When Research Meets Creativity: CMA Creativity Council’s Take

Picture this: A creative team shares a new idea for a campaign. It feels bold. It feels new. It feels different from what competitors are doing. The team is excited. You are excited. Everyone in the room feels the energy. Then someone asks, “Has it been tested?”

The mood changes. The talk moves from big ideas to careful thinking. People start asking more questions. More research is requested. More data is gathered. More opinions are shared. A few weeks later, the campaign gets approved. But now, it feels safer.

Many marketers have seen this happen. It helps explain a big question in marketing: Does research make ideas better, or just safer?

During a recent CMA Creativity Council meeting, experts talked about this exact question. The group agreed on one key idea: Research and creativity are not fighting each other. They work best together.

The problem is not choosing one over the other. The real goal is knowing how to use both well.

Access the full article to learn more about how to find the right balance.

Authors:

• Aurelio Diluciano, Senior Vice President, Head of Strategic Growth, Ipsos
• Ryan Taylor, Senior Art Director, BMO BLUE REWARDS

Contributor:

• Ted Doering, Senior Vice President and leader, Creative Excellence, Ipsos