The digital age is driving marketing accountability to new heights.  It is no longer acceptable to admit, “Half of my marketing works, I’m just not sure which half.” CEOs view marketing as a performance-driven function with a set of measurable standards, a pointed focus on return on investment (ROI), and clear lines of accountability. In turn, marketers are more reliant on their agencies and other outsourced partners to help them succeed in a business landscape that has become far more complicated, as well as highly technology- and data-driven.

All of that is forcing a new way to think about creative that goes beyond traditional norms. Instead of devising creative campaigns that focus on a single “killer” idea, chief marketers and agencies must forge high-quality, ongoing initiatives that are flexible, pragmatic, and sustainable over the long haul. This revised approach to creative goes hand-in-hand with the reality that brands must demonstrate the value of every marketing push. Today’s most successful initiatives may have a less immediate “wow” factor, yet they reinforce and build on the brand promise over time.

Adding to the challenge are fundamental shifts in what is viewed as both creative and effective in engaging savvy consumers. CMOs and agencies alike have to rethink traditional ideas about a creative campaign and begin approaching and evaluating their initiatives as opportunities to create ongoing dialogues—sharing of stories—between a brand and its customers.