Something to think about in the land of CPG marketing…

As CPG/ Big Box teams get leaner on the inside of corporate walls, do agencies benefit? Are they getting more business and thus hiring more people? Or are they just piling more work on their account teams, therefore creating stagnant design and ideation?
So who really suffers? Do consumers – the end result of all marketing campaigns suffer because they aren’t fed the mega-multitudes of commercialization that they are used to? Do the agency team members suffer because they are working on the same brands with no new ideas? Does CPG branding suffer because no matter what is “launched” it’s not going to move the needle in the mind of the consumer because they aren’t told to love it? Consumers are so used to being told exactly what they want to hear and need to love – I sometimes wonder if anyone can really think for themselves when it comes to products, etc – not at all pertaining to life choices and things of that nature – purely commercial and often frivolous impulse items. Don’t get offended – I still think we’re all capable of making intelligent choices – but it’s an interesting study to see what purchases impulse marketing actually creates in the minds of consumers. Trust me, I’m just as guilty when it comes to impulse buying! I’m drawn to shiny objects and flashy packaging just like anyone else.
Another thing to consider on the flip side… If there are less marketing dollars available in the land of the CPG, less internal marketing talent, then does that equate to less talent available in the agency world? If you can’t pay for the exquisite marketing we are all accustomed to, then what happens to the agency team that isn’t going to create the elaborate campaigns any more – you really do get what you pay for, product wise and creative wise!
Further thought... Do the CPG/ Big Box unemployed now become consultants for projects they were once working on? So that expands their portfolio and creates a broader knowledge base for everyone involved, including probably their former employer – wonder if they ever realize the talent they let go?It’s an interesting time in the marketing world – just as it is with any job group. The things that are happening in the marketing worlds are really crazy – it seems as if so much is going back to smaller budget ideals that are now costing an arm and a leg to create that “home-done” feel. I’m very eager to see what the recession does to so many marketing campaigns going forward – people still need to create ideals that are going to sell sell sell but at what cost to the companies and to the consumers.