This Week in Marketing: Creative Clout

By Tequia Burt , Editor in Chief of LinkedIn Ads Blog

“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all,” argued the Maltese physician and commentator Edward de Bono more than 30 years ago. “Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.”

It’s a powerful mantra for marketers to keep in mind, especially in this age of artificial intelligence where repeating patterns can too easily become a … well, repeating pattern. As valuable as generative AI and other intelligent technologies can be, their capabilities are limited to synthesizing and repurposing that which already exists. To create something truly fresh and new, human ingenuity is essential.

Your team’s creative prowess will be among its greatest assets moving forward. There’s a reason that, according to the B2B Marketing Benchmark , nearly nine in 10 CMOs are advocating for bolder, more creative campaigns. This week’s newsletter features plenty of tips on boosting creativity and using it to drive results.

What to Read

B2B Marketers Own 70% of the Buying Journey. Why Aren't They Acting Like It? (MarketingProfs): Reviewing new research on the increasingly self-guided buyer’s journey, Kerry Cunningham of 6sense explains why “early and continuous engagement” from marketing should be a top priority for all brands.

Clicking With B2B Customers: 4 Lessons From B2C Marketing (Chief Marketer): Marqeta CMO Karna Crawford shares why B2C-centric techniques like creative storytelling and hyper-personalization can pay off in B2B.?

Amp Up Your Impact: Creativity Dos and Don'ts for B2B Marketers (LinkedIn for Marketing Blog): Our own Kristen Spillane recently dug into new analysis around drivers of ad performance on LinkedIn, sharing some of the clearest takeaways around what’s working and what’s not from a creativity standpoint.

Here’s How 11 Expert Marketers Define B2B Influencer Marketing (TopRank Marketing): The idea of B2B influence can feel ambiguous. Debbie Friez asked 11 seasoned marketing pros to speak on how they define the practice and what makes it unique.?

Building a B2B Brand: Inside Secrets from 50 CMOs (CMSWire): Kishore Kothandaraman reflects on prevalent themes from his series of interviews with marketing leaders. Strategic differentiation, CEO collaboration and an experimental mindset emerged as key success factors.

What to Watch

Mastercard’s Edge Case: Mastercard’s Breakthrough In B2B

Learn how Mastercard experienced a B2B breakthrough by focusing on distinct and memorable creative in this behind-the-scenes special from the B2B Institute.

What to Know

Mark your calendars now! LinkedIn's Amanda Green will be sharing creative strategies to maximize engagement on LinkedIn during INBOUND 24, and you'll be able to tune in for the livestream even if you can't attend the event.?

The session will take place on Thursday, September 19th at 11:10 AM ET, and you can register here !

Make sure to follow the LinkedIn for Marketing Blog for more insights.