Chief creative officer

A chief creative officer (CCO) is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. Depending on the type of company, this position may be responsible for the overall look and feel of marketing, media, and branding associated with the organization. The CCO may also be charged with managing, developing, and leading the team (or teams) of creative directors, art directors, designers, copywriters, etc. responsible for client projects.

Overall description

A chief creative officer (CCO) directs a company's creative output, developing the artistic design strategy that defines the company's brand. Chief Creative Officer creates the unique image of the firm and deliver this distinctive design to consumers.To create a clear brand image is Chief creative officer's duty which is a fundamental and essential work throughout the whole lifetime of a company. An advertising firm operates along the same dichotomy. Advertisements present a certain memorable artistic design while also structured to accomplish functional goals. The CCO ensures that the design and functionality combine harmoniously so the firm can present a product that successfully represents its creative brand.

CCOs (in some cases are called creative directors or lead designers) are demanded in those firms which involve creative thinking and artistic design. The position of generic head of marketing is usually replaced by chief creative officer in advertising firms.

The power of chief creative officer can even be compared to CEO and at the early stages of a small company, usually at the start of partnerships, the CCO and the CEO manage jointly: The CCO is responsible for creative works and the CEO handles everything else.

Responsibilities

• Works with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to develop cohesive and productive goals for the company and designs ways to meet them.
• Transforms rough ideas and general concepts into actions
• Leads the creative team and directs project completion in line with company goals.
• Develops design concepts that further the company’s brand identity.
• Inspires the creative team to more advanced and better work using brainstorming sessions, team meetings, and other strategic tools.
• Formulates short term and long term creative goals and strategies for achieving them.
• Maintains consistency over the 'quality and message of the creative team’s output.
• Evaluates the current status of the industry and the market to ensure delivery of relevant and useful products, messages, or branding.
• Anticipates the future direction of the industry using both research and own insight, and brings the company into the fore of that trajectory.
• Assigns tasks to creative team and supervises their timely completion.
• Monitors creative budget, making sure all projects are delivered within the projected parameters.
• Enforces deadlines and maintains efficiency in the creative department.
• Coordinates with vendors for timely delivery of goods.

Requirements

Abilities and skills

• Experience and deep knowledge on project management, design and brand development, and marketing.
• Have a clear understanding on branding strategies and marketing strategies.
• Must know how to nurture and adapt an existing brand to suit changing circumstances within the company and the industry.
• Self-motivated and innovative.
• Must be creative with a unique approach to persistent problems, adding value to existing products and deriving positives from negatives.
• Must have exceptional communication skills and be able to bridge the gap between the business and creative sides of the company.
• Must be able to multitask and manage a number of different projects at once.

Educational level and experience

• A bachelor's degree in art is required.
• Higher level Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees often required.
• Experience or coursework in business and management a plus.
• Must have at least three years’ experience in the company’s industry, preferably in a leadership or management role.

General working environment

• Extended working hours usually outside the normal business day
• Lots of time will be spent in corporate offices and meeting rooms working with a variety of different teams

Salary(U.S only)

Annually

Average annual salary for a Chief Creative Officer is $132500 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2013. The highest salary recorded was $321521. The lowest salary reported was $59598. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Hourly

Median hourly wage for a Chief Creative Officer is $65.89 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2013. The highest hourly rate recorded was $159.88. The lowest hourly rate recorded was $29.64. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Bonus

Bonuses for a Chief Creative Officer are based on the years of experience using statistics from the U.S. as of 2013. The average bonus recorded was $1200 from people with under 1 year of experience.

Tendency

Researches and database show that the salary paid to Chief creative officer is in an increasing trend. In 2012 the average annual salary was $132500 while in 2007 it was just $122878.18.

Job outlook

Gender Statistics(U.S only)

This position is highly dominated by males in the United States. Based on stats gathered across the U.S. 85% of Chief Creative Officers were males while 15% were females. (2013)

People

• KV Sridhar Joins SapientNitro as chief creative officer
• DDB Chicago names new chief creative officer
• Momentum Names Omid Farhang Chief Creative Officer
• Marvel Entertainment Promotes Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer
• Tesco CMO Matt Atkinson to become chief creative officer
• Jay Hunt appoints Ralph Lee to Channel 4 Deputy Chief Creative Officer
• John Lasseter of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar
• Clive Davis of Sony Music Entertainment
• Hugh Hefner of Playboy Enterprises
• Geoff Johns of DC Entertainment
• Christopher Bailey CCO of Burberry
• Toshihiro Nagoshi of SEGA Corporation