Provoke Media And MSL Launch 2026“State Of Earned Creativity” Survey

(MENAFN- PRovoke) PRovoke Media is partnering with MSL on the 2026 edition of our annual creativity survey. The PRovoke x MSL“State of Earned Creativity Survey” seeks to understand not only how the public relations profession's thinking about earned-first creativity, but also how it is being implemented and measured and what obstacles exists to success.

We invite all of our readers to participate in the survey here. The deadline for survey completion is February 12. 2026.

“Earned creativity is the clearest indicator of whether a brand truly understands the world it operates in,” says Paul Holmes, founder and editor at PRovoke Media.“Increase interest earned creativity provides public relations professionals with a clear opportunity to take the lead in brand building by helping marketers connect in meaningful ways with the culture in which they operate.”

The State of Earned Creative Survey is organized across five core dimensions. Each represents a necessary condition for earned creativity to thrive. Together, they provide a diagnostic view of how organizations operate in culture.

• Shared Understanding. What do we mean when we use the term 'earned creative'?
• Behavior vs Aspiration. Do actions match stated beliefs?
• Creative Courage. Do systems protect bold ideas – or quietly neutralize them?
• Cultural Fluency. Do brands meaningfully participate in culture, or merely observe it?
• Impact & Value. Is earned creativity treated as a growth driver or a nice-to-have?

Says Matt Zavala, US chief creative officer at MSL,“CMOs and CCOs are surrounded by more content, more platforms and more creative work than ever. Yet very little of it truly earns attention. Earned creativity is different-it is where it culture, credibility, agility and impact meet.

“The Earned Creativity Study by MSL and PRovoke Media looks at how comms-led thinking is driving that shift, helping us raise the bar for our industry and giving us insight into how and why the bar for attention keeps rising.”

The deadline for survey completion is February 12. 2026. Previous Creativity Survey data can be found here.

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