Recently, I’ve observed a phenomenon worth paying attention to. Since the launch of Claude’s new features, the impact on traditional advertising firms and marketing automation tools has been greater than expected. Some startups have reported conversion rates dropping directly from 70% to 20%, and this isn’t just minor fluctuation—it’s a real market restructuring.

The underlying logic is quite clear. In the past, advertising agencies and SaaS tools had clear divisions of labor, each doing their own thing. But now, platform-level AI can directly replace those vertical tools and automation solutions, marginalizing traditional outreach automation and small marketing SaaS platforms. The entire GTM stack is being reshaped, and at a much faster pace than anticipated.

However, not all tools are being eliminated. Enterprise-level CRM and large customer management systems still have room to survive because they involve core business processes. But for those advertising companies that only focus on point automation, they are indeed facing significant transformation pressure.

The real differentiation now lies in distribution capabilities. Brand operations, storytelling, channel management—these soft skills have become key. After entering the agent era, marketing strategies have changed; it’s no longer humans interacting with humans, but more like AI trading and decision-making between AIs.

Therefore, the impacted advertising companies and startup teams are rapidly adjusting, shifting from simply providing tools to focusing on distribution strategies and enterprise-level services. Under this wave, where are the new growth opportunities? Those who can master the core distribution capabilities will be the ones who survive.