Left brain thinkers vs right brain thinkers (creative vs analytical thinkers)

Left Brain vs. Right Brain: The Creative vs. Analytical Thinkers Debate at HMA

You’ve probably heard the long-standing debate about creative vs analytical thinkers (right brain vs left brain thinking)—those who lean toward creativity are said to be intuitive, imaginative, and big-picture visionaries, while analytical thinkers are methodical, data-driven, and detail-oriented.

At HMA Marketing, we thrive on pushing boundaries and challenging conventional thinking. So, we asked ourselves: Do our imaginative creatives fit neatly into the right-brain camp? Are our data-driven analysts strictly left-brain thinkers? And what about our multifaceted marketing strategists - where do they land in this cognitive divide?

The Big Brain Test

Using a highly scientific method (read: a free online quiz), we put our team to the test. The results? Surprisingly balanced.

We were nearly split down the middle - 53% of our team showed left-brain dominance, while 47% leaned right-brained. But what caught us off guard was that our right-brained group wasn’t just made up of our designers and writers. It also included several of our data analysts and coders. Likewise, some of our most creative minds—those crafting compelling brand narratives—tested as left-brain dominant. And our marketing team? They were scattered across the spectrum.

The Takeaway? Creativity and Analytics Go Hand in Hand

In hindsight, maybe we shouldn’t have been so surprised. At its core, data analysis is an art, requiring intuition, pattern recognition, and innovative problem-solving. Likewise, marketing creativity is deeply rooted in research, strategy, and data-driven insights. In the hospitality industry, where we blend storytelling with performance metrics, our team’s cognitive diversity is our biggest strength.

So, which side of the brain drives your thinking? Take the quiz we used and let us know your results!

At HMA Marketing, we believe the best marketing strategies aren’t left-brained or right-brained—they’re whole-brained.