Although not traditionally valued, creativity is becoming an increasingly important feature of the contemporary workplace. Despite being associated primarily with marketing, if deployed well, it can influence all parts of a successful organisation, from HR to finance, helping achieve wider company goals and shaping culture. And yet, the Creative Director position is a rarity, found only on the most forward-thinking of Boards. Is it time for that to change?
Understanding the value of creativity in business
Creativity has historically been sidelined in business because it is viewed as a softer skill. You can't quantify its potential, as you can with finance and technology; it's as difficult to measure as it is to teach, making creativity seem to be an OK career path for those without ambition but not an area that can bring real worth or generate real money. This view has been shared across the spectrum, from the classroom to the board room, slowly eroding the importance of creative skills. But if used well in business, creativity holds masses of potential.
Creativity can shape a brand when allowed out of the constraints of the marketing team (where creativity is essential) and properly applied throughout a business. Not just differentiating and attention-grabbing in the customer-facing arena, but supporting internal cohesion. So, while we all know that a strong creative influence can help to capture the public imagination and drive a business towards its sales targets, it can also enhance operational performance, strengthen team cohesion and adherence to company values, improve communication across all levels, and usher in positive change in a subtle and non-confrontational manner. And it is the role of the Creative Director to support all of these actions.
What can the Creative Director bring to the Board?
While the Creative Director's role is inextricably linked to brand identity, it's important not to shoehorn the role into the overtly creative aspects of a business, but rather to encourage an ethos of collaboration throughout the company, enabling the Creative Director to influence every aspect of the organisation. This can be difficult to manage – with the inherent territorialism that we often see within the business infrastructure, Directors don't usually appreciate having their work overlooked by another party. But when a business's processes and problems are reviewed through the creative lens, it can bring new ideas to the table, businesses can uncover different ways of doing things, and problems can be tackled in a way that might never have been considered before.
When creativity is used this way, it can impact all aspects of a business. When the Creative Director works in collaboration with the HR Director, you open the potential to enhance employee satisfaction, rejuvenate training and, boost career advancement uptake, reduce absenteeism, and diminish employee churn. This can be achieved through creative approaches to training – introducing a hands-on approach vs reams of reading and listening to lectures, supporting autonomy, and addressing employee wellbeing. You are unlikely to be happy in your work if you're not well in all areas of yourself, so using tools such as meditation sessions and fitness classes can be a great way to improve your employee's commitment to your business.
There's also the potential to enhance communication throughout the business. While GIFs and memes may not be the way to go for every business, they might be considered as a fun way to improve communication within teams, making management feel more accessible. Infographics may be a more formal alternative for some brands. But there's also the option of creating pulse surveys to gather employee feedback and help improve your team's sense of value. Gamification and virtual events are other avenues to explore.
Then, when working with the Finance Director, the Creative Director may bring alternative solutions for meeting targets through a better understanding of the customer and what is needed to convert interest into sales. The Creative Director may also improve product development by bringing this understanding and the ability to find new solutions. In short, there is the potential to apply creativity to all elements of a business, to every problem and every decision, finding new angles to approach a company's operational practices and theoretically making them better. If you haven't already heard the story about the toothpaste company that was able to increase sales by 40% just by "making the hole bigger", this is a perfect example of how a creative solution can benefit all areas of a business, in this case, it was sales.
So, is it time for Creative Directors to take their place on the Board of all businesses?
The perceived value of creativity has increased incrementally with the uptake of social media. Not only has the public shown its appreciation of creative approaches to marketing and creativity through increased brand engagement, but with the proliferation of user-generated content, it is becoming progressively more difficult for brands to make themselves seen – and to be seen in the right way.
With a Creative Director position on the Board, businesses can both improve brand awareness and consumer engagement and make more of the company's values and vision in an arena that is constantly demanding greater transparency. And this can help with a broad range of problems, from driving sales to attracting new talent.
The Creative Director role probably won't become an instant priority for businesses – the core roles that have traditionally taken precedence will still take priority for both startups and established conglomerates. But a growing number of businesses are now switching on to the untapped potential that the appointment of a Creative Director might hold. So, while we're unlikely to see an influx of high-profile Creative Director appointments this year, we will see the beginning of a sea change, bringing improvements for customers, employees, and investors in various sectors.