Why Meta (and Google) Want to Go Direct — and The Future Role of Digital Agencies

Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared what many agency founders and ad industry veterans have known for years: big platforms want to go direct. In a recent interview, Zuckerberg (a.k.a. Meta’s Chief Robot Officer) stated his long-term vision to work directly with advertisers, effectively removing agencies from the ecosystem.

The comment, highlighted in a LinkedIn post by David C. Baker, sparked a flurry of thoughtful reactions, many from marketers who recognize the slow, steady push from platforms to reduce their reliance on outside partners.

This idea is not new. During my time at Google from 2003 to 2010, this mindset was already well-established. Agencies were tolerated because their influence on the allocation of marketing budgets was useful for scaling ad revenue. But behind closed doors, they were viewed as obstacles — introducing friction, asking tough questions, and preventing platforms from having full control.

That perspective has not changed. What has changed is the level of sophistication the platforms now bring to making that vision a reality.

As someone who worked on Google's Direct Advertising Team and now runs a digital marketing agency focused on the outdoor industry, I’ve seen both sides. And while the pressure from platforms is real, the future for agencies is not about defending their existence, it’s about redefining their value.

Let’s jump in.

Agencies Have Always Been “In the Way”

Agencies stand in the way. They introduce nuance, challenge black-box metrics, and advocate for cross-platform strategies that shift ad dollars away from any single channel.

Inside Meta and Google, the ideal advertiser is self-serve: a brand with a credit card and a willingness to let the algorithm handle the rest. The growth of AI-generated creative, automated bidding, and predictive targeting is all geared toward this future. In this future, there's no agency involved, just a website URL and a credit card.

But Platforms Are Not Service Organizations

This vision assumes that platforms can provide the level of strategy, care, and context that advertisers need to be successful.

Despite their scale and technical brilliance, Google and Meta consistently underdeliver when it comes to service. Delayed responses, hastily trained offshore account reps, and impersonal outreach are the norm. Even enterprise advertisers struggle to get reliable support. These are not client service organizations. They are product companies, and they will always prioritize shareholder value over advertiser support.

Opaque Reporting and Inflated Metrics

When platforms control targeting, placement, and reporting, they control the narrative.

Inflated performance metrics, duplicate attribution, and selective reporting are not uncommon. While the data may be directionally useful, it rarely tells the full story. It’s designed to reinforce the value of the platform, not the actual ROI of the campaign.

This is why third-party attribution tools and media mix models have gained so much traction over the past few years. These tools look beyond platform dashboards and use AI to understand the real business impact of marketing spend.

Agencies play a key role in interpreting these models, connect the dots across platforms, and help brands avoid the trap of platform tunnel vision.

Platforms Want 100 Percent of Your Budget

If you ask Meta or Google how much to spend, the answer will always be the same: more. That’s because their job is to increase revenue for the platform, not generate profit for your business.

But consumers don’t live in a single walled garden. They move fluidly across platforms, devices, and channels. Allocating budget with platform-centric guidance is like asking a casino how much to bet. The house always wins.

Platform incentives will always point toward 100 percent budget capture. The value of a smart agency isn’t in placing bets, it’s in knowing when to walk away from the table and place them somewhere else.

Regulatory Pressure is Growing

For years, the idea of breaking up or limiting the dominance of Google, Meta, and Amazon was theoretical. Now, it’s entering the realm of policy and enforcement. Governments and regulators are increasingly focused on their market power, privacy practices, and competitive behavior.

While regulatory outcomes take time, the pressure is real. This adds even more volatility to an already complex ecosystem. To succeed, brand need partners who can adapt quickly, shift budget intelligently, and plan for scenarios that don’t rely on any single platform.

The Future of Agencies Is Strategy, Attribution, and Advocacy

The digital agency of the future is not just a media buyer. In many ways, that part of the job has already become commoditized. However, the value agencies provide is evolving in meaningful ways. What we offer today looks very different than what we offered 10 years ago, and that’s a good thing.

Leading Agencies are Becoming:

• Strategic advisors who align digital with broader business goals

• Media mix modelers who optimize across fragmented ecosystems

• Attribution interpreters who provide context beyond the platform interface

• Brand advocates who protect voice, identity, and intent

• Impact-focused teams that leverage AI tools to enhance efficiency

In an environment that’s increasingly opaque and automated, nimble agencies staffed with subject matter experts can move faster, adapt smarter, and drive more value than traditional firms or DIY platform tools.

Final Thought

The platforms will continue to push for more control. That’s not surprising, but it’s also not the full story.

Forward-thinking brands aren’t looking for vendors to stay of the competition. They’re looking for partners who can think strategically, move quickly, and help them stay centered in a world that keeps shifting.

Agencies that embrace this role aren’t on the defensive; They’re helping to build what’s next.

Send us a message and let's discuss your plans