The death of the 70/30 split: Why it's time to rethink your marketing budget

Here’s a question to chew on: How much of your marketing budget should actually go toward making the work versus putting it out into the world? 

If your gut reaction was “30% to creative and production, 70% to media,” congratulations. You’ve just cited one of the most outdated mantras in modern marketing.

Once hailed as the gold standard, the 70/30 split was once considered the go-to for campaign budgeting. But if you’re still clinging to that ratio, it might be time to ask yourself a question: are you budgeting for results, or rules of thumb?

Let’s break it down.

The roots of the rule

The 70/30 split evolved from an even more extreme budget division: the 100/0 split. Back in the Mad Men days, marketing spend was simple. Your entire budget went to media, with the agency taking a commission to fund their development of the creative. 

Agencies operated on a trust-based model, largely because there were only a few mediums or channels to consider. You wanted to reach an audience? Easy. Run a spot during I Love Lucy, or slap a billboard on the highway. That was your reach, and it worked.

Even as media choices expanded (cable TV, early internet), the same principle held. You didn’t need twenty pieces of creative – just one message blasted through multiple platforms. That singular message carried the load, and the system didn’t demand variety.

Welcome to now: The fractured, fickle world of media

Fast forward to today, and media has gone from three TV networks to a chaotic buffet of social platforms, podcasts, streaming and connected TV, niche influencers, programmatic ads, and (checks watch) probably three new TikTok clones by the time you finish reading this sentence.

Every platform is different. Every audience behaves differently depending on where they are, what device they’re on, and how they’re feeling. That means marketers can no longer get by with one-size-fits-all creative.

Your witty Instagram Reel won’t translate to YouTube. Your website copy doesn’t make a great print ad, never mind a good TikTok. To meet modern audiences where they are – and in the mood they’re in – you need content tailored to context.

Content, tailored to context

Oh, and let’s not forget about owned channels. Your brand’s email list, blog, social feeds, and website don’t carry media costs – but they still need fuel. 

Great content. Smart strategy. Continuous optimization. You might not be buying the ad space, but you’re investing in what fills it. 
 

Why the 70/30 split misses the mark

The biggest problem with the 70/30 rule? It focuses marketers on the wrong target. This isn’t about budget allocation– it’s about results. Brands shouldn’t aim to meet a spending ratio. They should aim to meet KPIs, drive ROI, and achieve meaningful business outcomes.

If a 70/30 split helps get you there, great. But if not, why force it? A rigid budget model can blind you to better opportunities. 

Maybe your campaign would perform better with a 50/50 split. Maybe it’s year one of a new campaign, and you need to spend more upfront on strategy and creative but can scale media in year two. Or maybe your best move is to go 100/0 and dominate through organic storytelling and influencer seeding.

A formula doesn’t know your goals. 

Your agency does – if you trust them.

It’s not about the ratio, it’s about the relationship

Let’s talk trust. Or rather the lack of it, which may be the root of many 70/30 mandates.

Clients are often happy to write massive cheques to media platforms – Google, Meta, TikTok – but get squeamish when it comes to agency fees. There’s a perception that the media spend is “doing something,” while the creative and strategic work is somehow superfluous or ‘extra’.

Spoiler alert: what you say matters more than how often you say it. Flooding the market with the same stale ad just irritates your audience (we’re looking at you, sports fans who’ve seen the same commercial 3,000 times in a single game broadcast). Smart, platform-tailored creative, refreshed often, amplified by an effective media mix – that’s how modern brands win.

At Show and Tell, we don’t do off-the-shelf work. We do what’s right for your business, not for some dusty formula. We walk the line between storytelling and brand-building, and results and performance. And we’ll keep walking it with you – step by flexible, strategic step.

Want results? Let’s talk

If you’re still budgeting like it’s 2005, maybe it’s time to upgrade your thinking. Ditch the formula. Focus on outcomes. And partner with an agency that’s as invested in your success as you are.

Curious what a modern, solutions-agnostic approach could do for your next campaign? Let’s talk. Book a discovery call with Show and Tell, and let’s create something that actually works.

Book your discovery call.