The Strategy Paradox: Why Marketing's Most Vital Function Is Being Hollowed Out

Strategy headcount has collapsed from 52% growth to 27% in three years. Agencies bundle it as a "gift with purchase." And fear of bland work now outranks fear of AI as the profession's biggest threat

80% of strategists worldwide believe their discipline stands at a crossroads, and 62% say it is treated as expendable when budgets tighten yet client demand for strategic guidance has never been higher. This paradox sits at the heart of WARC’s 2025 Future of Strategy report, which surveyed 1,127 strategists in August and unpacks a profession under strain just as complexity and volatility make it indispensable.