When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Cut Marketing
Why slashing marketing and tools could cost more than it saves
With the financial headwinds hitting PBS and NPR stations, the budget axe is swinging. And I know where it lands first: marketing. It always does. Leaders hate cutting staff, so marketing gets labeled “extra.” But as someone who’s stood on that cliff edge, I can tell you: what feels like the easiest cut often turns out to be the one that hurts the most.
And I worry it won’t stop there. In the scramble to save jobs, the cuts get deeper—essential tools and vendors tossed aside for “good enough” free alternatives. As a public media leader once said to me, “It doesn’t take long before you hit bone.”
The “Free” Tools Trap
Take metrics. Why pay for Parse.ly or Adobe Analytics when Google Analytics is free? I hear that all the time. But free isn’t always better. There’s a reason the paid tools cost what they do: features, service, expertise—the things that help teams make smarter decisions, faster.
Sure, Google Analytics is free. But that comes with trade-offs:
The learning curve can be steep—it’s not plug-and-play.
Reports may lag, with data taking up to 48 hours to process—not great if your team relies on real-time dashboards.
And unless you’re paying for Google’s enterprise-level tools, there’s no one to call when something breaks.
From experience, it’s that last point that matters most. I can’t count the number of times I’ve picked up the phone or sent a quick email to a metrics vendor and gotten what I needed—fast. That kind of support is hard to replace.
Before you swap paid tools for free ones, take a hard look at what you’re actually getting—and what you need. What looks like savings can turn out to be a much bigger problem down the line.
The Hidden Cost of Change
Some tools aren’t just about price. Take your Content Management System—the backbone of any media organization. Yes, CMSs are expensive. But switching? That’s even costlier in time and focus. I’ve seen migrations take 6 to 12 months, with key staff tied up in mapping content types, testing workflows, and troubleshooting instead of doing their actual jobs. And that’s when things go well. I’ve seen migrations stretch into a second year thanks to compatibility issues no one saw coming.
So the next time your finance lead asks why you can’t just go with a cheaper CMS, ask them: Can we afford for our team to do nothing else for a year?
A Smarter Way to Save
This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t look for savings. If you’re paying for a Rolls Royce, maybe there’s a Lexus or Toyota-level option that still meets your needs. The key is knowing exactly what you’re giving up. Maybe you lose some automation features. Maybe you give up integrations with specialty tools you don’t use all that often. Maybe support is a little slower. But at least you’re making the choice with eyes open.
And before you start shopping around, have an honest conversation with your current vendor. Tell them what you’re up against. Sometimes they’ll work with you because they don’t want to lose your business. Sometimes they’ll help restructure your contract or push some costs later. Either way, it’s worth the call. You might be surprised what’s possible.
What Smart Cuts Actually Look Like
If you need to cut, do it with a plan. Start by mapping your tools—you might be paying for three things that do the same job. Look for ways to consolidate.
Don’t try to change everything at once. Time contract changes so you’re not overwhelming your team with multiple transitions. And see if you can team up with other stations or groups to share costs.
The goal isn’t to avoid cuts—it’s to make cuts that don’t kneecap what you’re trying to do.
Marketing Isn’t a Luxury; It’s a Lifeline
Let’s come back to marketing. I’ve worked at commercial TV stations with seven-figure marketing budgets and at nonprofits with none at all. When we launched PBS39 News Tonight, we had a half-million-dollar annual marketing budget—and it made a difference.
Marketing may seem like a luxury to your board or leadership, especially when you’ve got a signal that reaches millions or a website with big numbers. But here’s the thing: those are your existing customers. You’re preaching to the converted. Telling someone who’s already watching your station what’s coming up tomorrow doesn’t bring in new viewers. Your current audience isn’t going to be your Paul Revere.
Imagine running a restaurant that relies only on word of mouth from your regulars—or people who happen to wander in. How long would you stay in business?
One Last Thing
Before you drop that ad-tracking software because you’re moving to a donation model, check whether you’re using the same tool for your TV station. When we took a hard look at our tech costs, everyone was surprised at how connected the systems were.
Cuts may be necessary. But they should be smart, not shortsighted. Before you trim, ask what you’re really risking—and whether today’s savings could turn into tomorrow’s cost.
This is a reality many leaders are facing right now. I'm curious to hear your story.
What's the smartest cut you've ever seen an organization make? Or, what's the one that backfired the most?
Join the discussion in the comments below.