What’s holding back brilliant ideas?

At WFA, we always looking for ways to help our members push the boundaries of creativity and drive innovation in their marketing efforts.

The BetterIdeas Project, an in-depth look at the creative evaluation process in today’s marketing industry, launched in partnership with partnership with BetterBriefs and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), reveals a host of new barriers preventing ideas from reaching their full potential. In partnership with BetterBriefs and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), we helped launch the BetterIdeas Project, an in-depth look at the creative evaluation process in today’s marketing industry.

The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 marketing professionals across 54 countries , reveals critical insights into how ideas are evaluated – and why so many great ideas fail to make it past the approval stage.

Why strong ideas aren’t getting through

The research shows that while nearly 76% of marketers and 91% of creative agencies agree that great ideas are essential to success, most marketers and agencies feel the creative process is broken. Here’s why:

1. The approval process is slow and subjective: one of the most common frustrations voiced by participants was the approval process. Described as "painful," "slow" and "subjective," the process forces agencies to go through multiple rounds of revisions (on average, five) just to get a project approved. This doesn’t just delay timelines –it stifles creativity and wastes resources;
2. The feedback gap: agencies also reported receiving unclear or inconsistent feedback from marketers. Only 30% of agencies feel they get clear, constructive feedback, while a significant 70% are left in the dark about what exactly needs to change. This lack of direction leads to rework and missed opportunities;
3. Pride in work is low: creative professionals are disheartened. Less than a third of marketers and just a quarter of agencies feel proud of the work they produce. The lack of pride is reflected in the fact that half of marketers and three-quarters of agencies feel the overall quality of creative work has stagnated over time.

To dig deeper, we recently hosted a webinar featuring BetterBriefs co-founders Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler. The key takeaways that emerged were the importance of briefing, the power of constructive feedback and the importance of trust.

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve the creative process is to start with a solid, single-minded brief. Yet, the study found that only 23% of agencies and 15% of marketers consistently use briefs to evaluate ideas. A clear, focused brief helps guide the creative process and gives everyone involved a shared understanding of what success looks like.

Both marketers and agencies highlighted the importance of constructive feedback that isn’t based on personal opinions. When feedback is vague or subjective, it leads to wasted time and frustration. To improve results, feedback needs to be specific, actionable and aligned with the creative brief.

Finally, agencies thrive when they feel trusted and empowered by marketers. When marketers inspire their agencies to do their best work, the outcome is not only better work but also greater pride in that work. Marketers who build trust and inspire creativity see higher levels of satisfaction with the final results.

What needs to change?

The BetterIdeas Project makes it clear that current creative evaluation processes are holding back the potential of marketing teams. But the good news is that change is possible. Three key steps that brand owners and agencies can take are:

• Set clear and actionable briefs: invest the time upfront to create comprehensive briefs that are aligned with your business objectives. This can significantly improve the quality of creative work and reduce the need for multiple rounds of revisions;
• Improve feedback practices: provide feedback that is specific, constructive and aligned with your brief. Avoid vague comments like “I don’t like it” or “Make it pop.” Focus on how the work can better meet the strategy and objectives outlined in the brief;
• Foster trust and collaboration: trust your agencies to do their best work and give them the space and creative freedom to bring their ideas to life. Agencies that feel trusted are more likely to produce innovative, high-quality work that drives results.

Moving Forward

We believe that creativity is the backbone of effective marketing. But for that creativity to thrive, we must refine the processes that surround it. The BetterIdeas Project identifies a roadmap for improving the creative process, starting with better briefs, clearer feedback, and a stronger sense of trust and collaboration between marketers and agencies.

Creativity is the key to growth –and it’s time we give it the tools it needs to flourish by reforming the creative evaluation process for better results.