The Approval Trap: Why Your Workflow Needs a Rethink
Key takeaways
- Manual approval systems slow down creativity and drain resources - costing time, money, and morale.
- Tools like Canva often introduce more risks, requiring even more oversight and correction work.
- Approval bottlenecks cause real financial and reputational damage, especially when brand security and compliance are compromised.
- Automating brand protection with systems like RightMarket eliminates the need for constant checking while maintaining full control.
- Empowering local teams with secure, flexible templates allows your organisation to scale content output without sacrificing brand integrity.
30 days
Average approval wait time
Marketing teams wait up to a month for content approval
60%
Productivity loss
Teams lose over half their productive time to approval processes
£10,000+
Monthly cost
Hidden costs of manual approvals for mid-sized teams
More Than Just an Admin Headache
For many creative teams trapped in manual approval workflows, it’s more than just an administrative burden. It’s a creativity killer that can extend project timelines by weeks or even months.
Even approving simple assets like a social media post can take more than 30 days – all routed through a single marketing lead.
The hidden costs stack up:
- Hours lost chasing review owners and sign-offs
- Delayed campaign launches due to review backlogs
- Increased workload for marketing managers who are already stretched
- Creative burnout as marketing becomes less creative, more admin
Time Drain
Marketing teams spend up to 15 hours per week just managing approvals instead of creating campaigns that drive results.
Time Drain
Marketing teams spend up to 15 hours per week just managing approvals instead of creating campaigns that drive results.
The Approval Process Timeline
Total approval time: 13-26 days for a single piece of content
The real world impact
Missed opportunities
Time-sensitive campaigns miss market windows
Team burnout
Creative professionals become approval administrators
Budget Waste
High-value talent spent on low-value tasks
And when approvals become a full-time job, you’re paying senior marketing salaries to check commas. Literally, you’re wasting, outsourcing, and compromising talents.
When “Self-Service” Isn’t Actually Self-Service
You might think design tools like Canva solve this problem. Give local teams creative freedom, some central marketing tools… right?
Without the right controls, tools like Canva often create more work:
- Templates get modified beyond recognition
- Incorrect fonts, colours, or logos creep in
- Brand guidelines are ignored, creating inconsistent customer experiences
- Regulatory risks (GDPR concerns, discriminatory language) go unnoticed
As Vicki Rosemont, Brand Manager at Marks Clerk, shares:
We tried to implement control over Canva, but it just took up a huge volume of our time... trying to manage the flexibility was exhausting.
What's the Real Price of Manual Approvals?
Every approval request isn’t just a delay – it’s a financial drain.
You’re paying high-skilled creatives and marketing managers to be email admins. And the costs multiply:
- Slower campaign rollouts - reducing fundraising or investment impact
- Brand inconsistencies - confusing your audience and clients
- Compliance vulnerabilities - exposing your organization to legal risks
- Legal risks - from GDPR concerns, inaccurate health messaging, or discrimination
Consider the headline calculation: one brand manager’s time costs a single mistake can be devastating.
The Better Way: Brand Security That Works for Everyone
What if you didn’t need to manually approve every asset?
What if your brand could be both secure, flexible (empowering automation), and responsive (local teams safely)?
That’s the future of Brand Security – and it’s already here.
RightMarket flips the approval model on its head, embedding governance directly into your templates:
- Template Locking: Designs stay flexible where it matters (content, colors, text) but locked down where it counts (logos, spacing, layouts) with guardrails to prevent compliance issues
- Content Libraries: Pre-approved images, copy, and design elements that local teams can safely use without approval
- Audit Trails and Real-Time Reporting: Know who did what, when, and where - no need to chase for campaign stats
- Automated Compliance Checking: The system prevents all issues with manual approval, freeing up your team for strategic work
Unlocking Creative Capacity, Protecting Your Brand
When you embed brand security into your content process, everyone wins:
- Local teams move faster - producing approved content without waiting for HQ
- Marketing focuses on strategy - spending budget on impact campaigns, not chasing reviews
- Compliance teams breathe easier - with real-time dashboards showing compliance and usage
- Scale and agility - by replacing approvals, review, and legal risks
It’s about freedom within “guardrails” – your brand remains consistent, compliance stays protected, and creativity flourishes.
Ready to See a Brand-Safe Future?
Imagine a world where:
- Your teams create on-brand content without waiting for approvals
- Your marketing team has 60% more time for strategic campaigns
- Local teams are happy to manage their own – without micromanagement
It’s not just a productivity saving – it’s a complete governance mindset shift that actually frees creativity too.
Take the next step
Book a free demo today – and see how Brand Security transforms creative chaos into strategic advantage.