Invest Once, Reuse a Hundred Times

Is bigger innovation always better, or can better innovation come from using what you already have? Every brand team faces the pressure to dazzle audiences with something new at every event, whether it is an interactive installation, a flashy app or a bespoke content-led visual experience developed from scratch. But constant one-off innovation can be expensive, and marketing budgets aren’t what they were. With around 69% of B2B event budgets flattening or shrinking in 2025, and costs rising, brands are expected to do more with less. The result? More often our clients are asking us how to invest once and reuse a hundred times… Ok, a slight exaggeration. But multiple use is high on the agenda, and in doing so we have significantly increased the leveraging of technology and creative design to build scalable, reusable experiences that maximise ROI. 

The Pressure to Innovate vs. Budget Realities 

For a while now marketing and event leads must continually justify their spend. A glamorous one-off interactive multi-media showcase might wow attendees, but the CFOs and procurement teams will invariably ask: “What’s the return? Can we use it again?” This pressure isn’t just anecdotal, 92% of brands in-house event teams are focused on demonstrating ROI on their initiatives. Everyone from CMOs to brand managers feels the squeeze to prove that every dollar/pound/euro is driving value. 

Yet audiences (and bosses) still crave innovation because it can be a damn cool, exciting and ultimately be an effective way of presenting a headline message. Experiential marketing, whether deploying interactive content & immersive tech, is on the rise because it engages customers in deeper ways than traditional methods. A whopping 71% of brands that invested in ‘immersive experiences’ last year reported a positive ROI, with over a third seeing 20%+ higher returns compared to old-school tactics. The opportunity is huge, and so is the challenge. How do client teams convince wider stakeholders to invest in a cutting-edge digital experience platform when budgets are tight? The answer: by ensuring that investment isn’t a one-hit wonder, but a gift that keeps on giving. 

From One-Off Spectacle to Strategic Asset 

Best-in-class experiential activation could be likened to a stunning fireworks show, hugely bright and exciting with big bang moments that quickly fade. Instead, we should think of experiential planning as building a bonfire that you can keep adding to, to keep the fire burning. This means shifting the mindset from “We need to invest in this cool new thing for our next event,” to “let’s develop a reusable platform that we can leverage across our events and marketing channels.” 

At 2Heads, when we design with reusability and scalability in mind from day one, everything changes. You’re no longer creating a one-time spectacle; we’re designing a flexible brand asset. Imagine an interactive product showcase built as a modular app or a digital twin environment. If planned right, it can be repurposed for multiple product lines, updated with new content for different verticals or markets, and rolled out at event after event with minimal tweaks despite the change in environment and format, instead of commissioning a brand-new project each time. 

Working with an agency partner that prioritises scalable design can help here. At the project kick-off, we ask the question “What should this experience be able to do next?” This future-focused brief will undoubtedly transform a concept from a “beautiful one-off” – when well executed – into a “strategic investment” that can benefit multiple business units and wider objectives. By baking in flexibility, you ensure the innovation element lives beyond the initial deployment. After multiple uses, no doubt brands will be ready to catch the next wave of innovation trend. 

Designing for Reusability from the Start 

Creating experiences with long-term value doesn’t require over-engineering. It simply means thinking a few steps ahead such as who will use it, where it might live next, and how it might adapt over time. If an activation can flex across different audiences or formats without needing to be reimagined from scratch, we’re already ahead. 

Smart modular thinking that supports interchangeable content, an interface built for updates, a structure that travels all helps to build in the kind of longevity that keeps activation budgets working harder. By embedding smart ways to track performance, brands not only validate the investment, but learn what resonates, and then re-tweak the asset ready for the next show. Reuse means designing with intention, not repetition. 

Making the Case and Scaling the Vision 

Convincing stakeholders is about painting a picture of smarter investment that aligns with business goals and sets the foundation for consistently well-delivered brand storytelling. 

Techniques to consider include requesting an early prototype, a modular example, and a projected cost-saving across multiple uses. The agency can support this. Decision-makers are far more likely to back ideas when they experience the potential of the innovative tool plus a clear plan for how it adapts and proves its worth over time. As it often heard in the corridors of 2Heads HQ, “avoid tech for tech’s sake.” Purpose is essential. The quality of the innovation output largely depends on the collaboration and ambition between the parties developing it. “It’s not about the bow and arrow; it’s about the archer”.  

That sentiment echoed something I heard recently at the Global Event Tech Live Summit, where Greg Williams, editor of Wired, shared some provocative perspectives in his keynote, “Harnessing the Great Acceleration.” He touched on everything from AI-powered networking to sustainable design principles, and how today’s technologies are converging to redefine what’s possible across sectors, including events. One point that stuck with me: true innovation happens not just through technology, but through creative, collaborative use of it. That insight felt incredibly aligned with how we work; designing with agility, purpose, and reusability at the core. 

Conclusion: Innovate Smarter, Not Harder 

The savviest brands are learning to innovate smarter, not harder. By investing in scalable, reusable experiential tools, they create a platform for continuous creativity that delivers ROI repeatedly. 

With the right strategy and partner, “invest once, reuse a hundred times” isn’t just a lofty ambition, it’s a practical framework to do more with less while pushing creative boundaries. 

Sources: 

https://www.marketingweek.com/ 

https://www.singlegrain.com/ 

https://medium.com/ 

Tom Stenner | 2Heads Account Director