To creativity and beyond | WARC | The Feed

To creativity and beyond

Current industry definitions of creativity are too narrow, according to research from the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA).

CROSSING THE CHASM: How True Creativity Enables Great Leaps in Effectiveness* offers up four new definitions of creativity that have inspired commercially effective campaigns, based on the analysis of Effie Awards Europe winners from 2009 to 2022.

Why it matters

Creativity is a vital ingredient in driving marketing effectiveness but, paradoxically, the definition of creativity has tended to be tightly defined. This research quantifies four new useful definitions of types of creativity that drive effectiveness in different ways. 

Four new definitions of creativity 

1. Persuasive Creativity: rational, informational and persuasion-driven, creating clear value add for brands and strong short-term sales effects.
2. Fame-Building Creativity: a broad reach, emotional, memorable and social approach that drives penetration, efficiently.
3. Experiential Creativity: a digital-first and tech-driven building of brand ecosystems, engaging people at the right time, in the right place, in new ways. With the benefits of driving share of wallet and value sales.
4. Market-Building Creativity: a more profound approach creating new behaviours, activating new audiences, and forming new occasions. The most impactful in the long term with the greatest effect on profit.

*Crossing The Chasm is a white paper by EACA and Effie Awards Europe, produced in collaboration with The Effectiveness Partnership.