AI in marketing and communications has moved quickly from novelty to necessity.
Marketers are no longer just testing pilots — they’re redesigning workflows and driving measurable performance gains. A 2025 McKinsey survey found that two-thirds of organizations are now integrating AI into at least one business function, with marketing among the fastest adopters. CoSchedule’s State of AI in Marketing report shows that 85% of marketers now use AI tools for content creation, with demonstrated improvements in ROI, efficiency, and speed. And in our own client survey, 80% told us they’re actively using AI in their daily or weekly work, with content creation, brainstorming, and ideation topping the list of use cases.
This new reality puts agencies at an inflection point. We’ve spent time experimenting, learning, and building guardrails. But now, the bigger opportunity is to accelerate — to embed AI into how we deliver marketing and PR services so that we can unlock greater efficiency, creativity, and quality.
Experimentation won’t stop with new tools emerging every week, but AI can no longer be a side project. It’s becoming a core capability — one that clients expect from their partners.
While every client is at a different stage of adoption, flexibility is built into our approach. Some are eager to fully integrate AI into their campaigns, while others remain cautious or prefer to avoid it altogether. Having leading capabilities doesn’t mean one size fits all; it means we can scale up or throttle down depending on what best serves each engagement.
Why now?
Three converging forces make this the right moment to accelerate:
- Market momentum: Generative AI is reshaping marketing at scale. Global brands like Zalando have reduced campaign production times from six to eight weeks down to just a few days, with costs slashed by up to 90%, by adopting AI-driven creative workflows.
- Client demand: Our recent client survey found that every single client is using AI in some capacity, and most believe 30 to 50% of marketing tasks will be automated in the next two to three years. They expect their agency partners to keep pace and bring fresh ideas about how AI can enhance campaigns responsibly.
- Proven efficiency gains: Our internal modeling shows that embedding AI across certain services reduces project timelines without sacrificing quality. That translates directly into more time for strategic thinking, faster turnarounds, and stronger outcomes for clients.
From experimentation to acceleration
Acceleration means moving beyond pilots and making AI a foundational tool across our services:
- Early-stage work: AI supports research, first-draft content, trend analysis, brainstorming, and campaign planning. These are tasks that historically consumed significant time and can now be streamlined.
- Scalability: By building consistent workflows and training, we can ensure efficiency gains are repeatable across accounts.
- Focus on higher-value work: When AI accelerates the first 30% of a project, our teams can spend more energy on what matters most — strategy, creativity, and polish.
Acceleration doesn’t erase choice. We follow client preferences closely. For some accounts, AI will be deeply integrated. For others, it may play a minimal role or none at all. Either way, quality remains the non-negotiable standard.
AI as a creative accelerator, not a shortcut
One misconception is that AI is about cutting corners. In reality, AI is about expanding possibilities. It helps us generate more ideas, move faster to create first drafts, and free up space for deeper storytelling and creative exploration.
- More ideas, faster: AI-assisted brainstorming surfaces a wider range of concepts at the outset, giving teams more raw material to refine.
- First drafts, not final drafts: AI provides scaffolding, but every piece of client content still goes through human editing, fact-checking, and review. Quality and accuracy remain paramount.
- Agility in iteration: AI makes it easier to test, adjust, and reframe messaging quickly — a valuable advantage in today’s fast-moving environment.
Research backs this up: Muck Rack reports that communicators now use AI most often for brainstorming (82%), first-draft writing (72%), and editing (70%), but with a consistent emphasis on human oversight and training.
Balancing innovation with responsibility
Acceleration doesn’t mean abandoning responsibility. We’ve put clear guardrails in place:
- Client-first approach: We only use AI in ways aligned with client approval and comfort levels.
- Human oversight: Every AI-assisted draft is reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our team.
- Data security: We ensure all client data is handled securely and protected, in full alignment with our client’s requirements.
- Ethical standards: Our policy aligns with industry best practices from PRSA, the PR Council, and the ANA, ensuring we meet the highest ethical bar.
Looking ahead
We see AI as foundational to agency operations moving forward. It is reshaping workflows, making agencies more flexible, and creating new opportunities for delivering value.
For us, acceleration is about being ready — ready to help clients who want to lean in fully, ready to respect those who are cautious, and ready to deliver better outcomes across the board.
The novelty of AI may be behind us, but the opportunity is only accelerating.
Want to stay up to date on the latest AI trends and use cases for marketers and PR professionals? Check out MG Labs — Merritt Group’s cross-functional team of MarTech experts that securely tests the latest AI tools, platforms, and features.
