The Power of Creativity

When it comes to marketing, we have a general rule: creativity is key.

Throughout our more than two decades in the marketing world, we’ve been repeatedly reminded of the importance—and sheer power—of employing creative strategies in advertising. Creativity is what breathes life into brands, allowing products, ideas, and stories to resonate with people in a real way.

When we talk about creativity, we don’t just mean coming up with a cool design or catchy copy, though those things are important, too. What we really mean is thinking creatively, and fostering fresh, out-of-the-box ideas that offer a unique perspective. After all, in an increasingly saturated world of digital marketing, standing out has never been more difficult—or more essential. That’s why a truly breakthrough campaign requires truly breakthrough creativity.

Not only can creativity strengthen your marketing message, it can also help you understand your customer’s point of view, which is critical for success. Plus, creativity can spur new, once unthinkable ideas, which can ultimately lead to exciting opportunities down the road. In short, getting creative is always a good thing.

We know this to be true. As the co-chairs of the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Awards—which honours Canada’s leading marketing campaigns and professionals—we’re responsible for overseeing the judging process. Without a doubt, outstanding creativity is one thing past winners all have in common.

We’ve noticed that winners never shy away from spunk. Being bold, brave, and bright in your creative approach will help you win gold—both at the CMA Awards and in marketing.

Not to mention, several studies have shown that industry-awarded campaigns are significantly more likely to be effective. In fact, A 2020 WARC study looked at over 3700 campaigns over a nine-year period and found that awarded campaigns significantly outperformed non-awarded campaigns in terms of impact and effectiveness – 70%+ higher to be exact. Winning awards means that our work has had impact. In other words, creativity and innovation creates an effectiveness advantage.

The 2021 CMA Awards entries open on May 3, and we strongly encourage all creative minds to apply.

Tune into our Marketing Connected LIVE session with John Wiltshire, CMA’s President and CEO, to hear about updates to the awards program, tips on how to enter, and why Jennifer and Shelley are inspired to support the CMA Awards program and why it’s important for Canadian agencies and marketers to celebrate great marketing campaigns.

Authors: 
Jennifer Carli | Head, North American Brand & Social Media | BMO Bank of Montreal
Shelley Smit | President | UM Canada