Embrace the Chaos: Why Marketing Shouldn’t Fear DIY Content (but Guide It Instead)

Once upon a time, the marketing team had the final say on all things creative. Posters, social media, video, comms it all came through one place. But now? Every department has access to Canva, AI tools, free templates, and a phone that shoots in 4K.

Suddenly, HR is making onboarding videos. Finance is designing infographics. Someone in IT just launched an internal campaign on LinkedIn. Or worse the policy team created a video (using content that’s not approved for public viewing)

And while part of you wants to scream “Please stop using times new Roman font,” there’s a better path forward.

Welcome to the Era of DIY Everything

We live in a time where anyone with a phone can whip up something that looks half decent. Platforms like Canva, CapCut, and AI writing tools have put the power of content creation into everyone’s hands. This is great for speed. Great for engagement. Great for innovation.

But it also comes with risks.

1. Off-brand visuals

2. Muddled messaging

3. Inconsistent tone

4. Unapproved logos or taglines

5. Cringe-worthy videos that do more harm than good and cut people off mid sentence

And when that happens, it reflects on the whole organisation—not just the person who made it. “Consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%” - Influencer Marketing Hub

When DIY goes rogue

Domino’s Pizza: When Employees Posted a Viral Nightmare

In 2009, two Domino’s employees filmed themselves tampering with customer food and uploaded the video to YouTube, completely bypassing corporate oversight. The result was global backlash, with Domino’s scrambling to regain control through a PR response video from its leadership. Instead of being just a brand hiccup, the video became a crisis.

The Worst Response: Shutting It All Down

It’s tempting to lock it all up. To take back control. To create a strict policy where only the marketing team is allowed to publish, create, or speak on behalf of the brand. But here’s the thing: you’ll lose goodwill. You’ll slow things down. And you’ll stifle some genuinely great ideas. Worse, people will keep doing it anyway. Just without telling you.

The Better Approach: Embrace, Guide, Empower

Instead of resisting the DIY wave, marketing teams need to evolve.

Here’s how:

Create and Share Templates

Build branded, editable templates for presentations, posters, and social media graphics. This gives teams freedom with structure. And with tools like Canva, it’s easy to implement. Shared platforms make all designs accessible to everyone.

⚠️ The biggest risks for not providing templates: Poor design, duplicated work, incorrect logo use, inconsistent visual identity.

Host Quick Upskill Sessions

Run short training workshops on writing good captions, using brand tone, basic video tips, or even how to not overuse emojis. Make it fun, not patronising. Also be sure to cover off copyright issues with images!

⚠️ The biggest risks for not upskilling staff: Off-brand visuals, Inconsistent tone, Legal issues from unlicensed images, Misinformation, Lost trust.

Approve Legitimate Accounts

If another department wants to start a social media presence, help them set it up right. Set expectations, goals, and approval processes. This sounds simple and trust I know it's not there is a bit more complexity at play, but once put in place with the correct strategy, you can see excellent results.

⚠️ The biggest risks for not working together: They'll go ahead and do it anyway! Not understanding security and best practice for social media. Not having access to the platform, and passwords being lost.

Offer Feedback Loops

Instead of saying “No,” say “Here’s how to make that better.” If you encourage collaboration, people will ask for your input more often and, from my experience, that is where the best ideas can come from.

⚠️ The biggest risks for not offering feedback. Massive lack of trust, and no collaboration across the business, staff start sneaking ideas through.

Define the Line

Be clear about when something must go through the core marketing team especially anything high-profile, external-facing, or potentially risky.

⚠️ The biggest risks, it turns into a PR nightmare!

“When you empower your employees to be brand storytellers, you don’t lose control—you multiply your voice.” – Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs

Sharing the love - examples of businesses upskilling and training

✅ Adobe’s Social Shift and Adobe Insiders - employee advocacy programs which provide training, content toolkits, and clear guidelines to staff. Employees learn how to share company updates correctly, positioning themselves as confident brand ambassadors. The result: broader reach, stronger engagement, and a more normalized brand voice across platforms.

✅ Dell – SMaC University & Dell Champions - offers social media training to employees, turning them into the “Dell Champions” network across 84 countries. Around 1,200 trained employees share approved content via platform tools—amplifying Dell’s brand while reducing risk.

✅ Cleveland Clinic – created OnBrand, a comprehensive guideline resource explaining brand narrative, visual style, writing tone, and usage rules. Shared across departments and vendors, it’s highlighted via monthly intranet campaigns and live education sessions.

And yes, I've put this into practice myself when working a Condeco Software. I empowered teams to take control of their LinkedIn profiles, write content and thought leadership articles and share success stories. Check it out here: Building a Strategic Partnership with LinkedIn – Empowering Teams from Within

Why This Matters

Good communication isn’t just about pretty graphics or witty captions. It’s about trust, clarity, and consistency. It reflects who you are as a business. By empowering others to tell your story well, you’re not losing control. You’re amplifying your brand, safely.

Marketing teams are no longer gatekeepers. We’re coaches, collaborators, and champions of clear communication. The tools will keep evolving, and the DIY movement isn’t going away. So embrace it. Teach people how to do it right. And be the calm voice in the Canva storm.

Because in the end, your brand doesn’t just belong to marketing. It belongs to everyone.