97% of Agencies Say Creativity Fuels Business Impact Amid COVID-19

A Majority of Respondents to 4A's 2021 Impact of Advertising Survey Find That Their Agency's Work Helped Their Clients Gain Market Share During 2020

News provided by

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)

Mar 19, 2021, 10:05 ET

NEW YORK, March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's), a membership-based U.S. trade association for the advertising and marketing communications industry, today revealed the results of its 2021 Impact of Advertising Survey which shows that creativity positively impacted most member agencies' business outcomes and relationships with clients.

"The findings from our 2021 Impact of Advertising Survey show that creative thinking is impacting every aspect of agency business for the better," said Marla Kaplowitz, President & CEO of the 4A's. "From campaign work, to gaining market share, to strengthening client-agency relationships – this prolonged time of crisis has posed its challenges as well as opportunities to learn how to work smarter and make a real impact."

Conducted among 4A's agency members, the survey reported that 97% of respondents find that their agency's work helped their top clients gain market share during 2020.

In addition, the 2021 Impact of Advertising Survey found that:

92% of respondents rated the health of their top agency/client relationships as healthy or very healthy.
Close to 71% of respondents believe their agency campaigns and programs are closely linked to all or the majority of their top clients' business outcomes.
65% of respondents also reported that their agency campaigns and programs helped the majority of their top clients adapt to doing busines during the challenges of 2020.
Over 70% of agencies believe their top clients recognize and acknowledge their contributions to their clients' businesses.

"Seeing a boost in client market share during the past year goes hand in hand with how instrumental agency campaigns have become in supporting business outcomes, a trend that gained significant traction as result of the need for brands to respond to the pandemic," said Kaplowitz.

About the Survey
A total of 102 4A's members from every region throughout the U.S. responded to the survey which was conducted from January 12, 2021 – February 19, 2021. Respondents included agencies of all sizes and specialties, including independent agencies and those part of a holding company.

About the 4A's
The 4A's was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower our members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity. With a focus on advocacy, talent and the value of creativity and technology to drive business growth and cultural change, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A's includes the 4A's Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4A's Foundation, which advocates for and connects multicultural talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.

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SOURCE The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)