AI agents: Marketing’s new means of production

22^nd of October 2024, is etched in my memory as the day everything changed. Again. One moment, I’m tinkering with prompts to get the right response from ChatGPT and Midjourney; the next, I’m staring down the barrel of autonomous AI agents that promise to redefine my entire career in marketing. A career that was already getting redefined from the last big AI development.

As a marketer who’s spent years crafting campaigns, analysing data, and building strategies, I find myself both exhilarated and a little terrified. The tools we’ve just been getting used to are transforming with tremendous pace into something even more powerful. Generative AI and large language models are no longer just about processing information; they’re about taking action. Real, tangible action.

AI agents are about to rewrite the rules of production in marketing—shaking up who does the work, how it’s done, and who really holds the reins.

Each employee will have their own department

Imagine this: every marketer has access to a full team of autonomous AI agents, each capable of executing complex tasks across various domains. Need to analyse market trends? There’s an agent for that. Want to personalise outreach to thousands of prospects? Deploy another agent. It’s like suddenly being handed an entire department of highly skilled specialists who never sleep, never complain, and are always ready for the next assignment.

Check out the video above to see me using Claude’s AI agent function. It felt like magic. I delegated a task—something really simple—and the agent completed it. Asking it to find me on the internet and write a summary of me in Word isn’t, on the surface, a difficult task but the fact that a piece of AI did it on its own is mind blowing.

And then as the initial awe wore off, a nagging question emerged: what does this mean for me? For all of us in marketing?

Redefining roles

With this new capability of AI agents, our roles are shifting. The ‘doers’ in your business will no longer be just executing tasks; they’ll be orchestrating them. And with that in mind, it seems obvious to say that delegation and project management are becoming the central skills to master—from the most junior member of your staff all the way up. It’s not about knowing how to do everything yourself but knowing how to get the best out of your AI team.

I find myself rethinking what collaboration means when every member of the team, the entire company, has the ability to delegate execution to AI agents. It’s a fundamental shift—not just in how tasks get done, but in how we work together. As a founder, my role has always been focused on strategising, but now, isn’t that true for everyone? Execution becomes something we orchestrate rather than do directly. The focus shifts to vision, coordination, and maximising the effectiveness of these agents.

New skills for AI-driven workforce

Adapting to a world where AI agents handle execution requires a whole new set of skills. Communication becomes paramount. We need to articulate our goals clearly, set parameters, and understand the capabilities and limitations of our AI counterparts. It’s a learning curve, and I don’t think it’s an easy one.

And of course, there’s bound to be many questions that ripple from this change. If we’re more focused on orchestration, then what roles do the subject matter experts play? Who is checking all the work that the AI agents are doing? That strikes me as fairly easy to answer. The previous ‘doers’ become the overseers and have a valuable place in the ecosystem – because I believe in this future the ability to discern what’s good will be highly prized.

Sceptical about leaving AI alone? Explore why AI-generated content doesn’t always need to human-led.

Adapting to the shift

And there’s another question that lingers: will everyone be able to adapt? Some will undoubtedly thrive, but others may struggle with this new way of working. As we shift towards a model where everyone’s role involves orchestrating rather than executing, there’s a real possibility we’ll lose people along the way—those who find this change overwhelming or incompatible with their strengths. How do we support those who struggle to keep up? Do we invest in reskilling, or accept that some people might be left behind? I don’t have the answer, but it’s a thought that keeps coming back to me—and one that feels increasingly important.

An avalanche of rubbish

If every marketer is now backed by a full team of AI agents, the volume of marketing output is going to skyrocket. Campaigns that used to take weeks can be rolled out in days or even hours. Personalised content, hyper-targeted ads, real-time data analysis—the sheer scale is staggering.

But this surge of marketing raises concerns. With so much noise, how do we ensure our messages still resonate? If everyone is upping their game, does the bar just keep rising? Are we flooding our customers and prospects with so much content that we risk overwhelming them?

I worry about this. I worry that in our quest for efficiency and scale, we might lose sight of the human connection that makes B2B marketing truly effective. After all, marketing isn’t just about reaching people; it’s about connecting with them on a meaningful level.

Despite all the advancements, there’s something irreplaceable about the human touch. AI agents can analyse data, predict trends, and optimise processes, but they lack the emotional intelligence, empathy, and creativity that humans bring to the table. Or at least they will at the beginning.

We remain the bridge between cold data and warm connections. It’s our job to infuse campaigns with storytelling, to understand the nuances of human behaviour, and to craft messages that resonate on a deeper level.

In a world where AI agents handle the grunt work, we have the opportunity to focus on what truly matters—building relationships, fostering trust, and creating value beyond the immediate transaction.

The skills we need to cultivate

Here are some skills that I believe will be crucial moving forward:

Strategic thinking – with AI handling execution, we need to elevate our strategic planning to guide these agents effectively.

Emotional intelligence – understanding our audience on a human level will set our campaigns apart in a crowded market.

Leadership and management – orchestrating a team of AI agents requires strong leadership skills and the ability to manage complex projects.

Adaptability – the landscape is changing rapidly. We need to be willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn continuously.

Ethical considerations – as AI becomes more integrated into our work, we must consider the ethical implications of our strategies and tactics.

The Fifty Five and Five team possess AI expertise to help your business thrive in this digital-first world. Start your journey today. 

How to stand tall on the rubbish heap

The market will be saturated with high-quality content, personalised outreach, and targeted campaigns. To stand out, we’ll need to focus on authenticity and genuine value.

Customers have always been selective with what they engage with at that’s going to be become even more true. Truer than it’s ever been. We’ll be dealing with the most selective of people, those who will expert at tuning out generic messaging and seeking brands that truly understand and engage with them. Which, okay, even as I write that, maybe that’s nothing new. But it’s worth reiterating and remembering when we’re all racing to produce more and more ‘stuff’. So, while AI can help us reach more people more efficiently, it’s up to us to ensure that each interaction is meaningful.

Do less marketing

I actually think the shift towards AI-powered marketing could mean doing less marketing in the traditional sense. Think about it, right? With the precision AI can eventually offer, and the scale that agents will definitely offer, we can move away from high-volume output and focus on crafting messages that are hyper-targeted and deeply relevant to each individual.

Instead of flooding existing channels, we’ll deliver fewer but more meaningful interactions that resonate on a personal level. And as the technology advances, it may open up entirely new channels—places to connect with customers in ways that aren’t even possible yet. This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about creating value, building genuine connections, and reaching people in places that feel natural, timely, and entirely unique. All the fundamentals of marketing people like me spout on about. That, to me, is probably the most exciting aspect of all of this. Big enterprise can have meaningful one-to-one conversations with individuals.

Then there’s also the question of ethics. As we deploy AI agents to influence behaviour, we must tread carefully. Transparency, honesty, and respect for privacy will be more important than ever. We have the power to shape perceptions on a massive scale, and I believe that companies that prioritise ethical practices will earn the trust and loyalty of their customers, while those who don’t may find themselves facing backlash.

Change can be fun, right?

This shift towards AI agent integration is monumental. But it’s also an opportunity—a chance to redefine our roles, enhance our skills, and deliver unprecedented value to our organisations and customers.

I, for one, am choosing to embrace this change. I’m borderline obsessed with learning how to manage AI effectively, how to balance automation with human creativity, and how to navigate the new challenges that arise. Because it’s scary—how we’ve worked for decades is changing.

And I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Trying to figure all this out as we go. I’m trying to share my experiences, talking to leaders in the field to make sense of it all, because I want, and I want my agency, to help shape the future of marketing in a way that benefits everyone—our clients, my colleagues, the future employees who we’ve yet to hire.

This thing is redefining how we work, what we value, and how we connect with others.

Yes, there will be challenges. Yes, there’ll be uncertainties. But there’s also immense potential for growth, innovation, and positive impact.

I’m moving forward with curiosity and determination to harness these tools to not just do more, but to do better.