Emotional and distinctive work pays more the longer it runs, dull work barely improves
profit growth reporting
5.6x higher8%
under six months
45%
after three years
StatBrand Strategy
Emotional and distinctive campaigns report profit growth 8% of the time under six months and 45% of the time after three years. Campaigns that are not emotional move from 2% to 6% over the same span. Creative quality needs time to pay, and time does almost nothing for work without it.
Source
The Creative Dividend - a partnership between Effie and System1 (2026)
Andrew Tindall (System1), with Effie Worldwide; ESOC advised by Les Binet
Figure 41, p. 39, The Creative Dividend (Effie x System1, 2026), 1,265 campaigns
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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 profitStatDistinctive and emotional work multiplies profit hardest on the smallest budgetsStatCreative 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 perfectly