Fuel Labs At A Glance (Source: Walz Tetrick Advertising).

Walz Tetrick Advertising has launched an AI-dedicated operation called Fuel Labs that the agency says is designed to position it as a “strategic advisor for businesses seeking to harness AI’s potential” amid the technology’s rapid and often confusing evolution. 

The 135-person agency cites research that close to 90% of corporate AI initiatives fall short of their goals, largely due to lack of clarity and implementation. 

The new unit is being led by Brian Olson, who joined the agency in January of 2023 as Chief Strategy Officer. Previously, he owned his own marketing consultancy, InQuest Marketing. He’s credited with bringing 25 years of expertise in retail, finance, CPG, manufacturing and ecommerce to his agency role.  

“Every one of our clients is being bombarded with AI sales pitches from companies that may or may not have anything meaningful to offer,” says Olson. “Our goal is to cut through the noise and help clients understand what AI actually is,” and help them leverage it to drive meaningful results.  

According to Olson Fuel Labs has pulled in four to six full time employees from the existing Walz Tetrick staff and a member of the agency’s executive team that is working almost exclusively on Fuel Labs initiatives. Another eight to 10 agency staffers “champion the AI initiatives in various ways.”  

In the current quarter, the agency is hiring additional people for the Fuel Labs team who will be focused on developing integrated solutions “with the focus being on AI enablement to solve client challenges,” Olson adds. As needed, the Labs also uses undisclosed “outside resources” on projects.  

But Olson stresses that “our strategic approach and AI-enabled team are key,” while there is “great depth of additional resources if needed.” 

The agency did not hire AI specialists to get the Labs project off the ground. Instead, says Olson, “it leveraged the internal talent and passion for the AI space and invested heavily in tools and training-- in addition to the tools and training for the entire agency-- based on use cases both internally and with clients.” 

Through that process, he added “we also identified people that would champion the initiative in key areas” such as account services and planning, creative, studio/production, media, search, operations and more. 

Fuel Labs works across WTA’s creative, media, and strategy teams to integrate AI capabilities into client projects. It has already developed proprietary solutions for clients across retail and manufacturing sectors, including advanced customer analytics platforms. According to the Kansas City, KS-based agency, those platforms provide real-time insights into purchasing behavior, price sensitivity, and personalized marketing opportunities.  

The Labs operation is also developing AI-enabled models and platforms for specific disciplines within the agency including media optimization, AISO (AI Search Optimization) research and chat-based analytics engines. 

“Great ideas still start with people,” said Walz Tetrick CEO Charlie Tetrick. “Fuel Labs gives our teams the added AI capabilities to sharpen strategies, enable broader creative work and deliver clear, measurable results for clients.” 

The agency has worked with brands like Ecofin, Olathe Health and Price Chopper.