Clients & Creativity 2026

Clients and Creativity 2026

New report by WFA and LIONS reveals the scale of the creativity gap, identifies barriers for greater progress in this area, and outlines the elements of a roadmap for improvement

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Most brands are failing to deliver consistent creative excellence

Clients and Creativity 2026 is a landmark study from WFA and LIONS examining why creative excellence remains out of reach for most global marketers, and what the best brands are doing differently. Based on 160+ senior marketers, 86 brand owners, and $141bn in annual ad spend.

The report uncovers the real barriers to creative excellence, explores where AI is genuinely adding value versus hype, and outlines a practical roadmap for building creativity into the core of your marketing organisation.

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3 in 10

marketers say their teams consistently deliver creative excellence

35%

are using AI to drive better creative results, beyond just efficiency

68%

cite short-termism as a key barrier to creative progress

58%

fear AI is leading to a "sea of creative sameness"

“Brands need to develop systems to codify and scale creativity, use measurement to link it to growth, invest in talent and skills, as well as identify a supporting role for AI that amplifies the work. One reason why AB InBev has been named the Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year for the third time is because the company has already done the hard work and invested in these capabilities across its global marketing teams, embedding creativity as a core business driver."

- Paul Kemp-Robertson, Chief Content Officer at LIONS 

 

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Are brands any closer to delivering consistent creative excellence?

Clients and Creativity 2026 follows up on a 2022 WFA study. 

Clients and Creativity 2022, produced in collaboration with Contagious and The Observatory International, drew on responses from 640 senior marketers across 34 markets to revealed a striking disconnect: while 82% of marketers recognised creativity as their most powerful tool, just 28% regarded it as business critical — and even fewer were doing much about it. Risk-averse cultures, short-term pressure and too many decision makers were holding brands back. The report laid out a practical roadmap for change.

Much has changed since 2022 and so, four years later, we return to the same question.

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