By Pavel Yurovitsky, CEO of KIT Global
The global advertising market may have just crossed the $1 trillion mark, but not everyone is celebrating. While the headline signals explosive growth, the real winners are the tech giants dominating the space. Google, Meta, Amazon, and their platform peers now command the lion’s share of ad dollars, pushing the industry into a new era defined by data and artificial intelligence. For traditional agencies built on media buying and client hand-holding, the message is clear: evolve or become irrelevant.
What changed in marketing?
In today’s marketing landscape, speed and personalisation are no longer perks, but rather expectations. Consumers expect ads that feel relevant, timely, and tailored to their interests. That level of targeting is only possible with massive datasets and real-time analytics, something that only the most advanced advertising platforms can easily offer. This is where the advantage lies: the companies dominating ad spend are the same ones collecting, interpreting, and acting on behavioural data at a scale traditional agencies simply can’t match with their current processes.
Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence is powering much of this transformation. The big platforms now use AI to analyze audience behavior, forecast trends, and automate everything from bid optimization to creative testing. Even content generation is becoming more streamlined thanks to machine learning tools that can personalize messaging at scale. The result is a marketing engine that’s fast, precise, and increasingly autonomous.
These factors have fundamentally changed what clients expect from their marketing partners. Brands no longer want slow, static campaigns. They want agility, transparency, and measurable results. And the platforms delivering those outcomes aren’t traditional agencies, but rather technology-driven ecosystems that promise control, efficiency, and scale. For agencies to compete, matching those capabilities needs to be the first priority.
Agencies must adapt or get left behind
Platform-led growth is thriving because it delivers what modern marketers value most: transparency, efficiency, control, and precision. Brands want to see where every dollar goes and what it delivers in real time as far as personalization and success. They want the power to shift strategy instantly, not wait for a monthly report. Digital platforms deliver on all of that—and they do it at scale.
For agencies to keep up, they need to rewire how they operate. That starts with fully embracing artificial intelligence, not as a buzzword, but as a practical tool. AI can streamline media buying, improve audience targeting, and even assist with rapid content generation. Agencies that integrate AI into their workflows will move faster and deliver smarter results.
Centralizing data is another must. Marketers need platforms that bring together their first-party data, customer insights for personalization, and performance metrics in one place. This kind of infrastructure allows them to make faster, more informed decisions and avoid the chaos of fragmented reporting systems. Agencies that can help brands unify their data and extract insights in real time will have a major competitive edge.
Finally, agencies should lean into what platforms can’t automate: creativity, storytelling, and strategic guidance. That means evolving beyond media execution into true brand partnerships. Rather than resisting platform dominance, the smartest agencies are learning to work with it, layering their strengths on top of the tech to offer value that machines alone can’t replicate.
What’s next for marketing in a platform-first world
As platform-led growth continues to gain momentum, the marketing playbook is being rewritten in real time. Automation will only get smarter. AI will continue evolving from a behind-the-scenes tool into a front-line driver of strategy, content, and even creative direction. Only marketers who understand how to harness these technologies will stay ahead of the curve.
That doesn’t mean agencies are obsolete, but it does mean their value must evolve. The future belongs to marketing partners who can strategically make the most of what developing technologies have to offer.
