Brand marketers ‘do not take risks’ according to agencies

Agencies think brand marketers are too safe and do not take enough risks with their ad campaigns, according to new research commissioned by Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment. Agency executives say they want clients to be bolder with their marketing, with 66% of the 599 respondents saying brands are less brave today than previously.

Agencies are most sceptical about the state of the marketing industry, with 90% saying campaigns are weaker than they were two years ago.

However, clientside marketers are split 50-50 as to whether brands are more creative or adventurous than before, pointing to a distinct clash of perception between in-house and consultancy teams.

Blue Skies managing director Ben Vickers says: “For a country long recognised for its creativity there is reason to believe that corporate Britain is now becoming more introspective. This survey demonstrates how the diversification of marketing into the digital medium, evident by the rapid growth of the likes of YouTube and Facebook, has communications professionals hedging their bets on their campaign strategies. This is clearly a wake-up call for marketers to seize the moment and get bolder with their output.”

The Blue Skies poll questioned 599 professionals from across the marketing, PR, creative design and account management sectors covering agency, clientside and freelance executives.