CREATIVE CLOUT

MENLO PARK, CA -- Although the recession has hit many marketing departments hard, there is some good news for those in the creative industry: Sixty-one percent of marketing and advertising executives interviewed said marketing teams have greater influence on business decisions than they did three years ago. This compares to 23 percent who believe marketing professionals hold less sway.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on 250 telephone interviews -- 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from the nation's 2,000 largest advertising agencies and 125 with senior marketing executives randomly selected from the nation's 2,000 largest companies.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "Do you believe the influence a company's marketing professionals have on business decisions has increased or decreased in the last three years?" Their responses:

"Companies increasingly recognize the value that marketing and creative teams can provide in terms of finding innovative solutions to business problems," said Megan Slabinski, executive director of The Creative Group. "In the current economy, especially, many businesses must reinvent themselves, and marketers can play an instrumental role in helping their firms identify and fill emerging needs."

Slabinski added that social media programs, which are often overseen by marketing and communications professionals, may increase the pull these staff members have in an organization. "Many marketers are interacting directly with customers and clients through Twitter, Facebook and other social media, which gives them immediate, firsthand knowledge of how the firm's products and services are perceived and can be improved upon."

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. The Creative Group's internal account managers typically have prior experience working within the creative industry, which helps them better understand their clients' needs and their freelancers' unique talents. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the firm has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and The Creative Group's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.