The WARC Podcast New research: the state of creativity in 2025
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May 29, 2025 Annie Smith, Director of Insights and Intelligence at LIONS Advisory, and Natalia Ball, Global Chief Growth Officer at Mars Pet Nutrition, delve into the shifting landscape of creativity in marketing. They highlight the growing risk aversion among brands and the need for stronger insights to spark innovation. The discussion includes tackling barriers to creativity and embracing bold strategies for growth. They also explore how ambitious goals can inspire teams to take creative risks, ultimately boosting brand engagement and effectiveness in a fragmented media landscape.
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Creative Confidence Declines in 2025
- Creative confidence has declined despite slight optimism in business outcomes and marketing budgets for 2025.
- Most brands exhibit risk aversion, hindering bold, unconventional ideas that challenge norms.
Insight Famine Hinders Creativity
- The biggest barrier to creativity is an "insight famine" caused by a skills gap in deriving quality insights.
- Companies with better insight capabilities embrace creative risk-taking and produce more impactful work.
Cultural Agility Is Critical
- Cultural agility—the ability to quickly react to cultural moments—is a key challenge.
- Complex approval processes kill momentum, making it hard for brands to respond organically and effectively.