Marketers are concerned about the how the growth of digital marketing is harming creativity, feeling that digital growth is a major challenge as they try to balance technological innovation and creativity.

67 per cent of marketers feel that digital growth in advertising has come at the expense of the quality of creative, according to a survey of 522 brand marketers across Europe and the US carried out by Sizmek.

Furthermore, 91 per cent of marketers say they are prioritising the need to make digital ads more engaging over the next year in order to meet their brand goals.

On the topic of artificial intelligence (AI), 84 per cent believe the technology is useless without the right creative input – with 91 per cent believing that creative input is just as important as the use of data in digital campaigns.

Meanwhile, with an eye on GDPR and other regulations, 79 per cent think the quality of creative will become more important, despite the industry focus on data and privacy concerns.

“The explosive rise in digital marketing has generated a huge opportunity to create more targeted and personalised experiences for brands to deliver to their customers. It should also offer the chance for brands to be more creative and enable them to fine-tune their creativity to the perfect audience,” said Oren Regev, VP of product management at Sizmek. “There is a wealth of capabilities available to help brands achieve their goals that can be unlocked through technology. By combining data, creative and media together and building a foundation that is driven by AI, brands will become more empowered to build campaigns that meet their aspirations.”