Drum Leading Article: Creativity is key to effectiveness
The leading article The Drum's latest issue, is based on a MORI study of studies that claims creativity is the primary driver for successful advertising campaigns
The black art is blamed many of the ills that afflict advertising. For example, why is so much advertising bland? Market research. Why are so few new campaigns truly original? Market research.
This is not to say that market research itself is the problem. Its simply that so many use it the wrong way, for the wrong reasons.
Cue ancient lamppost analogy: Rather than use research for illumination, many simply use it for support.
However, this issue of The Drum demonstrates that research – often the enemy of creativity – can also be its greatest friend.
On page 31 we report on fascinating study carried out by Ipsos MORI ASI. In fact it is more of a study of studies.
This firm has aggregated 1,000s of tracking studies it has carried out across the globe to glean what are the key factors that determine whether a campaign is successful or not.
And what is the number one most important factor, according to the study? It is…drum roll please…creativity.
You can almost hear the media independents choking on their coffee. Wait a minute, they’ll say, but media spend represents the lions share of a campaign budget. But this study finds that creative has a disproportionate influence on the success or failure of a campaign.
But what about share of voice they might argue? Surely you can simply outspend your rivals? Wrong. Advertising stand out is not achieved by spending more than your rivals, the study finds, the quality of the creative idea is the main driver.
At the end of the day, like most research, the study will not tell creative agencies anything they do not know already. But what it does do is provide them with more ammunition to persuade clients to value the creative product.
Despite all the talk of planning, strategising and researching at the end of the day delivering creative ideas is the essence of what the marketing services industry does. This research shows that it is also the essence of the real value it gives clients.
The full report is published in our latest issue.