Marketing resembles a battle of priorities. Performance vs. branding, rationalization vs. creativity, brands vs. agencies. It’s a story as old as the world. The never-ending search for common ground: productivity on one side, branding and creativity on the other. Marketers have to manage a multitude of new channels, monitor customer and competitor behavior.

The relationship between customers and performers is complicated by the fact that in 2024 it is harder than ever for brands to stand out. Consumer attention has become a scarce commodity. Meanwhile, tactics to build long-term loyalty, consistency of brand message, and quality of service no longer seem to be a priority.

It’s not that the very fact of creativity is threatened. Marketers realize how important it is to capture the audience’s attention and value creativity. At the same time, it is difficult to predict how hard it is to find the golden mean between the dialog with the audience and the commercial indicators that excite customers.

In this article, we’ll explore what the future holds for the relationship between brands and marketing agencies with the help of Adweek’s research. We will tell you what difficulties await the industry and how customers and performers can find a common language.

AdWeek survey: the future of marketing

Adweek, one of the leaders in advertising market analysis, together with Frontify, conducted a survey among creative marketing leaders. The survey participants were 98 brand marketers and 105 representatives of digital agencies. Specialists engaged in “business development” did not participate in the survey. Respondents explained how they see the creative future in marketing and also highlighted the hidden differences between brands and agencies.

The survey showed that clients and agencies often have different views on creativity. Questions such as: “is creativity linked to an idea or its execution”, and ‘should each campaign deliver specific results’ are causing disagreement. These differences in perception exacerbate the already tense relationship between clients and implementers.

We’ve broken down each item in the survey and are publishing the results.

Noisy market: creativity as a way to stand out

The market has never been more competitive than it has been in recent years. Dozens of sales channels, marketing platforms, and intrusive advertising are preventing consumers from choosing the brand of their dreams. 77% of respondents agreed that “it’s harder than ever to stand out.”

A synthesis of creativity and trust may be the solution. In the survey, brands and agencies agreed that the role of creativity will increase over the next 3-5 years. Only 12% of brands and 16% of agency respondents said creativity will be less important. Those surveyed identified the main reason for the increased role of creativity as “the need to differentiate the brand in a crowded marketplace.” But how to do this raises questions and controversy.

Creativity in marketing: 'Doing more with the least amount of effort'

“Doing more with the least amount of effort” is the principle that guides brands and agencies when budgets are tight. However, the exact expression is to do more.

Brands and agencies have to work under stress and strain. In the survey, respondents were asked whether brands are struggling or, on the contrary, feel comfortable launching a dozen creative marketing strategies. A point of agreement was found in the following – comfort brings only “achieving short-term results”.

64% of brand respondents and 81% of agency respondents indicated that brands have difficulty “responding to changing user behavior.”

Most respondents agree that brands have difficulty managing workload (88% of brands, 79% of agencies) and measuring creative impact (82% of brands, 87% of agencies).

90% of respondents said brands are struggling to get attention in the marketplace.

Short-term and long-term goals

Performance marketing has become central to many brands’ strategies. Its increased role is linked to the ability to measure the outcome of a particular campaign. Short-term key performance indicators such as cost-per-click are crucial to brand economics. You can read more about how performance marketing works in our article.

But marketers still have the difficult task of creating long-term brand value. In the survey, 42% of brand representatives said they are solely focused on performance. 39% of agencies summarized the same about their customers. Creative teams noted that they literally struggle to create long-term brand equity.

Clients are conservatively focused on metrics and workable strategies, so they are reluctant to embrace bright fresh ideas. Project delivery is dominated by ongoing brand reinforcement and performance measurement. Measuring the effectiveness of creative strategies is still a challenge.

Tension between brands and agencies

In the world of brands and advertising agencies, collaboration and conflict often go hand in hand. This was evident in the survey as well. When participants were asked to choose adjectives to describe their relationship, both brands (41%) and ad agencies (47%) chose the word “complicated.” In doing so, they emphasized different expectations and a lack of effective communication. Both brands and agencies described their relationships as “transactional” (39% of brands, 48% of agencies).

Creative strategies and AI

The survey did not directly ask participants about the impact of neural networks on brands and ad agencies. However, respondents did mention generative AI multiple times in their responses.

The survey did not directly ask participants about the impact of neural networks on brands and ad agencies. However, respondents did mention generative AI multiple times in their responses.

40% of brand and agency representatives believe that artificial intelligence will increase the importance of creativity in the coming years. This is due to the desire to create campaigns that will be differentiated from one another. In addition, respondents were asked what aspects of the future of creative marketing remain unclear to people, they shared their thoughts on artificial intelligence.

Marketing and AI

Respondents were asked about what aspects of the future of creative marketing remain unclear to people, they shared their thoughts on artificial intelligence.

Marketing agencies suggested that AI will take a major role in the creative sphere in the coming years. One brand marketing executive pointed out that with the advancement of artificial intelligence, it is impossible to anticipate all scenarios. Therefore, it is important for everyone to be willing to recognize their knowledge gaps and actively explore neural networks.

Creative marketing success factors

What actually contributes to the success of creative marketing according to the respondents? Respondents were asked to rate the importance of five key factors that make marketing effective:

Business orientation (understanding the brand and its business).

execution excellence (how to act at different media touchpoints).

big ideas (creative ideation).

unified ways of working (brand and agency working together, united by common goals and principles).

common standards of creativity (a common method of evaluating and receiving feedback on creative work).

92% of agencies and 87% of brands emphasized that a business-specific focus is essential. At the same time, 53% of brands named this factor as the most important, while 31% of agencies agreed. Meanwhile, 28% of agencies believe big ideas are most important, while only 13% of brands shared this view.

The need for creativity

A fresh and innovative approach to marketing remains relevant. Brands and agencies are convinced that creativity will play a weighty role as everyone strives to find new ways to make their message stand out to audiences.

Agencies were less optimistic in their predictions compared to brands. Surprisingly, 16% of agency representatives surveyed believe that creativity will not be as important. When asked how important creativity will be in marketing in the next 3-5 years, 36% of brands emphasized its importance, while 35% of agency representatives indicated that it will be very important.

The importance of creativity in a competitive environment

In the world of advertising, it’s crucial to stand out. This is true for brands looking to attract attention, agencies looking for ways to make their messages unique with AI, and for those looking to capitalize on new marketing channels.

40% of brands and agencies that said creativity will be important said that technology can fulfill creative needs. 22% of agencies cited the impact of creativity on performance. 34% of performers emphasized that brands should be part of the cultural dialogue. Among brands, only 22% held this view. Only 13% of respondents from both camps reported that a focus on long-term brand value is important in the current environment.

Struggling marketers: key challenges

If you feel you have too many tasks as a marketer, you’re not alone. According to the survey, creative industry workers are only successful at one task – delivering short-term results. This was reported by 74% of respondents.

In addition, respondents were divided on the issue of managing brand assets, maintaining the integrity of a brand’s identity and understanding customer needs.

70% of respondents said brands face challenges in six key areas, including adapting to cultural change and shifts in user behavior. And 92% indicated that brands struggle to stand out in a competitive marketplace. Achieving a balance between creativity and effective results is challenging for 75% of respondents.

50% of respondents emphasized that they face difficulties in managing current tasks. 68% said problems with long-term brand representation. 73% said a lot of stress is experienced when user behavior changes, and 72% from the changing cultural landscape. 83% reported problems controlling workload.

Complex relationships between brands and agencies

Participants had to choose from a list of positives and negatives to describe the brand-agency relationship. The two epithets most frequently heard among those surveyed were complex and transactional. The survey revealed where brands and agencies differed in their opinions.

A quarter of agencies 26% believe that relationships are getting worse, while only 14% of brands do. 4% of agencies used the word “creative” to describe relationships, compared to 15% of brands. Only 8% of respondents reported synergy between their work. Only 2% reported strong partner relationships.

Communication problem

There are always disagreements between brands and agencies. Agencies feel that their colleagues spend little time understanding the brand’s activities. At the same time, brands face difficulties due to frequent team changes, which complicates representation work. In the survey, the researchers tried to find out what brands say about their agencies behind closed doors.

Interestingly, 37% of agency respondents stated that brands say they love them. And only 19% of customers confirmed this. 49% of brands believe that agencies don’t understand what is really required of them, and 41% stated that execs basically don’t understand the brand idea.

Lack of time and trust

“Don’t rush us” is a frequent refrain from agencies to their brand partners. If you want competitive ideas, take more time. This factor stood out at the top of the list when respondents were asked what they talk about behind closed doors about their customers.

Distrust issues among brands and agencies

Two-thirds of agencies said they want customers to trust them more. Overcoming this distrust is one of the challenges for creative teams. 57% of marketers believe clients aren’t ready for new ideas and continue to do what’s safe for them. Nearly half of those surveyed reported that the budgets allocated conflict with the amount of work required. 40% of agencies believe that brands fundamentally don’t understand how to capture audience attention.

The problem of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly acute. 30% of agencies reported, “They think they can do what we do with AI? Who are they kidding?”. More and more customers are overemphasizing the role of neural networks, believing that ChatGPT-4 is cheaper and easier to handle text and diagrams.

Many customers do not understand that text and picture are also UX-design, on-page optimization for SEO, and structure. Neuroesti is still struggling to adapt texts to a live reader. But clients are often only interested in business, the desire to optimize costs and save on proofreaders and authors.

Big ideas in marketing

When participants were asked to name an important factor in creating a competitive brand and content, the differences between brands and agencies were again revealed. Both agreed that they need to focus on the business. To do so, they must have the same understanding of the brand, the business and how to add value. However, brand representatives were adamant in their views. Agencies, on the other hand, tended to believe in the power of the ‘big idea’ and the need for a unified approach between brands and agencies.

53% of clients said that business metrics are a key factor for brand impact. 25% of agencies emphasized the importance of unifying all aspects of work. Only 9% of brands agreed.

How to build rapport between customers and clients

In a world where creativity plays an important role, brands and advertising agencies need to work closely together again.

40% of clients emphasized that more transparency is important for this. 31% of agencies agreed. A third of respondents on both sides said they needed to look for a unified approach to working. 25% of marketers thought it was important to be able to take risks and test new ideas. Among brand clients, only 19% of respondents shared this opinion.

What awaits the relationship between brands and agencies

So, as Adweek’s survey showed, there are a lot of disagreements between creative teams and businesses. Is there a chance to overcome them and is there room for creativity in a “transactional” relationship?

The importance of creativity in marketing

Quite obviously, the need for creativity will grow year on year. Marketers need to set their brand apart from the competition. But the space for creativity is getting smaller. Teams have to focus on short-term tactics that focus on immediate results. Customer relationships degenerate to a “show me” level.

A strategy is needed to justify projects that focus on the long term and brand recognition. Teams should look for a way to demonstrate the impact of ideas on the bottom line. To do this, A/B testing is used to help maximize creativity. It’s also worth using performance metrics to assess how changes are impacting key aspects of the business.

Balancing performance and brand marketing

To balance performance and brand marketing, the marketing director must convince the CEO or brand board of the importance of both approaches. Short-term marketing and long-term brand development complement each other and both depend on creativity. Pitting them against each other will harm both strategies.

For example, brand value will become a key performance metric for marketers and will be used to identify problems such as poorly received campaign messaging or serious difficulties affecting brand growth. Similarly, brand marketing takes a “test and learn” approach to help adjust or strengthen awareness programs.

The role of agencies in modern marketing

Brands often feel that agencies don’t make an effort to understand how their business operates. For creative execs to become strategic partners, it’s important for them to clearly understand their clients’ goals. This requires a return to careful strategic work that impacts a company’s marketing and profits. It’s important for agencies to have analysts on staff. This approach is streamlined and fosters long-term partnerships.

It’s important for brands and agencies to move from a complex relationship to a complementary one. To rebuild trust, it is important to change the way they approach communication and become open in their creative processes. In addition, there needs to be a unified approach to campaign development and execution.

The times when agencies kept their methods of success secret are long gone. However, it’s also important for brands to realize that great ideas don’t just happen on their own. An agency needs time to create concepts that resonate with audiences. Only such work, backed by strategic thinking and innovation, will allow brands to stand out in a competitive marketplace and achieve their goals.

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