Agencies sell brands well, just not themselves, says Marcel’s Youri Guerassimov

New Delhi: The advertising industry is evolving as you are reading this article. The adland is reshaping itself to incorporate the changes fueled by the expansion of artificial intelligence, creator economies, and shrinking attention spans. But one of its biggest challenges is not coming from clients but from within. 

While agencies tirelessly concoct campaigns to build brands, many are struggling to build their own. The irony is quite hard to miss. Advertising is a business built on shaping perceptions, influencing opinion, and creating desirability. Yet, when it comes to its own talent pipeline, it often falls short.

Young creatives are increasingly looking elsewhere - tech startups, content platforms, or solo paths of creation. And advertising, once a dream job, is now often seen as just another grind. 

This was echoed by Youri Guerassimov, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer at Marcel, a part of Publicis Groupe, who is watching this unfold, not just in France but across markets, including India. 

In an exclusive conversation with BestMediaInfo.com,  the French creative leader made a case for why agencies must rethink how they present themselves to the new and brewing talent.

The industry that forgot to sell

“We need to stay attractive as an industry. That means we need to do good work and also talk about it. It’s our responsibility, especially as creative people, to promote the work we do and the opportunities in advertising,” Guerassimov said. 

He added, “We’re all struggling with it. Talent is going everywhere, and especially with Gen Z, they have their own way of looking at life and work.” 

What Guerassimov hinted at is that agencies need to do a better job of advertising themselves. The industry spends a substantial amount of energy making brands look bold, smart, and inspiring. 

But they rarely apply the same thinking to the industry itself. “How often do we showcase the real creative opportunities that exist in advertising today?” quipped Guerassimov.

Guerassimov’s concern is rooted in a trend visible across markets - agencies are losing top talent to tech firms, influencer ecosystems, and streaming platforms. “Gen Z, especially, doesn’t think the way we did. They want flexibility, purpose, and a sense of excitement about their work,” he said.

To bridge this gap, he advocates for greater visibility and outreach, not just at design schools and advertising institutes, but even earlier. 

He shared, “I try to make time to meet students. Of course, I visit advertising and design schools because those students are about to choose their careers. 

But I also try to go to regular schools, where students are 16 or 17 years old. We need to tell them that advertising and design are real options. If we don’t talk to them, they will never think of these jobs as something they can do.” 

Guerassimov told BestMediaInfo.com that he gave a talk at a school in India just two days ago to get young people interested in advertising. 

India’s edge: culture + tech

Technology is one of the most prominent magnets that is snatching away talent from advertising. India, in this sense, is an exception. 

“There’s a perfect balance between culture and technology. India is a very traditional country with deep cultural diversity, but at the same time, it has grown rapidly in the tech space,” Guerassimov said while describing the Indian ad land. 

He added, “When you mix these two—culture and technology—it leads to some really powerful ideas. These ideas are rooted in people’s real lives and insights, but they’re also smart and efficient because they use tech and creativity to solve problems, improve lives, and help people engage with brands. That’s something I really admire.” 

In recent global creativity rankings at Cannes Lions, India placed just behind France, a fact he pointed out not to draw comparisons but to make a broader point about India being at the forefront of innovation and creativity. 

He believes this cultural-tech equilibrium enables Indian agencies to develop work that’s both insightful and action-oriented—an elusive balance many markets struggle to strike.

According to the French CCO, the industry should reflect on the evolving definition of advertising. 

“It’s not just copywriters and art directors anymore. It’s also tech people, social media specialists, and data analysts. We have creative teams where a tech guy works with a copywriter or where someone who understands influence works alongside a designer. That’s the new norm,” he said. 

Selling the job, not just the brand

As agencies look to retain relevance, Guerassimov’s advice was clear: start advertising the job itself. Not just to clients, but to the future of the workforce.

He said, “It’s a great job. You get to work with artists, engineers, musicians, celebrities—even artificial intelligence. You collaborate with interesting people. You create new things every day.” But he did not gloss over the efforts required. “It’s not easy. You work a lot. You throw away most of what you create. But if you stay with it, the rewards are amazing.”

As the advertising world recalibrates around AI, social media, and fragmentation, among other things, the internal conversation around creative talent cannot be postponed. The advertising industry is brimming with tools, opportunities, and platforms to tell great stories. 

But if the industry does not take time to tell its own story to the next generation, it will be writing scripts for brands before its own script fades out. 

In other words, the brief is clear. Now, it is up to the agencies to crack it.