Survey: Two out of Three Executives Say They Have Stronger Creative Teams Now
Versus Three Years Ago

TORONTO, April 29 /CNW/ - There may be one upside to the challenging economic conditions of the past few years: Creative teams are stronger now than before the recession. Sixty-six per cent of advertising and marketing executives polled said the caliber of their firms' creative talent is higher than it was three years ago. Only 5 per cent felt the level of talent within their firm had declined.

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 250 telephone interviews -- approximately 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 50 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "How would you rate the caliber of creative talent on your team now versus three years ago?" Their responses:

    
    Much higher.......................... 36%
    Somewhat higher...................... 30%
    No change............................ 24%
    Somewhat lower.......................  4%
    Much lower...........................  1%
    Don't know/no answer.................  5%
                                         ----
                                         100%
    

"Creative firms are only as good as the talent they employ, and even when times are tough businesses want to keep their top performers," said Lara Dodo, vice president of The Creative Group's Canadian operations. "As the economy rebounds, many companies are upgrading the overall expertise of their teams by hiring some of the highly skilled creative professionals who are currently available."

Dodo added that retention will become more of a concern as the economy gains momentum. "For companies that have recently raised the talent bar, retaining key players will become a greater focus," she said. "Providing opportunities for growth and demonstrating to employees that their contributions are valued will help firms keep top talent for the long term."

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. For more workplace and career advice, follow The Creative Group at facebook.com/thecreativegroup or twitter.com/creativegroup.

For further information: Kristie Perrotte, [phone], [email protected]