize their services, urging a shift toward pricing based on outcomes rather than hours worked. Ultimately, Love believes that agencies must prioritize learning and experimentation over immediate efficiency gains to remain competitive in the coming years.

According to Jules Love, the real challenge facing creative agencies is psychological rather than technical. While AI is transforming how creative work is produced, most agencies remain paralyzed by uncertainty regarding where to begin. Love notes that fear of the unknown often prevents leaders from taking the necessary steps to integrate these tools into daily workflows. This hesitation creates a gap between potential and actual usage, leaving agencies vulnerable to more agile competitors.

Love states that adoption does not happen by accident; it requires deliberate planning and execution. He emphasizes the need for agencies to assign clear accountability for AI integration. "Adopting AI in your team won't happen by accident," Love said. "You need to do it deliberately — make somebody accountable for it, and give them the space to be successful in that role." Without this intentional approach, agencies risk stagnation as the industry evolves around them.

Love outlines six specific methods for leaders to navigate the AI era effectively. The first strategy involves building a dedicated AI taskforce rather than a vague "innovation group." Love argues that successful agencies treat AI as a core business priority, assigning specific responsibility and protecting time for integration, even if it requires pulling staff away from billable client work. This ensures that AI initiatives are not treated as side projects squeezed in between deadlines.

The second strategy focuses on role-specific training. Love criticizes the common practice of rolling out tools without instruction, comparing untrained teams to people staring at a box of Lego bricks without instructions. He argues that generic training is insufficient; instead, training must be tailored to specific roles to turn experimentation into practical capability. The third strategy is to encourage structured play and make it policy. Love advises leaders to create protected time for experimentation where employees can test new workflows without the fear of missing client deliveries. He cites examples from companies like Lego and Canva, noting that "fear kills innovation faster than bad tools."

The fourth strategy is to replace fear with ownership. Love identifies the need to normalize AI use, warning that employees hiding tools like ChatGPT is a sign of a poor culture. Leaders should encourage visibility and sharing of experiments, including failures. The fifth strategy involves shifting culture before tools. Love observes that many creatives misuse AI as a search engine rather than a collaborative assistant. He advises briefing AI with context and feedback, much like a human colleague. The sixth strategy is to start small but measure impact. Love warns that focusing solely on speed leads to a "race to the bottom on fees." Instead, agencies should rethink pricing around outcomes and fixed-cost projects that reward better results rather than velocity.

Love’s advice for the immediate future is to shift focus from doing things quickly to doing them better. He believes that the agencies which will thrive are not necessarily those with the biggest budgets or flashiest technology, but those that foster an environment where people can learn, lead, and experiment. This requires a fundamental change in how value is perceived and delivered to clients.

Looking ahead to 2027, Love issues a stark warning to holdouts. "Come 2027, you're going to be looking pretty old-fashioned, pretty expensive, and pretty uninteresting as an agency if you're not embracing this stuff and seeing what you can do with it," he said. The implication is that the window for adaptation is closing, and agencies that fail to integrate AI into their cultural and operational fabric will lose their competitive edge.