What does Shanks & Co actually do?
We design, build and staff AI-native content operations for brands. That spans four services: Blueprint (audit and strategy), Build (implementation), Staff (talent placement) and Operate (fractional, ongoing leadership). Most clients start with one and move through the sequence as their needs grow.
What's the difference between Shanks & Co and a traditional creative agency?
A traditional agency is built around production as the bottleneck: briefs, shot lists, edit bays, weeks-long turnarounds. We're built around AI-native workflows from the ground up, which changes both the pace and the team required. We also don't just advise. Every engagement ends with a working system or a placed person, not a deck.
Who do you work with?
Media and entertainment companies, DTC and consumer brands, tech startups and scale-ups, marketing agencies, and studios and production companies that are ready to run AI content operations rather than experiment with AI at the edges.
How much does an engagement cost?
It depends on scope: a Blueprint audit is a different investment than an ongoing Operate retainer. The best way to get a real number is to tell us what you're trying to build, through the
Hire AI Creatives form or on LinkedIn.
Do I have to start with Blueprint?
No. Blueprint is where most engagements start because it clarifies scope before anything gets built or staffed, but you can start wherever your content operation actually is. If you already know exactly what you need built, we can start there.
How does the Talent Community work?
Creatives and strategists sign up once through our talent community form. From there, you're in the network for relevant briefs (contract, fractional or full-time) and we only reach out when there's a genuine match. No cold outreach for roles that don't fit.
What roles do you recruit for?
Twenty-one specialties across four categories: strategy and leadership, filmmaking and motion, design and brand, and technical and tooling. See the full breakdown on our
Roles page.
Are roles remote?
Yes. All roles are remote or hybrid, across the US and UK.
How are talent vetted?
We look for both craft and AI fluency: people who understand the fundamentals of their discipline (filmmaking, design, strategy, writing) and are already working fluently with current AI tools, not learning them on a client's dime.
How do I hire talent or start a services engagement?
Submit a request at the
Hire AI Creatives page with what you're looking to build or staff. Our team reviews every request and follows up if it's a good match. Not sure which service fits? Reach out on LinkedIn instead.
Do you have case studies of your own?
Not yet. We're a new studio and don't have our own client case studies to publish. Our
Proof It Works page cites documented, third-party results from brands running real AI content operations, so you can evaluate the thesis while we build our own track record.