After a brief time out last year, Screendragon’s extensive audit of the creative industry has returned. The State of Creative Operations in 2023 surveyed more than 100 creative leaders in our most wide ranging research to date. We spoke to global brands, international agency networks, in-house agencies, and marketing consultants to paint an up-to-date picture of the creative landscape.
If you want to see the full results from the report then you can download a copy of The State of Creative Operations here. In the meantime, here is our infographic that highlights the main takeaways from this year’s survey and analysis. We hope you enjoy the 2023 creative industry in numbers!
With 20 years’ experience in the creative world, Screendragon stands out as the solution of choice for Fortune 500 brands, leading global agencies and many pioneering independent agencies.
In the G2 Summer Release, Screendragon was named a Leader for Resource Management. Our capabilities in the category are wide-ranging and transformational. Clients love our drag ‘n’ drop scheduling, real time resource calendar, AI assisted talent management, projectpipeline and capacity planning, and powerful resourcing analytics and reports.
In addition to our Resource Management Leader ranking, Screendragon also holds the exclusive ‘Users Most Likely to Recommend’ award for the Professional Services Automation category on G2.
Ease of use, meeting requirements, and quality of support are key components of the award winning Screendragon solution. As you will see in the grid, Screendragon is a software and service that is valued by clients. Our NPS score of 9.5 is the joint highest in the market!
We simplify operations. Screendragon displaces disparate and siloed systems with one centralised tool to manage your work.
Our passion for design, client first approach, easy implementation, and cutting-edge technology are transforming creative operations and our clients love us for it! Why not find out why we lead the way in resource management and creative services?
Trusted by some of the biggest brands and agencies
Book a Demo
The #1 Marketing Resource Management (MRM) Solution
The #1 Marketing Resource Management Solution
With 20 years’ experience in the creative world, Screendragon stands out as the marketing operations management solution of choice for many Fortune 500 brands and global agency networks.
Screendragon’s marketing resource management capabilities are wide-ranging and transformational. Marketing teams love our drag ‘n’ drop scheduling, real time resource calendar, AI assisted talent management, projectpipeline and capacity planning, and powerful resourcing analytics and reports.
Screendragon holds the exclusive ‘Most Likely to Recommend’ award for the Resource Management category on G2.
Ease of use, meeting requirements, and quality of support are key components of the award winning Screendragon solution. As you will see in the grid, Screendragon is a software and service that is valued by global brands and agencies. Our NPS score of 9.5 is the joint highest in the market!
We simplify operations. Screendragon displaces disparate and siloed systems with one centralised tool to manage your work.
Our passion for design, client first approach, easy implementation, and cutting-edge technology are transforming marketing operations and our clients love us for it! Why not find out today why we're the #1 Marketing Resource Management solution?
The creative operations 2023 survey is officially complete! We had more than 100 creative leaders from a variety of backgrounds join the #CreativeOps2023 conversation. The breakdown of respondents included brands (26%), agencies (45%), inhouse agencies (26%), and a handful of freelancers (3%). Additionally, there where small businesses and agencies, global organisations, and everything in between represented within a diverse spectrum of companies.
What do creatives need most to be thrive in 2023?
In the State of Creative Operations 2023 report we will detail the tools, ways of working, mindsets, and principles that makes creative teams tick. Since our first report in 2018, there’s been a 30% increase in the number of creatives employing a project management solution. Are Excel and spreadsheets finally nearing their natural end? The numbers would suggest there is still life in the old school method yet!
Talent is the lifeblood of any creative outlet. However, only a third of respondents have a system in place to manage people and their time! Is this connected to the large number of creative teams that admit they’re struggling to appropriately staff their team? In addition to technologies, we’ll also reveal what stimulates creativity the most. Is it your workspace, supporting tools, colleagues, or job satisfaction?
Are creatives worried about the economy?
It feels like marketers and creatives are always under pressure. It’s not too long ago that we had to overcome so many challenges related to the pandemic. Now, we’re looking at new economic challenges. Regular readers of business and marketing publications will notice that negative narratives tend to outnumber optimistic articles today. However, the most substantial opinion is from the people on the ground.
The direction of our creative network is encouraging. Only 9% of respondents expect their team to downsize in 2023. This is in addition to 55% of companies surveyed that revealed they grew their creative operation in 2022. In spite of the negative headlines, it looks like the outlook is much more positive than you’d be led to believe.
Do we need an office anymore?
Our creative operations survey in 2021 found almost 60% of people were working fully remote. Interestingly, this has dropped to 23% in our latest research. Many companies downsized offices or reviewed leasing agreements when remote work became the norm. However, it looks like more and more creatives are now returning to the office, at least on a part time basis.
In the full report, we will share a comprehensive breakdown of work environments and desired outcomes for creatives. Subsequently, you will find out if your company’s ways of working are normal or unique.
Have creatives fully adopted AI in daily work?
AI is not a new phenomenon for creatives, but the last year has seen remarkable developments in the space. Not long after AI assisted imagery landed, ChatGPT casually popped it’s head up and changed our lives forever. In the State of Creative Operations, we reveal how many creative teams are leaning on AI generative imagery, using ChatGPT to write content, utilising DCO, and taking advantage of AI powered talent management. The results indicate that adoption of new AI technologies is proving more difficult than hoped for creative teams.
How to sign up for The State of Creative Operations in 2023
Already signed up to the Screendragon newsletter? Then you don’t need to anything. We’ll let you know when the report is live and ready for consumption. Those that helped with survey submissions will receive an early invite to download the report so keep an eye on your inbox in late April!
Project management and resource management tools were the most popular solutions when we last surveyed the creative operations industry. The year was 2021 and the pandemic was still top-of-mind. In the same survey, we learned that half our respondents had implemented new software that year to help manage creative work. Maybe that was related to the 66% of creatives that revealed workloads were on the rise?
After a brief hiatus for 2022, the State of Creative Operations survey is back. This year’s report will pull pack the curtain on the creative workspace and find out what makes teams tick in 2023. On that note, it’s time to see what the post COVID creative operations industry looks like.
What is the industry outlook?
We want to know what the creative landscape looks in 2023. Did your team hire new staff in 2022? Or did your team downsize? Additionally, we will plot the course for the year ahead looking at hiring plans, freelancer usage, and offshoring regularity. Rumours of recession and downsizing have afflicted the creative operations discourse for the last 12 months. However, we are seeing positive signs from the market too. So, is it time for creatives to tighten the belt or loosen the screw?
How are creatives working in 2023?
How much time do creatives still spend on non-creative work? We’ll be answering this question to see whether respondents have found ways to prioritise their creative efforts since our last survey. For example in 2021, 25% of creatives spent more than 2 days per week on non-creative work. That’s more than 40% of the working week dedicated to tasks that do not help creative output.
What’s more, we’ll also be examining creative stimulants, most common challenges, contemporary workspaces, and more. Find out what how creative work is produced in 2023, what helps it flourish, and what can inhibit it.
What are the most common communication practices?
The State of Creative Operations in 2023 will examine how creative teams are communicating, sharing ideas, submitting briefs, and collaborating with partners. Are creatives still using the same communication channels as before? What’s the most common form of receiving a brief?
Furthermore, we will find out if collaboration is easier or more difficult in 2023. We found that many creative teams struggled in 2021 to communicate effectively while working remotely. Has the creative world fully adapted to remote collaboration?
What technologies are creatives reliant on?
The creative tech stack is continually evolving as the industry embraces automation and systemic processes. On that note, we will find out what technologies are essential for creative teams in 2023. Is work management software now ubiquitous? Do any creatives still depend on old school Excel and Email methods? Lastly, we are very interested to see whether AI has become a part of the creative toolkit in 2023.
The #1 Resource Management Solution on G2
5-star Resource Management Software
With 20 years’ experience in the creative world, Screendragon stands out as the solution of choice for Fortune 500 brands, leading global agencies and many pioneering independent agencies.
Screendragon’s resource management capabilities are wide-ranging and transformational. Clients love our drag ‘n’ drop scheduling, real time resource calendar, AI assisted talent management, projectpipeline and capacity planning, and powerful resourcing analytics and reports.
In addition to our Resource Management Leader position, Screendragon also holds the exclusive ‘Users Most Likely to Recommend’ award for the Professional Services Automation category on G2.
Ease of use, meeting requirements, and quality of support are key components of the award winning Screendragon solution. As you will see in the grid, Screendragon is a software and service that is valued by clients. Our NPS score of 9.5 is the joint highest in the market!
We simplify operations. Screendragon displaces disparate and siloed systems with one centralised tool to manage your work.
Our passion for design, client first approach, easy implementation, and cutting-edge technology are transforming creative operations and our clients love us for it! Why not find out why we lead the way in resource management and creative services?
Trusted by some of the biggest brands and agencies
Book a Demo
The #1 Resource Management Solution for Agencies
The #1 Resource Management Software
With 20 years’ experience in the creative world, Screendragon stands out as the solution of choice for many leading global agencies and pioneering independent agencies.
Screendragon’s resource management capabilities are wide-ranging and transformational. Agencies love our drag ‘n’ drop scheduling, real time resource calendar, AI assisted talent management, projectpipeline and capacity planning, and powerful resourcing analytics and reports.
Screendragon holds the exclusive ‘Most Likely to Recommend’ award for the Professional Services Automation category on G2. (mention competitors)
Ease of use, meeting requirements, and quality of support are key components of the award winning Screendragon solution. As you will see in the grid, Screendragon is a software and service that is valued by clients. Our NPS score of 9.5 is the joint highest in the market!
We simplify operations. Screendragon displaces disparate and siloed systems with one centralised tool to manage your work.
Our passion for design, client first approach, easy implementation, and cutting-edge technology are transforming agency operations and our clients love us for it! Why not find out why we're the #1 Resource Management solution and #1 for Professional Services?
Screendragon are proud to add Hallmark to our list of world famous brands using Screendragon’s creative operations management solution. The much loved card company was founded in 1910 and is the largest manufacturer of greetings cards in the United States. Today, Hallmark generates more than 19,000 new and redesigned greeting cards and related products per year.
The Hallmark creative team will use Screendragon’s transformational software to streamline creative operations and supercharge marketing processes. Greetings, Hallmark – it’s great to have you onboard!
We’re delighted to reveal that Screendragon are sponsoring The Festival of Creative Operations! The virtual event is hosted by creative industry experts Henry Stewart Events. Screendragon is delighted to partner with Henry Stewart Events for a fifth year and look forward to meeting the crème de la crème of the creative world!
If you’re attending the event then then make sure to join the creative panel discussion ‘Challenges, Shifts and Trends’. Screendragon’s Fergus Ashe will join Robin McLoughlin and guests to assess the latest trends in creative operations. Haven’t yet registered? There are still tickets available for the virtual event on 27th September by following this link. Registrations for brands and agencies are free so come join us!
We are delighted to announce Screendragon will sponsor the Association of National Advertisers Inhouse Agency Conference again this year. The conference is a hybrid event taking place on the 15/16/17 March and will assemble creative and inhouse leaders of the biggest brands in the business! The ANA is the U.S. advertising industry’s oldest and largest trade association and we’re proud to partner with the ANA again in 2022.
![[Infographic] Our Creative Operations 2023 Report in Numbers!](https://www.screendragon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Blog-Preview-Image-Creative-Ops-2023-Infographic.png)
