[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":347},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-bet-on-people-as-ai-and-gen-z-change-ad-work":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":335,"dateModified":335,"description":336,"extension":13,"meta":337,"navigation":21,"path":338,"rawbody":339,"seo":340,"sitemap":341,"stem":342,"tags":343,"__hash__":346},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-bet-on-people-as-ai-and-gen-z-change-ad-work.md","Fresno marketing agencies bet on people as AI and Gen Z change ad work",false,"CVAI Business Desk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":329},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,285,289,292,295,298,301,316,319,323],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-marketing-agencies-bet-on-people-as-ai-and-gen-z-change-ad-work",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Lucy Siong, owner of Fresno-based Siong Marketing, told The Business Journal that AI will speed up planning and production but won't replace human creativity.",[254,258,259],{},"The three largest Central San Joaquin Valley agencies reported 79 employees combined on the 2026 list, compared with 78 in 2025.",[254,261,262],{},"Jeffrey Scott Agency kept the top spot with 34 employees. Archer & Hound Advertising had 25 and HYPHEN had 20.",[254,264,265],{},"The Business Journal ranks agencies by employee count, and not every firm disclosed its numbers.",[66,267,268],{},"Seventy-nine employees. That's the combined headcount Jeffrey Scott Agency, Archer & Hound Advertising and HYPHEN reported for The Business Journal's 2026 list of Central San Joaquin Valley marketing agencies and public relations firms, one more than the same three firms reported a year earlier.",[66,270,271],{},"The flat number comes as Fresno agencies figure out what artificial intelligence changes about their work. The Business Journal took that question to local agency leaders in a Nov. 2 piece by reporter Ben Hensley. The paper reported that a new generation of consumers, changing social media platforms and AI are reshaping the advertising industry and forcing agencies to adapt. The leaders it talked to argued that authenticity and local knowledge still count.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-siong-said","What Siong said",[66,277,278],{},"Lucy Siong owns Siong Marketing, a Fresno shop whose website lists branding, digital marketing and social media management among its services. She told the Business Journal that AI will make planning and production faster. She doesn't think it will replace human creativity.",[66,280,281],{},"That's a narrower claim than the one software vendors tend to make, and it puts AI in the production budget rather than the creative one.",[66,283,284],{},"Siong is also the social media chair on the Fresno Association of Realtors' 2026 YPN Committee, according to the association's website.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"what-the-headcount-shows","What the headcount shows",[66,290,291],{},"The Business Journal ranks the list by number of employees and uses the number of accounts to break ties. By that measure, Jeffrey Scott Agency held first place with 34 employees. Archer & Hound came second with 25. HYPHEN, which used to be JP Marketing, was third with 20.",[66,293,294],{},"Headcount is a blunt measure. It tells you how many people an agency employs, not what each of them bills, and the paper noted that not every firm disclosed employee counts or other business information. The Business Journal described an industry where staffing levels go up and down, digital services keep expanding and smaller firms compete for clients across the Central Valley. It also noted that Archer & Hound and HYPHEN have stayed among the largest agencies through staffing changes.",[66,296,297],{},"The top firm's own numbers have moved around too.",[66,299,300],{},"Jeffrey Scott Agency reported 32 employees in 2023, 33 in 2024 and 30 in 2025, according to the Business Journal's rankings. This year it reported 34.",[66,302,303],{},[304,305,306,307,309,310,315],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,308,239],{}," team and developed by ",[311,312,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":313},[314],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[317,318],"hr",{},[61,320,322],{"id":321},"source","Source",[66,324,325],{},[311,326,327],{"href":327,"rel":328},"https:\u002F\u002Fthebusinessjournal.com\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-ai-gen-z\u002F",[314],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":330},[331,332,333,334],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":321,"depth":11,"text":322},"2026-11-03","The Valley's three largest agencies reported nearly flat headcount on The Business Journal's 2026 list, and a Fresno agency owner says AI speeds up production but can't replace creativity.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-bet-on-people-as-ai-and-gen-z-change-ad-work","---\nauthor: CVAI Business Desk\ndate: '2026-11-03'\ndateModified: '2026-11-03'\ndescription: The Valley's three largest agencies reported nearly flat headcount on\n  The Business Journal's 2026 list, and a Fresno agency owner says AI speeds up production\n  but can't replace creativity.\ntags:\n- business\n- fresno\n- marketing\ntitle: Fresno marketing agencies bet on people as AI and Gen Z change ad work\n---\n\n# Fresno marketing agencies bet on people as AI and Gen Z change ad work\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Lucy Siong, owner of Fresno-based Siong Marketing, told The Business Journal that AI will speed up planning and production but won't replace human creativity.\n2. The three largest Central San Joaquin Valley agencies reported 79 employees combined on the 2026 list, compared with 78 in 2025.\n3. Jeffrey Scott Agency kept the top spot with 34 employees. Archer & Hound Advertising had 25 and HYPHEN had 20.\n4. The Business Journal ranks agencies by employee count, and not every firm disclosed its numbers.\n\nSeventy-nine employees. That's the combined headcount Jeffrey Scott Agency, Archer & Hound Advertising and HYPHEN reported for The Business Journal's 2026 list of Central San Joaquin Valley marketing agencies and public relations firms, one more than the same three firms reported a year earlier.\n\nThe flat number comes as Fresno agencies figure out what artificial intelligence changes about their work. The Business Journal took that question to local agency leaders in a Nov. 2 piece by reporter Ben Hensley. The paper reported that a new generation of consumers, changing social media platforms and AI are reshaping the advertising industry and forcing agencies to adapt. The leaders it talked to argued that authenticity and local knowledge still count.\n\n## What Siong said\n\nLucy Siong owns Siong Marketing, a Fresno shop whose website lists branding, digital marketing and social media management among its services. She told the Business Journal that AI will make planning and production faster. She doesn't think it will replace human creativity.\n\nThat's a narrower claim than the one software vendors tend to make, and it puts AI in the production budget rather than the creative one.\n\nSiong is also the social media chair on the Fresno Association of Realtors' 2026 YPN Committee, according to the association's website.\n\n## What the headcount shows\n\nThe Business Journal ranks the list by number of employees and uses the number of accounts to break ties. By that measure, Jeffrey Scott Agency held first place with 34 employees. Archer & Hound came second with 25. HYPHEN, which used to be JP Marketing, was third with 20.\n\nHeadcount is a blunt measure. It tells you how many people an agency employs, not what each of them bills, and the paper noted that not every firm disclosed employee counts or other business information. The Business Journal described an industry where staffing levels go up and down, digital services keep expanding and smaller firms compete for clients across the Central Valley. It also noted that Archer & Hound and HYPHEN have stayed among the largest agencies through staffing changes.\n\nThe top firm's own numbers have moved around too.\n\nJeffrey Scott Agency reported 32 employees in 2023, 33 in 2024 and 30 in 2025, according to the Business Journal's rankings. This year it reported 34.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Business Desk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fthebusinessjournal.com\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-ai-gen-z\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":336},{"loc":338},"news\u002Ffresno-marketing-agencies-bet-on-people-as-ai-and-gen-z-change-ad-work",[344,121,345],"business","marketing","kyA9SJeh3e9A5-biBEXGngKR23fJJHkbM_nYnzmS7sk",1793708023557]