Podcast Summary: The Marketing Architects

Episode: Creative Effectiveness in 2026 with Steve Babcock

Air Date: January 20, 2026
Host(s): Lana Jasper (B), Rob Demar (C)
Guest: Steve Babcock (A), Chief Creative Officer, Marketing Architects

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of creativity in marketing, focusing on what drives true creative effectiveness as the industry moves toward 2026. The conversation unpacks academic and industry research, weighs the value of creative award shows, discusses sustaining creative ideas for long-term business growth, and debates the role of AI within the creative process. Along the way, the hosts and Steve Babcock challenge prevailing marketing dogmas and offer practical advice for marketers seeking to make a real impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Research Spotlight: Does Creative Award-Winning Work Drive Results?

• [00:57] Lana Jasper introduces a pivotal article by Stuart Mitchell, analyzing 5,600+ campaigns and examining creativity versus effectiveness.
• Only 21% of creatively awarded ideas win effectiveness awards.
• In the “Work Creative 100,” effectiveness jumps to 44%.
• Key traits of effective, creative campaigns: They run longer, use more channels, have higher “creative commitment,” and balance emotion with information.
• Takeaway: Sustained and well-supported creative work is what drives business outcomes, not just brilliance in a vacuum.

2. The Real Value and Limitation of Award Shows

• [02:23] Steve Babcock shares skepticism about award shows:
  • Most award shows reward “the art and the surprise… but kind of of the moment.”
  • Effectiveness "has to live in the real world for an amount of time."
  • “Creativity is subjective, effectiveness isn’t.” – Steve Babcock [05:40]
  • Effectiveness is undercelebrated because it's historically less “sexy” in the industry.

3. What Separates “Growth Driving” from “Award-Winning” Creative?

• [07:27] Steve distinguishes "growth driving creative":
  • Meant to be used (not just admired) and built for scale and repeatability.
  • Durability and longevity are key (“flash in the pan art” doesn’t last).
  • Today’s rapid news cycles demand campaigns with lasting resonance, not just quick cultural impact.
  • Discipline is needed to stick with ideas even when creative teams get bored of them internally.

4. Introducing: The “Stevies”—A Hypothetical Award for Enduring Creative

• [09:39] Light-hearted riff on an award for ads that have proven durability (at least two years running).
  • “It feels like a frown to be like, ‘Oh hey, it’s Limu Emu… but it’s been really effective.’” – Steve Babcock [09:52]
  • Enduring ideas are harder (and rarer) than “one hit wonders,” much like in music.

5. Contrarian Views & Industry Pushback

• “You don’t need to reinvent yourself all the time… You just need fewer ideas that are really great and can be durable.” – Steve Babcock [12:02]
• Rob Demar’s take: “Television is now an audio first medium. The research has really showed that people’s eyeballs are retreating to their second screens…” [12:42]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Creativity vs. Effectiveness

  • “Creativity is subjective, effectiveness isn’t… Effectiveness like that can be measured.” – Steve Babcock [05:40]
  • “Growth driving creative is designed to be used, not just admired.” – Steve Babcock [07:27]

• On Enduring Creative

  • “You just need fewer ideas that are really great and can be durable… not more ideas.” – Steve Babcock [12:02]

• Distinctiveness and Brand Assets

  • “The value of distinctive assets—just looking, sounding super unique and different. Sometimes it gets knocked out because being distinct can also be really uncomfortable.” – Steve Babcock [18:41]

• Emotional vs. Rational Messaging

  • “Emotion will get the attention, but the rational part, the information, that earns the permission, if that makes sense… They’re literally two parts of the equation.” – Steve Babcock [21:44]

• AI’s Role in Creativity

  • “AI is so dang fun. But what it’s not going to do is have… the human leap… AI is really good at grabbing everything that does exist and serving it up; but what about the thing that doesn’t exist? And that’s the human leap.” – Steve Babcock [23:50]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:57] — Research on creative effectiveness
• [02:23] — Steve’s take on award shows and “art vs. effectiveness”
• [07:27] — Defining growth-driving creative and the discipline of durability
• [09:39] — The hypothetical “Stevies” award for durable, effective campaigns
• [12:02] — Contrarian takes: fewer, stronger ideas; TV as audio-first
• [15:35] — Over-personalization and the case for mass reach
• [18:41] — The overlooked importance of distinctiveness
• [21:44] — Balancing emotional and rational messages in creative work
• [23:50] — AI’s promise, limitations, and concern for homogenization
• [30:40] — Advice for CMOs: “Commit to fewer ideas for longer”
• [32:39] — Recent favorite effective campaigns: Progressive’s “Dr. Rick” [33:00], T-Mobile’s Billy Bob Thornton ads [34:58], Geico mascot campaign [36:11]

Highlights: Practical Takeaways for Marketers

Enduring Creative Wins

• Measure creative success by longevity and real-world resonance, not just awards or fleeting virality.
• Commit to fewer, better ideas—and keep them fresh and distinct over time.
  • “Stop feeling like we gotta freshen it up… You can reinvent within the space that you’ve created.” – Steve Babcock [31:03]

Distinctiveness Is Uncomfortable but Powerful

• Distinctive brand assets—visuals, characters, audio—directly support durability and effectiveness, even if they feel risky or uncomfortable.

Don’t Over-Rely on Fragmented, Personalized Content

• Mass reach and a clear, memorable idea outperform hyper-targeted but fragmented “cleverness.”
• Maintain balance: Respect data about what people want, but don’t let it limit your creative leap.

Emotional + Rational Messages

• The most effective campaigns blend emotional resonance and rational clarity.
• Both sides of messaging are essential for memorability and motivating action.

AI as Creative “Engineer”, Not Replacement

• AI is a powerful tool—but it must be guided by human insight (“the human leap”).
• Beware of using AI in a generic or rote way; inject personal intuition and originality.

Notable Campaign Examples Discussed

• Progressive Insurance “Dr. Rick” (Becoming Your Parents) [33:00]: Praised for insight, durability, and effective execution.
• T-Mobile with Billy Bob Thornton [34:58]: Straight-talk style, unflashy but persuasive.
• Geico with the Gecko [36:11]: Immediate brand asset use and relatable concept.

Tone and Style

Conversational, candid, and slightly irreverent. The hosts and guest freely share opinions, poke fun at the industry’s quirks (and each other), and use metaphors from music and pop culture.

Conclusion

This episode challenges marketing teams to prioritize durability, distinctiveness, and true business impact in creative work. Awards and trendy tactics may deliver fleeting buzz, but only a disciplined, evidence-driven approach—with humanity and bold ideas at its core—leads to lasting brand growth.

Best Quote to Close:

“Commit to fewer ideas for longer… Effectiveness is a long game. Commit to it. It’s a marathon.”
— Steve Babcock [31:03]