Balancing art and speed: Navigating creativity in modern advertising

I can recall when there were no supermarkets, only speciality stores of butchers, fruit and veg grocers and cafes on every street corner. I can even recall the first Pick n Pay store launch. It was so foreign and it seemed hard to believe that you could really get everything you needed, all under one roof. Fast forward to today, the mom-and-pop stores have become niched boutique offerings for the upper end of the market.

But actually, living through this progress has distinct advantages. As an agency, we’ve constantly adopted new skills and services, adding them to our repertoire, and expanding and integrating them to the skills we had already mastered. Living through the past five decades has allowed us to evolve with TV and radio, introducing digital and social as it unfolded and adjusting to this new ‘normal’ that is plugged into, well, everything! And while the progression is largely natural, it is welcomed and brings progress and improvement to all spheres of life.

I often reflect on how overwhelming our industry must be to new entrants and not just from the agency side, but client side too. We have had the advantage of time on our side; new agencies and people must learn, embrace and perfect the entire ambit of old “tried and tested” and the new to be successful in this current landscape of advertising.

One of the most profound areas of change and impact has been in the creative sphere. Creativity has always been the lifeblood of our agency. Our approach has always been to add value and deliver innovative campaigns and compelling storytelling. However, in today’s fast-paced, content-saturated world, the demands on creativity have shifted dramatically. With the digital revolution and the proliferation of media channels, we are under increasing pressure to produce more content than ever before. This surge in demand raises a critical question: Has creativity declined or improved in today’s context?

The creativity conundrum

On one hand, the tools and platforms available today offer us unprecedented opportunities for creative expression. Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and big data analytics enable us to craft personalised and immersive experiences. These innovations have the potential to elevate creativity to new heights, allowing us to develop campaigns that are not only visually stunning but also deeply resonant with target audiences and deliver to client’s specific return on investments (ROI).

On the other hand, the sheer volume of content required to keep pace with consumer expectations has the potential to dilute the creative process. In a recent event I attended, they shared an insight from Michael Farmer, a noted industry consultant and author of “Madison Avenue Manslaughter", that completely blew me away. He has extensively tracked the increasing workload on creative teams and, according to Farmer, the number of deliverables per creative has skyrocketed over the past decade leading to overworked teams and a focus on quantity over quality.

Michael Farmer’s insights on creative productivity

Farmer’s analysis highlights a troubling trend: as agencies take on more projects, it’s usually without a proportional increase in resources so the strain on creative talent intensifies. The metric of deliverables per creative full-time equivalent (FTE) has become a critical indicator of this pressure. In many agencies, creatives are now expected to produce double or even triple the number of outputs compared to ten years ago.

Source: Michael Farmer, “Madison Avenue Manslaughter”

This workload surge can hinder the creative process, which thrives on time, reflection, and the freedom to explore ideas. When creatives are pressed to deliver more in less time, there’s a risk that the work becomes formulaic, and truly innovative ideas are left unfinished and unexplored.

The impact on advertising agencies

The traditional models of operation are being challenged by the need for agility and rapid content production. To meet these demands, many agencies, including ourselves, are evolving in several ways, by:

1. Embracing technology: We are exploring how we can integrate automation tools and AI to handle repetitive tasks, allowing our creatives to focus on ideation and strategic thinking.

2. Using flexible team structures: We have always had a fluid team configuration of bringing in partners and specialists as needed to manage workload peaks and specific requirements.

3. Implementing agile methodologies: Borrowing from software development, we are implementing agile workflows to enhance collaboration and efficiency to better, more efficient outcomes.

4. Focusing on talent development: We are Investing in training and building well-being opportunities to support our creatives in this high-pressure environment.
   

Balancing quantity with quality

The challenge lies in balancing the increasing demand for content with the necessity of maintaining high creative standards. Agencies must find ways to protect the creative process amidst the hustle:

• Prioritisation: Not every project requires a groundbreaking idea. We Identify which campaigns need that extra creative push to allocate resources more effectively.

• Streamlining processes: We are reducing bureaucratic hurdles to free up time for creatives to focus on what they do best with less time spent on time-consuming administrative tasks and meetings.

• Client education: We are engaging our clients in conversations about the value of creativity and the time it requires to ensure more realistic expectations and better outcomes.

Looking ahead

The next decade presents an opportunity for a renaissance in advertising creativity. By leveraging new technologies wisely and reimagining agency structures, we can overcome the challenges highlighted by Michael Farmer’s research. Creativity doesn’t have to decline under the weight of increased deliverables; instead, it can adapt and flourish in new forms.

Let’s talk about your advertising needs… az.oc.yroviynobe@ofni or call us on +27 11 327 6871.