I guess the underlying question here is will designers be able to add any value to the marketing requirements of firms over and above what is readily available

I guess the underlying question here is will designers be able to add any value to the marketing requirements of firms over and above what is readily available and templatized... be it SMEs or large corporates, doesn't matter. Refer to the literal meaning of standard and template, they originally are meant to perform the same duties they have been assigned in the same manner. On the contrast, any business who aims to succeed has to continuously innovate..(do not confuse it with discovery), keep thinking differently, keep changing strategies, keep upgrading themselves to be at par with this rapidly changing environment and cut throat competition. And this is where creative minds chip in. Gone are those days when businesses use to write paragraphs after paragraphs to explain their products and USPs. Today, just one right and well though word is enough to put your point forth that directly hit the mind of consumers. Design is deep. Mere creating graphics is not design. Decoding, understanding and relating to the subconscious message behind a thought or a communication being sent and being able to represent it in its most impactful form is true designing. The day a designer starts empathizing with this, he will not find himself in doubt and out of work a single day. I am a co-founder at http://draftss.com http://draftss.com and we are catering to all kinds of businesses from SMBs, Freelancers, Agencies and even budding founders who require design and development. What differentiates is the approach and brand placement.