A new report from marketing software company Motion, which analyzed over $6 billion in media spend, reveals that creative strategists are becoming increasingly vital in performance marketing.
Privacy protection measures, such as iOS 14’s opt-out feature for user tracking and the integration of AI in ad distribution algorithms, have shifted the focus from targeting-based growth to creative-driven strategies.
According to the report, creative quality is now the most critical driver of ROI for advertising, particularly in social media. This shift occurs as social ad spending reaches $247 billion, outpacing both search and television advertising.
Meta, which accounts for 55% of the social ad market, is a key player in this trend.
However, the report notes that 35% of marketers are not confident in their platform’s ROI, highlighting the need for improved creative strategies.
Creative strategists bridge the gap between media buying and creative teams, combining analytical skills with creative thinking. They focus on developing data-driven creative processes, conducting consumer research, and optimizing creative assets through testing and iteration.
These professionals manage ad spending for companies with revenues exceeding $100 million and work on campaigns for well-known brands such as Hims & Hers, Sunrun, and Hotel Tonight.
Meredith Unger, a Creative Strategist at Tinuiti, stresses the importance of collaboration: “Being a creative strategist is really about getting people with very different mindsets to work together toward a shared goal.”
The report suggests that creative strategists can help marketing teams achieve clearer goals and better performance by providing strategic guidance, fostering collaboration between performance and creative teams, and optimizing campaigns for creativity and performance.
“A billion-dollar brand can afford to focus more on growth, but for a seven-figure company, profitability is key to staying in business,” notes Josh LeGuern, Creative Strategy Lead at Ready Set.
The study also highlights the value of consumer research in creative strategy.
“The first step towards generating ideas that get noticed is research,” says Mark Magdayo, Creative Strategist at True Classic. “It’s crucial.”
Creative strategists are also finding roles in-house at large DTC brands. Motion cites the example of Joanna Wallace, Director of Paid Media Creative at HexClad, who focuses on mentorship and collaboration to create cohesive, successful brand strategies.
Challenges Without Creative Strategists
The report indicates that companies without creative strategists may face unclear direction, misalignment between creative and performance teams, and inefficient workflows, leading to wasted ad spend.
Motion’s research suggests that creative strategists are becoming essential for DTC leaders aiming to remain competitive as creativity becomes more critical to their bottom line.
The full study includes data from Motion’s customer base, comprising prominent advertisers in paid social media, including brands like Vuori, Jones Road Beauty, and Ridge.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
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A new report from marketing software company Motion, which analyzed over $6 billion in media spend, reveals that creative strategists are becoming increasingly vital in performance marketing.
Privacy protection measures, such as iOS 14’s opt-out feature for user tracking and the integration of AI in ad distribution algorithms, have shifted the focus from targeting-based growth to creative-driven strategies.
According to the report, creative quality is now the most critical driver of ROI for advertising, particularly in social media. This shift occurs as social ad spending reaches $247 billion, outpacing both search and television advertising.
Meta, which accounts for 55% of the social ad market, is a key player in this trend.
However, the report notes that 35% of marketers are not confident in their platform’s ROI, highlighting the need for improved creative strategies.
Creative strategists bridge the gap between media buying and creative teams, combining analytical skills with creative thinking. They focus on developing data-driven creative processes, conducting consumer research, and optimizing creative assets through testing and iteration.
Insights from Industry Professionals
The study features insights from six creative strategists working with major direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and agencies.
These professionals manage ad spending for companies with revenues exceeding $100 million and work on campaigns for well-known brands such as Hims & Hers, Sunrun, and Hotel Tonight.
Meredith Unger, a Creative Strategist at Tinuiti, stresses the importance of collaboration: “Being a creative strategist is really about getting people with very different mindsets to work together toward a shared goal.”
The report suggests that creative strategists can help marketing teams achieve clearer goals and better performance by providing strategic guidance, fostering collaboration between performance and creative teams, and optimizing campaigns for creativity and performance.
“A billion-dollar brand can afford to focus more on growth, but for a seven-figure company, profitability is key to staying in business,” notes Josh LeGuern, Creative Strategy Lead at Ready Set.
The study also highlights the value of consumer research in creative strategy.
“The first step towards generating ideas that get noticed is research,” says Mark Magdayo, Creative Strategist at True Classic. “It’s crucial.”
Creative strategists are also finding roles in-house at large DTC brands. Motion cites the example of Joanna Wallace, Director of Paid Media Creative at HexClad, who focuses on mentorship and collaboration to create cohesive, successful brand strategies.
Challenges Without Creative Strategists
The report indicates that companies without creative strategists may face unclear direction, misalignment between creative and performance teams, and inefficient workflows, leading to wasted ad spend.
Motion’s research suggests that creative strategists are becoming essential for DTC leaders aiming to remain competitive as creativity becomes more critical to their bottom line.
The full study includes data from Motion’s customer base, comprising prominent advertisers in paid social media, including brands like Vuori, Jones Road Beauty, and Ridge.