The original audit of the creative operations industry is back! After a break last year, The State of Creative Operations 2023 returns with a wide-ranging survey of the creative landscape. So, what can readers expect from this year’s edition? Here’s a quick summary of the key topics and trends observed from surveying 101 creative leaders across a diverse spectrum of roles.

Economic Impact and Outlook

When Screendragon last surveyed the community in 2021, the economy was the main concern for creatives. As a result of the pandemic, many creative teams had downsized, and marketing budgets were slashed. Survival was the aim of the game and everything else seemed secondary.

In our 2023 report, we’ll find out whether creative operations are still being significantly impacted by macro-economic forces. This will include insights on whether creative teams are expanding or contracting. Additionally, we will find out if marketing budgets have recovered since our last audit in 2021.

The 2023 Creative Tech Stack

Managing a tech stack and maximising technology’s impact is a huge part of the modern marketer’s role. In the 2023 MarTech map, there were more than 11,000 vendors offering marketing solutions. With so many tools on offer, how can creatives choose which technologies to implement?

The State of Creative Operations will reveal what’s inside the creative tech stack in 2023. This means readers can see what technologies are being utilised today, and which ones are still being left on the side. As a result, you may be surprised at some of the gaps in the toolkit!

Have we enough resources?

In the section above, we introduced our analysis and breakdown of the creative tech stack. However, the most important ingredient in a successful creative operation is not technology (what?). Of course, it’s the people who produce the magic and they need to be supported to do so. This year’s survey will find out if creative teams have enough resources to be successful. Furthermore, creatives will tell us whether they’re on top of workloads or struggling to keep up.

To buy, or not to buy?

If you’ve downloaded our report by now, you will have learned about what makes up the creative tech stack. Furthermore, you can now see whether creative teams are sufficiently resourced. The natural next step is to see what the market looks like in 2023.

This year’s report includes a breakdown of the tools that creative teams are looking for today. As noted previously, there are evident gaps in the creative tech stack. We’ll find out which technologies are being replaced and which tools are being evaluated for the first time. 

AI in Creative Operations

Artificial intelligence has firmly become part of the creative lexicon since our last edition of The State of Creative Operations in 2021. Previously a futuristic notion, AI is now a leading item in marketing discussions. But are creatives practicing AI or is it just a lonely PowerPoint slide from January’s marketing plan?

Our creative operations report will determine whether AI is now a habitual activity or still a work in progress. See how many creative teams are using ChatGPT, dynamic creative optimization, AI generative imagery, and AI powered Resource Management!

What makes a great creative operation?

Lastly, it wouldn’t be a Screendragon creative operations report without recognizing some of the great work in the industry. The State of Creative Operations 2023 will reveal the companies that received most nominations for doing creative operations well. Additionally, we will also list the top 5 ads of 2022/2023 as voted by our creative community. It’s not often that we mention Ben Affleck in Screendragon communications so there’s a first for everything!

Where can I get the report?

You can download your copy of The State of Creative Operations here. Please feel free to share with colleagues and friends that may also be interested! If you have any questions regarding the content of the report, then please don’t hesitate to reach out to fergal@screendragon.com.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about Screendragon’s creative operations management solution then visit screendragon.com. You will be able to book a 30-minute tour of our software at a time that suits you!