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MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The creative industry should see more hiring activity in the months ahead, according to new research from The Creative Group. One-third (33 percent) of advertising and marketing executives surveyed said they will expand their creative teams in the first half of 2015, up 21 points from six months ago. Fifty-six percent plan to maintain current staff levels in their organizations, 5 percent project hiring freezes and 6 percent expect to reduce the size of their staff.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 400 telephone interviews -- 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 200 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Key Findings

• Thirty-three percent of advertising and marketing executives interviewed plan to add new positions in the first half of 2015, up 21 points from six months ago.
• Forty-one percent of advertising and marketing executives said it's challenging to find skilled creative professionals today. Hiring managers at large advertising agencies (100+ employees) expect the greatest difficulty, with 59 percent of respondents who reported it is somewhat or very challenging.
• Web design/production, social media, content marketing and brand/product management are the top areas executives plan to hire for during the first half of 2015.

View the research highlights.

"Customer experience drives many business strategies given the power of today's consumer. As a result, companies are looking to refine every aspect of their offerings in the new year," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. "In particular, in-house departments and agencies alike seek creative professionals who can help strengthen organizations' online branding via compelling websites and real-time interaction with virtual communities."

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand
When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff in the first half of 2015, web design/production topped the list (28 percent), followed by social media (23 percent), and content marketing and brand/product management (19 percent each).

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, "In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the first half of 2015?" Their responses:

Note: Multiple responses permitted. Top responses shown.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More resources, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG's blog, can be found at creativegroup.com. Gain insights into the latest hiring and salary trends in the creative and marketing fields at creativegroup.com/salary-center.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141216/164703-INFO

SOURCE The Creative Group