Confined Creativity: The Influence of Creative Code Intensity on Risk Taking in Advertising Agencies

Abstract

Risk is inherent in the creative process of advertising. The research reported in this article examined how employee risk taking was influenced by creative code intensity, which consists of strongly shared values about what represents great creative work. Interviews with creative practitioners provided insight into the role of risk in advertising. A survey of U.S. agency creatives revealed that agencies with an intense creative code, or strongly shared values, also were likely to have strong risk-taking tendencies. Results suggest agency managers wishing to foster a risk-taking environment can benefit from an articulated creative identity and clear communication about the type of creative work the agency strives to produce.