Is AI making pitching more stressful?

Pitching is what many call the “lifeblood” of agencies, but also the cause of their biggest strain. Almost three-quarters of adland employees have considered leaving the industry due to new-business-related stress, found research from The Great Pitch Poll 2026 published this summer, which also revealed that client expectations and demands relating to AI have increased pressure. AI and LLMs are also impacting the search and selection process for pitches, with clients using them to suggest agencies to shortlist. This episode of The Campaign Podcast features Campaign's journalists discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching and making it more stressful. Campaign's media editor Beau Jackson, senior reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe. we are discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching, making it more stressful and if the process still works. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode. Further reading: ChatGPT is telling clients to invite my agency to pitch – it's shifting the playing field Are clients becoming more demanding? Can we talk about the ingredients of VCCP's new-business potion? Netflix ad tools could see 'agentic AIs talking to each other' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.