How agency models have changed over time
Launch library · evergreen read
Communication agencies have shifted quite considerably in structure over recent decades, moving from models built narrowly around a single specialism, such as media relations alone, toward genuinely integrated offerings spanning strategy, creative, digital and measurement all under a single roof, reflecting how client needs have themselves become far more interconnected and complex over time.
This broader shift has changed how agencies staff their teams and structure their client relationships considerably, often requiring individual practitioners to develop noticeably broader skill sets than earlier, more narrowly specialised roles once demanded of them, while still maintaining genuine deep expertise in at least one core discipline of their own.
The pace of this ongoing change continues today, as new channels and shifting client expectations keep reshaping what an effective agency model actually looks like in practice. Agencies that genuinely adapt their structure alongside these shifts tend to remain relevant, while those that hold rigidly to older, more traditional models often struggle to keep pace.