Creativity is contagious but so is data
Hey – Rob here.
I've been re-organising my strategy swipe file recently (available for Salmon Crew members, currently I think it has about 1,500 things in there?), and in the process it's good to resurface the really useful bits.
Because I'm also in 2026 preparations mode, I'm in taking stock mode. And so I wanted to bring a couple things to help you take stock as well:
A data pack on the power and perils of creativity in marketing
A special deal for Most Contagious, which happens next week
Let's actually start with the deal.
See you at Most Contagious?
The fine folks at Contagious (former consulting client!) have given me an exclusive discount for readers of the Salmon Labs Newsletter, so here I am bringing it to you. How it works is quite simple:
Buy a Classic Pass
Add "SALMONCONTAGIOUS25" at checkout
You get it for £400 (previously £550)
I'll be there all day, so if you are going, let me know so we can meet up. We can share industry gossip and be secretly envious about all the work.
Now, let's talk about data and creativity. Two things you don't think should belong together, alas we live in a rationalisation world so there we go.
Data pack to help your ideas pack more punch
Look, the premise of this is quite simple. I know creativity delivers commercial results. You know creativity delivers commercial results. But every now and then, we need to go beyond "trust me on this yeah?".
So, I collected a few of my favourite data points to help paint a picture for the more rationally, numerically and statistically minded among us. This is, in the end, all but a game of maximising probabilities of success.
In some sense, what I'm saying is that data can be contagious too, because this is the stuff we should be more adept at passing on to our clients and colleagues whenever people get funny about "that weird idea we got".
Anyway. There's no master thesis beyond: this stuff broadly works. Just pick and choose the data points that make help you best make that case.
The value of creativity
65% of marketers say they're more focused on increasing the creative quality of their work (Marketing Week / Kantar / Google)
Creativity multiplies advertising profitability by 12x (Accelero)
Breaking category conventions creates +21% more branded attention (Effies / Ipsos)
Brands with high cultural relevance grow 6x more (Kantar)
Culturally salient brands grow +110% more (TWSC / IPA)
Brands with high cultural resonance grow +25% more (The Marketing Arm)
High performing creative work uses distinctive assets +34% more often (JKR / Ipsos)
Small brands who produce entertaining and clearly branded ads and content grow brand awareness by +101% (System1 / TikTok)
Large brands who produce entertaining and clearly branded ads and content grow brand awareness by +57% (System1 / TikTok)
Small brands who produce entertaining and clearly branded ads and content grow brand image by +411% (System1 / TikTok)
Large brands who produce entertaining and clearly branded ads and content grow brand image by +133% (System1 / TikTok)
The value of consistency
99.9% of campaigns don't wear out (System1 / Analytic Partners)
Creatively consistent brands grow +25% market share (System1 / IPA)
Creatively consistent brands grow +206% sales value (System1 / IPA)
Creatively consistent brands grow +25% profit (System1 / IPA)
The value of credibility
Campaigns with a customer promise are +47% more likely to build healthier brands (WARC / B2B Institute / Roger Martin)
Campaigns with a customer promise are +59% more likely to grow market share (WARC / B2B Institute / Roger Martin)
Campaigns with a customer promise are +18% more likely to grow market penetration (WARC / B2B Institute / Roger Martin)
The value of integration
38% of sales outcomes are driven by media attention, such as viewable impressions, attentive impressions (Realeyes Attentive Reach Report, Nielsen Catalina Solutions)
47% of sales outcomes are driven by creative attention, e.g. noticeability, memorability (Realeyes Attentive Reach Report, Nielsen Catalina Solutions)
The remaining 15% is driven by brand size (Realeyes Attentive Reach Report, Nielsen Catalina Solutions)
The danger zones of hell
65% of brand assets are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
46% of products are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
59% of logos are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
60% of brand mascots are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
80% of brand colours are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
81% of brand slogans are forgettable (JKR / Ipsos)
85% of advertising spend supports forgettable work (JKR / Ipsos)
That's all I've got for you today. Hope the above is useful. It's funny how we have now more data to confirm the things many smart folks in the industry already knew to be true. So let's weaponise it as best we can.
Oh, one last thing...
Data is contagious but so is creativity
One last reminder that Contagious have given me an exclusive discount for readers of the Salmon Labs Newsletter. How it works is quite simple:
Buy a Classic Pass
Add "SALMONCONTAGIOUS25" at checkout
You get it for £400 (previously £550)
Hit me up if you're coming to Most Contagious. Would be great to grab a coffee and swap notes on this crazy thing we call the advertising industry.
Keep swimming,
Rob
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