Why Is There So Much Content And So Little Creativity?

Churning out content doesn’t give you a competitive advantage. Anyone can do it, especially if they know how to use AI resources. So what can help your marketing communications stand out in a sea of sameness?

Creativity.

This has always been the case in marketing. Back when brands created magazine campaigns or entertaining TV and radio commercials, creativity was the big differentiator. It got the audience’s attention, evoked some kind of emotion, lodged briefly in a person’s memory, enhanced a brand’s image, and occasionally prompted action.

The good news is, creativity can still be used in today’s content-focused world. Whether in advertising, websites and blog posts, email marketing, or social media, great creative ideas can give any brand a powerful advantage.

But there’s a big problem: creativity is hard.

When I was an ad agency copywriter, I used to sit in a room with an art director partner for hours a day trying to come up with great ideas. We would put our ideas up on a corkboard wall. Every 50 ideas we put on the wall might yield 5 good ones.

Moreover, I’ve worked with dozens of writers, art directors and graphic designers. All of them were talented, but not all had the ability to generate conceptual ideas. They might be brilliant writers and designers, but generating a conceptual idea in the form of a print ad or commercial wasn’t in their wheelhouse.

Coming up with a creative marketing idea (like for an ad or a commercial) is a specialized skill. It’s a lot like writing a joke. It could be a one-liner, a setup and payoff, a visual gag, or a combination. It can be funny or sad or just clever and interesting. Today, I see a lot of clever memes on social media. They get my attention, then make me laugh or nod my head. Because they are creative. More brands should pursue this style of messaging on social media.

So what happened to creativity in marketing?

Over the past 15 years, there’s been a tremendous shift toward SEO content, as if getting noticed were the same thing as getting attention.

It’s not. Creative ideas cause people to shift out of autopilot and consider what you are saying. Then, if you can make a person feel emotion, they might get drawn in deeper and/or remember you.

Creativity is not only still possible in marketing, it makes logical sense. Content is abundant. Attention is scarce. Creativity can transform a marketing program and increase ROI. In fact, according to an article in MarketingDive:

Brands that take creative risks generate four times higher profit margins than those that don’t, per WARC and Kantar. Additionally, brands with an appetite for creative risk are 33% more likely to see long-term revenue growth, according to Deloitte.

In that same article, they cite the 2025 State of Creativity report from Lions that says only 13% of brand marketers and creatives view their companies as “risk-friendly” when it comes to creativity. This is likely due in part to a lack of confidence in customer insights.

It's been this way for decades. Marketers and creative agencies often have a difficult time predicting how their customers might react to a highly creative idea or bold message. That’s why you have to remember that customers are humans, the people who live in your neighborhood, see at a school play, cheer for the same sports teams.

Simply understand what their needs are and the emotions associated with those needs. Then be clever and empathetic.

9 Steps Toward Adding Creativity To Your Marketing

1.     Attract great talent. The way to get more creativity into your marketing is the same as it has always been: Hire people with creative minds. Then train them in the crafts of writing, art direction or filmmaking, which can take time. (I was an agency copywriter for six years before I felt like I was good.) Or you can hire trained craftspeople (like me) or a creative agency (I can recommend some).

2.     Don’t crank out the content. Be intentional. Make each social post count. Give creative people enough time. Creativity doesn’t come with a faucet or a switch. You have to get warmed up and into a conceptual mindset.

3.     Clearly define the parameters for each marketing campaign, social post or email. Creative people don’t like total freedom. They are like kids with ADHD; they need you to help them focus.

4.     Develop a storytelling plan. It’s helpful to see the big picture as well as how every messaging iteration fits into the story/plan. Consider adding an emotional journey overlay to whatever marketing plan or funnels you may have.

5.     Know your audience members. Develop robust personas, so your creatives can put themselves into a customer’s shoes. Make sure you include all of the emotional states each customer might experience.

6.     Make your customer the hero. For your brand to truly stand out, your messaging should be human-first, creative and relevant to the lives of your audience members. Your customer is the main character of the story; your brand is their guide.

7.     Great ideas have legs. If you develop a series of creative messaging ideas that address the emotional states and needs/pain points of a customer, you can oftentimes use each message across platforms. For example, a creative headline for a digital ad might also be used in a social post, blog post and an email.

8.     Keep it simple. Remember that people are exposed to thousands of marketing messages every day. No matter how clever you are, it’s important to make sure your messages are easy to understand.

9.     Don’t be afraid to be creative. Putting creative marketing ideas out into the public eye can induce the same kind of fear as public speaking or doing standup comedy. Don’t worry if people don’t laugh or clap or tear up. If you focus on communicating to the specific needs of your audience with empathy, a clever idea will usually connect.

Here’s your opportunity.

Think back to yesterday. What ads did you see? What content did you scroll past? Can you remember anything?

Chances are, you can’t. Most marketing vanishes instantly because it’s predictable, formulaic, and forgettable. It doesn’t disrupt autopilot or provoke an emotion—so it never really lands.

This is a good thing, especially if you embrace creativity in your marketing program and your competitors don’t.

Source: Marketing Dive