What Does a Creative Director do in Marketing?
Marketing is the bridge between a company and its customers.
It's the communication channel that helps a company build relationships, establish trust, and create a sense of connection with its audience. Marketing achieves this by using creativity to bring the company to life and make it feel real to customers.
Importance of Creativity in Marketing
Think about how a big brand like Apple exists in your mind. It’s very likely that you see Apple as “a company that produces innovative and elegant technology.” Hypothetically, you could also say that a friend of yours “produces innovative and elegant technology” as well.
Now, think about the barber shop down the street from you. That barber shop has your favorite barber that cuts your hair exactly how you want it done — and your barber is amazing at it.
Notice how you never attribute those great haircuts to the barber shop itself, but instead, you attribute those qualities to the person that cuts your hair. That’s because you likely won’t see your local barber shop as a brand, but rather just a business that happened to house your favorite barber.
Apple’s ability to integrate itself into the community as a member is due in part to its excellent creativity in branding. If Apple were to just release its phone without consideration for how it’s presented, Apple would just be a phone manufacturer with no impact. And removing the branding means removing practically everything: the minimal logo, the space-like color scheme, the iconic wallpapers, aluminum product builds, sleek designs, and so on.
How to Be Creative in Marketing
Know Your Audience
Before you can be creative in marketing, you need to know your target audience. Conduct market research to understand their needs, wants, and pain points, and use this information to inform your creative approach.
This lets you be present in your target audience’s community as someone they can interact with, rather than just someone who provides something when they flash money.
Learn what role your company plays in their lives and how to tailor to that.
Be Curious and Stay Informed
Stay up-to-date with industry trends and innovations, and always be open to new ideas and perspectives. Read, attend events, and network with other marketers to keep your mind open and inspire new ideas.
Just like how another person would stay up to date on the news, your company and its strategy, behaviors, and relationships should stay up to date too.
Collaborate with Others
Collaboration can lead to some of the best creative solutions. Work with other creatives, such as designers, writers, and photographers, to generate new ideas and bring a fresh perspective to your work.
Working with others and allowing their fresh perspectives to be a part of your decision-making is key to growth. But that’s only possible if you’re open about change and aren’t afraid to…
Experiment
Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Marketing is a constantly evolving field, and taking risks can lead to breakthroughs and new opportunities.
Focus on the Customer
Always put the customer first. Consider their needs and how your creative solutions will impact them, and strive to create content that is valuable, relevant, and enjoyable to your target audience.
You should be adapting your strategy constantly to show your creative thinking in marketing. There’s nothing more exciting than a company that always keeps you interested by showcasing new products, features, or discoveries.
Use Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating emotional connections with customers. Use stories to communicate your brand's values, message, and personality, and engage your audience in new and creative ways.
If you feel like your brand can’t tell a story, you’re limiting your thinking to the product you provide. In order to expand that, you should go back and deepen your understanding of your customer. Think about things like why they would want your product, and what your product solves.
Keep it Simple
Sometimes, the most effective creative solutions are the simplest. Focus on creating clean, straightforward, and easy-to-understand content that is accessible to your target audience.
There’s no need to complicate it!
Be Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to creating a strong brand identity. Ensure that your creative solutions align with your brand's overall strategy and messaging, and maintain a consistent look and feel across all your marketing channels.
This is the most important step. Creative thinking in marketing one time is a mistake, creative thinking in marketing constantly makes you an innovator.
What Does a Creative Director do in Marketing?
As a creative director myself, I often hear from clients, “so… what does a creative director do in marketing?” The answer is both simple and complicated.
The short answer is:
A creative director helps implement creative thinking in marketing strategies that makes your brand stand out.
The slightly longer answer is:
It entirely depends on your brand. You may have a creative director that is in charge of building your brand image, or your creative director might be creating content for you.
Regardless, your creative director will teach you the importance of creativity in marketing your brand and help you build out what makes you unique. It takes some creativity, like we see at Apple, to both hook your target audience and keep them engaged.
Conclusion
Marketing is the key to bridging the gap between a company and its customers.
By using creativity to make a company feel real, a company can create a sense of connection, build trust, and establish a sense of community around its brand. This ultimately leads to stronger relationships, higher customer engagement, and increased loyalty.
If you’re looking for a creative director, social media manager, or content creator, I’d be more than happy to offer you a consultation and help you define your goals. I mainly work with brands in tourism and hospitality with a focus on health, the environment, and self-development. However, I love working with all brands that are doing something good for the world and want to be more than just money-makers.
You can learn more about my agency by clicking HERE.
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