Mediocrity, Adlands Immortal Enemy
Why Craft Wins in a World of Cream on Cream Crap
A quiet crisis is unfolding in Adland.
With younger, less experienced CMOs increasingly filling leadership roles and fewer opportunities for real-world, hands-on experience inside agencies, mediocrity has started to get cosy and settle in for the night. It's not deliberate, it’s systemic.
The pressure to be always ‘on’ and constantly ‘fresh’ means marketers are driven to produce at pace across multiple platforms. This has fueled a “throw it all at the wall and see what sticks” approach. Driven by social and performance marketers who chase short-term wins over enduring brand growth. The result is an industry flooded with content that's fast, cheap, and most likely forgotten.
A sad story but for a silver lining: mediocrity creates opportunity.
By doubling down on craft, care, and consistency, creative-centric agencies can offer something truly rare, well considered creative work with substance, that resonates, and sticks to the wall.
The tools we use matter, and so does the intent behind the work. Clients are starving for thoughtful, original, and beautifully crafted execution that actually moves the needle. In a market awash with no-craft sameness, excellence becomes your loudest differentiator.
