This image provided by Anheuser Busch from a commercial shown during the Super Bowl shows Clydesdale horses making snowballs.
Is creativity overrated?
How often do you experience an advertisement and forget the product or service that was being promoted? How often do you hear a marketing message that entertains you but doesn't spur consumer action?
The Old Spice man, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and the Geico cavemen are all creative ideas but were they effective enough to get people to shift brands or build long-term loyalty?
Report on Small Business columnist Ryan Caligiuri argues too much creativity buries the message and distracts companies from communicating what's truly important to the marketplace. We need to be more strategic with marketing communications by focusing on core fundamentals.
Mr. Caligiuri fielded questions from readers in a live discussion. Read the archive in the box below. Mobile users should click here.