2010 Creative Director Survey

Five years since the birth of YouTube, how do current advertising professionals feel about what creative directors do in the digital age?

June - July 2010

📋 OVERVIEW

Everyone agreed the job got harder and nobody agreed on what the job was

Ninety-one percent said the work of the CD in 2010 is more complex than fifteen years prior (when I started my career in advertising). Seventy percent said the job is still fundamentally about leading clients to big ideas, but the definition of “big idea” is nebulous now given the advance of tech. There was a gap between what they said mattered (i.e. ideas, leadership, teaching) and what actually kept them up at night (i.e. the fear they don’t know enough about code, or how to code). Worth noting: “curate,” “teach,” and “mentor” beat every hands-on craft skill in the rankings. And when we divide how a CD should spend the hours of their day, no single skill or task received more than 20%. Nobody could tell you what a CD does all day, only what a CD shouldn’t ignore (i.e. technology). While CD's are not confident about the future, per se, they are very confident about not wanting to be replaced by it.

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⚙️ PROCESS AND LINKS

I used Survey Monkey to solicit anonymous reactions to seven questions from current CDs, ECDs, CCOs, media planners, account executives, art directors, designers—and even a few client marketers. Follow the links to view responses to each.

QUESTION #1: Is the work facing today’s Creative Director more or less complex and chaotic than it was 15 years ago?

QUESTION #2: The primary responsibility of an advertising and marketing Creative Director in 2010 is leading clients towards "big ideas." (Yes or No?)

QUESTION #3: In this day and age, Creative Directors should focus solely on artistic, aesthetic (e.g. “creative”) issues and deliverables. (Agree? Disagree?)

QUESTION #4: Totally on average, how much time should the modern Creative Director spend focusing on the following during a 40 hour work week?

QUESTION #5: Can a Creative Director work entirely within the confines of Technology and still be considered a Creative Director?

QUESTION #6: Please rate these advertising and marketing skills in terms of their importance to being a modern Creative Director.

QUESTION #7: If you're a Creative Director: What skill set do you lack today that is holding you back? (Please illuminate why it's holding you back and what you plan to do about it.) Or, if you work with a Creative Director: What skill set do they lack today which you think is hold them back, and why?