The Invisible Cost of Competing: Speed, AI & the Future of Independent Agencies

Why This Conversation Was Necessary

Independent agencies are being pushed to deliver faster cycles, more outputs, and “always-on” responsiveness—often without budgets that reflect the true scope of work. At the same time, AI and new market players are reshaping expectations, pricing, and perceived value.

This session was designed to address both realities at once: the current pressure (speed without proportional investment) and the future force (AI-driven acceleration and competition), with a clear objective—to question the model and rebuild a more sustainable way for agencies and brands to work together.

Panelists

Agency representatives

• Alonso Arias — Founder & CCO at The Non Agency

• Arturo Ortiz — General Director at Birth Group

Brand representative

• Daniel Uribe — Field Marketing Leader at Oracle (Colombia)

  

Moderator

• Camila Farías - CEO Constellation Global Network 

What We Explored: Six Themes Shaping 2026

1. The Pressure of Speed: Productivity or Talent Exploitation?

   When did speed stop being a competitive advantage and become a mandate—and what “invisible costs” appear when urgency becomes the default operating system?

2. Creativity Under Pressure: The Silent Decline in Quality

   How constant pressure affects motivation, retention, and output quality—and whether clients are noticing the decline or normalizing it.

3. AI + New Players: Competitive Advantage or Real Threat?

   Where AI truly helps (and where it increases dependency), what should never be delegated, and who is becoming the real competitor: agencies, platforms, or both.

4. Adapting Without Losing Your Edge

   What structural changes are already happening inside independents, and which capabilities become non-negotiable by 2026.

5. Procurement vs. Creatives: Two Worlds, Two Metrics

   How value gets assessed (and discounted), where misunderstandings originate, and what “minimum rules” should exist to protect outcomes on both sides.

6. Toward a Fairer Model: Balancing Speed, AI and Value

   The practical conditions that prevent burnout, protect talent, and allow AI to create balance—not just acceleration.

Key Takeaways for Leaders

• Speed is not free. If timelines compress, something else pays the price: quality, talent health, strategic depth, or all three.

• AI changes expectations faster than contracts. If pricing and scope frameworks don’t evolve, agencies get “automated” into devaluation.

• Differentiation shifts upward. When output is easier to produce, advantage moves to judgment, systems, and clarity: what to do, why, and what success looks like.

• Procurement needs a shared language for value. The model breaks when efficiency becomes the only metric and impact becomes an afterthought.

• A fair model is operational, not inspirational. It requires explicit rules: scope, timing, decision cycles, revision limits, and accountability for both sides.

Practical Next Steps We Recommend

For agencies

• Build a speed-to-quality framework: what can be fast, what must be protected, and what requires re-scoping.

• Define AI boundaries: automate the repeatable, protect the strategic, and document quality control standards.

• Turn value into artifacts: clearer KPI frameworks, better post-mortems, sharper reporting—so “impact” isn’t just a promise.

For brands

• Align scope, budget, and decision-making speed (fast work needs fast approvals).

• Treat AI as a capability shift, not a price-cut lever—otherwise you incentivize lower strategic ambition.

• Standardize minimum rules for collaboration: timelines, feedback cycles, and what “done” means.

Why Constellation Hosted This Session

Because the market won’t slow down—and independent agencies shouldn’t have to trade value for survival. This webinar was a step toward putting language, structure, and shared rules around one of the most pressing leadership tensions in our industry today. 

Contact us

info@constellation.network