Marketing is nothing without creativity. Consumers don’t want to see bland facts and figures or dry statements proclaiming that your product is the best. It is the creativity of a marketing message, graphic, video, that makes a brand stand out from the ever-growing crowd. The clever use of words, bold images, amusing or eye-catching videos, those are the elements that bring a marketing concept across and entice customers.

We’re looking at the impact of creatives on marketing and the importance of data-crunchers and artists working together.

Marketing begins with data

Buyer personas, demographics, surveys, metadata…good marketing begins with crunching numbers and looking at patterns. Reading, understanding your audience, and pulling together data aren’t glamorous, but analysis forms the structure of your marketing efforts.

Your consumers aren’t going to be captured by the raw data you’re working with, however. The human element of your message is what attracts them, and that’s where creatives come in.

The copywriter

The copywriter’s job is to take that data that’s the basis for your marketing campaign and turn it into something accessible to consumers. Numbers, facts, and jargon get turned into a story that will catch someone’s attention or pull on their emotions.

Brilliant copywriting is usually concise, catchy, memorable, or plays on current events, and most of all, it’s creative.

Here’s a fun example:

In 2016, Norwegian Air, a low-cost airline capitalised on the much talked about break up of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. To advertise their low fares to Los Angeles, their creative copy simply read: “Brad is single.”

The graphic designer

The graphic designer takes the data, and the story created by the copywriter and shapes everything into a beautiful, eye-catching presentation.

Numbers and complicated concepts can become easy to understand at a glance infographics in your graphic designer’s hands. Designers handle the look and feel of your message.

Photographer/videographer

The old adage is that a photo is worth 1000 words. The relationship between consumers and text online reinforces that age-old notion. Simply put, people don’t read very much on the internet. On average, web users read just 20% of the words on a webpage. In your marketing efforts, you know that the visual element is crucial. Your graphic designer is part of the visual equation, but depending on the project, you might also want to engage a photographer. Photos are compelling.

Sportswear brand Nike employed a close-up, black and white photo of American footballer Colin Kapernick to make a social justice stand. The powerful photo of Kapernick was captioned, “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything.” While it might not have resonated with everyone, the image struck a chord with Nike’s core audience, and they gained US$6 million in market value.  

Videos are another creative element that adds significant value. According to HubSpot, in 2018, 54% of consumers said they wanted to see videos from brands they support. Cisco estimates that by 2022, video traffic will make up 82% of all internet traffic worldwide.

Images and video tell stories, elicit emotion, capture a sense of atmosphere.

A survey done by Databox showed that 60% of marketers polled said video tends to drive more engagement on Facebook.

The bottom line is: creatives are important.

While data and goals are the brains of your marketing operation, your creative element is the soul.

The brains and the soul need to work in tandem.

Creatives are vital in taking data and turning it into something understandable, engaging and memorable. Consider including them early on in the campaign planning process rather than as an add-on at the end.

After hearing your goals and the data driving your plans, a copywriter, designer or videographer can share their creative input on how to meet those goals.

Don’t have data and creativity in silos.

Sources: Oberlo, HubSpot, Databox, WordStream, The Balance, Digital