Maintain Marketing Creativity for Changing Times 0
Why is it that in a downturn many business’s turn the tap off to their marketing and branding. Very few will continue to invest in this critical business element. When all around you is shutting shop, its important to focus. Maintain a clear and calm perspective to maintain a balanced sense of commercial integrity.
Firstly, resolve the issues causing alarm and panic, if they really exist.
Often the decision process is similar to a cultural wave as the entity responds to its inherent trading conditions. The organisation practises a “close all doors” process to prepare for its participation in a tighter trading environment. This is often at the expense of the core process which is source revenue, and this is a difficult if you cease communication with your audience.
The important aspect here is to maintain message delivery, while finding different and more effective ways of passage. And this may and should incorporate the desire to cut cost or make savings, no matter what the commercial environment is. So keep your business objectives clear and do not lose sight of the core process. Think about your brand and how to maintain its exposure. Ensure that all marketing is currently market ‘sharp’. Anything not meeting this objective is valueless.
If your market is not able to prioritise you in their consumption then it will be difficult to operate effectively. Its easy to get carried away with the fancy stuff. Is it necessary to completely overhaul – no! But review all marketing to acertain its effectiveness. And if you are unable to measure it ask the hard questions. Your audience too is responding and adapting. Make sure you are in tune with what they are seeking. And they still have their elementary needs and wants, so do not leave them high and dry with a shutdown in your brand messaging.
Just be aware that your market audience are shifting to the tune of the economic rollout. Avoid the temptation to switch to ‘kneejerk’ marketing – short term tactical methods to stimulate quick cahflow.
Often they will devalue the brand at the hands of some marginal short term advantage. Keep the emotion element at the forefront of your messaging. Ensure that client desire and need, as identified in the decision process, figure prominently in the solution material.
A value message embeded with brand connection definition is of course the ultimate, and clever cost effective design will be extremely worthwhile. Having known experts achieve this is an investment especially if they are in house. This is not to say that economic meltdown should be dismissed, and all entities face the pressure of budget variation under such conditions. It is so important to remind ourselves what the business is about, and more so, that new opportunities exist intimes of adversity. Good branding and market design will have its part to play in any market conditions.
The astute business operatives will know this and continue to manage brand in the interests of their operation, and more importantly, their consumer audience.
