Agency Business #54: Why agencies need to move beyond production in the age of AI. With Dean Broadhead
6 snips
Jan 19, 2026 Dean Broadhead, founder of the independent agency Broadhead, shares insights from his 25 years in marketing. He discusses the agency's shift towards AI, highlighting their innovative staff-led GPT development called Butter. Dean advocates for a 'Stop Making Shoes' mindset, prioritizing strategy and creativity over production. He elaborates on their proprietary AI products and the importance of keeping media in-house. The conversation touches on the competitive landscape and the value of creativity against execution in building client relationships.
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Constant Evolution As Core Strategy
- Broadhead positions his agency as 'evolutionary' and committed to never standing still amid industry change.
- He emphasizes staying ahead of clients through continuous adaptation, especially around AI and model evolution.
Focus On High-Value Work
- Stop doing long-tail production and focus on high-value activities like design, tech, and customer experience.
- Use partners, in-house teams, and AI to handle execution so senior talent can do strategic work.
Let Teams Lead AI Adoption
- Let staff experiment with AI first to surface practical operational uses.
- Turn successful internal GPTs and tools into standardized workflows rather than centralizing all AI decisions.