The 2025 AdForum Consultant Summit in New York City was more than just an industry gathering — it was a glimpse into the future of advertising. Held from May 12–16, the event convened over 26 top search consultancies and agency leaders to explore how creativity, strategy, and technology are converging to reshape the future of branding and agency-client relationships.
From the integration of AI into creative workflows to the rise of culturally relevant storytelling and new commercial engagement models, the Summit underscored one central theme: adaptation is not optional — it’s essential for growth in the modern advertising ecosystem.
AI and Creativity: The Rise of the Augmented Creative Partner
AI is no longer just about automation — it’s become a core collaborator in the creative process.
- AI-powered, human-led: Agencies are now leveraging AI to increase efficiency and precision in campaign development, from ideation to execution. AI is helping generate faster, smarter creative ideas at scale, but the human element remains central.
- Collaborative intelligence: This new creative model is about augmenting human insight, not replacing it. AI provides the structure and speed, while human creatives infuse cultural nuance, empathy, and emotion.
Agencies showcased how AI-assisted tools are enabling richer, more complex storytelling while drastically reducing turnaround times.
Cultural Relevance: A New Mandate for Brand Engagement
Consumer expectations have evolved — brands must engage meaningfully and locally to build authentic connections.
- Localized cultural fluency is now a cornerstone of successful campaigns. Agencies like Jung von Matt and Orchard Creative emphasized how deep cultural insight drives resonance and loyalty.
- Independent agencies lead the charge, offering agile, responsive strategies that big network players struggle to match.
- Real-time trend responsiveness and hyper-local narratives are enabling brands to break through the clutter in today’s fragmented media environment.
The demand is clear: understand your audience deeply, speak their language authentically, and do so with speed.
Commercial Model Evolution: From Headcount to Value
The traditional agency compensation model is being phased out in favor of results-driven structures.
- Output-based and value-driven pricing are replacing time-based billing. Clients want to pay for business impact, not just deliverables.
- Hybrid commercial agreements are gaining traction — combining fixed fees, output-based pricing, and licensing models to create flexibility and stronger alignment.
- With AI making impact tracking easier and faster, agencies are increasingly able to quantify ROI and defend their value in tangible terms.
Consultants noted a clear preference for models that tie compensation to measurable outcomes — like traffic, engagement, and sales uplift — over hours logged.
Pitching in 2025: Chemistry Over Theatrics
The way agencies win business is also undergoing a transformation.
- Flashy pitch decks are out, real collaboration is in. Clients now care more about how well agency teams integrate and communicate with internal stakeholders than they do about past campaign glitz.
- Chemistry and culture fit are now often the deciding factors in agency selection.
- In a high-speed, always-on market, the ability to co-create and move quickly with client teams is paramount.
Agencies are restructuring pitch teams to emphasize authentic collaboration, cross-functional alignment, and readiness to act — not just ideate.
The 2025 AdForum Consultant Summit made one thing clear: the future of advertising is being written by those who can merge technology with empathy, cultural insight with agility, and performance metrics with creative bravery.
Agencies that embrace AI as a creative catalyst, prioritize local relevance, and adopt impact-driven commercial models will not only survive the shift — they’ll lead it.
As the industry prepares for even greater disruption, the takeaways from AdForum 2025 offer a blueprint for forward-thinking brands and agencies ready to redefine what effective advertising looks like in the next decade.
