Content Marketing Agency–Client Relationship in the Age of Generative AI
(A2025-125703)

AUTHORS

Risqo Wahid, University of Jyväskylä; Joel Mero, University of Jyväskylä; Paavo Ritala, LUT University,

ABSTRACT

Generative AI may result in content marketing agencies (CMAs) losing their clients. Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT and Midjourney) empower CMAs’ clients (i.e., those businesses that buy CMAs’ expertise) to create content themselves. This situation may reduce clients’ reliance on CMAs, negatively affecting agency–client relationships. This research aims to explore how generative AI shapes the agency–client relationships in the context of CMAs. Data were collected from 22 interviews. The findings show that generative AI equalizes content marketing capabilities. Such equalization impacts the content marketing landscape and content marketing services markets. Among these consequences are the difficulty in gaining end customer attention and the drop in content creation demand from clients. Despite these seemingly adverse effects, this study further uncovers that CMAs still can survive—and even thrive. Detailed insights are discussed in the theoretical and practical implications.