We have all been that in that meeting. You know the one - budget cuts, staff cuts, shifts in business processes... But does it mean that marketers should curtail their creativity? Does creativity mean expensive?
Recessions are without question a difficult time for everyone. With the nation’s workforce in a constant state of flux, it is no surprise that employees and suppliers nationwide are upping their game, and of course, marketing departments and agencies are no different.
And while corporates claim to recognise the importance of strategic, cost-effective PR and Marketing plans that will keep both sales and consequent profit high, they are also likely to equate creative campaigns that cut through the gloom with heavy price-tags. On the other side of the table, you have an in-house marketing team (or even just one individual) who wants to prove their worth internally be delivering a sales lead-generating, creative campaign. How can you balance this potential boardroom fracas?
It is often said that two heads are better than one, and so the savviest marketers have learnt how to harness the influence of well-chosen external experts who can contribute their niche experience and apply creative expertise to the overall campaign strategy.
After all, it just isn’t feasible any longer to conduct your own research, learn and implement new techniques in SEO, social media, content generation and outbound marketing, all whilst keeping the day-to-day activity ticking over and within budget, and also be creative.
Therefore, B2B marketers are increasingly taking advantage of outsourced experts with specific relevant industry experience who can bring new ideas to the campaign, provide expertise in new channels and techniques and therefore help the in-house marketer increase their own profile within the business. Meanwhile, the campaign flourishes, delivers more well-qualified leads and brings sales and marketing departments together - and all at a far lower cost than the board expected.
