Transforming Strategic Creativity: What's Next for VCS

The pace of change in the creative industry isn’t slowing down. AI is shifting how ideas are made. Audiences expect more nuance and care. Brands are being asked to show up with clarity, not just style.

At VCS, we’ve always believed in creative work that respects both craft and context. In our 21st year, that belief holds—but how we bring it to life is evolving.

“With AI accelerating content cycles, audience values becoming more nuanced, and social expectations urging brands to lead with empathy, staying still is not an option,” says Amrei Dizon, our Chief Creative Officer. “At VCS, we’re embracing this tension as fuel for reinvention.”

Our Approach to Strategic Creativity

Chief Creative Officer Amrei Dizon explaining our Vision 2030 at one of our townhalls

Strategic creativity, for us, has never been about aesthetics alone. It’s about clarity. Intention. Storytelling that honors context. Design that puts the audience first, shaping stories that reflect their reality.

“At its core, strategic creativity at VCS means creating with intent, designing for clarity, and shaping narratives that respect context,” Amrei explains. “It means asking not only ‘Does this look good?’ but also ‘Who does this help? Who gets to be seen?’”

Today, our approach is more multi-dimensional than ever. It blends human insight with AI-enabled tools. It puts empathy at the center and measures success through relevance and lasting impact.

Three Focus Areas Guiding Our Evolution

As we move forward, our work is shaped by a deliberate mix of reflection and experimentation. We are not discarding the fundamentals. We are building on them.

This evolution is guided by three core priorities that continue to define how we think, make, and lead: tech-supported creativity, inclusive narratives, and work that resonates beyond deliverables.

1. Human Insight + AI Assistance

We see AI not as a replacement, but as a multiplier—a way to refine, accelerate, and elevate our work.

“The introduction of AI and generative tools has become the biggest disruptor in our industry to date,” says Jan Agulto, Executive Creative Director. “We’re exploring how these technologies can benefit our projects and our team—not just now, but in the near future. It’s an exciting time to elevate VCS into the new era of our profession.”

AI workshop led by CCO Amrei Dizon, where she shared practical ways to approach creative work with emerging tools.

Across teams, we’re weaving AI into workflows where it enhances—not flattens—our thinking. From Production using Adobe Firefly for video extensions, to Strategy & Content teams leveraging Gamma and NotebookLM for sharper decks, to Design experimenting with Whisk by Google Labs for layered image creation—AI is present, but never leading.

“Despite what changes are happening now or will come in the future, VCS stays grounded in the values that made us who we are,” Jan shares.

We are also developing internal AI adoption guidelines that center on ethical use, human oversight, and transparency—ensuring that emerging tools support, rather than override, sound creative thinking.

2. Inclusive Storytelling

We treat inclusivity as a creative responsibility. It shapes how we build teams, choose collaborators, and frame the work we create.

In close collaboration with our sister company, Introspeck Management Consulting, we deliver AI learning sessions and storytelling support to micro and small business owners across the country—many of them region-based and underrepresented.

Our creative work continues to support communities that are often overlooked. This includes advocacy and content partnerships with neurodivergent individuals, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women-focused initiatives. Internally, a cross-functional committee ensures our output reflects clarity, equity, and purpose across every touchpoint.

“Inclusion is a commitment that shapes what we make and how we work,” says TJ Joson, Managing Partner.

3. Meaningful Impact by Design

Our creative work is focused, measurable, and values-led. Whether internal or client-facing, each project is designed to connect, inform, and spark better decisions.

We continue to support education, inclusion, and accessibility—through campaigns, capacity-building sessions, and visual storytelling. These are not side projects. They are essential to how we define success.

“Our campaigns aren’t side work—they’re the kind of work we want to be known for,” Amrei explains. “Strategic creativity means nothing if it doesn’t lead to something meaningful.”

What Comes Next

VCS Executive Committee members Jan Agulto, Amrei Dizon, and TJ Joson aligning on next steps for the agency’s creative direction

VCS is developing smarter systems to support how teams create, share, and scale content. From customizable Canva templates to internal GPTs, we are building infrastructure that helps both us and our clients work better.

“We see Canva becoming an integral part of our primary tools for Design,” Jan shares. “We are looking for ways to create more accessibility for our clients and our team to produce effective design regardless of the level of expertise and knowledge.”

“This shift allows our teams to focus on what matters most—strategy, storytelling, and problem solving,” adds TJ. “When AI takes care of the repetitive tasks, our attention stays where it has the most impact.”

We are also standardizing how we pitch, how we train, and how we share thinking across teams—allowing faster collaboration without compromising the quality or tone of the work.

For clients, this shift means faster creative cycles, more strategic collaboration, and clearer outcomes. With less time spent on manual execution, our teams can focus on what moves the needle—insight, refinement, and results that last.

Staying True, Moving Forward

VCS does not pursue reinvention for its own sake. Every change we make is intentional, aligned with our values, and shaped by the needs of the people we serve.

“What matters most is not how and what we will innovate, but more of the why and how we will wield it,” Jan reflects. “That can only be answered by knowing who we are at our core and never losing sight of that despite how we constantly reshape ourselves.”

Strategic creativity remains our foundation. Our work will continue to reflect context, clarity, and care.

This next chapter is not about doing more. It is about doing the right things—and doing them well.

Transforming Strategic Creativity: What’s Next for VCS

Our Approach to Strategic Creativity

Three Focus Areas Guiding Our Evolution

What Comes Next

Staying True, Moving Forward