Role Advisor / Investor
Exp 30 yrs
Agency AKQA → Deloitte → WPP
Jason
Warnes
Warnes
Marketing Advisor & Investor · AKQA · Deloitte Digital · WPP
"Your next customer is going to be a robot."
Jason Warnes joined AKQA in 1998 at the birth of digital. 15 years there, four in Berlin running VW and Audi. He cites David Ogilvy as the constant reference: the same principles at Ogilvy governed AKQA. Attention to detail. Everything that leaves the studio must be perfect.
From AKQA he moved to Deloitte Digital as Partner, running digital consulting and CX transformation. Then to WPP as Global Client Lead on Team Volvo across Volvo, Shell, and BP. He now works independently as a marketing advisor and investor.
"The fixation with performance marketing has been a detraction from investing in the brand. When AI takes away the heavy lifting, what is exposed is branding."
"When AI takes away the heavy lifting, what is exposed is branding. If you don't have it, there will be no standout whatsoever."
Performance marketing will be commoditised. Brand cannot. The only companies left standing are the ones people have a reason to choose.
"Technology has to be in service of solving a problem. Without real purpose, it just remains unused."
The question that got him into AKQA in 1998. He applies it to every tool, platform, and investment.
"The brands that appear favourably in AI models will win. Optimise to AI, not to the search engine."
The shift from search to LLM is structural and already underway. Most brands have not yet adjusted.