Creative confidence dented by ‘lack of insights and cultural agility’report says

CREATIVE confidence, the belief in bold and original creative ideas as a driver of business success, is being knocked by the inability to develop high-quality insights and a lack of cultural agility. This is the top finding outlined in The State of Creativity 2025, released by Cannes Lions, the destination for those in the business of creativity.

The annual study is designed as a practical tool helping marketers understand the key challenges, trends and opportunities for creativity in 2025. This latest edition of the report, now in its fifth year, is based on a global survey with over 1,000 marketers and creatives, and one-to-one conversations with industry leaders.

The research shows that risk aversion is holding businesses back. Only 13% of respondents to the 2025 survey view their companies as risk-friendly, whilst 29% of brands admit to being highly risk-averse. However, risk-taking brands generate four times higher profit margins, according to research by WARC and Kantar. And brands that take creative risks are 33% more likely to see long-term growth, according to Deloitte.

Patrick Jeffrey, vice-president, Lions Advisory, said: “The State of Creativity report is a unique window into the global creative landscape. The findings from this latest research show that largely due to a lack of solid insights and cultural relevance, we are seeing less ‘creative risk-taking’, which involves stepping outside traditional boundaries and surpassing category conventions. Addressing these two key barriers will unlock creative confidence and drive better long-term business results.”

Half of brands (51%) claim their insights are too weak to develop bold creativity, and only 13% rate them as strong. In parallel, over half (57%) of brands struggle to react quickly to cultural moments. Key challenges to cultural agility include too many layers in the approval process, limited resources and investment, and difficulty aligning brand insights with cultural trends.

This year’s survey also showed that brands are increasingly shifting toward short-term activities, rising from 53% in 2023 to 63% in 2025. But while short-term gains might be tempting, agility comes from brand-building which allows for spontaneous moments.

Summing up, Jeffrey added: “To boost creative confidence, we advise to invest in additional training to enhance teams’ skills and capability. As teams upskill and confidence grows, so will the appetite for bigger, bolder work.”

The State of Creativity 2025 report, authored by Lions Advisory, includes quantitative and qualitative data analysis, expert commentary and advice from industry leaders, creatives, and brand marketers. Read the report in full here.