Navigating the New Business Landscape: Creativity Meets Performance

Laura Derbyshire
Nov 21
2 min read

Updated: Dec 1

The business and investment landscape is shifting fast. AI has changed the rules. Suddenly, scaleups don’t need huge teams to execute. Tools can churn out copy, automate campaigns, and crunch data at lightning speed.

But here’s the crazy thing: although execution has never been easier, creativity has never been scarcer. Why is that?

The Gap: Creativity & Commercial Clarity

Boards and investors have become fluent in metrics. Everyone knows about CAC, LTV, runway, and payback. Founders and CEOs understand they need to show traction and scalability. Yet, marketing execution is increasingly commoditised. What’s missing? The spark that connects it all: creative strategy.

With over 20 years in some of London’s top creative agencies, I’ve seen firsthand how vital this is for both short and long-term growth. If you want to outshine your competitors, you need to act like a challenger brand and nail this.

Performance marketing is an equal playing field, but creativity isn’t ‘fair’. The rules are out, and if you’re lucky, you can gain market share exponentially. However, this requires discipline in crafting your creative strategy. It must align with your business objectives, not just be a fun ‘idea’ someone had. Here are my top tips:

Don’t just run ads; create ideas that people remember.
Don’t just present numbers; tell a story investors believe in.
Don’t just launch campaigns; build brands that scale.

That’s the opportunity right now. AI can amplify execution, but it can’t originate the creative leap that changes a business’s trajectory.

Brand x Performance Under One Roof

For years, businesses treated brand and performance marketing as separate entities. Agencies focused on one side or the other. But investors and boards don’t care about that divide. They want growth that’s both measurable and meaningful. So, what’s the best way to play this? Bringing brand and performance together unlocks real results:

A positioning that attracts customers and capital.
Campaigns that resonate emotionally while driving hard metrics.
Growth strategies that can be deployed quickly, across channels, powered by AI.

Why Now Is the Moment

The playing field is wide open. Once, you needed manpower and budget to compete. Now, with AI at your fingertips, the leverage comes from the quality of your ideas and the clarity of your strategy. If you have a smart business strategy, a bold creative idea, and the ability to deploy it quickly with AI, you’re flying. Few scaleups are combining all three. Those that do will create disproportionate growth.

What This Means for Scaleups + Investors

For founders, the opportunity is to stop thinking about brand and marketing as separate “nice-to-haves.” Instead, start seeing them as the growth engine.

For investors, it’s a chance to back companies that don’t just have efficient funnels but also standout stories and brands that last.