The landscape
is shifting.
Execution is commoditising. Strategy is becoming the differentiator. The agencies that lead with strategic expertise are the ones that will thrive.
Three shifts reshaping the industry
Execution is being commoditised
Two-thirds of major brands now have in-house agencies. AI is handling production, media buying, and content at a fraction of the cost. The value of execution alone is falling — and the value of strategic thinking is rising.
Strategy is the differentiator
Agencies that own the strategic conversation — the ones clients trust to tell them what to do, not just how — are commanding premium fees, building longer relationships, and growing while others contract.
Networks are consolidating
The big holding companies are merging and restructuring. WPP is flattening. Omnicom acquired IPG. The market is reorganising around fewer, larger players — which creates space for agencies with genuine strategic depth.
The UK agency landscape
£34.9bn
Sector turnover
Source: IPA Agency Census 2024
66%
Of brands now have in-house agencies
Source: ISBA/Ebiquity 2024
The opportunity is upstream.
Strategy is the one thing that can't be commoditised. It requires human insight, contextual intelligence, and C-suite alignment. No algorithm can replace the judgment of a skilled strategist who truly understands a client's business.
The agencies and advisory firms that thrive in the next decade will be the ones that own the strategic conversation — the ones clients trust to define direction, not just deliver output.
But leading with strategy requires a methodology, a process, and the data to back it up. That's what MSQ provides.
This is what MSQ
was built for.
A methodology, platform, and dataset that lets agencies lead with marketing strategy.