Where do marketing budgets go to die? In spreadsheets? Maybe. Boardrooms? Bingo.

Not because the idea’s bad. But because the story behind the spend doesn’t stack up.

So how do you build a case that wins hearts, minds, and money without setting fire to your budget?

At the Outsmart vs Outspend Masterclass, marketing and growth heavyweights Ashton Bishop, Marc Johnstone, Matthew Bywater, and Sam Musgrave dropped five moves that separate the growth-savvy from the budget-burners.

Steal them. Use them. Scale smarter.

Insight: You don’t have to outspend the competition if you can outsmart them with sharper growth moves.

Data: Brands that kept marketing through downturns bounced back 3x faster than those that didn’t.

What's the step change:  Use the Growth Cheat Sheet — a lean mix of marketing moves, funnel fixes, and leadership-aligned strategy to outsmart (not outspend) the competition.

5 Marketing Moves That Won’t Eat Your Budget

Here’s how to turn tighter budgets into smarter growth — without losing momentum. With insights from:

1. Balance Brand and Conversion

Only running activation? You’ll run out of demand. Only building brand? You’ll run out of money.

The best marketers don’t pick sides — they blend both. Because while only 5% of your market is ready to buy today, the other 95% will be — and they'll remember the brands that showed up before they needed them.

The magic formula? For most B2B and service brands, it’s 60% brand with 40% activation (Binet & Field).

🎯 Takeaway: Brand builds the future. Activation funds it.

💡 Do this now:

• • Use broad, emotional messaging to stay memorable
  • Pair with laser-focused conversion tactics that drive pipeline
  • Track the right stuff: recall, lead quality, not just clicks
  • Protect brand. Optimise activation. Repeat.
    

2. Get Your CFO On Your Side

Marketing sounds expensive when you pitch it like art. It sounds essential when you pitch it like infrastructure.

Your CFO doesn’t care about your reach. They care about your returns. So shift the story. Show how marketing drives pipeline, protects margin, and accelerates cashflow — especially when times get tough.

And here’s the kicker. Brands that kept investing during downturns — like P&G, Kellogg’s, Toyota, and Amazon — didn’t just survive. They came back up to 3x stronger.

🎯 Takeaway: Marketing isn’t a cost centre. It’s a compounding asset — if you frame it right.

💡 Do this now:

• • Speak in revenue levers: CAC, LTV, pipeline velocity, margin
  • Translate budget into business impact: $X in = $Y out
  • Present in phases: essentials, growth bets, smart experiments
  • Show downside risk: market share loss, morale dip, delayed recovery
  • Ditch the jargon: talk like a commercial partner, not a campaign manager
  • Use real-world proof: P&G and co. didn’t pause — they pounced
    
    
    

3. Pressure-Test Your Strategy Like an Investor

By now, you’ve probably nailed the basics — Product, Price, Place, Promotion. The classic 4Ps.

But to build a strategy that actually drives growth (and unlocks budget), you’ve got to take it further.

If your plan wouldn’t convince an outsider with skin in the game, it won’t rally your internal team either. Growth is commercial proof, not just creative flair.

Adopt these investor filters in your new strategy litmus test:

🎯 Takeaway: If your strategy clears this bar, everything else becomes easier.

💡 Do this now:

• • Run a VC-style audit of your growth plan
  • Find the gaps: team, product, scalability
  • Align marketing to proof: traction, leverage, margin
  • Ditch fluff. Tell a business case story that lands.

4. Find the Leaks in Your Funnel

Most businesses don’t need more leads — they need to stop losing the ones they’ve already paid for.

Your funnel is your business model in motion — and most drop-offs happen mid-journey.

Here’s the silent killer:

🎯 Takeaway: Your growth isn’t stuck at the top. It’s bleeding out between stages.

💡 Do this now:

• • Map the real funnel — numbers and all
  • Spot the cliffs (and stop the fall)
  • Align teams: marketing drives interest, sales converts, and ops retains
  • Swap vanity metrics for movement metrics: who progresses, how far, how fast

5. Double Down on What Works & Cut the Rest

The best brands don’t win by doing more. They win by doing less, better. Every shiny new tactic comes at a cost — often your team’s time, focus, and sanity.

The antidote? Ruthless prioritisation paired with creative that actually performs.

The overlooked multiplier: creative quality. It’s worth 12x more than media spend or targeting.

🎯 Takeaway: Your growth isn’t stuck at the top. It’s bleeding out between stages.

💡 Do this now:

• • Run a stop/start/scale review: what’s really delivering?
  • Prioritise owned/earned: SEO, content, email, referrals
  • Build a “greatest hits” library of top-performing assets
  • Invest in bold, consistent creative — not just safe variants
    
    

Tying It All Together

These moves aren’t trends. These are table stakes for brands that want to win without overspending.
Because growth isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about getting smarter with every dollar, decision, and deployment.

So before you greenlight the next campaign, ask: Are we outspending the competition… or outsmarting them?

Want to put this into action?

Book your Complete Step Change Session with us today, and together, we’ll build a growth plan that delivers from the top line to the bottom line.