Marketing + Communications

Too busy for creativity – return to normality is affecting our time commitments

December is a funny time for us marketing folk. The hard work is done and the Christmas campaigns are rolling out.

Our clients are reflecting on the year gone by and bracing themselves for the next one. We’re catching our breath (in between parties, yes) and flexing our creative brains to really knock it out of the park for our clients in the next twelve months.

But it feels different this year. Everyone (not just us) is so very busy. And exhausted. What’s going on?

The pressure of the last two years finally finding release

Firstly, the bounce back. We’re responding enthusiastically to nearly two years of pent-up demand for products, services and social connections. When it came down to it, the vast majority of us were willing to do what was needed to protect ourselves and others in the wake of coronavirus. Now that the country is in a much healthier position, we’re finally able to start doing some of the things that have been off the cards for so long.

That means more demand for products and services.

Of course, this effect is like the slow build-up of pressure that precedes a release. Now that the time is ripe, we’re all eager to make the most of it.

If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right

This year brings with it the usual end of year deadlines, but on steroids. Whether it’s a new website or brand refresh about to go live; a bar or restaurant opening in time for the Christmas rush, or a new product launch-ready for Black Friday, projects are completing all over the place.

And that means problems to fix…

A typo in the promotional material or a broken hyperlink can have serious repercussions. It’s all hands to the pump and no room for fuzzy minds.

Attention to detail matters. And attention to detail requires time and manpower.

Too many seats, not enough bums

The skills crisis. It’s a massive problem.

There simply aren’t enough qualified people to do the work, in every industry, but particularly in property and construction. Job vacancies hit a record high in October, with 43,000 advertised vacancies in construction alone.

Whether this is related to the Great Resignation, where 1 in 4 are considering leaving their current role is anyone’s guess. The point is, there are lots of job vacancies and not enough applicants.

When you add this to the impact of people isolating or becoming poorly with Covid, you can see why we’re all so damned busy!

All that work you’ve been doing in the last few years on improving your employer branding and improving your diversity and inclusion? This is the moment it pays off. When the talent pool decreases in size, talented applicants can afford to be pickier. It makes sense that they’re going to go where they feel most valued.

Burnt out?

Let’s talk about this.

Whether you’ve been working from home (living at work?), managing a construction site or running a business, everyone is exhausted. Because it’s been very hard indeed to take a break since the beginning of last year.

Every human has a fuse that can only burn for so long until things go BOOM. That’s why, no matter how busy we are, it’s important to take some time to rest, reflect and recharge. The pressures of the pandemic and the jobs market are making that more difficult than in previous years.

Working differently

Added to all this is a definite change in working patterns. Flexibility and an expectation of some form of work-life balance have become the norm (and quite right too).

As we return to more IRL working – meetings, collaboration, time in the office – the question we should ask is this: have we become so used to maximum productivity that we’ve forgotten to allow time for the in-between?

How Luma can help

When your cup runneth over with work, it might be time to start offloading some of your responsibilities and enlisting some outside help. Your marketing is one such commitment that can pose a heavy burden and eat up your valuable time.

Luma has been helping businesses in the built environment develop their brand, grow their audience and increase their revenue for many years.

Why do your own marketing when you can hand it over to the experts? That way, you’re free to devote your own limited time to what you do best and to get that much-needed recuperation time.

Contact us today to arrange a consultation.

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