Why the Era of Less is Pushing Brands to Work Smarter

When times are tough, PR and marketing teams are often the first to face budget cuts. The challenge of delivering more with fewer resources is nothing new – but in 2025, the pressure is on to make budgets stretch further than ever before.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that this isn’t a temporary hurdle; it’s the new normal.

With budgets flatlining, costs rising, and expectations growing higher, PR and marketing teams are being stretched to the limits in what industry analysts at Gartner have called the Era of Less.

While thinking creatively and investing more wisely are the usual calls to action, in today’s economy, this just isn’t enough. To survive and thrive, brands must tear up the old playbook and rethink how sales, marketing, and PR teams work together.

It’s time to say goodbye to siloed thinking once and for all

For too long, businesses have relied on a siloed approach, where sales, marketing, and PR operate independently in their own lanes. But this approach no longer reflects the way modern buyers make decisions, and it’s no longer fit for business.

The buyer journey has grown much more complex, and buying committees have expanded, making it harder than ever to influence key decision-makers.

Yet despite these changes, one fundamental truth remains: if you’re not on your customer’s radar before they’re ready to buy, you won’t be when they are.

Gaining and maintaining awareness is essential

Countless studies have shown that awareness is a crucial factor in the B2B buyer journey, helping brands warm up the market, build trust, and establish credibility.

In fact, research from LinkedIn, Bain & Company, and NewtonX shows that 81% of B2B purchases are made from vendors that decision-makers already know.

Without strong brand awareness, your prospects are less likely to be receptive to outreach from your business. In turn, your sales teams will likely struggle to convert leads or close deals quickly if prospects are more familiar with your competitors.

So, if you want to grow your sales and market share in 2025, you must build your brand awareness first. But how can you do that strategically and with precision, when budgets are tight, and resources are limited?

Don’t settle for less or scale back your ambitions

The key to success in the Era of Less is breaking down the silos between sales, marketing, and PR, and working towards a common set of objectives.

That doesn’t necessarily mean launching new campaigns or creating fresh content -it’s about making better use of what’s already available.

The reality is most businesses already have a wealth of materials and assets at their disposal – they’re just not making the most of it.

In a lot of cases, content is created with a single purpose in mind and then used only once or very sparingly, when it could be repurposed for different channels, amplified to reach broader audiences, or adapted for various industries and geographies.

Rethinking how PR and marketing content is utilised across sales, marketing, and PR teams can help businesses create more impact and deliver a far greater return.

This is a concept we explore in our latest eBook – “Winning in the Era of Less”.

This new report brings together our insights, research, and expertise to help brands achieve greater results with fewer resources.

Within it we share practical strategies for aligning teams in your business, tips for maximising content ROI, and best practices to ensure awareness-building efforts fuel demand and drive quality leads.

To discover new ways to work smarter, don’t wait another second to download it.

If you have any questions or want to find out more about how Tyto can assist, feel free to email me at beth.sissons@tytopr.com. I’d love to hear from you!