You can’t be good at everything: So where should your budget go?

Marketing teams are under more pressure than ever to prove the value of every penny. But when faced with finite budgets, evolving audience behaviours and shifting internal expectations, how do you choose where to invest, and what to let go of? 

In our latest expert panel, hosted by Jaywing’s Strategy Partner Becca Tredget, senior marketing leaders from Furniture & Choice, Travel Republic/Netflights and Jaywing explored the challenges of marketing budget planning and why being strategic about what not to do is just as important as what makes the cut. 

The panel was made up of: 

• Paul Tinsley, CMO at Furniture & Choice 
• Paul Downer, Head of Commercial at Travel Republic and Netflights 
• Jonny Sycamore, Managing Partner at Jaywing 

Together, they brought perspectives from in-house and agency sides, spanning brand, performance, media and commercial outcomes. 

“Everything logical says spend more money on performance. But how do you carve out budget for the long-term health of the brand? And how long do you give it to prove itself?” asked Paul Tinsley, CMO at Furniture & Choice. 

From navigating internal silos to balancing innovation with risk, the conversation tackled how to make room for test-and-learn activity without losing sight of ROI and how AI and automation are changing the cost equation around creative production. 

There was also frank discussion about what agencies can do better, and how internal culture, commercial pressures, and flexible planning cycles all shape how budgets are spent. 

“A good strategy is as much about knowing what you won’t do as what you will. If you try to do everything, you lose the clarity that drives effectiveness.” said Jonny Sycamore, Client Partner at Jaywing. 

So, when everyone’s chasing performance, how do you make sure brand building doesn’t fall by the wayside? And what role does creativity still play when AI can generate content for a fraction of the cost? 

Get access to the full discussion and hear what the experts had to say about: 

• The budget splits that are working right now 
• How marketers are ringfencing brand activity in performance-led businesses 
• Whether emerging channels are worth the risk 
• How to avoid the trap of short-termism 
• And what smart brands are doing to stay one step ahead 

Watch the full panel discussion 

Request the recording to uncover the strategies, insights and sharp truths shared on stage. 

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