The Modern Creative Director (Survey Results, Part 6 - Rating skills importance)
(This is part six of seven questions in the survey. Here's the first question, second question, third question, fourth question and fifth question.)
Oops. I just realized we've got seven questions to ponder in this survey, not six. Lucky you.
So now we're trying to rate the skills needed by modern creative directors. Of all the techniques and disciplines a creative director might possess, which matter more?
Lots of really interesting perspective in the comments (full list after the graphic)...
"The modern creative director needs to be a jack of all trades, but master of none."
"Here are the three most important traits I think any good CD should have: Be decisive. Be selfless. Be passionate... I think most CDs who fail at their job are usually lacking at least two."
"Fluency in many aspects of the creative/communication process is essential. Expertise is great but elusive. Ability to manage, delegate, and lead to the desired common ground is a gift."
Yet, skills might not be enough.
"We are professional content makers who charge a lot for what we make. We are surrounded by a growing ocean of amateur content makers who are giving it away for free. What we make had better be friggin' great or we are not long for this world."
QUESTION #5: Please rate these advertising and marketing skills in terms of their importance to being a modern Creative Director.
66% of respondents felt the "ability to curate" was the most important skill to being a modern creative director. In keeping with the reaction to question #4, 60% of respondents felt "teaching and mentoring" was the second most important skill. "Consumer strategy" was rated the third most important skill, with 58% of respondents rating it "most important" among four options trending from "least" to "most" important.
Here's the graphic:
COMMENTS:
Anonymous comments from respondents to the question, "Please rate these advertising and marketing skills in terms of their importance to being a modern Creative Director." (Respondents were not required to submit a comment to this question.)
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1."I think there are two things I wanted in a creative director that I've tried to be: (a) a really reliable sounding board--not forwarding any agenda, not grinding any particular axe, but just reacting like a consumer and sharing my advice; and (b) trying to smooth the path for people to do and sell their best work--eliminate obstacles by using my title that they may be struggling with. I'm not the smartest one in the room, but I love being in a room of smart people and getting them to work together and appreciate each other. I'm an enabler."
2."A true CD should nurture both the Creatives and the creative. They should guide what is the best work, and come in an defend/support with clients when needed (as well as have a relationship with all clients so they can do so with impact) vs remain writers/art directors/designers. That is why I gave the highest marks to that. They should come from enough experience and success across mediums (this doesn't mean they have to have done all vs understand what makes a good idea in all mediums) and they should be hiring GCD's who can be more medium/media specific, and trust them and empower them."
3."Hire the right people to do the things a CD should know about, but not necessarily do themselves."
4."Ability to integrate elements from the social sciences."
5."need to understand what drives business and clients and how to sell ideas to clients in a relavant way. Much less about code and css much more about ideas and business (probably as it always has been) just more media options now available. Need to be open to all media options and be able to think and coordinate across them all. Still very much about an idea first."
6."Still worth considering "Know How" vs. "Know What" , the benefits of "Balance", and the value of "Experience"."
7."The modern creative director needs to be a jack of all trades, but master of none. They need to be mailable and adaptable to any challenge at hand. The world we work in is a grand science experiment now, everything has changed and is evolving daily. Marketing isn't about word and pictures anymore, its about using the right ideas and techniques to cut through."
8."This part felt too much like a test. I think I want to take it over again."
9."I have no idea what a "tastemaker" is."
10."I would also put user/customer experience on the list of desired skills for a creative director."
11."We are professional content makers who charge a lot for what we make. We are surrounded by a growing ocean of amateur content makers who are giving it away for free. What we make had better be friggin' great or we are not long for this world."
12."Should be strategic: planning and selling ideas. It's his/her job to bottom - up ideas to the VP. Should not need to know HOW to do the work, but how to best make the work strategic and implemented in the market."
13."Here are the three most important traits I think any good CD should have: Be decisive. Be selfless. Be passionate. Work is work. Having a fundamental knowledge of what goes into making a good ad is table stakes. But to really guide work and get people to rally around you and be inspired to dogreat work, you need to have those three characteristics. And I think most CDs who fail at their job are usually lacking at least two."
14."Fluency in many aspects of the creative/communication process is essential. Expertise is great but elusive. Ability to manage, delegate, and lead to the desired common ground is a gift. Each of the above has value and its importance should not be underestimated."
15."In order to be a Creative Director, they MUST have all of the production skills, it's a given."
16."These answers are more reflective of future needs than current abilities. Probably because I work in an older shop that is well behind the curve."
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(I will admit to not being a professional pollster. Only 72 individuals responded to my survey in roughly 72 hours. I used email and Twitter to connect with current CDs, ECDs, CCOs, media planners, account executives, art directors, designers—and even a few client marketers. The process was anonymous, via Survey Monkey. So, perhaps these results are merely the result of 72 monkeys. I can't say for sure.)
Tomorrow we'll wrap this up. Promise.