HOW TO GET Better Creative FROM Better Insights BY THE ARF CREATIVE COUNCIL, DECEMBER 2019 How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 2 This paper was produced Michael Joffe, Principal Editor SPECIAL THANKS TO . Google, Global Brand Product Strategy through the collective Advertiser Perceptions for its co- efforts ofthe ARF Creative Barb Murrer sponsorship of the survey among members Council Working Group Levi Strauss & Co., Vice President, of the creative and strategy communities Marketplace Insights & ARF Chairperson on New Research Belle Frank, for her promotion of the survey Guidelines: Mila Fang Xia within the agency community Facebook, Creative Researcher Andy Smith, Chair Flowers Foods, VP Consumer Insights Mark Truss, Co-Chair Others who made Wunderman Thompson, significant contributions Global Director of Brand Intelligence to this volume: Maris Cohen, Principal Author Virginia deGuzman NCSolutions, Content Marketing Director Creative, The NPD Group Margaret Coles, Justin Fromm Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Assoc. VP, Business Intelligence, Partner, Head of Research, Data & Analytics Advertiser Perceptions Eldaa Daily Philip Perry Ameritest, Research Director Content Manager, ARF Belle Frank Mi Hui Pak VMLY&R, Chief Strategy Officer, Director, ARF Knowledge Center Global Health Practice Jay Mattlin Pedr Howard Director, ARF Council Program Ipsos, SVP, Creative Excellence, Paul Donato Ann Green, Analysis Lead ARF Chief Research Officer Kantar SVP, Client Team Leader Six independent senior industry reviewers How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 3 In an effort to help bridge the gap kinds of research and data that are valued, between the research/data and creative/ how they are communicated, and how Abstract strategy communities within the they are applied. This report describes advertising industry, the ARF Creative three key sets of issues identified in Council conducted a quantitative and this research that lie at the root of the qualitative research project to better differences between researchers and understand the differences between and creatives/strategists — language, trust, within those communities in the ways they and systems. It also recommends concrete perceive the value of research and data in steps to overcome those issues through the creative process. The results of that developing a baseline understanding, research suggest that all communities aligning on goals and processes and value research and data in the creative improving communication. process, but they tend to differ on the How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 4 Our advertising industry is in a state marketers, and strategic planners. of transition: consumer behavior is And when research does not offer true How to fragmented, channels have multiplied, insights — when it is not used effectively and we’re living in an information golden — researchers’ efforts and creative quality Get Better age where data abounds. Yet, despite do not reach their full potential. the plethora of data and research at our Creative fingertips, driving growth from advertising To be more effective and impactful as an with breakthrough creative remains a industry, we must identify and correct challenge. To achieve growth, research some of the problems around how we use from Better has shown that creative quality must data and research to inform the creative be a priority; to get more growth from process. That’s why the ARF’s Creative Insights advertising, better creative is vital. And Council came together to interview and better creative depends on strong, trusted, survey marketers, creatives, researchers, and well-communicated data, research, and strategic planners on their attitudes and insights. toward and experience with data and research in the creative process. One might expect the recent data explosion to yield greater and deeper Our findings suggest that the biggest insights, empowering collaboration barriers to the effective use of insights between researchers and creatives. revolve around language, trust and system Unfortunately, this has not been the issues. Read on for a deep dive on these case. We often hear that the use of issues, plus recommendations you can research and data in the creative pilot in your own organizations to bridge process causes creative teams to feel silos, improve collaboration between disenfranchised, breeding tension between teams, and fuel more powerful creative. creatives, researchers, How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 5 NOTE ON RESEARCHERS TERMINOLOGY Are those who work in research, insights, and data science roles primarily at ARF Most of the analysis presented here is member companies. based on comparisons between three groups — researchers, creatives/strategic OTHERS planners, and others. These groups are Include those who do not work in defined as follows: research, insights, data science, creative, or strategic planning roles. Most of them CREATIVES are employed in marketing, sales, account Work in creative roles at agencies management, and corporate management and brands, primarily at non-ARF roles at research and analytics companies member companies. and agencies. STRATEGIC PLANNERS Work in strategic planning roles at agencies and brands at both ARF- member companies and non-ARF member companies. How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 6 There is one thing players across the advertising industry can agree on — “OVERALL, WE WANT TO Whew! At research, data, and insights are critical PUSH OUR CREATIVE TO to getting to great creative. Across WORK HARDER THAN Least We marketers, creatives, researchers, and EVER BEFORE, AND strategic planners, our survey results demonstrate research and data are THAT MEANS HAVING All Agree: valuable to all industry groups, with at STRATEGIES LED BY least 65 percent of respondents across all RESEARCH AND DATA.” Insights cohorts finding research and data to be — Researcher Are Really important in the creative process. “THE BEST CREATIVE “FROM DATA COMES Important COMES FROM THE BEST TRUTHS, FROM TRUTHS INSIGHTS.” — Creative CAN COME GREAT CREATIVE.” — Creative Creatives and researchers alike agree that “INSIGHTS ARE LIKE understanding and feeling connected GOLD. GOOD INSIGHTS to a target audience and to a brand’s LEAD TO GREAT perceived position in the marketplace CREATIVE, WHICH are crucial to creation. However, the LEADS TO GREAT process by which we use data, research RESULTS. IT’S THE MOST and insights in creative development VALUABLE WORK WE is problematic. The following are three primary challenges we’ve identified in our CAN HAVE.” — Creative interviews and surveys, which we believe can be addressed through improving communication between partners. How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 7 These challenges become more apparent process, compared to 65 percent of when comparing the value placed on creatives and strategic planners. research and data across different groups in the advertising community. Perhaps How do members of the advertising unsurprisingly, the survey findings show community even define research, that researchers place greater importance data, and insights? Our interviews on research and data in the creative suggested a need for alignment on process than do creatives and strategists: what these terms mean and room for 85 percent of researchers found research improvement in how they are employed and data to be important in the creative in creative development. HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK RESEARCH AND DATA SHOULD BE IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS? (TOP 2 BOX 6-POINT SCALE) RESEARCHER 84 % OTHER 83 % CREATIVE/ STRATEGIC PLANNER 65 % MR FIRM 86 % NON-MR FIRM 84 % How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 8 FINDING 1 One pattern that arose in our interviews Copy testing also came up as a term with and surveys is the absence of agreement differing interpretations, corresponding to on the use of research terms. Certain the diverging ways it is used. definitions of insights are broader Say What?! than others, for example, while some practitioners use the terms “data” and “insights’ interchangeably. “SOME THINK OF COPY We’re NOT TESTING AS PROOF THAT YOU CAN CASH THAT CHECK, Speaking “THE WORD ‘INSIGHT’ TO MAKE SURE THAT THE IS VERY MISUSED CREATIVE DOESN’T BOMB. the Same AND MISUNDERSTOOD. ON THE OTHER EXTREME, THERE ARE LOTS SOME REGARD IT AS A TOOL OF OBSERVATIONS FOR EXPLAINING ‘THE WHY’ Language DRESSED UP AS OR USE IT TO INFORM THEIR INSIGHTS.” NEXT CAMPAIGN. AND SOME Here — Strategic Planner DO IN-MARKET TESTING AND CALL IT COPY TESTING.” — Researcher “INSIGHTS’ ARE TOO GENERIC, AND NOT POINTED ENOUGH TO “SOMETIMES CREATIVES PROVOKE PROVOCATIVE ARE IN THE ROOM CREATIVE.” — Creative WHEN COPY TESTING IS DISCUSSED, BUT THERE ARE ALSO CLIENTS WHO USE IT AS A REPORT CARD.” — Researcher How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights | 9 There were major discrepancies This discrepancy may relate to the lack between creatives/strategic planners of agreement across the industry on the and researchers in perceptions of use of copy testing. Is it a diagnostic tool, the helpfulness of copy testing, in a development tool, or a decision- developing core creative concepts making tool? and assets, with researchers placing far greater value in copy testing than their creative counterparts. HOW VALUABLE WOULD YOU SAY COPY TESTING IS IN HELPING TO DEVELOP ... (TOP 2 BOX 6-POINT SCALE) Actual creative assets Core creative concepts of an ad campaign RESEARCHER 75 % 65 % OTHER 65 % 63 % CREATIVE/ 44 % STRATEGIC PLANNER