How Can Embedded Creatives and Their Work Be Managed in a Marketing Organization?: A Literature Review on Creativity Management

Economic growth is fuelled by creativity. The 21st century has brought many advancements due to accelerating technological development. Along with these changes, the number of embedded creatives (creative workers working outside the traditional creative industries) has increased, and many of them work in the marketing function. Although the need for creativity is more recognized than ever, its management practices in modern marketing organizations are insufficient. The purpose of this study is to find out whether implementing creativity management practices and frameworks in the everyday processes of a marketing organization would help in the management of embedded creatives and their work, ultimately leading to more commercial success, economic development, and customer satisfaction. This thesis is conducted as a semi-systematic or narrative literature review, providing an overview of studies and frameworks of creativity, creativity management, and their notions of marketing as a function. This thesis attempts to provide an understanding of how to add value to a marketing organization through enhancing creativity in the workplace and how contemporary research on creativity management can help marketing organizations and practitioners manage creativity more efficiently. This thesis concludes that practical frameworks on creativity management can provide managers of creative staff with much needed tools to manage creativity in the marketing environment. Creativity adds value to a marketing organization on different levels: providing more possibilities in innovation, product development, and developing marketing activities, and providing creative staff with the freedom to carry out their creative ambitions. This leads to raising individuals' and teams' creative capabilities and, ultimately, raising the organization’s overall ability to adapt and respond to challenging situations and crises