What is the state of creativity for strategists today?
“Only 13% of companies are creatively risk-friendly.”
That headline says a lot about the state of our industry in 2025.
According to The State of Creativity 2025, the latest global research report released by LIONS, creativity is being stifled, not by lack of ambition, but by two critical barriers: insight famine and culture lag.
This annual report, now in its fifth year, is based on insights from over 1,000 marketers and creatives around the world. It offers a sobering snapshot of what’s holding back bold, transformative creative work.
So, what’s Blocking Creative Confidence?
1. Weak Insights:
“51% of brands say their insights are too weak to fuel bold creativity. Only 13% consider their insights strong.”
Insight development is suffering from lack of clarity, inadequate prioritization, and insufficient time. Teams don’t always know what makes an insight actionable, let alone culturally resonant.
Yet, the data is clear: Brands with strong insights are far more open to creative risk-taking, and that’s where the growth is. According to WARC and Kantar, risk-taking brands enjoy 4x higher profit margins, and Deloitte reports a 33% increase in long-term revenue growth for those that embrace creative risk.
2. Lack of Cultural Agility:
“57% of brands struggle to respond to cultural moments in real time.”
Too many layers of approval, too few resources, and misalignment between brand messaging and cultural context are slowing brands down. In 2025, timing is as important as the idea itself. If you miss the moment, you miss the market.
💡Here is what I think Brand and Creative Leaders should do:
For Strategists:
– Build diverse insight teams with deep cultural awareness and an appetite for experimentation.
– Invest in synthetic data and AI tools to uncover patterns and reduce blind spots in consumer understanding.
– Treat insights as a creative catalyst, not a reporting function.
For Creative Leaders:
– Push for leaner approval systems so you can act on real-time opportunities.
– Develop flexible frameworks for fast, brand-aligned content execution.
– Focus on cultural relevance, not just recall. It’s not about chasing trends, but shaping them.
Book a meeting with me here: https://lnkd.in/gfDQ72yY to chat about brave strategy for your brand.
Source: The insights are drawn from The State of Creativity 2025, published by LIONS Advisory.
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