GWA survey: Agency marketing is becoming much more professional
A recent survey by the GWA shows that communications agencies’ self-promotion is becoming more professional. Ninety-two percent of the agencies surveyed plan to employ the same number or more staff in the communications and marketing departments by 2026. LinkedIn, events, and trade publications are the most important channels.
The self-marketing of communication agencies is becoming noticeably more professional. This is shown by a recent survey of members of the Forum Agenturvermarktung (until the end of 2025: Netzwerk Eigenkommunikation) in the GWA Gesamtverband führender Kommunikationsagenturen. According to the survey, 92% of the agencies surveyed plan to employ the same number of people or more in communications and marketing in 2026. At the same time, the requirements for visibility, lead generation and measurable success are growing.
The online survey was conducted in October 2025 and answered by 54 managers from GWA agencies. According to the survey, the central goals of agency marketing are lead generation and new customer acquisition. Everyday work is strongly characterized by customer contact, direct approach and the conversion of contacts into concrete business inquiries.
LinkedIn remains the most important channel
Respondents named LinkedIn as the most important channel for self-marketing, followed by events and specialist publications. LinkedIn and events also play a central role in lead generation. At the same time, agency marketers see clear hurdles: Lack of time and budget are mentioned most frequently, as are falling open and response rates and increasing demands for data-based targeting.
"Agency marketing is becoming much more professional. With growing economic pressure and increasing complexity in the agency business, more and more agencies are placing a clear focus on their marketing and in-house communication," says Benjamin Werner, Head of Group Marketing at fischerAppelt and spokesperson for the GWA's Agency Marketing Forum. "This is now also an opportunity for us to not only broaden the content of the former in-house communication network, but also to reflect this development in the new name 'Forum Agenturvermarktung'."
AI fundamentally changes self-marketing
The respondents named artificial intelligence as by far the most important trend up to 2027. Agencies expect profound changes in content creation, distribution and automation in particular. According to the survey, content production will change the most as early as 2026 as a result of AI.
At the same time, content marketing continues to gain in importance: a majority of respondents assume that content marketing will play a greater role in 2026 than in the previous year. Success will be measured primarily in terms of specific business inquiries - traditional reach figures will take a back seat.
Strategically close to C-Level
The survey also shows that in-house communication and agency marketing are strategically positioned directly below C-level in most agencies. The most common job titles are New Business and Business Development, with many in-house marketers also working for external agency clients at the same time. The team sizes are predominantly two to four employees.
"Our survey shows: The area of in-house communication or agency marketing is usually directly below C-level in the agencies," says Werner. "This underlines the strategic relevance of this area - especially in an increasingly competitive market."
The results of the survey will be incorporated into the agenda of the GWA Agency Marketing Forum for 2026. The aim is to further intensify the exchange of best practices, trends and challenges and to provide targeted support to agencies in professionalizing their own marketing.
