Little wonder, then, that NewtonX’s data also revealed that agency execs feel less job security than their colleagues on the brand side do (44% vs. 56%) and are also less pleased with their work-life balance (55% vs. 65%.)
Enter AI—again
The elephant in the room here, of course, is the rapid adoption of AI—which, by Sills’ analysis of the data, doesn’t read the same way on the agency side as it does on the brand one.
“People who work at agencies see it as a threat to their jobs—AI is being used to reduce headcount and increase cost savings,” he said. But “within brand marketing teams, marketers see it as a push to increase their productivity. It doesn’t seem as much a threat to their jobs.”
But here’s an unexpected wrinkle. Questioned about what they most value about their roles, marketers didn’t rank job security and stability as highly as other attributes. Marketers with corporate positions reported they like “autonomy and decision rights” most (76%), followed by “influence with executive leadership” (74%.) Also important were work-life balance, which 65% of corporate marketers flagged as a key part of their job satisfaction, while only 55% of agency executives indicated as much.
“The thing we’re seeing in the brand side is everyone really values autonomy, influence, and their ability to make decisions,” Sills said, “and the only way to really do that in the agency world, at least from the perception of the employees, is to own the business yourself.”
Look before you leap
But making that change isn’t a panacea, cautions one industry veteran who’s worked on both the brand and agency sides, and requested anonymity to speak candidly.
“If more than half of agency professionals are thinking about going solo, it signals a structural problem, not a momentary mood,” he said. “Many agency folks feel squeezed between AI disruption, procurement-driven pricing, and increasingly fragmented roles that limit creativity and autonomy.”
Granted, AI tools are making it easier than ever for marketers to strike out on their own, the executive said, but the proverbial grass isn’t necessarily greener. “The thing these folks don’t understand is going freelance doesn’t guarantee you any income, and a lot of talented marketers are not talented business professionals—meaning, they might have expertise but won’t have any idea how to market it effectively and get paying clients.”
And with those clients also adopting AI and pulling more creative work in house, he said, “there just isn’t enough paid work to go around and be sustainable as an independent.”
