AMENIA, NY – These days, it feels like the established playbook for advertising is being torn up and rewritten in real-time.
The rapid adoption of AI is forcing a fundamental re-evaluation of everything from the creative process and media buying to the very definition of consumer influence, leaving many to wonder what the final manuscript for marketing will look like.
This period of reinvention represents the most exciting time to be in the business, according to Carl Fremont, CEO of Quigley-Simpson. “The pace of change, the pace of which technology and adoption is faster than it ever has been,” Fremont said in this video interview with Beet.TV at the Beet Retreat Berkshires 2025.
Unlocking creativity with AI
Having been a peripheral topic a year ago, AI has now moved to the center of nearly every industry conversation, Fremont observed.
He believes the sector is still in its infancy with the technology, describing the current stage as being on “training wheels,” with its full potential far from being uncovered. This nascent phase is creating anxiety around job security, a concern reflected in a 2023 Forrester report which predicted U.S. ad agencies will see 7.5% of jobs, or 32,000 roles, impacted by automation by 2030.
Fremont’s advice to those worried about their roles is to embrace the technology’s possibilities rather than fear them. “Go with the flow,” he urged. “And the more you focus on the possibilities, the more safe you are in what you do.”
He sees the greatest opportunity for AI not in automating existing tasks, but in augmenting human ingenuity.
The true promise of AI, according to Fremont, is its ability to unlock what he calls “small C” creativity—the iterative process of developing and refining ideas.
A call for collaboration
Despite the opportunities presented by this new era, Fremont believes the advertising industry is hampered by a persistent challenge: a lack of genuine partnership. He suggested that, while the potential for shared prosperity is immense, many players remain focused on their individual interests, slowing collective progress.
“We still haven’t gotten that down and how that should work,” he said. “Everybody is almost into it for themselves and not thinking about what’s best for everyone. We’ll all prosper, we’ll all advance if we can partner together.”
Fremont acknowledged the commercial realities of the business but maintained that a more cooperative mindset is crucial for navigating the industry’s evolution. “Certainly, we all need to make money at this, that’s why we’re in it. But to be collaborative and have a more collaborative industry, I think is still essential to help us move forward,” he added.
A new marketing playbook
Quigley-Simpson is an integrated advertising and media agency founded in 2002 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Fremont asserted that the industry is actively reinventing itself as the influence of linear TV wanes.
“I think advertising or marketing of the future is going to look vastly different. We’re creating it now together as an industry,” Fremont said. “I think it’s the most exciting time to be in the industry because we’re almost reinventing it.”
While the methods of reaching consumers are in flux, Fremont stressed that the foundational principles of the discipline remain constant. “Marketing has never changed. Marketing principles of driving sales and growth and measuring the return on that investment is always going to be the foundation,” he explained. “But we are rewriting the rules of what is effective marketing.”
