Contrary to the classic marketing "rule of seven," recent research shows that focusing on two to three high-impact, emotionally resonant messages is more effective than mass repetition. In a noisy environment, concentrated, potent creative breaks through where sheer volume fails.
To justify creative budgets to a CFO, translate creative quality into hard metrics. Strong creative increases demand (lowering CAC), boosts retention (increasing LTV), and reduces the risk of costly cultural backlash (cost avoidance), positioning creativity as a core business growth driver.
Shutterstock's data shows a clear distinction between the emotions that build trust versus those that generate buzz. Campaigns aiming for credibility should evoke pride and belonging, tapping into fundamental human needs. Conversely, content designed for virality often succeeds by triggering anger.
While 65.5% of brands have faced backlash for their cultural stances, a staggering 49% admit they struggle to understand why. This points to a severe lack of cultural intelligence, where brands are tone-deaf to their audience or myopically focused on their own message, leading to costly missteps.
Global ad spend has increased by 33%, but its impact on purchase intent has declined by 20%. This widening gap, identified in Shutterstock's research, proves that simply increasing budgets is an ineffective strategy, demanding a shift towards more resonant and culturally aware creative.
59% of creatives believe AI's top benefit is making choices bolder. They hope AI can provide real-time feedback and data-driven gut checks, giving them the evidence needed to convince risk-averse stakeholders to approve more daring creative concepts that might otherwise get watered down.