Attention grabbing
One of the biggest benefits of creativity is that it helps capture attention. In today’s age of information overload, it can be difficult to get people to stop and take notice of your brand. However, a creative marketing campaign can really make you stand out. There are plenty of great creativity examples where the campaign jumps out and grabs your attention; what about Brew Dog’s edgy, in-your-face campaigns? Like them or loathe them, they certainly pack a punch and demand your attention.
Desirable
Using creativity is also a great way to make your product seemingly irresistible. I can still remember seeing the iPod tv commercial and billboards from 2003, the ones with the dancing silhouettes. Wow, those ads made me want an iPod. I wasn’t sure when I would use it, but I was sure that I needed one! The creative design of these ads was fresh, bold, and exciting. Not only did they grab your attention, but they portrayed the iPod as cool. Ditch the talk about megabytes or connectivity, just hip people digging their favourite tunes – brilliant.
Memorable
Creativity can also showcase your brand’s personality and help to build strong brand recognition. By creating a unique and memorable marketing campaign, you can differentiate your brand from your competitors and build a loyal customer base. Who could forget the first time you encountered the ‘Compare the Market’ meerkat campaign? They achieved fantastic brand recall from a very creative idea.
Emotional connection
One of the most powerful attributes creativity can bring to a campaign is an emotional connection with your audience. This is possibly my favourite use of creativity within marketing and is a great tool to bring your brand values to life. When people feel emotionally connected to a brand, they are more likely to engage. We all know the impact the 2011 John Lewis Christmas campaign had, it revolutionised the way adverts were used to sell, instead of selling products, this advert sold a feeling / an emotion. It’s fair to say that this approach has been copied and is now a staple of the genre especially at Christmas, but like a dog, creative storytelling can be for life, not just for Christmas.
As you can see, by thinking outside the box and embracing creativity, you can create a campaign that sets your brand apart and resonates with your target audience. Creativity is what makes us human.
Expanding creative horizons
When we hear discussions about the use of creativity in marketing, more often than not we end up discussing advertising. It’s a simple trap to fall into, after all, advertising is the golden child of marketing, the one that is the most visible, claims the awards and industry accolades. But marketing is so much more than advertising and creativity can play a part in all-manner of activities. We all know that the marketing department has a finger in many pies. I’m sure you’ll relate to many of these activities: websites, brochures and catalogues, PR, customer loyalty, training, reward & recognition, CSR activities and employee engagement schemes. The list goes on and I’m sure I’ve missed a few too!
And it’s not just in the visuals where creativity can have a positive effect. Copywriting plays a huge part in any campaign, injecting some creativity can elevate bland copy to help it stand out from the crowd. Getting creative early in the process can pay dividends in achieving an outcome that’s highly effective and memorable. Most guerrilla marketing efforts stem from creative brainstorming early in the process and these creative efforts are easily amplified through social media.
Adaptability is an essential attribute that underpins creativity. As circumstances change and new challenges arise, the capacity to adjust, learn, and evolve becomes crucial. We possess a remarkable ability to adapt our thinking, skills, and approaches in response to shifting landscapes enabling continuous innovation.
The future
In the new era of AI, creativity has emerged as a valuable and indispensable asset, providing us with a distinct competitive advantage. While AI undoubtedly boasts immense computational power and the ability to process vast amounts of data, it remains incapable of replicating the unique qualities inherent in the human mind. The human perspective, intuition, and creativity that stem
from our rich tapestry of experiences, expertise, and empathy cannot easily be mimicked or reproduced by artificial intelligence.
One of the limitations of AI lies in its inability to cultivate the essential soft skills necessary for creativity and innovation. Problem-solving, involves navigating complex challenges and identifying alternative solutions enabling us to approach problems from diverse angles and generate novel insights. These cognitive abilities go beyond mere data processing and require the integration of knowledge, reasoning, and intuition.
Creativity in marketing is ultimately about finding new and exciting ways to communicate a brand’s message that resonates with its target audience and generates the desired outcomes, such as increased brand awareness, engagement, and sales.