The Drum Podcast

For years, marketers have debated whether brands are better served by full-service agencies or specialist expertise. But as AI reshapes how agencies work, perhaps that's no longer the right question.In this bonus episode of The Drum Podcast, Richard Draycott is joined by Nick Beck (Founder & CEO, Tug), Heather Connearn (Managing Director, Space & Time) and Jennifer Maclennan (Group Managing Director, Fifth Ring) to explore how AI is changing agency models from the inside out. They discuss why strategy and judgement matter more than ever, how client expectations are evolving, whether independent agencies have an agility advantage, and why brand, PR and trusted expertise may become even more valuable in an AI-driven world. If you're rethinking what clients really need from agency partners today, this is a conversation worth hearing.

The Edinburgh festivals and their fringes add up to the biggest arts festival in the world - a yearly event that's only outsold by the World Cup and Olympics. As it launches, we talk to Jonathan Grant, an ad creative, comic, talent manager and now author. We talk about Grant's book, Reading the Room: The Inside Story of Stand-Up in the 21st Century; comedy's role in the media ecosystem; and what's been gained and lost in comedy's commercialization.

Live from the floor of SXSW London, we're joined by Ramin Beheshti, the co-founder and CEO of Caliber, the 'new media' publisher behind social-first news brands like The News Movement. Like so many modern publishers, Caliber's commercial core contains more than news - including a marketing agency. But as publishers turn to all sorts of alternative revenue sources, is it still possible to make money from news alone?

Legendary copywriter and creative director - Ogilvy APAC's long-serving chief creative officer - has entered his experienced-statesman era as an adman. His new book, Cowards Don't Go to Heaven, distills a life of creative understanding into a coffee-table book of handwritten (and illustrated) aphorisms and invective. He tells The Drum Podcast why a little anger is necessary for creative growth, how being "openly Christian" has shaped his creative practice, and how he went from failing his O-Level in English to being one of the most-awarded copywriters in the world.

Wesley ter Haar is the co-founder of global agency Monks, and now its chief AI officer. In a candid conversation filmed at this year's SXSW London about AI, he talks about the honest responsibilities, hopes and fears of an industry grappling with its future

Consumers don't follow funnels, and perhaps they never did. In this episode, Nick Handley (Connective3), Victoria Peopall (Epsilon) and Hannah McNally (Jaywing) unpack how commerce media is challenging long-held marketing assumptions. They discuss the rise of social commerce, the limits of attribution, why incrementality matters more than ever and what AI could mean for the future of shopping.If you're trying to understand how measurement, media planning and consumer behaviour are changing in the commerce era, this conversation is essential listening.

Everyone is talking about AI, but how do you turn the hype into real business impact? In this episode, Dora Moldovan (Tomorrow Group), Greg Roekens (Prose on Pixels) and Adam Hay (Croud) share their experiences of implementing AI inside agencies today. You'll learn why simply layering AI onto existing workflows isn't enough, how leadership and culture shape successful adoption, and what it takes to bring teams along on the journey. Packed with practical advice and honest perspectives, this is essential listening for anyone navigating AI transformation.

A recent report mapped the growth rates and revenues of some 25,000 agencies across the UK - as well as flows of both private and public funding into those agencies. With its authors at Agency by Agency, we dig into what the report found and why it exists - a crucial knowledge gap regarding agencyland's smaller players.