How Canva is leading business innovation: 3 takeaways from Advertising Week, New York

What if we told you that 96% of surveyed employees believe creative ideas are critical to their organization’s long-term success⁠(opens in a new tab or window), yet most feel they don’t have enough time to be creative? As a leader, the natural question becomes: how can you solve this?

In a fast-paced business landscape, innovation, efficiency, and consistency are no longer optional—they're essential.

After an incredible few days in New York at Advertising Week, Canva spent time connecting with businesses and discussing the ways in which we’ve seen large organizations create impactful visual content, boost productivity, while reduce costs, with an all-in-one platform.

This year, Variety and Canva brought back their interview studio for marketers, where we gathered top insights on today’s most pressing creative opportunities and challenges.

At Advertising Week, it was clear that the businesses thriving in today’s competitive landscape are the ones empowering their entire teams—not just designers—to take control of creative outputs. This democratization of creativity leads to more innovative ideas, greater ownership of content beyond the creative team, and faster execution.

During a conversation with e.l.f. Beauty’s Chief Brand Officer, Laurie Lam, she emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of high-performance teams where mutual responsibility drives accountability. This approach, seen in organizations embracing creativity company-wide, allows for smoother communication and encourages everyone to have a stake in the creative process.

Similarly, Spotify’s Head of Brand, Jessica Levinsohn, spoke to the rise of visual formats like video podcasts and interactive content, which are key in deepening connections with audiences. By equipping more team members with tools like Canva, businesses can unlock new creative potential and drive deeper engagement at every level.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing that investing in tools to improve marketing efficiency⁠(opens in a new tab or window) has become fundamental. It's no longer just about creating content—it’s about giving more team members the ability to produce and iterate on creative work with speed and precision.

As businesses increasingly rely on complex tech stacks, the need for streamlined workflows has become a top priority. A key takeaway from the studio panels was the importance of consolidating tools, while embracing new innovative solutions like AI to enhance efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in content creation.

Nicola Grant, Mastercard’s SVP of Global Brand Strategy, underscored how AI is becoming a critical enabler in marketing⁠(opens in a new tab or window), enhancing decision-making and accelerating personalization efforts. AI's ability to significantly speed up iteration cycles is helping teams focus on more strategic, high-value activities instead of getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.

For many companies, tools like Canva, which leverage AI to automate design tasks, are helping teams focus on more strategic, high-value activities.

IBM’s Jonathan H. Adashek discussed how designers at IBM are reclaiming time previously spent on repetitive tasks by using AI-driven tools to create and adapt content faster. This shift is not only freeing up creative energy but also enabling teams to deliver personalized customer journeys at scale.

Canva is at the forefront of this trend, with AI capabilities that allow businesses to create high-quality robust content pieces like whitepapers, webinars, etc. in one language and localize to other markets and seasons.

Maintaining brand consistency across multiple channels remains a key challenge, especially as organizations expand into new markets. Throughout Advertising Week, industry leaders highlighted the need for solutions that help balance adaptability with brand integrity.

During discussions on global branding, OMD’s Global CEO, George Manas, pointed to Canva’s role in helping them navigate a comprehensive brand refresh. As they scale their brand globally, tools that enable flexibility and ensure consistent messaging⁠(opens in a new tab or window) across regions have proven invaluable.

This emphasis on consistency while scaling was a theme echoed by several organizations, showing that with the right tools, even the most complex branding challenges can be met with creative, flexible solutions.

With Canva’s all-in-one platform, your organization can unlock new levels of creativity, streamline workflows, and ensure seamless brand consistency across every market. Want to learn how Canva can empower your teams and elevate your marketing strategy? Connect with our sales team to explore how we can help drive transformational outcomes for your business today.

Contact sales today⁠(opens in a new tab or window).

For a deeper dive into how leading marketers are integrating AI into their strategies, join our upcoming Canva for Marketing webinar series. Featuring CMOs from HubSpot, Stripe, Canva, and Engel & Völkers, the series will explore how these industry leaders are addressing key marketing challenges and seizing new opportunities. Register here⁠(opens in a new tab or window).