Producing More Content with Smaller Budgets: Can it be done?

If you’re in marketing, or pretty much any business, there’s constant pressure to create more with less. Less time, fewer resources, and of course, less money.

The evolution of digital

Think about the advertising world 5 years ago: there were no story units, no carousel units, and no programmatic display units. Since then, you’ve added to your digital arsenal (think Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat), but also to your list of tasks. According to a Statista study, digital made up 17.1% of U.S. advertising spending in 2010. By 2018, that figure was 38.4%. Unfortunately, your budget remains unchanged. But there shouldn’t be an additional cost every time a new social or digital channel emerges.

There’s more data to apply when targeting customers to ensure you’re reaching the right person at the right moment. But what’s the right message and how do you create it at scale? How can your creative team react at the speed of today’s culture?

Stuck in the assembly line

In the traditional creative and production processes, a creative agency developed a big brand idea and platform. These usually included things like 30-and 60-second TV spots. Creating those assets required an assembly line of talented craftspeople. A group of writers wrote a script and sold that idea. Next, the producers were tasked with finding locations, sets, props, hiring actors, shooting, editing, and putting it together.

Digital advertisers are still stuck in that assembly line. They continue to solely rely on programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Animate. However, these programs alone can’t support the hyper-relevance today’s consumer expects. Consumers desire a personalized 1:1 relationship with a brand, and if a brand fails to basically exceed their expectations, they’ll take their business elsewhere. To satisfy such demands, your marketing stack needs to incorporate a program that can deliver personalization in real-time. Backed by tools like AI assistance, real-time optimization, and contextual cues, CMPs are programmed to apply the right data for increasing engagement.

Brands are benefiting  

Clearly, CMPs can vastly simplify the process of building and launching ads in theory. But what about in practice?

Celtra worked with Maxis, a leading 4G and fiber communications provider in Malaysia, on its 2018 World Cup campaign. By using Celtra’s platform, Maxis ended up only needing 8 creatives to achieve the equivalent of 382. They reduced creative and trafficking time by 50% while gaining richer insight into creative performance through segment reporting. These are the type of results that CMPs can offer through cutting-edge creative development tools, dynamic creative capabilities, built-in ad trafficking technology, and more.

It’s time to adapt

It’s time to switch from a linear production process to one that integrates the various aspects of your marketing campaign. A Creative Management Platform (CMP) enables you to turn assets into ready-to-go code that can be updated on the fly, and view performance in real time.

The malleability of assets allows your brand to build the 1:1 relationship that consumers expect across all platforms, formats, and channels. It improves all advertising, putting an end to mass marketing, and the “yell and repeat” messaging that brands too often employ. It helps consumers connect with brands, and helps brands improve their effectiveness while reducing operational costs.