We surveyed marketing agencies across North America this past June to measure agency positioning and AI search readiness heading into 2026.

The results point to the same blind spot showing up in two different places: how agencies talk about themselves, and how ready their sites are for AI-mediated search.

[Download the full report below]

And If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services ad agencies, PR, marketing service, and professional services firms (of all sizes and types).

We work with over 45 firms across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team.

More about us here.

Agencies See a Sea of Sameness, Except in the Mirror

Over 75% of agencies surveyed said the agency industry as a whole is “somewhat” or “very” undifferentiated.

Ask them about their own firm, though, and more than 80% say they’re differentiated from the agencies they compete against most.

So these firms think they’re the exception, but,

85% of agencies built their current positioning entirely in-house, with their own employees, no outside perspective, no testing against prospects.

So essentially in an echo chamber, which leads to positioning that comes out sounding like everyone else’s.

Agencies Know AI Search Is Coming. Their Sites Don’t Show It.

The same blind spot shows up in how agencies are preparing for AI-mediated search. 60% say they’re “very” or “extremely” aware of the emerging standards for AI search visibility, GEO and AEO among them.

But only 10% feel their own website is actually optimized for it.

Meanwhile, 66% are already helping their clients optimize for AI-mediated search.

Agencies are applying the standard everywhere except their own front door.

The report also revisits Google’s official guide to optimizing for generative AI search against what our VP of Sales, Lee McKnight Jr. laid out for agencies back in August 2025, including what it confirms and what it pushes back on.

What’s Inside the Full Report

• The full data behind positioning perceptions, and what “outside perspective” should look like
• Where AI fits into agencies’ internal operations versus the work they do for clients, and where disparities lay between the two
• Our take on Google’s generative AI search guidance, and where it overlaps with GEO/AEO advice already circulating
• The 5 pillars of effective positioning
• The 10 rules for AI search success

If your agency’s positioning was built the same way most of the ones in this report were, this is worth 10 minutes of your time.

2025 RSW/US Survey Report – Rolling Into 2026. . . What to Expect/What To Do

This report was developed by our team at RSW/US.

We’re the leading outsourced business development and lead generation firm dedicated exclusively to serving software, marketing services, professional services firms, and ad agencies of all sizes and specialties.

Since our founding in 2005, we’ve partnered with firms across the globe, acting as their go-to outsourced sales and marketing team.

Learn more about our RSW/US outsourced business development programs at www.rswus.com.

About the Report

The 2025 RSW/US Survey Report: “Rolling Into 2026…What to Expect/What to Do” was conducted with senior-level executives across a range of marketing
services and other professional services firms during August 2025.

While the past 24+ months have been challenging, there are both positive signs of improvement for the industry, and a few wake up calls outlined in our report.

We break down what’s happening and how to tackle it.

All our content is made actionable for your benefit.

Key Report Highlights:

• Pipeline Crisis: 93% of Marketing Services and Professional Services Firms Say Their Growth Engine Isn’t Strong Enough.
• Referrals remain inconsistent: While 75% cite referrals as their best lead source, RSW/US warns that relying on them is unsustainable. Without disciplined outreach, firms risk being blindsided when referrals dry up.
• Prospects Are Ready 45% of firms say prospects are getting more serious about making changes Only 20% of firms disagree – the tide is turning.
• AI adoption outpaces strategy: 77% of firms are already using AI for business development, and 80% plan to expand, but the report cautions that firms leaning too heavily on AI will generate generic, undifferentiated output.
• In-house competition is steady: Nearly half of respondents said in-house marketing teams remain unchanged, signaling that agencies must sharpen their positioning to win overflow or specialized work.
• Productization is rising: 62% of firms are packaging services into productized offerings, with 86% planning to increase this approach as a way to simplify decisions for prospects and scale profitably.

There’s work to be done, but with a plan in place, there will be opportunities for more new business.

This is the RSW/US 2025 New Year Outlook Report.

If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing service firms (of all sizes and types).

We work with over 50 agencies across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team.

More about us here.

2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for agencies, and we’ve got the insights to help you stay ahead.

Our report has real-world data and actionable takeaways from agencies and marketers across the U.S. and Canada.

Here’s a taste of what’s inside:

• Growth Expectations: 78% of agencies and 75% of marketers predict growth this year—but how will they get there?
• Top Discovery Channels: Relationships still reign, but direct outreach surged to 52%. Are you connecting in the right ways?
• Mind the Gap: 77% of agencies think they’re ahead of the curve on trends, but only 62% of marketers agree. What’s driving the disconnect, and how can you bridge it?
• AI’s Big Moment: 73% of agencies say AI-powered personalization will define the year—are you ready to leverage it?

We created this report for you and your team to use as an initial blueprint to win more business and grow in 2025.

The 2025 RSW/US New Year Outlook survey was conducted with senior-level Marketers and Marketing Agency executives in November & December 2024.

This survey aimed to uncover key insights into marketer and agency perspectives as they prepared for the challenges and opportunities of 2025.

The agency sample included over 5,000 marketing services, advertising, and PR firms in the U.S. and Canada, ranging from under $3M to over $75M in capitalized billings.

These agencies represented a variety of disciplines, including full-service, digital, PR, and marketing consultancies.

The marketer sample was drawn from our RSW/AgencySearch database of 20,000 marketing decisionmakers, representing companies of varying sizes, locations, and categories.

If you’d like to reproduce any of our findings in any format, please reach out to Lee McKnight at 513-559-3111 or via email at lee@rswus.com.