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The Branded Perspective | Marketing’s Great Unbundling

Marketing’s Great Unbundling: Why Projects Are the New Power Move

Project Work Isn’t a Compromise—It’s a Strategy

The past few years have pushed many businesses—across sectors—to operate leaner, slower, and more cautiously.

As supply chain disruptions, tariffs, and financial volatility continue to pressure the bottom line, many companies

have hit pause on hiring, particularly in marketing.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: marketing teams are shrinking, hiring freezes are holding, and the people controlling the

purse strings are tightening them hard. 

It’s not marketing isn't essential - it's because decision makers don't always understand what it delivers. Or worse,

they think they do and that it's an easy job.  The abstract nature of brand value, audience sentiment,

and long-term loyalty doesn’t translate easily into a CFO’s spreadsheet.  

If you’ve ever been asked to quantify the value of brand awareness in a single Excel cell, you know what

I mean. And if you’ve ever suggested a regression analysis or a marketing mix model, you’ve probably

received a blank stare—or a polite “we’ll circle back” that never circles.


Welcome to 2025, where full-time marketing jobs are scarcer, but marketing needs haven’t gone anywhere.

What has changed is how you deliver your value. 

Consider: The people holding the purse strings may not know what a brand tracker is—but they do understand

a new website launch.

So here’s the move: STOP chasing the job listing that’s been on hold for six months & START scoping smart,

high-impact project work.

The New Project Economy

It’s digestible, it’s budgetable, and—most importantly—it’s what the current decision-makers can actually say yes to. 

It is malleable to any industry from tech to CPG to non-profits - businesses big & small. 

Because while the board might balk at a new headcount, they’ll greenlight a CRM overhaul, a website refresh,

or a six-week email re-engagement campaign. Think of it as both a foothold and a proof point.

Something decision-makers can wrap their heads around. 


The Playbook Has Changed—But the Game Isn’t Over

The landscape is changing. It’s easy to see the shrinking of full-time roles as a loss—but I see it as a new door

opening. We have the chance to define the future of marketing work on our own terms.

Through project-based marketing, we stay close to the organizations and missions that matter to us. We continue

to add value—even if the structure is different. We help decision-makers see marketing not as a cost center,

but a catalyst for growth.

And most importantly, we keep doing the work.

About the Author

Sara L. Gable is a marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience building beloved brands and driving business growth.  She served as Chief Marketing Officer at a startup wine company and has led initiatives for household brands including Samuel Adams, Heinz, and Colgate. Known for her creative instincts and data-driven approach, Sara brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial energy and big-brand discipline to every project.

Learn more at The Art of Marketing.
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Location: New York, NY, USA

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