The key to making a lasting impression in the marketing industry is banking more on your authenticity and less on money. A brilliant pitch is defined by iconic brand storytelling and, more often than not, it relies very little on resources and a lot more on brainpower.

media update’s Nicole van Wyk proves that creativity and outstanding marketing should never be limited by budget constraints.

Alright, let’s take a couple of steps back and ask ourselves, what exactly is marketing? According to media update’s Aisling McCarthy, "marketing is like a step-by-step process that starts with a business’s unique selling proposition (USP). This USP then acts as a guiding theme that helps businesses identify potential buyers for what they are selling".

A marketing budget consists of the estimated costs you will have to cover in order to promote your product or service. 

Let’s look at three ways you can hit the creative marketing bullseye without breaking the bank: 

1. Look at ways to share brand storytelling

Brand storytelling is simply using a sentimental narrative that both you and your customers share in order to build a better connection with them. Storytelling brings a human factor to the table and your customers will feel like they have a more direct connection with your company. You don’t have to spend an excessive budget on distributing a message through means of pricey advertisements but rather opt for cost-effective options like posting your narrative on social media.

Your stories need to resonate with your customers. One way you could score a home run with this is by revisiting your brand’s origin. Remember that your origin story sets you apart from other brands. Sharing the story of where your brand has come from can create a sense of belonging and community among your customers — and a willingness to listen to your story means that that they find it to be relatable.

Your marketing campaigns should also involve your customers’ stories and how they align with your brand’s narrative. Show potential customers that your community shares a narrative and that you are brought together by it. 

Don’t make the mistake of telling cliché feedback stories. The truth is that people want to feel something, so rather tell a moving story that is directly linked to your brand instead of a predictable story that everyone has heard before. 

If you want your brand’s stories to reach more people, then you’d better make it personal. It sounds quite obvious, but many brands miss the opportunity to showcase the brand’s personality and link it to its clientele. 

2. Get involved with industry collaborations

The best thing you can do for your brand is to team up with like-minded individuals who share the same values —  but remember that each of them will bring different ideas to the table. These days, social media influencers are an ideal go-between for your company and your clientele —  but it shouldn’t stop there. 

Bring relevant people to the table. If you want to launch a new entertainment subscription that appeals to millenials, why not bring them in to find out what tickles their fancy? 

Brainstorming, brainstorm and brainstorm some more! Check out Mark Schaefer’s World’s Best Creativity Technique for some more brainstorming inspo. This technique is bound to give you an array of answers and it will probably save you a lot of money too. 

You will be able to cut down on research expenses such as printing surveys or even paying researchers and analysts. You save yourself so much time and money going directly to your target audience and getting the information you need to continue rolling out your marketing campaign. 

3. Employ guerilla marketing strategies

This tactic is an effective marketing strategy that will ensure you cut down on spending and dedicate more time to face-to-face interaction with your customers. Guerilla marketing differs from traditional marketing in the sense that you don’t outsource your work as a marketer but rather take your ideas from a brainstorming session to the shops or streets where your customers are. 

Engagement is paramount with this form of marketing. You need to communicate and talk to your clientele directly. Guerilla marketing zooms in on one location and ensures that the marketing message is conveyed to a particular demographic in one place. 

The difference between traditional and guerilla marketing is that traditional marketing campaigns are launched on mass media platforms, whereas guerilla marketing focuses on a smaller sample of people. 

As a brand, you need to get really creative when you explore this type of marketing strategy. You need to make sure that your message is very clear but that it creates enough of a stir among customers that’ll keep them coming back for more. 

Guerilla marketing is, in every way imaginable, unconventional and demands hard-hitting creativity. Although this strategy is budget-friendly, it only means that marketers really have to apply themselves and learn to distribute resources wisely. 

Some examples of guerilla marketing include:
  • flash mobs 
  • dancing in a public space 
  • floating billboards 
  • adding graffiti to pre-existing monuments, or any wall — even a bus stop
  • using public transport like buses to advertise on around town
Whatever you do, make sure that your brand is making a bold statement. 

Ask for forgiveness, not permission is the sentiment that should guide your guerilla marketing strategy. 

Do not limit what could be an incredible marketing pitch to a budget. You can employ these methods to shake up the marketing sector and, who knows, you might even end up surprising yourself. 

When you brainstorm new ideas for a pitch, do you consult your budget during the process? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Now that you know how to keep up with the marketing industry’s creative mandate, read our article, What does marketing need? Playfulness, bravery and curiosity for more ideas. 
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy