Agency Growth in the Age of Automation: Why It Isn’t a Cost-Cutting Exercise

Most people expect automation to compress agency fees. Chris Turton (MD, Ecommerce Intelligence) argues it’s been a growth lever instead — and he was last year’s sceptic. Around 61% of agency clients now raise AI during renewal conversations, and 27% of agencies have been asked outright for an AI discount. In this live episode of Marketplace Masters, Paul Sonneveld presses Chris on whether automation is genuinely creating client value or quietly cutting costs. What’s covered: • What changed since his sceptical take last year • What Ecommerce Intelligence actually automated, and what it gave back • Where the reclaimed capacity went — margin or client value • The “AI discount” conversation, and how to answer it • Whether hourly billing survives the efficiency gains • Interpretation as the product, and the visibility problem it creates • More clients per head, higher fees, or new service lines? • Where automation went wrong Recorded live with audience Q&A. Register for future episodes at merchantspring.io. #AgencyGrowth #AmazonAgency #AgencyPricing #Automation #Ecommerce