AI Can Find You an Agency. But Can It Find You the Right One?

AI is changing the way marketers work. And in many ways, that's a great thing. It's helping teams move faster, research smarter and accomplish more with fewer resources.

But there's one area where marketers need to be particularly careful about handing over the reins: Finding a new agency partner.

More specifically, using large language models (LLMs) to build agency shortlists and potentially replace the traditional RFP process altogether.

It’s appealing, right? Why spend months going through a thorough agency review when you can ask AI to identify the "best B2B marketing agencies" and pick just one in seconds?

The problem? Just because AI can give you a list of agencies doesn't mean it's giving you the right list.

And the difference matters more than you might think.

The Agency Landscape Is More Complex Than AI Understands

There are thousands of agencies, each with similar and different capabilities, specialties, operating models, client relationships, nuances and business priorities. Agencies are also changing constantly – new leadership, expanded services, team turnover, acquisitions, global expansion and the like.

Two agencies might look remarkably similar online but may be very differently behind the scenes.

Finding the right fit requires understanding more than what agencies say about themselves on their websites or industry awards they’ve won. AI can’t differentiate marketing jargon and has no clue what each agency actually does.

Remember, AI only has access to publicly available information. And, each different LLM has access to different platforms/information. Depending on which LLM you ask, you’ll get a different answer. And likely not the right answer.

And Research from Columbia University's Tow Center found that eight leading AI search tools provided incorrect answers to more than 60% of queries in a test of news-source identification.

So, they get it wrong a lot. Any agencies they recommend should be seen as “directional” at best.

Creating the right agency shortlist requires understanding how they actually operate, what they're good at, where they struggle and what kinds of client relationships allow them to do their best work… the list goes on.

AI doesn’t understand any of that.

The Budget Blind Spot Nobody Is Thinking About

Here's one of the biggest issues with relying on AI-generated agency shortlists: AI doesn't know what budget is appropriate for an agency.

You may not think this is a big deal, but it is a huge one.

Most agencies don't publicly disclose their average client budgets or the minimum investment required to work with them. Why? Because agency budgets aren't always black and white.

An agency might have different budget expectations depending on the services required, the scope of the engagement or whether the work is regional or global.

They might take on a smaller project because the creative opportunity is exciting (project and AOR engagements often come with different budget requirements too).

They might make an exception for a well-known brand or to work with a past client to maintain the relationship.

They might see significant long-term growth potential in a partnership that starts small.

They might say yes to a budget that is way too big for their agency in the hopes to increase revenue significantly – that’s good for them, but bad for you.

The list goes on.

These are real business decisions made by real people and aren't reflected in publicly available information. The ultimate answer is: “it depends”.

So when you ask AI to recommend agencies for your $2 million, $5 million, $50 million or $100 million budget, the LLMs don’t actually know which agency fits the budget.

This is a significant blind spot and a huge problem.

If you pick an agency that isn’t a financial fit, your relationship will fail.

You’ll outgrow them, they’ll outgrow you. They won’t be able to effectively service your account. Deadlines will be missed, balls will be dropped, goals will not be met. You’ll waste time, money and resources. You’ll be frustrated. They’ll be frustrated. You’ll fire them. Your job could get impacted too.

The cost of choosing the wrong agency goes far beyond the agency's fees.

The biggest challenge often happens before the RFP even goes into market.

Let’s back up a minute. Before agency shortlists are created, teams should understand the partnership/RFP scope.

Gartner has highlighted this often-overlooked reality too: agency inefficiencies don't always originate with the agency. Sometimes, the problem lies within the marketing organization itself.

Because, how can you possibly hire an agency for a job when you don’t know what you actually need them to do?

This requires that internal marketing stakeholders and teams need to align on what is in scope and what is out of scope (budget, services, regions, expertise, etc.).

AI cannot manage internal discovery, stakeholder alignment or getting to the heart of what the marketing organization actually needs. AI tools can support this process, but should not be leading it.

This complicated.

Marketing organizations aren't made up of one person with one set of priorities. There’s CMOs, VPs, directors, regional leaders, brand teams, demand generation teams, product marketing, operations, procurement and sometimes a whole host of other stakeholders.

Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has priorities. And not everyone agrees.

One of the biggest mistakes marketing teams make is assuming you already know what you need or underestimating how important and complicated this process actually is.

It requires asking the right questions, challenging assumptions, navigating sensitive conversations, understanding organizational dynamics and helping stakeholders recognize that the problem they thought they had isn't actually the problem they need to solve.

That's not always comfortable work. AI has no clue how to do that.

That's exactly why internal discovery matters so much. If stakeholders aren't aligned on priorities, responsibilities, budgets and expectations before the RFP begins, even a highly capable agency can end up in a partnership that was never properly set up for success.

So, if you don’t know what you’re solving for or what you need, how will you ever pick the right agency partner?

An Agency RFP Is About More Than Comparing Capabilities

A real RFP process helps you understand how an agency thinks, how it approaches your challenges, who will actually work on your business and how it plans to deliver against your objectives.

AI doesn’t know what questions to ask and has no way to evaluate if an agency:

• Has the right experience that is truly relevant to your specific challenges.
• Team and operating model align with your organization's needs.
• Relationship makes financial sense for both sides.
• Can deliver at the scale, speed and complexity your business requires.
• Team members are the right people for you – it can’t touch chemistry, trust or communication styles.
•  Understands what success looks like or how they’ll help you achieve your growth goals.

These aren't minor details. They're often the difference between an agency relationship that thrives and one that becomes a constant source of frustration – and ultimately the reason most agency relationships fail.

All of this requires direct engagement, thoughtful evaluation and informed human judgment. AI can’t and shouldn’t help you here.

So, Should Marketers Use AI in Agency Search?

Absolutely.

We’re not suggesting marketers avoid AI. Far from it.

AI can be an incredibly useful tool throughout the agency search process. It can help make a rigorous process more efficient. But efficiency shouldn't come at the expense of making the right decision.

AI is an enhancement tool. It isn't a replacement for agency intelligence, due diligence or strategic judgment.

The Right Agency Partner Is Too Important to Leave to an Algorithm

Choosing an agency is one of the more consequential decisions a marketing leader can make.

You're trusting an external partner with your brand, your budget, your business objectives and even your own professional reputation. They will either help you reach your growth goals or be the reason you have to go to your leadership team to explain why those goals have not been met.

That deserves a thoughtful process.

AI might help you get to a starting line faster. But it shouldn't be the decision-maker determining what you’re solving for, who gets invited to compete or who ultimately wins your business.

Because finding an agency isn't the goal. Finding the right agency is.

And that's exactly why AI should support an agency search, not replace it.

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At Tenx4, we help B2B tech marketing teams navigate the agency landscape and find partners that are truly right for their business — strategically, operationally, financially and culturally. When you change agencies, you take a risk. We eliminate that risk.