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| Bill Daddi |
Bill Daddi, president of intergrated communications and marketing agency DBC, sees entry-level employees not as something to be cut and replaced with AI, but rather as key components of an ad agency's success.
A study his agency conducted with the 4As warns that ad agencies looking to AI as a replacement for junior staffers might be inadvertently eroding the apprenticeship model that historically has served them well, leading to a "hollowed-out" middle management layer.
Speaking with O'Dwyer's, Daddi explained that his desire with the study was to step back and focus on what kind of future is ahead for the ad industry.
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"We just want people thinking about this topic. That's our primary objective," Daddi said.
Daddi noted that some agencies are increasing junior level hires and grooming them to use AI. "There's an eye now toward candidates that possess good critical thinking, curiousity and the ability to communicate across disciplines," Daddi said.
Covid was very damaging because it cut off access to senior level people, Daddi pointed out. He feels AI is having the same affect.
But Daddi realizes that agencies have very few levers to adjust to cut costs and AI is a tempting option.
"The entry level path to middle manager is not clear. How do you attain those positions?" Daddi asked.
Daddi referenced the fact that the percentage of staffers on the agency side between 20 and 25 used to be 10 percent but now it's down to 6 percent.
As for the future, Daddi sees a significant backlash from Gen Z towards media and technology that will have a big affect on digital advertising. "They see AI as stealing their jobs," Daddi said.
Read the full report from DBC and the 4As: Redefining Entry-Level Agency Positions in the Age of AI.
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