Mumbai: Accenture Song has released new research highlighting that organisations capable of systematically transforming creative ideas into measurable business action are significantly outperforming their peers and are better positioned to differentiate in an increasingly AI-driven business environment.
The report, Applied creativity—and how to lead it, reveals a growing disconnect between ideation and execution within enterprises. While 81% of business leaders believe their organisations are capable of generating creative ideas, only 16% say they very frequently convert those ideas into initiatives that drive business growth.
According to the study, organisations that consistently operationalise creativity deliver stronger outcomes across both business and brand metrics. These companies are 53% more likely to significantly outperform peers on revenue growth, achieving average growth rates 1.6 percentage points above their industry benchmark. They are also 58% more likely to outperform on brand equity, 48% more likely to exceed peers on Net Promoter Score and 45% more likely to outperform on customer retention.
The findings underscore a broader shift in leadership priorities as organisations navigate the impact of artificial intelligence. The research found that 83% of executives believe creativity will become one of the most important leadership capabilities in the coming years, while 73% expressed concerns that generative AI could leave brands struggling to stand out amid increasingly standardised content, software and experiences.
“AI is transforming how organizations create and execute, but technology alone will not deliver differentiation,” said Ndidi Oteh, Chief Executive Officer of Accenture Song. “Our research shows that the companies pulling ahead are the ones that have built the leadership, culture and operating model to turn imagination into meaningful experiences, stronger brands and measurable growth.”
Accenture Song defines applied creativity as the disciplined capability to convert ideas into useful and meaningful products, services and experiences across business functions, spanning innovation, product design, customer experience, marketing and communications.
The report notes that organisations demonstrating strong applied creativity extend creative thinking beyond traditional brand and marketing functions. Creative approaches are increasingly being embedded across technology, product, growth, strategy and operational teams, turning creativity into a broader enterprise capability.
The research identifies three core organisational conditions that enable applied creativity at scale:
- Commitment: Building cultures and incentives that encourage experimentation and creative risk-taking without fear of failure.
- Structure: Establishing governance, processes and decision frameworks that help ideas scale effectively.
- Expertise: Developing leaders with strong judgment, customer understanding and the ability to align teams around meaningful outcomes.
The study also highlights the growing importance of visible creative leadership. Organisations leading in applied creativity are 49% more likely to actively hire and develop leaders with creative potential and 39% more likely to say their boards value creative leadership during executive appointments.
“As AI accelerates execution, creativity moves upstream,” said Nick Law, Creative Chairperson of Accenture Song. “The real advantage comes from how leaders frame problems, make choices and build the conditions for bold ideas to survive and thrive across the organization.”
The report concludes that creativity should increasingly be viewed as a strategic capability rather than a function confined to creative teams. Organisations embedding creative leadership and infrastructure across strategy, technology, product and operations are likely to be better positioned to respond to disruption, unlock the value of AI and maintain long-term differentiation.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen that the biggest breakthroughs rarely come from having more information, they come from seeing possibilities others don’t and having the conviction to act on them,” said David Droga, Vice Chair of Accenture. “Creative leadership is often misunderstood as being about ideas. It’s really about building the conditions that allow great ideas to survive, evolve and create value. As AI transforms how work gets done, that responsibility becomes even more important. The leaders who can combine imagination with execution will shape what comes next.”
