Effie Worldwide Report Shows Humanity Lies at the Heart of Effectiveness

The most important factor driving effectiveness in marketing isn’t data or AI, but human qualities and behaviours, says a new global report by Effie Worldwide.

The report, titled ‘Making Effectiveness Happen’, surveyed 170+ leaders and senior marketers across the industry at the world’s most effective companies, including ranked top performers in the Global Effie Index and Global Best of the Best Winners, with the aim of getting a deeper understanding of how to put effectiveness into action. 

The report’s key findings include: 

• Only 1 in 3 respondents feel they have a mature, embedded effectiveness culture
• More than 60% of the effectiveness drivers identified are human-centred, including values and behaviours, relationships and collaboration
• There are three key buildings blocks to effectiveness cultures, the right cultural values and ways of working, alongside equipping teams with the tools and skills they need
• Sustainable effectiveness does not happen in isolation: 79% said success came from nurturing two or more of the building blocks
• 70% said their effectiveness culture starts with leadership
• Clarity of briefing is the most important success factor when it comes to optimising the client/agency relationship for effectiveness
• 87% invested in training to develop marketing effectiveness capabilities, identifying it as a crucial success factor

Traci Alford, global CEO of Effie Worldwide, “In our exploration of effectiveness, we've uncovered a fundamental truth: humanity lies at the heart of effectiveness. It's not just about what we do, but how we do it—nurturing relationships, fostering collaboration, and embracing the values that drive us forward.”

Sharing the right data at the right time is still a challenge for the industry, the report finds. Traci added, “Data is a crucial compass for marketers. But behind every data point and analytics tool lies a human mind that interprets what is and isn’t important and understands the human behaviours driving the numbers. It's this human connection that transforms raw data into actionable wisdom, propelling us towards our goals with confidence and creativity.”

There is lots of talk around cultures of effectiveness, but what is in short supply is clear guidance on how to create them. The report is based on the experience of some of the best leaders in Effie’s global network. By sharing their insights, principles and tactics, the report hopes to help marketers make effectiveness happen in their own teams.

Find the full report here. 

In addition, Effie Worldwide provides three actionable guides to help marketers build a culture of effectiveness for themselves, including a framework that can be used as a planning tool to guide organisations through the key stages of effectiveness. It works universally across all marketing activities, business challenges and industry sectors.