Jonah Bloom wrote an excellent online article in AdAge about what's happening in the marketing world.  Bloom decries a trend toward commoditization of marketing and creative services in a vain attempt at cost cutting.  While belt tightening during rough economic times is certainly understandable, the streamlining and cookie cutter approach inherent in commodotization doesn't work when it comes to dealing with creative services.

A good marketing program relies on creative talent to communicate the benefits and advantages of the product or service offered.  The creative piece in marketing can't be treated like we'd treat everyday commodities such as wheat, butter, or eggs. 

It may be tempting to cut costs from your marketing budget by treating the creative aspect of marketing like a commodity but in the long run you get what you pay for.