Creativity in advertising is often overlooked. Especially with so many tools out there making advertising quick and easy. Creative ideas can be seen as just an artistic endeavour. Instead, we should be thinking about them as a strategic investment that, when done right, delivers serious ROI.
Why Creative Work Matters
In today’s tough job market, the default response to recruitment challenges can be to pour more money into response-based channels such as job boards, in the hope bigger budgets will secure better results. While effective to some extent, this approach overlooks the impact that creative advertising can have.
It might initially seem like a frivolous expense, much like splurging on a mediocre bottle of champagne in a nightclub. However, investing in creative ideas is more akin to renovating your home before selling it—an investment that enhances performance and ultimately pays for itself.
When we think of it that way it starts to feel like something we need to do right? With a bit of effort, a vision and investment in time you could be seeing better applications and significant savings in advertising budgets. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth. We don’t all have Superbowl sized ad budgets after all.
I hear you, seeing is believing
Let me share the story of DPD. Unsurprisingly they focus heavily on ROI, and they didn’t see creative spend as having an immediate return. So, we took them on a journey and within 9 months they were witnessing outstanding results.
We began our collaboration by gradually introducing creative campaigns. Our first step was a campaign called “30,000 reasons,” which was grounded in honesty (and a little humour), which focused on what DPD Drivers loved about their jobs. The campaign resonated well with the audience and achieved impressive results. Results that convinced them of the power creative advertising had.
Building on this success, we introduced a new campaign, “The Van-Do Attitude”. This was the idea that with your van by your side, anything is possible.
Utilising video to maximize the impact across various media channels the campaign managed exceptional click-through rates, allowing DPD to reduce their media spend. Remarkably, the campaign has performed so well that the money DPD spent on creative work has paid for itself, resulting in continued monthly savings in media spend. Oh, and their driver deficit reduced by 80% too.
With a strong creative platform in place, the next step is to keep the content fresh and relevant. This year, we’re planning updates around some significant events in the year.
Beyond DPD
DPD’s story is not an isolated case. We’ve helped other employers achieve similar successes. For instance, our employer branding projects have saved clients over £500,000 in recruitment and agency costs. Even smaller campaigns, requiring a small amount of creative work, have produced notable improvements in application quality and reduction in their advertising costs, all through the power of creative campaigns.
Creativity Works
The success of DPD and other clients illustrates that creative advertising is a powerful tool. It’s not just about being honest, human, and humorous—it’s about making a smart investment that pays for itself and more. By shifting focus from just spending more on media to investment in creative advertising, companies can achieve remarkable results even with modest budgets.
Liam Hodgeon
Creative Director, Creed Comms
