{"id":2196,"date":"2026-01-07T14:43:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gogetmuscle.com\/?p=2196"},"modified":"2026-01-07T17:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T17:46:14","slug":"why-the-traditional-agency-model-is-broken-and-what-comes-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gogetmuscle.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/07\/why-the-traditional-agency-model-is-broken-and-what-comes-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Traditional Agency Model Is Broken and What Comes Next"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why the Traditional Agency Model Is Broken and What Comes Next<\/a> written by Sara Nay<\/a> read more at Duct Tape Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n

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The traditional agency model is no longer built for today\u2019s small businesses. In this article, Sara Nay explains the anti-agency model and how strategy-first marketing, fractional leadership, and AI can help businesses own their marketing instead of outsourcing it blindly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Table of Contents<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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1<\/span><\/div>\n

Living the Agency Reality From Every Side<\/a><\/div>\n

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2<\/span><\/div>\n

What I Mean by the Anti-Agency Model<\/a><\/div>\n

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3<\/span><\/div>\n

AI Changed the Rules Whether We Like It or Not<\/a><\/div>\n

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4<\/span><\/div>\n

Timeless Marketing Principles Still Matter<\/a><\/div>\n

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5<\/span><\/div>\n

The Real Danger of AI-First Thinking<\/a><\/div>\n

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6<\/span><\/div>\n

Why Fractional Marketing Leadership Matters More Than Ever<\/a><\/div>\n

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7<\/span><\/div>\n

What This Means for Agencies<\/a><\/div>\n

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8<\/span><\/div>\n

Two Steps You Can Take This Week to Start Owning Your Marketing<\/a><\/div>\n

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9<\/span><\/div>\n

AI Is Not About Replacing People. It Is About Elevating Them.<\/a><\/div>\n

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10<\/span><\/div>\n

Final Thought<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For the last 15 years, I have lived inside the agency world.<\/p>\n

I have been an intern, a community manager, an account manager, a fractional CMO, and now the CEO of Duct Tape Marketing. I have seen this industry from nearly every angle. Inside the work, inside the relationships, and inside the pressure that agencies and clients both feel.<\/p>\n

Here is the truth I could not ignore anymore.<\/p>\n

The traditional agency model is broken.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not because agencies are bad.
Not because marketers do not care.
But because the model itself no longer serves small businesses or the agencies trying to support them.<\/p>\n

That realization is what led me to write Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models<\/em> and to articulate what I call the anti-agency model<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let me explain what I mean and why this moment matters more than ever.<\/p>\n

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Living the Agency Reality From Every Side<\/h2>\n

Over the years, I experienced the same challenges many agency owners quietly struggle with.<\/p>\n