Why We Shifted to Campaign-Based SME Packages

In 2024, when we introduced our first SME packages, we had a blast.

We shot at the beach, ran around making videos about makeshift pirate ships with pillows, and went into a house pool to shoot drinks. Somehow, all of that counted as work.

We had come from years of corporate projects, and these shoots gave us room to play. But there was a reason behind the pillows.

One of the books that stayed with us was ZAG by Marty Neumeier. “When everybody zigs, zag.”

We took that quite seriously.

V1: Putting People Around the Product

At the time, much of the content we saw was about making products look pretty. Beautiful photos, polished videos. After a while, scrolling through them started to feel very familiar.

Every SME had an audience it wanted to reach. We thought, why not bring people who represented that audience into the shoot? Put them around the product and make a moment out of it.

Friends having drinks. People spending time together. Something customers could picture themselves doing.

We called these lifestyle shoots and lifestyle reels. Across different businesses, we made almost a hundred of them.

Then we started seeing more of the same approach around us. The format became familiar, and our engagement numbers began to drop.

That was SME V1. Fun while it lasted. Time to think again.

V2: Giving Every Reel a Story

So we added another layer. What if each lifestyle reel had a storyline?

A date at home. A group of friends having a beach picnic after class. A girl having a rough time at school, then spending the afternoon with her girlies.

Now we had something to follow. We could build a little tension, let a moment unfold, and give the product a place in the story.

We saw products sell out at launch. People told us they loved the videos and kept watching to see what happened.

Of course we were excited. We were making stories, and people were paying attention.

About six months later, similar approaches were appearing again. Engagement softened, and we found ourselves having another conversation about what came next.

Apparently, it's zagging time again. This time, radically.

V3: Planning Around a Business Goal Each Quarter With Campaigns

By then, we had learned how quickly a content approach could become familiar.

If we were already rethinking things around the five- or six-month mark, we wanted a shorter planning cycle. Three months gave us a regular point to review the work and develop the next direction.

That brought us to campaign-based SME packages.

Each quarter starts with a business goal. What needs attention? A launch? A quieter period? A product customers haven’t understood yet?

Then we build the campaign around it. The idea gives the photos, videos and supporting materials a shared direction, so the work adds up to something.

We still plan deliverables. We also need to know what those deliverables are supposed to

help achieve.

Also, no fixed deliverables. We have a limit, but now it's content mix. More on that later.

The Campaign Has to Reach the Store Too

Another thing became clear: a campaign can look exciting online, then feel completely disconnected when a customer walks into the store.

They arrive expecting what they saw. Inside, it’s business as usual.

So our planning now includes working with clients’ operations teams. We discuss what needs to happen on the ground and collaborate on how the business can carry the campaign through.

That also gives owners a useful check before launching: can the team deliver the experience the marketing is inviting people into?

As a creative agency in Brunei, we want our SME work to make sense for the business as well as the audience.

We limit these packages to eight clients at a time so we can give that work proper attention.

You can explore our latest work, or take a look at our SME marketing packages in Brunei.

Three versions later, we’re still learning. The pillows were a good start.