In November 2024, Emma Rose, Centre Manager at the University of Bristol‘s Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), asked us to film the arrival of four shipping containers to a building site. This was no ordinary cargo, but the heart of the UK’s fastest AI supercomputer – the £225 million Isambard-AI.
At the mercy of snowy weather and construction logistics, we scheduled a 3 day window to get the shots we needed. Keen to add value and variety for the client, we filmed from the ground and the air. We also set up a portable edit suite in an office in the neighbouring National Composites Centre for fast turnaround edits for social media.
Day one, the snow fell, the camera people filmed, the editor edited and we had a nice 20 second piece to be published on socials on the same day that one of the four containers was craned into place. We even managed a shot of a snowman. Day two, the sun shone and the remaining containers were installed. Day three, we cancelled the final day shoot and instead, back in the office, finished the fast and furious 45 secs story of the build socials piece. Hats off to our in-house editor Nick O’Leary for a top job.
When the University of Bristol posted this film, it outperformed all other content on their social channels within the last 12 months. RESULT!
Since then, in collaboration with new BriCS Communications Manager Emily Coles, we have returned to the NCC site on numerous occasions to film key moments in the installation, typically shooting video and stills at the same time. The drone has been up for a wider view. We’ve shot stills of the key movers and shakers from Hewlett Packard Enterprises and BriCS boss Simon McIntosh-Smith and in March filmed the installation of the actual computer itself, now sitting snugly in a data centre constructed from the shipping containers.
We’ve also workshopped and scripted upcoming Hero and About Us films, which we’ll shoot once the scaffolding is down later in the summer, and attended the Isambard Day conference, with supercomputer experts from around the world, to immerse ourselves in the world of AI and its fascinating use cases, which was great for originating loads of new content ideas to suggest to the client.
All in all, it’s been a fantastic project so far and the perfect fit for us as science and tech content producers who feel personally invested in promoting our region’s innovators and pioneers. Our video production agency has grown from 3 to 7 staff over the last 18 months – meaning we have the capacity to rapidly deploy on jobs both large – like a video strategy for a suite of films, or small – such as sending out a lone videographer for a ‘quick and dirty’ social reel.
This project has also helped to push the boundaries in terms of our shooting and editing style with the high energy final build films (60 sec and 90 secs versions) complete with hyperlapses, super fast cuts and a number of more conventional edits for web headers and conference films. Shout out to Lobster Pictures Ltd. for their timelapses of the whole build from empty car park to finished supercomputer and to Oakland Construction Ltd. for accommodating our film crews.
Thanks to the Isambard-AI team of Emily Coles, Emma Rose and Simon McIntosh-Smith from BriCS and good luck for the big launch of Isambard-AI in a couple of weeks!
In 2011, we first filmed a Dr. Thomas Scott at the University of Bristol‘s Interface Analysis Centre. This summer our latest project with (long since Professor) Tom was the Hot Robotics team’s Cerberus robot. This gave us the chance to spring a sneaky retrospective on him…
Our new ‘Now and Then’ film charts a 14-year journey of Tom on film. But it’s more than a timeline; it’s a masterclass in building the social proof that attracts funding and shapes policy.
For a researcher seeking grants, a start-up or a VC, this is what de-risking an investment looks like. Consistent video storytelling is a key ingredient to transform a brilliant scientist into a trusted leader whose vision you can back with confidence. It creates a track record that speaks for itself.
Professor Scott is a powerhouse for attracting investment and talent because he tells persuasive stories that complement his research groups’ brilliant science and academic graft. Video allows him and his colleagues to articulate the ‘why’ of complex science clearly and succinctly. These days, he makes speaking to the camera look easy; however he’ll freely admit how much his on screen skills have grown since 2011. He’s embraced media training, become a dab hand at teleprompters where required, and always works collaboratively with the production team to get the tone and messaging right.
So watch and enjoy.
Great science deserves a powerful voice. We’ll help you find it.
What does the future feel like before it actually arrives?
Since 2019, our team at Beeston Media has followed the journey of the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) as part of wider work for the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. Back then, the Reality Emulator was a futuristic architectural plan, the inspiration of tech visionary Dimitra Simeonidou OBE, FREng, FIEEE from Smart Internet Lab Team and Sociodigital expert Susan Halford FAcSS. It’s now a fully functioning facility, led by BDFI’s Co-Director Daniel Neyland, who we worked with to capture the essence of its potential.
The accompanying film takes you behind the scenes of our shoot. It’s a glimpse into how we approach the challenge of translating high-level science and tech into a visual narrative.
The digital campfire:
While the technical specs are undeniable – a 17-metre curved LED wall (the CAVE), with real-time motion tracking, and a massive data centre, the human side of the tech is what really caught our attention. During the shoot, Richard Cole from BDFI described the Reality Emulator not just as a high-tech tool, but as a digital campfire. For thousands of years, humans have gathered in circles to share stories and make sense of the world. This facility does exactly that for the 21st century.
Whether it’s researchers exploring the lived experience of postnatal depression through immersive ‘inquiry machines’ or criminologists like Sanja Milivojevic testing how trust fluctuates in human-robot teams, the space is designed for collaborative empathy. It’s about suspending reality to imagine a society that is more equal and sustainable.
Boosting the local ecosystem:
As a video production agency rooted in science and tech, we’re motivated by boosting the local ecosystem. We want to see regional and national innovation lead to real-world economic and social impact.
That’s why we get so hands-on with the details. In the film, you’ll see us working with a semiconductor wafer as a physical object to be manipulated in a virtual lab. We included this to demonstrate how the Emulator could be used for interactive training that aligns with UK Frontier Technology priorities. Having enjoyed events such as those hosted by UK Semiconductor Centre and BI Foresight last year, this seemed like a neat tie up.
Directing the sizzle:
Filming a 360-degree immersive environment is a unique puzzle. You’ll see in the BTS footage how we used 360 cameras on poles and GoPro rigs to capture the overview perspective. Our goal was to show the CAVE as a deeply human space, where groups can stand together and imagine possible futures. Huge thanks to Adrian K. T. Ng for his expertise, time and prep to make everything ready for the shoot day.
For all the high-tech wizardry, the most important element in the room is always the people and the questions they are asking.
The final hero film produced for University of Bristol, which shows the facility in full flight, can be viewed here.
Web developers, digital innovators and tech professionals are gearing up for the sixth annual Umbraco Spark innovation conference, returning to Bristol this spring at We The Curious on Friday 20 March 2026. Organised by Bristol digital agency Gibe Digital, the event has become a fixture for developers from across the UK and Europe to share insights, ideas and practical knowledge around the open‑source Umbraco CMS and broader .NET ecosystem
Speaking about the conference, Steve Temple, Technical Director and Co‑founder of Gibe Digital, describes Spark as “a calendar highlight” that brings together “so many talented developers from the amazing Umbraco community.” Steve adds that the event leaves attendees “feeling inspired, armed with fresh knowledge to take your Umbraco projects to the next level.”
This year’s programme features a single main track of deep‑dive technical talks, practical demos and forward‑thinking sessions on topics such as load‑balancing for scalable apps, Umbraco Search, next‑generation back‑office features, and experimenting with AI‑driven accessibility tools.
Schedule Highlights:
Thursday, 19 March – The day before the main conference kicks off with a full-day Hackathon & Package Jam for the community, followed by a pre-party at a local game bar with ping pong, bowling, karaoke, food and drinks.
Friday, 20 March – A Harbour Run at 7 AM starts the day, followed by registration with coffee and pastries. The main track runs 9 AM–5:30PM, featuring technical talks, lightning sessions and demos. The Package Awards celebrate standout contributions, and the day wraps up with an after-party. Attendees also benefit from lunch, refreshments, a free cloakroom, and quiet/multi-faith rooms to support wellbeing.
Tickets & Pricing: Standard tickets cost £150 + VAT, available until the end of February or until sold out. Grab your ticket here.
Umbraco Spark continues to cement Bristol’s status as a hub for creative tech events — combining local community energy with the global expertise of the Umbraco ecosystem.
Aer Studios and Condense have collaborated with BBC Children in Need to bring Pudsey to life in a new interactive 3D experience for this year’s fundraising campaign.
Donors are invited to unlock a playful ‘paw-gmented reality’ moment, where a 3D-captured Pudsey appears in their real environment to deliver a personal thank you. Using only a mobile device, supporters can place Pudsey in their home, move around him, change his size, and enjoy a light-hearted, uplifting interaction created especially for the appeal.
Nick Fellingham, Founder of Condense says, “The BBC Children in Need Pudsey experience reflects the heart of what our technology makes possible. Fun, accessible and engaging moments that bring real 3D performances anywhere. We’re proud to support such a meaningful cause and to collaborate with brilliant creative partners on an experience that feels joyful for donors.”
Tom Harber, CEO at Aer Studios says, “Our mission as a company is to create positive impact through meaningful digital experiences, so when BBC R&D’s FWD team approached us we were really enthusiastic! We’re proud to have created a truly user-centred platform to delight people donating to such a worthwhile cause in a short amount of time.”
The experience has been brought to the fore by the partnership between MyWorld, the creative innovation institute, and the BBC. With an eye on the future application of technology into entertainment spaces, the BBC R&D team identified a potential use for BBC Children in Need following an interactive event during this years’ BTF+.
Claire Hoyle, CEO at BBC Children in Need said: “We partnered with R&D’s FWD team to deliver this as a nice experience for donors and to give them a little bit of extra Pudsey joy. With ‘paw-gmented’ reality you’re not only helping to support children and young people, but you get you a personal visit from the icon that is Pudsey, himself.”
The Pudsey ‘big thank you’ launched during the Children in Need 2025 Appeal and will remain available to experience for anyone making a donation through to the end of January. For a chance to participate visit https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/.
You can find out more about the technology behind Pudsey’s Big Thank You on BBC R&D’s website.
By ChatGPT
In November 2025, Epoch published its first flagship report titled ‘Understanding AI: A Deep Dive into Large Language Models‘. You can view the report and a recording of the webinar here. What follows is a summary of this report, written by ChatGPT using our CRAFT prompting framework. We hope it’s helpful.
Epoch’s latest flagship report breaks down the fast-moving world of Large Language Models (LLMs) and what they mean for marketers today. It’s a practical, human-centred guide that explains how these systems work, where they’re useful, where they’re risky, and how professionals can stay ahead as AI becomes woven into every part of our working lives.
1. What LLMs Actually Are
LLMs are essentially very advanced predictive text engines. They’re trained on huge amounts of online text, learning patterns between words so they can predict what should come next in a sentence. They don’t “think” — they calculate probabilities. And because they’re probabilistic, the same prompt may give slightly different answers each time.
They can also be fine-tuned through human feedback, and their behaviour is shaped by parameters (like temperature, token limits, and context windows) that control creativity, length, and style.
2. The Four Types of LLMs
The report outlines a simple two-axis framework (lightweight vs. heavyweight, general vs. domain-specific), giving us four categories:
Plus, there are task-specific LLMs designed for things like transcription, translation, and summarisation.
3. How Marketers Are Using AI Today
This isn’t theoretical — 88% of marketers already use AI daily. The biggest uses cluster into four areas:
To get the most out of an LLM, Epoch recommends the CRAFT method: Context, Role, Action, Format, Tone — a simple way to turn vague prompts into sharp, useful ones.
4. Concerns and Challenges
The report doesn’t shy away from the risks. Key issues include:
But it also stresses a crucial point: AI won’t replace humans — humans who use AI will replace humans who don’t.
5. How to Think About AI
Epoch explores a set of useful mental models — from “jagged intelligence” (AI is brilliant at some things and terrible at others) to “work slop” (the coming wave of low-effort AI content). These help us develop a more balanced, realistic perspective on what AI can and can’t do.
6. The Future of LLMs
LLMs are becoming more capable across four big areas:
They’ll also increasingly live in dedicated hardware — wearables that “see” and “hear” the world.
7. The Human Skills That Will Matter More
As AI takes on structured tasks, timeless human qualities become even more valuable:
In short: AI makes the human parts of our work more important, not less.
GenAI video has been causing quite a stir recently: whether it’s backlash over the tide of AI slop, something being decried as an AI fake (whether it is or not), or an agentic AI business formula that’s made ‘millions’ overnight. Oh, and the ‘ultimate’ prompt-writing masterclass? You’ll have seen all the ads…
But look a bit harder and there’s some really interesting work out there:
One thing is undeniable: AI is going to affect digital industries – the debate around the extent and exact timeline gets far more complicated.
With all that in mind, we wanted to use our yearly Xmas video as a test bed of GenAI, to see what it could do and, importantly, what it couldn’t. And we thought we’d bring you along for the ride…
It all started in August (don’t judge). We had just ironed out our company-wide AI training roadmap and we were updating our AI usage policy. As a creative agency, it felt like we were taking real leaps forward. But it also gave our creative studio a lot to think about. We each mulled over our own questions around authenticity and the future of creative production (the part of our job many of us love most of all).
So we got our heads together and talked about how we should be doing things. What we arrived on was that creative thinking, sketching, scribbling, chatting, tinkering, and FUN should all be ring fenced and given the time they deserve. That’s why we decided to collaborate on a brief so ambitious and outlandish it simply had to work.
It should no longer come as a surprise that typing a basic prompt into AI engines only leads to AI slop.
So, before we even touched a computer, we came up with a basic concept – the ultimate tongue-in-cheek pastiche of Christmas perfume ads – and then had a mass brain-storming session where we asked the whole company for their craziest ideas. And boy did they deliver!
In a short space of time, we had suggestions ranging from a simple Xmas magic box to rivers of gravy, something about a unicorn that didn’t quite make the final edit, and the perfect name – ‘Sléj’ (pronounced as ‘slay’, obviously).
Our copywriters pulled the ideas together into a script, using a knowledge of Christmas-related puns that took a lifetime (or previous life editing rather niche magazines) to develop.
This isn’t the place to be overly reliant on AI. Allowing people free reign to throw stuff at the page works well. Importantly, don’t shut down ideas too early. The most unlikely suggestions can get workshopped into something surprising and brilliant.
This could turn into a whole blog by itself. More than any other, this stage will determine the look of your film so the more references you can include the better.
It’s crucial to find references that you have rights to both use and pass to a third party – in this case, an AI model.
For this reason, we used Generative AI to generate our reference images, feeding the output images back into the AI multiple times and asking for tweaks and refinements.
This produced a combination of a storyboard and multiple accompanying style frames (high-quality images that give a good overall feel for what the video will look like once animated).
You’re aiming to find references for each part of the shot you want to generate, for example the setting, tone, pose, character and composition etc. You want the AI to have as much information as possible and limit how much it figures out by itself.
We quickly learnt that there isn’t one AI model to rule them all, with different options performing better for different tasks. We’d highly recommend experimentation here to find which works best for your requirements.
Using detailed prompts and the bank of reference images we had gathered for each shot, we generated our footage. Prompts were written in a similar way to how we’d add
notes on a storyboard, i.e. ‘camera push in’, ‘talent to walk across frame left to right’, ‘high-key lighting’ etc but they also included additional things that wouldn’t usually be directable without heavy VFX work, i.e. ‘swirling wind kicks up dust behind legs’.
The point here is to think like a filmmaker and art director, you need to be able to supply image references but, just as importantly, you need to be able to articulate what you want to see in the frame. Playing AI like a slot machine will lead to slop.
In the same way that you rarely edit footage together straight out of the camera, generative video will almost always benefit from some post work. Again, this is a place to add further human touches that a text box often doesn’t offer. This could be reframing, changing the colour, or in/out painting of items in the scene.
Editing and sound design is another area where, as far as we’re concerned, humans just can’t be beat (not yet). Editing – the process of deciding where to push and pull those beats and gaps – and sound design are very much a process of creating a feeling and mood.
As with traditional film making, have in mind what you want to see. Those hard-won post skills still have lots of value.
It would be remiss not to briefly discuss some of our thoughts behind the ethics of our experiment.
The ethics of AI are extremely complicated. As with most things, a simply binary choice may feel tempting, and at times compulsive, but this rarely does justice to the many nuances of a topic. There is so much for every individual and organisation to consider, and I’d argue the often-discussed environmental and job-replacement angles are just the beginning.
For further information I’d highly recommend:
For me, I think After Effect’s AI roto-brush sums up a lot of the debate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMTHe8z6Tw
So, how do I feel about the finished video? I think the team have done a great job of making a whimsical and audacious Xmas vid with just the right level of self-awareness. And with a level of production that, prior to GenAI, our budget simply wouldn’t have stretched to.
I also hope it’s as clear to you, as it is to me, that we couldn’t have come anywhere close to the result without the thought, skill, talent and humour that went into it from right across the agency.
And how do I feel about AI? It’s complicated…
At P+S, we’ve spent over 15 years delivering enterprise Drupal solutions. We’ve seen the good, the bad, and the painfully slow. That’s why we created the P+S Drupal Starter Site – a modern, headless, editor-friendly solution that gets you to market faster than ever.
Drupal is one of the most powerful content management systems (CMS) available today. It’s trusted by governments, global enterprises, and mission-critical websites to manage:
Unlike many SaaS-based platforms, Drupal gives you complete control:
And thanks to its modular architecture, Drupal isn’t just for websites. It can power e-commerce, employee, customer or partner portals, learning platforms, and more – all from the same backend.
“We’ve gone ahead and created a custom Drupal distribution that changes EVERYTHING. It’s a production-ready Drupal backend, preconfigured in alignment with best practice. Content structures, SEO tools, and accessibility are all baked in and ready to go.”
Despite its power, Drupal has long had two major drawbacks:
Many organisations end up trading control and flexibility for a quicker launch and better editorial UX elsewhere – even if it means compromising in the long term.
A traditional content management system (CMS) bundles two things together: the backend where you create and manage your content, and the frontend – the design that displays it to visitors. Everything comes as one package.
When everything is bundled together, making changes becomes difficult and expensive.Want to redesign your website? You might need to overhaul your entire system. Want to create a mobile app using your existing content? You’ll likely need to start from scratch. Need faster loading times? You’re limited by what the whole system can handle.
A headless CMS separates content management from website design. You still have a user-friendly interface to create and organise your content, but the content isn’t tied to any specific website design.
Instead, your content is made available through an API. This gives us the opportunity to match our clients with the best possible solution that delivers all the benefits of Drupal, along with design, flexibility and usability that rivals any other CMS.
We’ve gone ahead and created a custom Drupal distribution that changes EVERYTHING. It’s a production-ready Drupal backend, preconfigured in alignment with best practice. Content structures, SEO tools, and accessibility are all baked in and ready to go. This means it solves most of your needs right out of the box.
In short: an enterprise-ready, headless Drupal solution that’s as quick to launch as a WordPress site, but far more powerful.
Our starter site is designed to eliminate the two biggest historical issues:
We care as much about your editor experience as your end-user experience.
Next.js gives us everything we want in a modern frontend stack:
Next.js helps your website load incredibly fast. And that’s important; faster pages mean a better user experience and can lead to more conversions.
Next.js is built to help your content get found on Google. It gives you the tools to rank well in search engines, which is essential for attracting the right audience.
Since the CMS backend is decoupled and not publicly exposed like traditional CMS systems, it’s far less vulnerable to direct attacks.
From subtle transitions to full-screen motion graphics, Next.js handles complex animations with ease. The kind of high-impact visuals that turn heads and boost engagement.
Whether you’re launching a single marketing site or a multi-brand, multi-region platform, Next.js scales beautifully both in architecture and in performance.
By going headless, we can deliver content not just to the web, but to mobile apps, digital kiosks, voice assistants, AI agents, and more — all from a single source of truth.
For B2B marketing sites, it means fast load times, a flexible design system, and future-proof technology.
Despite the advantages list above, headless Drupal often comes at the cost of the editor experience.
We’ve created the headless Drupal CMS we all want, need and deserve:
It’s time to empower your team and future-proof your stack with complete control – and faster than ever.
To learn more about how the P+S Starter Site can transform your next digital project and explore all your CMS options, get in touch: [email protected]
By Jules Love, Co-Founder of Spark AI
I started work in the late 1990s with Andersen Consulting, just as the internet was beginning to seriously disrupt business. Amazon was founded in 1994 and Google in 1998. Back then, we were asking ourselves whether we were better off using Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. Looking back, that was completely missing the point. The browser didn’t matter. What mattered was that the entire business model of how companies reached customers was being fundamentally rewritten.
Now, having worked with more than 50 agencies over the past 18 months through Spark AI, the company I co-founded, I’m watching the same thing happen again. Only this time, it’s moving faster.
That’s why I wrote Shift – AI for Agencies. Not because I had all the answers, but because after 18 months on the frontline of AI adoption with agencies, I certainly knew most of the questions.
Here are the 5 lessons agencies need to take on board:
When digital arrived, agencies had years to adapt. Broadband took 10 years to roll out. The iPhone didn’t appear until 2007, and the App Store didn’t open until 2008. Influencer marketing took a decade to become the juggernaut it is today. Agencies had two decades to experiment, learn, pivot, and rebuild their capabilities.
AI is different. More money is being poured into generative AI than any technology in human history. As a share of US GDP, it’s more than double what was spent on the Apollo moon missions in the 1960s. This level of investment means the rate of improvement we’ve seen since ChatGPT launched in late 2022 shows no sign of slowing down.
The models improve every few months. New capabilities arrive constantly. What seemed impossible last year is standard this year. And unlike the digital transition – which required new infrastructure and new devices – AI tools are immediately accessible to anyone with a laptop and a £20 monthly subscription.
But here’s what catches most agencies off guard: AI tools don’t work like the software you’re used to.
When you learned Photoshop or InDesign, you learned specific commands. Click this button, use this tool, apply this effect. The software did exactly what you told it to do, the same way, every time. Mastery meant knowing which buttons to press.
AI doesn’t work that way. The same prompt gives you different results each time. There are no buttons to press, just conversations to have. You don’t learn commands—you learn how to communicate intent, how to refine outputs, how to work iteratively with something that’s part tool, part collaborator.
This means agencies need to develop completely new capabilities. Not just “how to use ChatGPT” but how to prompt effectively, how to evaluate AI outputs, how to combine multiple AI tools into workflows, how to know when to use AI and when not to.
If AI was just about learning new tools, agencies would adapt fine. They’ve done it before. From desktop publishing to digital design to social media, the industry has consistently upskilled as new technology arrived.
But AI is different. It doesn’t just change your toolkit—it changes how creative work happens.
Think about the traditional creative process. You brief a team. They go away for days or weeks. They come back with three concepts. The client picks one. You refine it. You iterate. Eventually you have a finished brand or campaign that goes live.
Now imagine this: your strategist uses AI to analyse thousands of customer reviews in a few hours, identifying patterns that would have taken weeks to surface manually. Your creative team generates 20 concept directions in a day instead of three in a week. Your designers create 200 variations of each concept to test against different audiences. Your account team runs simulations of client presentations to anticipate objections before the meeting.
The work itself is different. It’s not about executing specific creative visions anymore—it’s about designing frameworks and parameters within which AI can generate brand-appropriate content. You become the architect of creative possibility rather than the executor of individual ideas.
This is where most agencies are missing the real story. AI doesn’t just make existing tasks faster. It redistributes where time gets spent and where value lives.
Junior creatives used to spend weeks creating multiple concept directions. Now they spend hours generating hundreds of options with AI. Their value shifts from execution to curation and refinement.
Your senior creatives used to spend days perfecting a single visual. Now they spend their time designing the guardrails and parameters that guide AI generation at scale.
Your strategists used to spend weeks doing desk research and analysis. Now they spend that time on higher-order thinking—interpreting patterns, making connections, developing insights that AI can’t.
And here’s the critical bit: the traditional pricing model begins to break.
When creating 100 variations doesn’t cost much more than creating one, how do you charge for that work? When a task that took three days now takes three hours, why would clients pay the same rate? When work that seems – even if only from the client’s perspective – increasingly automated, why pay agency rates at all?
Any time you save through AI efficiency will eventually be passed to clients. The market will force your hand. If you try to pocket those gains as margin, someone else will undercut you.
So the agencies that are getting ahead are redefining where value comes from. They’re moving from selling deliverables to selling ongoing creative capability. From project-based pricing to outcome-based models. From “time × rate = fee” to “impact × expertise = value.”
One agency director told us: “AI hasn’t made our work cheaper, but it has made it better. Now we’re exploring more territories, testing more ideas, and then refining them more.” The agencies succeeding aren’t trying to work faster at the same things. They’re doing fundamentally different work.
Many agencies come to us asking: “What’s the best AI tool for creating social content?” Or “What’s a great prompt for writing headlines?” Or “Should we use ChatGPT or Claude?”
They are treating AI like they treated Adobe Creative Suite, just another piece of software to master. Learn the tools, get certified, move on.
But that’s like asking in 1998 whether you should use Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. The browser didn’t matter. What mattered was that the entire business model of how companies reached customers was being rewritten.
The agencies getting this right are asking completely different questions:
These aren’t questions about tools or prompts. They’re questions about business transformation.
Our research revealed something striking: about 20% of agencies were deliberately moving forwards with AI—building adoption programmes, implementing policies, training their teams. Meanwhile, 50% were stuck at the experimental stage, where AI use was down to individual initiative with little support to move beyond it. And 20% still aren’t really doing anything at all – just letting their teams do what they want.
Shift – AI for Agencies captures everything we’ve learned in the last 18 months about how to transform your agency with AI.
It’s built around what we call the AI Maturity Model—a four-stage framework from
The book walks you through:
I studied Applied Generative AI at MIT, then co-founded Spark AI to help agencies navigate this future. We were supported by Innovate UK to build our AI Accelerator programme, and Shift contains everything we’ve learned from the frontline of AI adoption. Many of the concepts in this book I teach as part of the ‘Advanced Diploma for AI in Business’ at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
The agencies that will thrive aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the most advanced technical resources—they’re the ones that understand they’re not just adopting new technology, they’re rebuilding what an agency is, what it does, and how it creates value.
Get the book
Order ‘Shift – AI for Agencies’ to transform your business for the AI era. To celebrate it’s launch on 4th November, BCI members will be able to buy the Kindle edition for 99p for the first 48 hours.
About Spark AI
Spark is an AI training, coaching and consultancy working with agencies and brands. We help leaders upskill their teams, build AI workflows and reconfigure their businesses. We have been supported by Innovate UK and teach our AI for Leaders programme at Oxford University’s Said Business School. 👉 https://www.wearespark.ai/
About the Author
Jules Love is a co-founder of Spark AI. He studied Applied Generative AI at MIT, regularly speaks about AI on the global stage, and is one of BIMA’s 100 for 2025.
The government’s 2025 Autumn Budget takes place on 26 November.
Bristol Creative Industries members share what they would like to see in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech for creative businesses.
“It’s a tough market right now for creative businesses. We’re an economy of SMEs and micro-enterprises so support that encourages both business start up and scale is critical to our sector growth.
“While it’s encouraging to see central government championing the creative industries, we need that ambition to translate into tangible support. Support, simplification, and incentives for growth are what we’d like to see. That means easier access to enhanced funding, grants and investment, particularly for digital transformation and innovation, alongside tax strategies and initiatives that will create impact including practical help to make hiring entry-level talent affordable and accessible.
“The creative economy is ready to grow, we need support to help us do just that.”
Lis Anderson, co-chair of Bristol Creative Industries
“As the Autumn Budget approaches, creative business leaders must make the case for real investment in young talent. Our industry runs on innovation, but too many aspiring creatives are shut out by lack of access, training, and opportunity.
“Government support for employers to offer paid placements, mentorship, and creative facilities would unlock a wave of energy and ideas our sector urgently needs, and provide the foundations of a solid growth strategy. Investing in the next generation strengthens our talent pipeline, fuels diversity, and keeps the UK’s creative industries globally competitive.”
Mustafa Mirreh, Tell ’em Mo
“Rachel Reeves should be bold. It would be a good start to give the UK’s creative industries a leg up by doubling the Discover Creative Careers programme to £6 million, getting 100,000 disadvantaged kids into apprenticeships and setting up hubs in places like the North East and Midlands to close the jobs gap with London.
“A freelancer package, sorting out IR35, chucking in a £500 startup credit, easing late payment hassles, and a £10 million AI upskilling pot could tackle the skills shortage and calm 60% of creatives worried about job losses. That’d really spark inclusive growth!”
Jayne Caple, Vivid Imagination
“I’d like to see better support for creative businesses, especially when it comes to upskilling and investing in training. Improved R&D and innovation tax reliefs (with proper guidance on how to access them) would go a long way, as would targeted funding and incentives for skills development.
“With the big AI wave reshaping how we all work, it’s crucial that the UK government keeps backing the creative sector and helps it stay at the forefront of innovation.”
Rob Morrisby, Jambi Digital
“If the government is serious about fuelling the UK’s creative growth, it can’t keep treating podcasting as a hobby. The UK podcast and audio industry is now worth £5 billion annually – one of the fastest-growing in the creative economy – and a vital export channel for British storytelling.
“A targeted tax relief and global IP fund would turn that momentum into measurable economic impact, giving independent creators and production studios the same investment confidence enjoyed by film and TV. This isn’t a hand-out; it’s a high-return strategy. With the right fiscal framework, podcasting could become the UK’s next world-class creative export”.
Matt Allen, It Starts With a Podcast
“There’s some truth to that, but it also highlights an issue with discourse surrounding these big-ticket fiscal events.
“Will Rachel Reeves break a tax pledge? Who will the winners and losers be? This is interesting for those in the business of news and politics, but my issue is that it misses a bigger point.
“We have a government with a huge majority, elected on a mandate to change things. They have an opportunity to overhaul an economy that’s visibly and palpably failed too many people for too long – especially outside London and the South East. This is the backdrop for so many of the problems facing us today.
“My hope for the Budget is that we start to see the government’s vision for the country and understand how it plans to get us there. I would start by putting more resource with town and city leaders and getting Treasury officials out of London more often to better understand what places need to thrive and see where their policies over the last 40 years have failed.
“Creating the conditions for businesses and their teams to thrive should be top of any government’s growth agenda. Affordable homes, training and transport that works should all feature in some way.
“This would also add some meat onto the bones of the government’s slogan of ‘change’ and justify any tax rises that seem certain to happen. Polls suggest many people would pay more for public services that work. The challenge for the government is to join the dots between the measures and the outcomes they want. Whatever measure grabs the headlines, I hope we get more of a sense of what ‘change’ really means.”
Ben Lowndes, Distinctive Communications
“The UK’s creative industries thrive on talent, but nurturing that talent takes investment. I’d like to see the Autumn Budget prioritise easily accessible funding for apprenticeships and professional development, especially for independent agencies who want to bring in the best new people but are faced with complex (or costly) schemes.
“We also need sustained support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that make creative careers possible for people from all backgrounds, not just those who can afford to take unpaid opportunities.
“Finally, a commitment to regional investment beyond London would unlock creative potential – and economic growth – across every part of the country.”
Ailsa Billington, Proctor and Stevenson
“Last year the creative industry was highlighted as a “key sector for economic growth”. This year I’d like to see the government go further. Creativity is an essential part of our economy, and we need stronger confidence, particularly in our region.
“Agencies like ours do more than “make things look good”. We craft world-class brand stories, shape digital experiences, and deliver campaigns that drive exports, growth, and innovation across the UK.
“Yet SMEs like ours are constantly squeezed. Rising costs, AI and immersive technologies are transforming how we work, and without targeted support and innovation agencies risk being left behind.
“The Autumn Budget is a chance to see more funding in that pace, and I’d like to see more opportunities with procurement to smaller agencies, and any business support via tax reliefs would be hugely welcome!”
Ruth Clarke, Six
“Employers shouldered the biggest tax rises in the October 2024 Budget, felt through the increase in employers NICs. Whilst Rachel Reeves has given herself very few tax levers to pull for the November 2025 Budget without breaking her manifesto pledge, I think it’s unlikely that further tax will be put on employers.
“Taxing businesses will only create more uncertainty. The creative sector needs a Budget that will bring back confidence in the UK economy.”
Karen Pearce, Loom Digital
“I feel like the Autumn Budget has been a long time coming – partly because it’s later than usual but partly because I’ve read so much about what may or may not happen. Most of it gloomy. But I’m waiting for the facts.
“I’m expecting changes to tax thresholds, but we’ll see what detail there is around that. I’m also expecting national minimum wage increases, but as a Living Wage Employer we’re well set up for them. I am encouraged by the recent measures announced to tackle late payments, which are a big problem for small businesses.”
Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications
“We saw business rates rise by over 30% overnight in the last review just a couple of years ago. With another review due next April — and no clarity from the Valuation Office, I’m deeply concerned. In uncertain times, the last thing businesses need is complete unpredictability.
“There’s talk of favourable changes for smaller high street properties being funded by higher rates on larger properties, but its just a mess. The entire business rates system needs rethinking. I hope a national review is on the agenda this autumn in time to give some clarity ahead of April.”
Jason Smith, Gather Round and Fiasco
“As a small, independent, creative business leader, I’m looking to the Budget for reassurance that skills funding will work for businesses of my size and nature. SME access to funds for AI and digital upskilling is critical in helping us maintain pace with some of the larger creative players.
“I would also welcome harder enforcement on late payments as cashflow has become increasingly challenging with rising business costs since the last Budget. Do this and agencies like ours in Bristol will have the support to continue our growth journeys, contributing to the wider creative offering within the South West.”
Lucy McKerron, Purplefish
“We hope the Autumn Budget recognises the vital role of the creative industries in driving economic growth and innovation. AI offers incredible potential for agencies like ours, and with the right support, such as relief on AI investment, we could combine technology and human imagination in even more powerful ways.
“Incentives for content creation would further unlock bold ideas and new jobs across the UK’s creative economy. Ultimately, a Budget that treats creativity not as a luxury, but as a catalyst for progress, would be a powerful statement of intent.”
Kit Worrall, Team Eleven
“TV sets (and mobile phone and routers) are all coming with a big NPU (neural processing unit) inside which will allow the device itself to modify the content while the user watches. You can be in EastEnders for example!
“This creates massive new opportunities for UK creatives to lead, but to do it requires investment in tech as well as the creative industry.
“The tech to do this is created in the UK (we are one of those tech companies) but generally tech is ignored by the creative industry.
“This is not expensive cloud based AI. This is Edge-based AI running in the device, at no cost to the broadcaster. So far only the American and Chinese hyperscalers are taking advantage of this UK tech!”
Trevor Neal, RedSquid AI-TV
Look out for a guide to what the Autumn Budget 2025 means for the creative industries after the speech on 26 November.
A guide to the government’s creative industries sector plan
A guide to the government’s digital and technologies sector plan
Government names West of England as priority area for creative industries
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