Cautious optimism returns to agency-side strategy as influence with clients grows

Published on: October 13, 2026

Cautious optimism is returning to agency-side strategy as practitioners deliver bigger outcomes for CMOs. AI adoption is high, driving strategists to double down on the human insight automation can’t replicate. And by tackling priorities like the “two audience problem,” strategy is moving upstream and proving its value. These key findings are outlined in The Future of Strategy 2026 report, released by WARC, the global authority of marketing effectiveness.

The annual survey-led WARC study highlights key challenges and opportunities facing agency-side strategists, who are pivotal to the marketing ecosystem, and offers practical ways they can clarify and prove their value.

The research is based on a global survey with 489 strategists fielded in August 2026, the majority of which are agency-side, and features perspectives from leading strategists around the world.

Lena Roland, Content Director, WARC Strategy says: “Last year’s report painted a gloomy picture of agency-side strategy. Twelve months on, the mood has shifted with 66% of agency-side strategists agreeing there are clear reasons to be optimistic. As growth gets harder to find, strategists are moving upstream, beyond the brief and into the questions that matter most to CMOs.” 

The key findings outlined in the report are:

66% of strategists agree there are clear reasons to be optimistic as strategy influence grows with clients

It’s been a tough few years for strategists. Agency consolidation, reduced headcount, the flight of senior talent and the rise of AI have caused a lot of turmoil.

Despite the ongoing disruption, there is a sense that the discipline is over the worst. The survey found 66% of strategists agree that there are clear reasons to be optimistic.

Strategy influence with clients jumped to 50% (up from 41% in 2025), suggesting demand where agency functions have been scaled back. Strategists deliver value by solving specific business problems and speaking the board’s language – yet internal influence remains flat at 46%.

Despite the optimism and AI’s benefits, 56% of strategists fear it will replace their roles – up 15 percentage points from 41% in 2025, making it their top expected threat.

Stacy Taffet, Chief Growth & Marketing Officer, The Hershey Company says: “The ROI on strategy is very high because when you do the upfront work to clarify brand foundations and business problems, ongoing content creation becomes effortless and more cost effective.”  

Strategists seek new value proposition as 80% say they must better prove business impact 

Great strategy can have a profoundly positive impact on clients’ business, and strategists often create value indirectly – through better decisions and reducing waste.

Demand for strategy is high, but proof of value remains a key challenge. Over half (57%) of strategists say they need a new value proposition as compensation models need to improve, while nearly 80% agree the profession must develop stronger arguments and evidence to prove their impact on business.

Strategists are thinking beyond the brief, as Nikita Walia, partner, U.N.N.A.M.E.D. says: “The strategist who only understands the “front stage” of a brand: messaging, insight, positioning…will quickly hit their ceiling. The strategist who understands the backstage: how things get made, distributed, and measured, will become indispensable”. 

Strategists can prove their value by linking strategic recommendations to business outcomes, by being able to explain the specific problem that was solved and speaking the language of the board.

AI frees strategists for deeper thinking say 65% of respondents  

Strategists continue to identify bland outcomes and a lack of cultural nuance or emotional resonance among AI’s biggest limitations. In an age of automation, understanding people is a strategic advantage. Value lies in judgement, intuition and grounding ideas in real human insight.

AI is giving strategists more time to think: 65% are reallocating freed-up time toward more nuanced, strategic work, and 55% believe AI will refocus strategy on human perspectives. At the same time, use of in-person qualitative research is in decline. 23% of respondents say they conduct in-person research at least monthly, versus 35% in 2025 (-12pp YoY).

Elizabeth Paul, Chief Brand Officer, The Martin Agency, says: “AI should not give strategists permission to do less human research. It should give us the time to pursue more extraordinary truths with greater depth.” Adding: “Ask the question the algorithm wouldn’t know to ask. Find the strange behaviour, unresolved tension or cultural shift hiding in plain sight”. 

Strategists move upstream to tackle CMO priorities  

Strategists expect their role to expand upstream, with 83% expecting their remit to involve shaping business strategy, not just communications.

As growth becomes harder to find, strategists are moving beyond briefs to solve critical challenges. A key issue includes addressing the “two audience problem” – appealing to humans and machines – which takes strategists into spaces like CX, PR and agentic commerce.

Other imperatives include finding new “demand spaces” to unlock the next wave of growth and developing frameworks that reflect modern media evolution.

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