Distinctive and emotional work multiplies profit hardest on the smallest budgets
7x
profit growth multiplier
StatBrand Strategy
When advertising is both above-average distinctive and above-average positive in emotion, profit reporting jumps at every spend level. At small budgets it goes from 2% to 14%, a seven-fold multiplier, and at large budgets from 9% to 19%.
Source
The Creative Dividend - a partnership between Effie and System1 (2026)
Andrew Tindall (System1), with Effie Worldwide; ESOC advised by Les Binet
Figure 68, p. 65, The Creative Dividend (Effie x System1, 2026)
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StatCreative quality and media support together explain most of what a campaign achievesPrincipleCreative Dividend and Excess Share of Creativity - creative advantage, then creative advantage at scaleStatCreative advantage backed by media raises the odds of market share growth in a straight lineStatThe profit payoff from creative advantage compounds rather than accumulatesPrincipleDistinctiveness turns spend into revenue, emotion turns revenue into profitStatCreative quality is the largest profit multiplier a marketer actually controlsWarningMarketers rank targeting above creativity, and the data says it is the other way roundStatCampaigns that deliver several business outcomes are dramatically more likely to deliver profitStatRevenue is the easy result, profit is the rare oneWarningStacking short-term objectives onto a campaign drives its chance of profit to zeroStatThe rise of short-term campaign objectives tracks platform revenue almost perfectlyStatConsistency multiplies profit likelihood more than emotion, showmanship or distinctiveness