Creative Studies podcast interview with Marty Swant on his recent report for The New York Times on why creative agencies might be cooked.

In this conversation, Geoffrey Colon, founder of Creative Studies, and Marty Swant, freelance ad tech journalist, discuss the evolving landscape of advertising in the context of AI and technology. They explore the implications of generative AI on creative processes, the potential displacement of agencies, and the challenges marketers face amidst rapid disruption. The discussion also touches on future predictions regarding the role of advertising, the rise of user-generated content (UGC), and the impact of agentic browsing on consumer behavior and privacy.

* The generative AI boom has sparked interest in technology's capabilities.

* Advertising agencies are grappling with the potential displacement by AI.

* Brands are experimenting with AI in creative campaigns, facing mixed reactions.

* Concerns exist about agencies losing control over the creative process to platforms.

* Data privacy and trust issues are significant in the ad tech landscape.

* The workflow of creative processes is changing due to AI integration.

* Marketers are uncertain about the future amidst multiple disruptions.

* UGC is becoming increasingly prevalent in media buys.

* The creator economy is generating more revenue than traditional media.

* Agentic browsing could create new challenges for advertisers and consumers.

Chapters

00:00 The Intersection of AI and Advertising

05:31 The Future of Marketing in a Disrupted Landscape

10:14 Predictions for the Future of Advertising

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Microsoft and LinkedIn just announced layoffs as I’m writing this. 3% of the company or over 6,000 people. This seems to now be the norm in what kicked off in February of 2023 where nothing is stable. I even underwent my own layoff like many in my own big tech job in what feels like forever ago in April 2024. Over that time period I had 50 conversations with people close in my network and have applied to over 300 roles.

I won’t say nothing has happened. Do I have one, stable W2 paying job?

No.

Am I employed with work?

Yes.

Will I ever have another W2 paying job ever again?

Not likely.

And this is what many are missing as they seek to find work in this new normal of the 21st Century.

Finding work is broken along with the fact the economy as a whole is also busted.

Most of this originates back to 2008 but this piece isn’t about the Great Recession. It’s about where job hunting will go next as the job market evolves.

For as long as I can recall over the past three decades as a member of Generation X, we’ve been told that the future of work would be like producing a film. You have a skill, you bring it to the team, you do the job, you depart, you look for your next line of work.

There’s just one issue with this. It’s unstable.

Add in this factor with the fact job board sites like LinkedIn are more like Facebook Lite and a job hunting, referral and networking revolution is long overdue.

Enter Posted.Careers.

When I was laid off last year I noticed that many people wanted to help but the systems and architecture we rely on are all old and antiquated. Spend $20 to apply to an Upwork job with no transparency. Spend $90 for a monthly LinkedIn Premium account to apply with thousands of others.

There’s no differentiating advantage. Zero community.

The new solutions provide all the NEW job posts delivered fresh daily to your inbox so you can apply in a timely manner. And the entire service is donation only of $1, $3, $5 or an amount you want to offer on a monthly or one-time basis.

It’s the de-corporatization or un-privatization of job hunting and it’s long overdue.

Watch or listen to the podcast with co-founders Chuck Heckman, George Nguyen and myself, Geoffrey Colon, on why we built Posted.Careers as a rallying cry for the creative class to find work and create a DIY collective job hunting movement.