The Creative Group Survey: Most Advertising/Marketing Executives Find Keeping Current on New Social Media Trends Demanding

MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media provides new channels to marketers but staying current on developments takes some legwork, a new survey by The Creative Group confirms. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said it's at least somewhat challenging to keep up with social media trends. According to 23 percent of respondents, the best resource for staying up to speed on this topic is conferences or seminars. Attending networking events or industry association meetings was the second most common response, cited by 18 percent of those polled.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "How challenging is it for you to stay current on social media trends?" Their responses:

Advertising and marketing executives also were asked, "What do you consider the single best resource for staying current on social media trends?" Their top responses included:

"Marketing has always been a field with a constant learning curve, but the shifts taking place today are occurring more quickly, making it especially challenging to keep pace," said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group.

Added Farrugia, "Networking becomes even more important during periods of rapid change. Many marketers are aware of broad social media trends, but they need nuts-and-bolts information on how to most effectively use new channels. That's where insight from peers on what worked and did not work for them can be most valuable."

For information on developing a strong social media program and team, or to read about common social media roles, download The Creative Group's new guides, 10 Questions to Ask When Staffing for Social Media (www.creativegroup.com/socialmediastaffing) and Social Media Job Descriptions (www.creativegroup.com/socialmediajobdescriptions).

About The Creative Group

The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project basis. The Creative Group's internal account managers typically have prior experience working within the creative industry, which helps them better understand their clients' needs and their freelancers' unique talents. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the firm has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and The Creative Group's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.

SOURCE The Creative Group