The Post Pyramid PR Agency Model

AI, the Mid-Tier Exodus & the Rise of the Post-Pyramid PR Agency Model

The PR agency model has long been defined by a familiar architecture: a pyramid. Senior strategists at the top, a mid-tier of account directors and managers and a base of junior staff catching balls and learning their craft.

This model had intrinsic flaws but made sense in an era where scale, structure and selling time were synonymous with value. But that era is fast dissolving with AI is hastening its end.

As highlighted in a recent piece in Provoke Media by James Beechinor-Collins of Tobin Leff  “artificial intelligence is quietly – but fundamentally – dismantling the economics upon which PR agencies were built” – of pushing as much work as far down the billing structure as possible as quickly as possible.

Many of the time hungry junior-level tasks—monitoring media, drafting initial written material, pulling together coverage reports—are now being done faster if not always better by software.

The traditional time requirement met by a large cohort of junior staff is disappearing, replaced by smart tools that never sleep, don’t need training and are getting more efficient with use.

This has resonance with arguments expressed in our 2019 exploration of the seven megatrends shaping the PR industry and a deeper truth: change isn’t just coming from the bottom up it is the client demands which are becoming more volatile in terms of what they want agencies for and when they need it doing.

This was something we looked at in 2022 in what we described as the 3D challenges facing agencies post COVID – volatility of time, nature and space https://prcavalry.com/blog/freelance-pr-agencies-covid-challenge/

With basic craft becoming automated what is left for agencies to charge for is the demand for more experienced hands on client accounts. Clients were never happy with paying premium fees for what often amounts to on-the-job training for junior staff, but it was almost impossible to peel apart high and low value inputs within an overall fee.

Clients want and value insight rather than sweat effort, strategic thinking, nuanced execution, and measurable outcomes. This isn’t a new trend clients have always been buyers of results rather than time —but AI is laying it bare and accelerating it, because before AI the low level work was inextricable from the high value advice and strategy.

The Mid-Tier Squeeze

The knock-on effect is a hollowing-out of the traditional agency middle. Mid-level staff—those five to ten years into their careers—face increasing pressure. They’re too senior to be doing the now-automated tasks, yet not always positioned by the agency to lead strategy (because that raises uncomfortable questions for the agency’s leadership team).

Many are burning out or opting out, seeking freelance PR freedom over the grind of agency life.

Paradoxically, this cohort is also the one clients often value most: experienced enough to execute flawlessly, junior enough to stay close to the work.

This is where the opportunity lies.

Rather than resist the structural changes AI is driving, agencies should reimagine their models around talent flexibility, not outdated hierarchy.

From Pyramid to Platform

We are witnessing the shift from pyramid to platform. The agency of the future isn’t one with layers of approvals, rigid career paths, and relentless utilization targets. It’s one that functions more like a curated network—lean, flexible, and plugged into a high-calibre freelance PR talent pool.

The freelance PR market is maturing rapidly. In the UK it accounts for around £500m in annual fees.

Experienced professionals are building portfolios of clients, mastering AI-enhanced tools, and valuing autonomy over the traditional trappings of seniority. These are not the “gig workers” of old. They are highly skilled, commercially savvy specialists who can be dropped into a campaign or crisis with minimal onboarding and maximum impact.

Agencies that are embracing this model enjoy more agility to meet the volatile client demand for insight, lower fixed costs, and access to broader expertise.

They are able to scale teams up or down based on client needs, tap into niche skills on demand, and deliver greater value without the overhead of legacy staffing structures.

Strategic Recalibration

Of course, this shift requires more than a new hiring strategy—it demands a cultural and operational rethink.

Agencies must become adept at managing distributed teams, investing in cloud-based workflows, and retooling account leadership to blend internal and external talent seamlessly. It also means being transparent. We hear too often from PR freelancers who are providing crucial input to a client work but are hidden from the client like some dirty secret.

It’s OK guys, clients use freelancers too….

For senior leaders, the challenge is clear: either double down on outdated models and risk irrelevance, or step into the future and lead the transformation. AI may be accelerating the collapse of the agency pyramid, but what emerges in its place can be stronger, smarter, and far more sustainable.