News from the DMA Creative Committee

By Tony Spong

According to a study in late 2020 by the Open University (OU) 61% of individuals tried a new form of creativity that year, even before the second lockdown of winter 2021 kicked in. Whether painting, sewing, baking or writing, huge numbers of people sought solace in being creative. OU has reported an increase of more than 600% in sign-ups for its creative courses as a result. This is testament to the restorative power of the creative process.

As marketing strategist Kevin Chesters, coauthor of The Creative Nudge, says “People think creativity is a job title and it’s not. You can bring creativity to any field you’re in. You can be a creative lawyer, you can be a creative grandma. Thinking about things in new and interesting ways will just make your life better.” One only has to look back and marvel at those scientists who worked tirelessly to find vaccines to fight COVID-19.

You would be forgiven for thinking everything looks rosy, but that’s not the full picture.

Creative businesses are facing new commercial pressures, with the need to show cold, hard metrics rather than simply letting loose an idea to do the job. Short-termism is winning out at the cost of building a brand over time to entice the next cohort of customers. And these customers have also fired their own warning shots with only a third saying they trust brands in a joint study by Clear Channel and JCDecaux.

This crisis in creativity has generated a lot of column inches over the last couple of years and, like most problems, there is no silver bullet. The DMA Creative Committee aims to do its part in championing the cause by bringing together insights from leading creative lights to give their points of view on the different ways artistry, inventiveness and imagination can be used to rebuild trust and the economy.

They have published these thoughts into a booklet that covers: • The importance of Britain’s creative industries to the economy • Why creativity is in crisis, from funding cuts across the board to a lack of truly representative talent • Strategies for creative and commercial success over the next decade.

You can download your copy here. ●