Atlanta's Marketing Center

Well, don't just stand there...adapt!

One thing you can say about any economic downturn...it sure puts things. It's pretty obvious these days that unless you're selling food, water, air, shelter, or utilities, then you've been tagged as a luxury. 

Things are so tight that people continue to look at everything and ask themselves what they can do without. Restaurants, nightclubs, and even entertainment providers like Blockbuster continue feeling the effects of a population that views even their relatively inexpensive products as unnecessary. And you might (pretty accurately) be lumping your products or services in this group.  If so, it's even more imperative that you adapt and make some adjustments in your approach. 

If you're going to not only survive but thrive you're going to have to reinvent your services in the perception of your buyers...and you need to position the product as much as possible as a 'need' as opposed to a 'want'.  First, I'd be remiss if I didn't encourage you to stem unnecessary business expenses.  If you haven't put the breaks on yet and reevaluated costs, then you need to do so. Second, I encourage you to  'choke up on the marketing bat' and revisit your overall marketing program.  Your marketing approach should be different in good times versus the challenging times.

In the challenging times, the best approach is a defensive one.  I'd recommend an evaluation of advertising costs looking for good bang/buck ratios.  And I'd put more emphasis on those activities that are relatively inexpensive.  In these times, a referral marketing program is (generally) going to be more effective than a billboard campaign.

By strengthen and evaluating the company's position, you'll be in better shape when the economy improves.  And you'll be all the wiser for it happening.

A Marketing Revolution within an Economic Downturn on Top of a Geopolitical Shift

We're living in interesting times, huh?  And that title is quite an undertaking for a blog post, but I'm going to give it a shot.

The geopolitical landscape continues to shift.  The world is getting safer...and more dangerous...depending upon the context.  I like to think that, in general, the world is headed toward greater overall democracy and free trade, but I'm sure there are others who could make a good argument that this isn't the case.  There's a continual race going which will decide whether we'll live in a world of generally good, friendly relations or whether someone will ignite a power keg that will send it all spinning.  I always operate from the position of the former.

Next is the economy. Globally, we're in a rut. Few countries seem to be doing that well.  And the US in particular (the world's largest economy) is sputtering along looking for its way. Statistics show it's in the worst condition since the Great Depression and consumer confidence is low.  Still, unlike past downturns, we have the most educated and productive workforce in history.  And all the financial leveraging tools are in place once the economy starts going north.

Finally, there's marketing.  We are living in an unprecedented time of advanced communications.  With the tools now available, particularly online, we're able to communicate in mass inexpensively.  Gone are the days of expensive newspaper and yellow page ads.  We're now living in the world of the iPhone, websites, facebook, twitter, blogs and text messaging.  And before the year is out, there will be advances and shifts there too.

It's mind-boggling trying to decipher and find meaning in all the changes going on around us.  How does one harness it all?  How does one operate effectively?  Where do we put our energy as we navigate through the waters?  I think the best answer is- 'don't ask...just move forward'.  And put a little less glib, my advice is to welcome the changes and become a change agent.  Write your blog posts, send a tweet, write an article, and pick up the phone...we'll all come out better than we were before.

Real Change You Can Count On

When it comes to politics, I’m pretty quiet.  In fact, few people typically know which way I “lean”.  And that’s ok with me.  When I find myself in conversations with people on the matter, I tend to contribute more by listening.  And frankly, I can generally see my conversation partner’s perspective on it. 

I mean what platform is “correct”?  Who has the “best” political model? Republicans? Democrats? Independents?  Well, I believe it’s subjective and depends upon the context.  Each typically comes along with salient points.  This is not to say I don’t stand for one thing.  I do…and I always encourage active participation in the process. 

But when you reflect, truly reflect on the impact an election has on your life and business…I invite you to consider how it compares to the effect you (and your management team) have on it.  My guess is that your active participation and control of the business dwarfs the trickle down effects of a change in political leadership.

We’ve just gone through an exciting time in our nation’s history.  Some consider this to be a “new beginning”.  I think that’s wonderful.  If it helps to spur healthy change I’m all for it.  But if you believe that new political leadership is going to drastically change your business and life, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.  The universal truth is that real change takes place from within.  Relying on ourselves as leaders is always the path to improvement and profitability.

External forces through public optimism, ease of trade, and perhaps even tax benefits can certainly help, no doubt.  But I submit that the activities you engage in for the business such as improvement in strategy, operations, and marketing will have far more impact on the bottom line.  And I believe that if you’ll ask the administration (outgoing or incoming) what they think of the subject, they’d agree with it too.