From Todd LaRoche, EVP, Managing Director of Creative, Palio
It’s an age-old debate: Just because an ad is acknowledged with awards for creativity does that mean it’s effective? Many would say that creative ads are great to look at but often fall flat when it comes to moving product. Making sure the target stops, watches/listens and takes away a clear message that leads to brand consumption is, of course, fundamental to the success of any advertisement. But do a lot of what we would call “creative” ads ensure that that happens? A recent survey suggests that the answer is, in fact, a resounding “yes.”
A study carried out by the U.K.’s Institute of Practitioners in Advertising claims to prove a direct link between creativity and effectiveness that it’s touting as a good argument for quality over cost.
The report from IPA, a trade organization representing agencies, examined 213 case studies of advertising over the last eight years, including campaigns by marketers such as Cadbury, Volkswagen, Budweiser, Honda, Audi and Orange. It claims to demonstrate objectively that creatively awarded campaigns are 11 times more effective than campaigns that do not win creative awards.
“Creatively awarded campaigns are a more reliable investment — they achieve greater effectiveness levels,” said Peter Field, the marketing consultant who authored the report, which looked at a number of business metrics in the study to determine effectiveness, including market-share growth, sales, profits, return on investment, likability and emotional appeal.
The report concludes that the link between creativity and effectiveness is driven by two important factors: the emotional communication model favored by the most creative campaigns, and the much greater “buzz” effect that creativity engenders.
“Creativity and effectiveness are inseparable. This is a good first step, but there’s still a lot of work to do to show the exponential value of great creative ideas,” said Bert Moore, chief strategy officer of Lowe Worldwide. “It’s bizarre to believe that there’s a creative answer and a business answer. In other creative industries, like architecture, film and music, the creative solution is always the answer to the problem.”
Continue reading more about this in this Ad Age article.
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