Modern businesses face an unprecedented challenge: their customers consume content across countless channels, formats, and platforms.
In partnership with the Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA), I moderated a panel discussion with three leaders who have been shaping the way agencies create and collaborate in a rapidly changing digital world: Alex Kress (Founding Partner at Sweden Unlimited), Matt Owens (Partner at Athletics), and Ben Langsfeld (Chief Design Officer at BUCK).
The focus was simple in name but complex in reality: content, collaboration, and connection. How do you tell a compelling brand story in an environment where formats are multiplying, algorithms are rewriting the rules, and in-house teams are more capable than ever? How do you stay true to a brand’s voice when the tools to create — and the channels to share — evolve faster than editorial calendars can keep up?
The session covered a lot of ground: the evolution and expanded scope of content creation, the opportunities and risks of AI, the reality of co-creation with clients, and the balance between running a “content machine” and telling a story that actually matters.
Here is a distillation of that conversation from practical ideas to big-picture perspectives on how agencies can navigate a new era of brand storytelling.
What does content mean today
Agencies have historically thought of content as a supporting element of design and brand identity, but the times have changed. Content is now an integral part of brand building and has evolved to blend copy, design, and brand identity across a multitude of channels and formats.
For agencies, this means several shifts in perspective:
Create modular content systems that allow for efficient repurposing across platforms. Matt Owens added, “We were designers and creators first, just making stuff. But as we grew, we had to realize content is really in service of a brand’s purpose and business goals.” In order to keep pace with these needs, agencies have to shift their operating-model to build modular content systems that connect to a brand’s mission and measurable objectives.
Map content types to consumption patterns by analyzing where specific audiences prefer to engage with different formats. Alex Kress pointed out, “Now, clients need an endless stream across multiple channels, each with its own style, but all telling the same story.” Building out a full content strategy now includes channel-specific strategies that work in tandem with creative execution to reach customers where they are.
A brand is more than just content, but content, when seen as a whole, should represent the brand. As Ben Langsfeld said, “Everything is content. The magic is telling one story and expressing it everywhere without trying to sell everything all at once.”
For modern agencies, there is a need to evolve to treat content as part of the brand storytelling experience, personalized by channel.
Turning creation into collaboration and partnership
In-house teams are talented and increasingly self-sufficient, often viewing agencies as an extension of their ability to create. As a result, the way agencies collaborate with clients is changing.
Agencies are working to shift the perspective from creator to creative partner and enabler. “We’re not here to drop a 100-slide deck and disappear. We’re building something together, and that means thinking about what will set the client up for success six months after we leave,” Ben said.
Effective partnerships work best when there’s mutual respect, clear roles, and tools that make collaboration seamless. Building a brand requires the sum of many smaller projects. Instead of simply executing requests, agencies should become strategic partners who help clients understand how content can drive business outcomes.
Alex added, “The most successful relationships have no ego. We’re not here to prove we know better. We’re here to help clients ask better questions, sometimes the ones they didn’t know they needed to ask.”
The partnership model also creates opportunities for agencies to expand their value proposition. By demonstrating expertise in content strategy and execution, agencies can move from project-based work to ongoing retainer relationships that provide more stable revenue and deeper client integration.
Adapting to AI and AEO
The path to brand discovery has changed, especially when it comes to search. AI is changing how content is consumed and brands are found. Large language models (LLMs) reformulate brands’ carefully crafted words, changing content strategy as we know it.
One example I shared was how our Webflow team is optimizing content for AI search and how to adjust focus to optimize for answer engines. Alex expanded on this saying, “Make your site question-centric. Ask: What does our audience want to know? Surface those answers clearly and right away.”
The key is to find the balance between human curiosity — like what a typical audience member would search — and AI’s affinity for using well-structured, comprehensive answers in its outputs.
Content strategy in the age of AI for agencies (and in-house teams) is about clarity, authority, and authenticity. As Ben added, “We’ve been shaping content to fit SEO for so long. Now’s the time to go back to heritage and belief systems…”
The advice for fellow agencies from the panel was to focus on answering what your audience is most curious about in a voice that reflects the brand.
AI as creative enhancement
Speaking of AI’s impact, creativity in a world impacted by AI was a large topic of discussion point for the panelists. The main focal point from Alex, Ben, and Matt was this: AI isn’t replacing creatives, but it is reshaping how creative work happens.
Alex came to the conclusion that “younger creatives sometimes think using genAI is cheating. We frame genAI as a tool that removes the blank page, speeds up ideation, and gives you more time to focus on the parts of the work that require human judgment.”
For agencies to really drive value, AI has to be embedded in their workflow in such a way as to show clients that AI and creativity can live harmoniously together to build creative content at scale. Matt shared a bit about this: “Some (clients) are already embedding AI in their workflows. Others are hesitant. We show them safe, focused ways to test it, and then let the results speak for themselves.”
Acting as a guiding force with AI adoption and fluency establishes your agency as a trusted expert and leader in your field — one that can be called upon for content strategies, not just creative execution.
Ben closed it out by sharing how his team has embedded AI into their culture. “We gave everyone a stipend to try the AI tools they were most skeptical about. Now we have AI Fridays where people share experiments. This investment is building a culture of learning instead of resistance.”
The panel agreed that AI can accelerate creativity without replacing it. By approaching AI with curiosity and strategic clarity, you can fit task-specific AI into your team’s workflow rather than trying to fit your workflow to AI.
Brand storytelling moving forward
The agencies that thrive in this new content landscape are those that view expanding consumption channels and adopting AI as an opportunity to demonstrate value in new, more strategic ways and to build lasting client relationships.
By adapting workflows, embracing new collaborative approaches with in-house teams, and positioning content as a strategic driver of business growth, agencies can transform the challenge of diverse content demands into a competitive advantage.
Ready to see how leading agencies are transforming their content strategies and client relationships? See how you and your team can join forces with Webflow to build a better brand for your clients.
