During June’s ISBA Creative Evolution Workshop, brand media and in-house creative teams met to discuss marketing’s pressing challenges and opportunities. The central issue was the disconnect between teams within advertisers; while brand teams collaborate with external agencies for standout TV ads, digital teams often feel sidelined, resulting in fragmented execution across channels.

TV’s dominance emerged as a key issue, since it leaves digital marketing work unclear and undervalued. This disconnect is exacerbated by a lack of understanding among top executives about the importance of digital channels, affecting budget allocation and strategic focus.

Brands like Screwfix achieved success with a simple, consistent idea, executed across platforms by a unified team. Their customer-centric approach, focusing on product, price, and convenience, resonated well with their target audience, underscoring the importance of consistency and deep audience understanding.

The workshop emphasized the need for shared goals and continuous education to bridge the gap between media and creative teams. Regular collaboration and co-creation of briefs are necessary for a unified strategy, along with ongoing education on metrics and audience insights. Actionable feedback loops and fostering trust and freedom for creative teams were identified as essential.

In the short term, integrating teams and aligning goals can lead to immediate improvements. Leveraging AI to handle repetitive tasks can free up creative minds for strategic work. Long-term success hinges on changing organizational culture to value digital channels and developing a comprehensive framework for measuring creative effectiveness.

Investing in creative technology remains challenging due to budget constraints and a lack of trust in emerging tools. However, the potential benefits, such as volume optimization, personalization at scale, and efficiency improvements, are significant. Success should be measured by the effectiveness of creatives in achieving campaign goals and the ability to do more with fewer resources.

Looking ahead, the operating model for creative teams is expected to evolve. While originating creative ideas will remain a human endeavor, the future will emphasize personalized, emotionally resonant creative content for specific audience segments.

It’s clear brands need a more integrated approach to digital creative, emphasizing collaboration, continuous education, and strategic use of technology. By addressing these challenges, they can better navigate modern marketing complexities and deliver more effective, cohesive campaigns.

Learn more about what Kepler Creative can do for your brand.