Research among heads of corporate communications shows that PR has overtaken advertising in delivering big ideas and creativity.

Brands are chasing ever-more disparate audiences, using an ever more complex mix of media, when public trust in institutions is at an all time low (and sinking further).

Meanwhile, the people brands are trying to reach are ever-more inundated with commercial messages, and are getting better at filtering out information that’s irrelevant to them.

Perhaps this plays to the strengths of communications agencies that understand how to earn, rather than buy, attention, and how to engage their audiences rather than broadcasting at them.

The big idea needs to be more nuanced than ever before.  Where it once could be big, brash, and budget hungry.  Now it needs to deliver clarity and cut through, the real hall marks of creativity.