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Jason Harris
About
I'm still running Mechanism which I uh started in 2006 we're a full-ervice agency got about seven offices um you know hundreds of employees I sold it uh to a private equity group in 22 and uh I'm still still on on on the uh uh earn out train and working at the business and growing it.
Best quotes
I'd say the biggest change though is uh it took me about a year to deal with having a boss and that is a big change for a founder or an entrepreneur
fees have gone down because whether you're you know using these tools to a large extent or a small extent client the expectation and the perception from clients is that you've you're doing more with less people.
it's the only business I know of where you give everything away for free in hopes that you win.
you still need craft and taste and I think that's something that you can't really replace with agents right
skill is rapidly becoming um uh a level playing field with man and machine, but then taste is that that X factor, I think
FAQ
How did Jason Harris find it adapting to having a boss after selling Mekanism?
Harris explained that adjusting to having a boss and reporting to a board took about a year. He had to adapt his decision-making process to consider other stakeholders and focus heavily on financial impact.
How has generative AI affected creative advertising fees and client expectations?
Clients expect agencies to do more with fewer people, which has driven down fees and placed pressure on traditional FTE models. It has also reduced production budgets because clients expect screen content to be cheaper to produce using AI prompts.
How did Mekanism build its portfolio of major brand clients early on?
When starting out, Mekanism proactively pitched ideas to brand clients directly via cold outreach. Over time, delivering good work built their market reputation, leading to word-of-mouth referrals and consultant inquiries.
What does Jason Harris consider the key distinction between skill and taste in the AI era?
Harris views skill as the ability to execute work, which AI creates a level playing field for between humans and machines. He defines taste as the human 'X factor' that determines quality, differentiation, emotional connection, and brand alignment.
Episode
- Jason Harris, Mekanism: Agency economics after acquisition and generative AI in creative advertising
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