What Are the Barriers in the Way of Creative Marketing Output?

Marketers sometimes consider analytics as a hurdle in the way of creativity. However, according to research from the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), data and analytics are not the key factors standing in the way of creativity in marketing output. The research was based on the survey which included 640 senior client-side marketers in 34 markets.

The research results clearly show that the most common root cause affecting the creativity level of marketing output is “risk-averse culture.” It makes a significant contribution, as almost 51% of marketers think that it prevents the marketing output from being creative. The recent research from Phrasee shows the same results. According to the said research, 91% of marketers have stated that they prefer to “play it safe” when creating marketing content because they fear getting it wrong and bearing the consequences.

The client-side marketers stated that the other barriers include the following:

  • Short-term focus
  • Too many decision-makers
  • Reductions in budgets
  • Talent in own organizations
  • Overemphasis on data and analytics
  • Shift toward investment in digital channels
  • Ever more tightly defined audiences 

More barriers have been identified, but the top barrier, “risk-averse culture,” is followed by “short-term focus,” “too many decision-makers,” and “reductions in budgets,” which affects the creative marketing output. 48% of marketers think that “short-term focus,” 44% think that “too many decision-makers,” and 40% think that “reductions in budgets” are the barriers.

“Talent in your own organization” is another barrier affecting creative marketing output. 23% of marketers think that it is what’s causing hurdles in the way of creative marketing output. Another similar study by WFA finds that creativity is relatively low in areas facing a talent crisis. Very few marketers (21%) think that “data and analytics” is the barrier. At the same time, fewer (17%) still consider “Investment in digital channels” a barrier. On the contrary, the digital transformation initiatives by marketers seem to be the reason for generating more creative output.

Over time, it is established that increasing the capacity for creativity can pay off the firms in the long run. Even enterprise companies are saying that creativity is one top way to get more return on ad spending. It is an understandable statement, given that the creative quality significantly impacts the ad’s effectiveness.

Other results from the survey are as follows:

  • 82% of marketers have stated that creativity is the most potent weapon to use for marketing, though only 28% think it is a critical factor that can negatively affect the success of the business.        
  • Respondents who came from the “growing” businesses were the ones who think creativity is critical or risky, while those who have their businesses “recovering,” “maintaining,” or “declining” consider the opposite.             
  • 51% of marketers share their perspective about making improvements in understanding the customers as it can help them be more creative.

Creative Marketing Tips to Stand Out           

It is evident from the stats and results that playing safe can only help get results slowly and steadily, but it is doing something unique and creative that can make you stand out from your competitors. So, if you want to get noticed and make your marketing campaign successful, you must have some creative marketing ideas to set your brand apart from the rest.

Make Relevant Content, Not Self-Promotional     

You don’t have to sound “Sales-y” to get the consumer’s attention. Your content on your site and other social media platforms shouldn’t promote your products or services directly. You must instead focus on creative, relevant content that provides value to the reader. You can find a sweet spot between what you want to convey and what your consumers want or need.

Online Contest

Online contests have become one of the most powerful marketing ideas for e-commerce businesses. It won’t require any expensive setup or tools. All you need is a creative idea to grab your consumers’ attention. For instance, you can host an online contest that only requires the consumer to submit a photo caption and use the hashtags of your brands to spread the word. Prepare a valuable prize, but make sure it isn’t too generic or specific. Proper planning will bring you quality leads.

Have a Moral-Focused Mission

A large number of people support brands that have a moral-focused mission. It’s a creative way to present yourself as empathic and compassionate in front of your target audience. You can also participate in or organize multiple social activities to get people’s attention.

Create Memes and GIFs

Memes and GIFs are widely shared on social media, especially Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can make creative memes and GIFs related to your brand to generate more leads on your social media accounts. However, ensure your brand’s mission or values don’t become a joke for the audience.

Be Controversial

Come up with new and unique ideas which are also controversial. You can share those points of view with your audience in the blog post. This way, you will have room to explain yourself before being trolled by the audience. However, you must ensure that solid facts and stats support your argument because people will come after you if it doesn’t make sense to them.

Wrapping Up

There are multiple barriers in the way of creative marketing output. However, marketers can still try to think outside the box to get the maximum return, competitive edge, and many other benefits. The more they focus on the creative side of marketing, the better results they can come up with. 

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