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February 6, 2023

How Do You Do More With Less

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Do More With Less? Wait…..What?!

Doing more with less is hard enough as it is and it’s even more difficult when there’s a lot of uncertainty in the creative markets given the potential of a recession.

As the FED attempts to curb inflation, interest rates are likely to climb and unfortunately for us, client’s marketing budgets will likely get cut throughout the year until more clarity can be seen on the horizon.

So what do you do when client says do more with less? You adapt.

Recessions don’t stop marketing initiatives, they just slow them down. Being the creatives that drive brand messaging, it’s during this time that relationships are truly forged. Those that can adapt and push forward with creative solutions solidify their position with their client as the subject matter experts.

The great thing about the creative industry is that there are numerous ways to accomplish marketing initiatives. We have the power of digital marketing! And that’s powerful…

Sure, big TV commercials with large budgets will be cut back, but every client look to us for imaginative and interesting content all the time! Here’s how we can serve clients in rough times:

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Do More With Less? Wait…..What?!

Doing more with less is hard enough as it is and it’s even more difficult when there’s a lot of uncertainty in the creative markets given the potential of a recession.

As the FED attempts to curb inflation, interest rates are likely to climb and unfortunately for us, client’s marketing budgets will likely get cut throughout the year until more clarity can be seen on the horizon.

So what do you do when client says do more with less? You adapt.

Recessions don’t stop marketing initiatives, they just slow them down. Being the creatives that drive brand messaging, it’s during this time that relationships are truly forged. Those that can adapt and push forward with creative solutions solidify their position with their client as the subject matter experts.

The great thing about the creative industry is that there are numerous ways to accomplish marketing initiatives. We have the power of digital marketing! And that’s powerful…

Sure, big TV commercials with large budgets will be cut back, but every client look to us for imaginative and interesting content all the time! Here’s how we can serve clients in rough times:

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3 Ways to do More with Less:
#1 – Repurpose existing footage

Your production partners or in-house creatives should have libraries of footage for each project shot for your client. Reimagine brand messaging using existing footage.

A perfect example of this is the ECI Trailblazer Conference opener below. Taking footage obtained from high quality licensing platforms such as FilmSupply, we ideated a conference opener for their hybrid event. If you’re not familiar with these platforms, we suggest taking a look at this article. They’re an invaluable resource for creatives to get exceptional quality footage for their productions.

 

ECI Conference Opener:

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3 Ways to do More with Less:
#1 – Repurpose existing footage

Your production partners or in-house creatives should have libraries of footage for each project shot for your client. Reimagine brand messaging using existing footage.

A perfect example of this is the ECI Trailblazer Conference opener below. Taking footage obtained from high quality licensing platforms such as FilmSupply, we ideated a conference opener for their hybrid event. If you’re not familiar with these platforms, we suggest taking a look at this article. They’re an invaluable resource for creatives to get exceptional quality footage for their productions.

 

ECI Conference Opener:

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Another example is this in-person event for ECI’s employee conference. This one was really fun and directed by Johan Anderson. He took a retro feel to the conference using animation and other graphic elements to make it unique. The opener had great feedback.

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Another example is this in-person event for ECI’s employee conference. This one was really fun and directed by Johan Anderson. He took a retro feel to the conference using animation and other graphic elements to make it unique. The opener had great feedback.

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#2 – Outsource when possible

This is where being resourceful in your relationships pays off. Call in favors…tell your creatives you need them to be fast, flexible and adaptable. If you’ve done them well in the past, you’ll be surprised at the relationships that come through for you in a time of need. One area we see adaptability in is alternative production locations.

Cardboard Spaceship created this commercial for Grey’s client Canon and is a prime example of outsourcing. Grey had a very specific need to cut cost for this social campaign and looked to us to find alternative solutions for location, as well as crew to accommodate the creative brief in the budget parameters they had.  Check it out:

 

Canon Pro300 Printer:

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#2 – Outsource when possible

This is where being resourceful in your relationships pays off. Call in favors…tell your creatives you need them to be fast, flexible and adaptable. If you’ve done them well in the past, you’ll be surprised at the relationships that come through for you in a time of need. One area we see adaptability in is alternative production locations.

Cardboard Spaceship created this commercial for Grey’s client Canon and is a prime example of outsourcing. Grey had a very specific need to cut cost for this social campaign and looked to us to find alternative solutions for location, as well as crew to accommodate the creative brief in the budget parameters they had.  Check it out:

 

Canon Pro300 Printer:

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#3 – Refine your process

“Believing that the old ways will keep working for you is a fool’s dream. It’s time to adapt or die.” Billy Beane. There’s a lot of truth to this former professional baseball player’s quote. During downturns, it’s always a good exercise to refine your process and approach.

Yes, our industry is stressful with tight deadlines, lots of pressure, unreasonable deliverables, budget constraints, etc., but it doesn’t have to be stressful.

Refining your process can lead to more collaboration from your creatives. Learn to lean on your talent, their experience and expertise. You’ll find that it will go a long way to creating a fun and exciting environment, even if that environment is challenging.

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#3 – Refine your process

“Believing that the old ways will keep working for you is a fool’s dream. It’s time to adapt or die.” Billy Beane. There’s a lot of truth to this former professional baseball player’s quote. During downturns, it’s always a good exercise to refine your process and approach.

Yes, our industry is stressful with tight deadlines, lots of pressure, unreasonable deliverables, budget constraints, etc., but it doesn’t have to be stressful.

Refining your process can lead to more collaboration from your creatives. Learn to lean on your talent, their experience and expertise. You’ll find that it will go a long way to creating a fun and exciting environment, even if that environment is challenging.

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About Cardboard Spaceship

Cardboard Spaceship is a full-service video production company with Emmy-award winning directors and editors that create branded video content that drive emotional connection to brands. We work directly with advertising agencies, public relations firms, organizations and business across all industries to help stories find their voice.

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About Cardboard Spaceship

Cardboard Spaceship is a full-service video production company with Emmy-award winning directors and editors that create branded video content that drive emotional connection to brands. We work directly with advertising agencies, public relations firms, organizations and business across all industries to help stories find their voice.

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