Perceptions are changing when it comes to automating every bit of the advertising process — from buying and selling media to producing creatives.

Bynder, which focuses on asset management for companies like Spotify, and Puma, released research this week that analyzes attitudes and shifts in trends and technology, and found that marketers are increasingly turning to automation to support creative work.

Some 89% report that automation enhances their creativity. This is particularly relevant in light of the focus on digital experiences and initiatives during the past year, as demand for custom content increases.

In fact, the demand for content never showed any signs of slowing, even during the otherwise wild and unpredictable 2020. Campaigns and content increased by 41% year over year (YoY).

Despite Gartner’s prediction that almost all marketers will abandon personalization by 2025, 82% of respondents still consider personalization one of the most effective ways of connecting with a consumer. They just to find a way to do it without cookies. And creating more content means automation.

Marketers overestimate their ability to keep up with content demands, with 72% of marketers feeling confident they are on track to keep up with creative and content requests this year, but 73% of marketers admit they created significantly less content than they originally planned to in 2020.

The study also identified that marketer view automation different.

In 2020, 23% said branding can’t be automated — even portions of it. In 2021, only 1% of marketers said the same, suggesting a shift in acceptance toward bringing automation to all parts of marketing, including branding and creative.

Only 8% said they have no digital transformation or digital experience initiatives planned, 18% said digital initiatives have slowed or stopped, 50% said digital initiatives have started of accelerated, and 24% said they are have gone fully digital.

When asked to cite the top three impacts of digital transformation initiatives on marketing departments for all that apply, 59% cited generating more digital content and creative output, 58% cited implementing new digital experience technologies, and 55% cited investing in customer data and analytics.

While digital initiatives mean a lot more work for marketers, 89% believe technology will help creativity in their organization’s marketing department. Some 52% plan to increase their technology budget to scale content creation.

Forty-eight percent plan to increase headcount to help address growing content demands in 2021, which is up nearly 10% from 2020 compared with prior to the pandemic.