Are Tight Budgets and Data-Driven Focus Making the 'Big Idea' Harder to Sell?

While diminishing marketing budgets and expanding pressures on CMOs have led to an overreliance on ‘safe’ or “paint by numbers” work, truly big ideas aren’t becoming harder to sell to good clients, a handful of creative leaders argue. 

Big ideas are more essential than ever to cut through in cluttered categories and a fragmented media environment, they say. But agencies aren’t presenting truly groundbreaking ideas often enough, clients are settling, and a fixation on data dampens an ability to present instinctive, emotional work.

“The total brand experience is very different than what it used to be,” Troy Ruhanen, incoming Omnicom Advertising Group global CEO and Australian native tells LBB.

“The brand has to show up in so many places, mean[ing] even more so that a big brand platform is needed to be the rudder on that.

“It's more essential than ever. I don't think it's harder than ever to sell it. I think clients settle a little bit too often, because they feel the pressure. And sometimes I've seen a lot of really great clients, you know, we've had some pitches, and it's the CEO that actually is the one who blocks the brave idea. 

“But then we have to really help them sell through that idea into that company. It's absolutely essential. It's not the easiest thing, either. We know when we see a great idea, because you don't see them that often ... There's a lot of paint by numbers right now.”

Stephen de Wolf agrees we’re not seeing big work because big ideas aren’t being pitched. BMF’s chief creative officer worked at Clemenger Melbourne in its heyday, and was integral to world-renowned campaigns like Meet Graham and Snickers’ Hungerithm.

“Big and great ideas aren't that hard to buy, because when you see them, you have a visceral response to them,” he says.

“The biggest question we need to ask ourselves in the industry is, 'Are we presenting great ideas to our clients?' That's the first thing. My guess would be we're not really, if we're really being hard on ourselves. When you see a great idea that's right, that's not a brave thing to buy, it's just the right thing to buy.”

TBWA\Sydney’s ECD, Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt, works for CCO Evan Roberts, Wolfie’s former creative partner at Clems. Katrina agrees with him that truly world-class work will never be hard to buy, because it will feel right.

“It's harder and harder for marketers, and I have a great deal of empathy for them. Because I've seen that change over my career, and budgets are tighter. They've got more pressure to drive growth than I think they've ever had. It makes it really hard to buy something different or try something new when you've got that pressure on you. 

“The bravery piece is really interesting, right? If you have a really clear problem to solve, and the work really delivers on that, then even the wildest idea doesn't feel brave, it just feels like the right answer. 

“When you're doing something different, it's always going to feel a bit uncomfortable, but ultimately, it shouldn't. It should feel like the right answer.”

DDB Sydney creative partner Jenny Mak thinks safe ideas are the easiest to sell, because the most interesting ideas do cause discomfort at first.

“Selling big ideas has always been about striking the right balance between creative ambition and client confidence,” Jenny says.

Last week, Katrina argued truly immortal creativity requires an “element of madness”. Speaking on a panel alongside Telstra CMO Brent Smart and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire founder Micah Walker, she argued you can’t apply rationality to the best creative work.

DDB’s Jenny adds fixating on rational data dampens creatives' ability to present emotionally instinctive ideas that connect with people (and drive business growth as a result).

“On one hand, data and technology have made it easier to validate ideas. But at the same time, this focus on data can make selling ideas harder,” she explains. 

“Bold ideas - the ones that win hearts and minds - often defy the metrics. They thrive on instinct, emotion, and a leap of faith, not a report.”

Special Group creative director Leti Bozzolini notes good clients want to buy good ideas; “the big idea is becoming more necessary.”

“Gone are the days you just needed an idea that only worked in film - an idea now needs to go across film, OOH, social, digital, influencer, activation and partnership,” she says, echoing Troy’s point that brands need to stretch further, across more channels. “As a result, the big idea is becoming easier to sell than in the past.”

In order to convince good marketers to buy “great, big ideas,” Wolfie thinks “we all need to be more interested in our clients” and connected to culture and audiences.

“When you're interested, you also know when a big idea is right for them, and how to tell that story, and what risk they are prepared to take.”

This year, Australia fell out of the Cannes top 10, tying with India at #11, which top leaders like OAG’s Troy and Telstra’s Brent point to as proof the market has to lift its game. Wolfie notes the world has caught up to the shape of work Australia and New Zealand was making six, seven, or eight years ago, and so this market needs to reset the benchmark.

“One thing that we've always been as an industry is being very, very good at doing a lot with not much,” he adds. “That's not new for us. That's actually what's defined us on the global stage.”

TBWA’s Katrina references a quote from Mischief co-founder Greg Hahn: “I have often told my clients they don’t have the budget to be boring.” Katrina notes that in the current economic conditions, “no one’s rich enough, so you’ve got to make a dent somehow, and the best way to waste a bunch of money is to make something that no one notices.”

It’s widely known that in a downturn, brands that continue to invest in marketing will outperform and outgrow competitors that slash spend. But increasing pressure on budgets and return on investment means it’s crucial creatives can handle criticism, advocate for the ideas they believe in, and remain resilient, Jenny argues.

“What’s really changed is the landscape. Clients face tighter budgets, more scrutiny, and layers of approval. In this environment, selling an idea isn’t just about its brilliance - it’s about its resilience to criticism,” she says.

“The easiest ideas to sell today? The safe ones. But the best ideas? They’re the ones that make people uncomfortable at first. Because that discomfort is where the magic begins.”