Creative & Production Services Market: Mark Lesniak: B2B Needs Creative Ambition, Not Safe Harbour

Mark Lesniak, founder and creative director of Lesniak Swann and juror on The Drum B2B Awards' Creative Aces jury, argues that creative ambition is underinvested in B2B marketing because many clients prefer safe, low-risk choices. He says media spend is often treated as a substitute for ideas and that brand investment should be prioritized to amplify commercial outcomes. Lesniak believes AI has reshaped production—making previously unaffordable work achievable—but cannot replace the human ability to make the conceptual, tangential creative leaps that produce memorable ideas. He predicts demand for creative leaders who can both generate bold ideas and advocate for them internally.