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2025 Creative Agency Industry Report

Productivity and profitability benchmarks for small and medium-sized creative agencies.

What’s inside the 2025 Creative Industry Trends Report

See how you compare to 242 agencies surveyed. Compare your performance and identify areas for growth to take your medium-sized or small agency into 2025 to new efficiency levels with our productivity and revenue benchmarks and trends.

  • Why 58% of agencies say growing and maintaining revenue is their biggest daily challenge—and how they’re tackling it.
  • The key factor preventing projects from finishing on time (hint: it’s not just poor planning).
  • Why 76% of agencies track time across all projects—but only 33% report high accuracy.
  • How AI adoption is evolving in creative agencies—and the biggest concern leaders have about it.
  • Why 79% of agencies report over-servicing their clients—and how to set better boundaries.
  • Which agency services are seeing the highest demand, which are holding steady, and which are at risk of decline in 2025.

Navigating economic challenges while staying ahead of industry trends is no small feat for creative agencies.

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Our 2025 Creative Industry Report, based on survey responses from 242 small and medium-sized agencies, provides the benchmarks and insights you need to assess your agency’s performance.

With 82% of surveyed agencies operating for over a decade, this report uncovers critical trends shaping the industry—from AI adoption and pricing strategy improvements to client relationship management and talent retention.

Learn how agencies are overcoming financial pressures, optimizing their service offerings, and implementing operational efficiencies that drive measurable success.

Whether you’re looking to refine your strategy or future-proof your agency, this report serves as both a benchmark and a roadmap to help you stay ahead of the curve in an evolving market.

From AI adoption and pricing strategies to operational efficiency and talent retention, the data reveals how agencies are adapting to market shifts.

Among the findings, 67% of agencies are now leveraging AI for tasks like copywriting and social media management, while 79% report over-servicing clients without proper compensation—a sign that clearer boundaries and pricing adjustments are needed. Meanwhile, balancing workloads remains a challenge, with 32% of agencies describing their teams as somewhat overworked.

In 2025, thriving agencies are those refining their service offerings, leveraging automation, and streamlining operations with integrated tools!

This report not only highlights the challenges but also outlines the strategies high-performing agencies are using to maintain profitability, retain top talent, and strengthen client relationships.

Download the full report now to gain data-driven insights and actionable steps to keep your agency competitive in 2025.

Check out FunctionFox’s Results

Blackbox

Absolutely love the tech and the team at FunctionFox. They go above and beyond to make sure it’s doing exactly what you need it to do. Our org manages over 400 projects a year and there’s NO WAY we could do it without our FunctionFox!

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Melissa Elliott
PR Works

A good time-tracking system will make you money, not cost you money. I run a small PR company. I’ve been using FunctionFox for nearly 11 years and have been extremely pleased. It’s invaluable for client reports.

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Joseph Feeks
Darnauer Group, LLC

I’ve been using FunctionFox’s time tracking and reporting system for my boutique PR Agency for nearly 20 years. It’s an impressive platform and I’ve been very happy with the performance and the customer service.

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Jeanette Darnauer
Zoup Creative

I have been very impressed with the FunctionFox staff and their project management software from the very beginning of the process. The sales rep. was very knowledgeable and explained the features and benefits very clearly.

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Claude Benoit
Beauly Station Ltd

Great product. My partner had used FunctionFox in a previous company and found it useful. We found it much easier to use than alternative products we used elsewhere so returned to Function Fox as soon as we had the opportunity.

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Jane Cumming
Norton Engineering Consultants Inc.

This software has helped us stay on top of billable time & streamlined our billing process as well as helped with keeping on top of budgets.

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Donna Vizzuso
Memorial Health System

The best thing about FunctionFox is how it has transformed our previously chaotic process into an organized one, and made it quick and easy to retrieve data all while helping us track our time and ensure we are completing each request.

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Amy Hockenbrocht
Glue Inc.

Very easy to pull reports of timesheets and associated fees in order to understand actuals, and use these in preparing invoices. FunctionFox is so much easier than doing timesheets manually!

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Tim Morawetz
Senpai Consulting Kft.

Best choice for marketing agencies. We are using almost every part of the software. FunctionFox is perfect for agencies, their staff, and their contractors. CEOs can easily see through the global situation and details of each client.

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Nebojsa Damjanovich
OddOnes Interactive + Design

FunctionFox has allowed my company to track and invoice for hourly work that “slipped through the cracks” in the past; my billable hours have nearly doubled since I started using the product. FunctionFox helps you get paid for your work. All of it.

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Shauna Stafford
EXL Media

The biggest benefit we have realized over the years is when we are spending too much time on an account or project, if we need to raise our fees we have reports we can provide to clients to show how much time we are spending on their account, etc.

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Aera Neumann
Cazayoux Creative

When deciding on project management and time tracking software a few years ago, I did a ton (I mean hours) of research and and FunctionFox has been perfect for our needs.

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Kylee Lewis
Ashton Design

It won’t make you lunch, but it does everything else. The reporting gives us insight into areas we need to improve or quote differently. FF provides us with a big picture view of our workload along with the granular data for digging into the details.

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Ashton Design
Genesco Sports Enterprises

Our company has 125 employees who use this to track time against retainers and projects. One employee has used several different systems on various projects and remarked this is by far the best one she’s used “it makes life so much easier”

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Doug Lynch
Iris Creative

Early adopter – ongoing lover. Its easy to learn and use. Its perfect for our needs. There’s really nothing I don’t like. This company has had stellar customer service since day one.

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Beth Brodovsky
TriAd Inc

FunctionFox is a project Management software that is simple to use and is straightforward. It offers excellent reporting capabilities and we’ve never had difficulty using this tool. We highly suggest this system.

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Elliott Benzle
Cloud 9 Design LLC

FunctionFox has revolutionized my time tracking and billing process. It has become such a vital part of my work process that I have it open all day, every day as I work to track my work time and review project priorities for the day/week.

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Ashley Grisham
Designworks Group Pty Ltd

Best time tracking software by far! Super easy to use. You just start using it, simple. Great reporting features. CEO desktop provides a great snapshot of all customers and project status.

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Warren Schroder
Holy Cow Communication Design

Couldn’t do without this product. Easy to use, tier access to functionalities, quick and trackable time, job costs and invoicing. FunctionFox has been part of our business for over 20 years.

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Julie Coward
Elevate Consulting

Smooth and simple! It is friction-free and fast when logging in, has an intuitive dashboard that only took a few minutes to master, and is reliable and available in the cloud. Works equally well on mobile devices and my desktop, too. FunctionFox is an amazing product to use as a consultant- tracking and reporting my hours is so much smoother and simpler than the other products I’ve had to use previously!

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Kate Fagan Taylor
Paper Investigator Inc

What a great product, it’s simple, it works well, and has never failed to do what we need. I felt taken-care of the entire onboarding process. I highly recommend this for time-tracking.

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Jaydra Perfetti
Lukas Byorth

The product is easy to use, with a lot of features. Was easy to learn due to the responsiveness of the team members and built in support. Couldn’t recommend it more.

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Lukas Byorth
Cleveland Design

We have used FunctionFox for over 12 years, so that basically says it all. They have always been responsive to suggestions to better the product, and implemented change or fixes in a timely fashion.

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Lynn McNamee
Scope Architectural Consulting, PLLC

We’ve tried Trello, ASANA, and a few other programs that are out there, however, FF has been hands down a better option with greater utility and functionality. I’d give them 10 stars if it were an option.

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Jimmy Pitsiniagas
Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Co

Great! The customer service alone is worth the price we pay, we are always treated so well, and the team goes above and beyond to solve any questions/issues we run across!

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Margaret Maxstadt
Communication Infrastructure Group, LLC

We’ve Used FunctionFox for Years! Honestly, we couldn’t function well without it!

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Terri Atmore
SkyeLine Studio

I’ve been with FunctionFox for almost 20 years, which should speak for itself. It’s great software with nearly 100% uptime. They also have excellent customer service.

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Jim DeMicco
Elevate Consulting

Smooth and simple! Its intuitive dashboard only took a few minutes to master, and is reliable and available in the cloud. Tracking and reporting my hours is so much smoother and simpler than with other products I’ve used!

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Kate Fagan Taylor
Tom, Dick, and Harry Creative Co

Great! Customer service alone is worth the price we pay, we are always treated so well, and the team goes above and beyond to solve any questions/issue we run across.

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Margaret Maxstadt
SkyLine Studio

I’ve been with FunctionFox for almost 20 years, which should speak for itself. It’s a great software with nearly 100% uptime. They also have excellent customer service.

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Jim DeMicco

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