The Measurable ROI of Creativity

We in the ad industry have always professed that the more your advertising entertains, the more likely it will be watched and remembered.

We claimed that “creative” ads did a better job of selling because people were less likely to ignore the message that was being delivered.

We never had any concrete data to prove this. We went by the ratings of the television shows. We looked at quarterly sales and made some educated guesses as to which spots worked and which didn’t.

In today’s ROI-driven world, that ain’t good enough. And the idea that creativity and entertainment actually drives ROI is being challenged. But to understand the power of creativity and entertainment in advertising, to understand its effectiveness, you need only look to YouTube.

The other day, I searched for some spots that the advertising world  considers creatively excellent, and you know what I found? People want to watch good commercials.  They want to see them over and over again.

Don’t believe me? Just check out these data points.

The e*trade baby commercial? 750,000 views.

The Geico caveman at the airport spot? 1.1 million views.

The Apple PC commercial? 1.2 million views.

That’s the kind of exposure companies would pay thousands upon thousands of dollars to achieve. Yet, because their communication is worth watching, because it is rewarding in an emotional sense, they are getting that exposure for free.

I’m no accountant, but I’d say that’s pretty good ROI.

The lesson learned: Creativity matters. It matters to your audience. It matters to your exposure. It matters to your bottom line.

To learn more about how we can help improve your creative product, contact us today.