Summary: For the first time, the average agency has reached Stage 2, Adoption, on the Spark AI Maturity Model®. AI is now part of everyday agency life, but the next stage requires agencies to rethink how work gets done. Our latest Spark Report explores what this means for the way agencies operate and the future of their business.
Written By: Asta Vallis
Date: 03.11.26
Read length: 3 minutes
Spark AI is the AI performance partner that builds organisation-wide AI capability for creative agencies and brand teams. We take ambitious teams from fragmented experimentation to AI embedded across their people, processes and systems – so it delivers real commercial impact.
AI is already part of everyday agency life.
For the first time in our six-monthly research, the average agency has reached Stage 2, Adoption, on the Spark AI Maturity Model®, with an average score of 2.2 out of 4. Read more about our Spark AI Maturity Model here®.
That's encouraging progress. Agencies are moving beyond experimentation, with AI becoming a regular part of how their teams work. 90% of agency staff surveyed are using AI at work, and 91% of those using it say they're saving time.
But the bigger opportunity lies in what comes next. The next stages, Stage 3 - Optimisation and Stage 4 - Transformation, require agencies to rethink how work gets done and what they can deliver for clients.
That's the focus of our latest report.
The Spark Report: AI in Agencies – Where's the Value? draws on over 350 responses from agency staff and leaders.
How does AI change the way work gets done?
Most agencies are still adding AI to existing processes, helping staff complete the same tasks in less time. But with nearly a third of agencies still charging by the hour, greater efficiency risks putting pressure on revenue.
AI also creates opportunities to work differently and develop services that previously weren't commercially practical to deliver. To make the most of this, agencies need to rethink how work is designed around what AI makes possible, rather than simply making current workflows faster.
The report explores what this shift means for how agencies design and deliver their work.
What happens to agency commercial models?
As AI creates new kinds of work, agencies need to rethink how they charge for it.
Yet our research found that only 6% of agencies assessed have developed new AI-enabled revenue models.
The report explores how agencies can adapt their commercial models to better capture the value they create.
How will the next generation of agency talent learn?
AI is changing the tasks people do, particularly at the beginning of their careers. Research and first drafts have traditionally given junior staff opportunities to build their skills and experience. As AI takes on more of that work, agencies need to reconsider how their junior teams develop.
How will they gain the experience needed to make good decisions? How should the role of senior colleagues change as the work evolves? These are questions agencies need to address as they rethink their ways of working.
Our report explores how AI could change the structure of junior roles and what this means for developing future agency talent.
What does it take to move beyond AI adoption?
Reaching Stage 2 out of 4 is an important milestone for agencies. But widespread AI use doesn't automatically mean an agency is making the most of what the technology can offer.
Moving towards Optimisation and Transformation means looking at how AI changes the work itself, and what that means for the wider business.
In The Spark Report: AI in Agencies – Where's the Value?, we examine six changes in agency habits and ways of working, drawing on our latest research and experience working with agency teams.
Each chapter includes practical exercises to help leaders understand what the findings mean for their own businesses and identify where to focus next.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Spark Report?
The Spark Report is Spark AI's twice-yearly benchmark examining how agencies use AI and how it's changing the way they operate. The Autumn/Winter 2026/27 edition combines responses from 243 agency staff and maturity assessments completed by leaders at 108 agencies and brand teams.
What does Stage 2 of AI maturity mean for agencies?
Stage 2, Adoption, means AI is becoming part of everyday work across the agency. The next stages, Optimisation and Transformation, involve developing shared capabilities and changing how the organisation operates.
How can agencies find out their AI maturity stage?
The free Spark AI Maturity Score™ assesses an agency against the four stages of the Spark AI Maturity Model®. It takes around five minutes and helps leaders understand how their agency compares with others in the report.
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