New AI tools launch constantly, and most agencies do not have time to test even a fraction of them. The team at content marketing agency Masthead took a systematic approach to that problem: over 25 weeks, they tested 25 AI tools inside real agency workflows to determine which delivered value and which did not. Managing partner Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich presented the results in a session titled “25 Tools, 25 Weeks: How Agencies Can Solve Marketing Challenges with AI” at the AI for Agencies Summit, a free virtual event presented by Screendragon that took place on February 12, 2026, with sessions since made available on demand.
Why structured AI tool testing matters for agencies
Agencies are under pressure to move faster, work smarter, and still produce great work. AI tools promise to help, but the sheer volume of options makes continuous evaluation exhausting. Which tools are worth trying? Which justify the time investment? Which will actually improve operations, increase efficiency, or lift creative output?
Most agencies answer these questions through ad-hoc trial and error — a designer tries one tool, an account lead tries another, and the results never get compared. Masthead’s approach differed in two ways: the tools were tested in real client workflows rather than demos, and outcomes were documented consistently, so wins and failures could be compared across the portfolio. That kind of disciplined evaluation converts scattered experimentation into an evidence base an agency can act on.
What the session covered
The presentation distilled the 25-week experiment into practical guidance, including:
- Which AI tools helped streamline operations and improve team efficiency
- Which tools enhanced creative output and client deliverables
- Which tools fell short — and why
- How to evaluate, select, and implement AI tools with confidence
- A practical roadmap for integrating AI into agency workflows
The intent was to give attendees tested recommendations rather than another list of tools to add to an already long backlog.
Lessons for any team evaluating AI tools
Beyond the specific tools, the structure of the experiment illustrates evaluation practices that apply to any agency or small team:
- Test against real work, not demos. A tool that shines on sample content often struggles with actual client constraints — brand voice, compliance, file formats, existing systems.
- Time-box each evaluation. Giving each tool a fixed window (in Masthead’s case, roughly a week per tool) prevents endless pilots and forces a decision.
- Define success criteria up front. “Improves efficiency” is only meaningful if the team measures time saved, revision counts, or output quality against the pre-AI baseline.
- Document failures as carefully as wins. Knowing why a tool fell short — accuracy, workflow fit, cost, learning curve — prevents re-testing the same category six months later.
- Narrow the final set. Consolidating on a small number of tools that fit the agency’s model tends to beat maintaining a sprawling stack, in licensing cost, training burden, and data governance alike.
Measuring whether adopted tools actually pay off is its own discipline, covered in this guide to measuring AI ROI; teams coordinating several AI tools at once may also find this overview of multi-agent orchestration useful.
About the presenter
Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich is an award-winning content marketing expert and entrepreneur. She is managing partner at Masthead, co-founder of the Women in Content & Marketing Association (WICMA), and co-founder of the AI Marketing Innovation Council (AIMIC). Her earlier career includes editorial roles at Alloy Entertainment (the company behind Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries), Seventeen magazine and the Hearst Teen Network, and AOL. She is a recipient of the New York Women in Communications YCI Award, which recognizes rising stars in communications.
About the AI for Agencies Summit
The AI for Agencies Summit, organized by the Marketing AI Institute and presented by Screendragon, brings together agency leaders and practitioners to explore how AI is reshaping agency models, services, and growth. The 2026 edition featured multiple agency leaders alongside the Masthead session; recordings are available on demand.
Limitations and what to watch
- Findings from a 25-tool test reflect one agency’s workflows and client mix; a tool that failed for a content marketing agency may fit a media-buying or design shop, and vice versa.
- The AI tool landscape changes monthly — specific verdicts from a test conducted in 2025–2026 age quickly, even where the evaluation method remains sound.
- Sessions of this kind are part of sponsored industry events; recommendations are practitioner experience, not independent benchmarks.
