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tips+
tricks
to rule the world


marketing strategies for recessionary times by
tip number one
recession is no time to panic
Recessions feed our pessimism. But cool-headed marketers
can actually leverage economic diversity to their advantage.

So, instead of hitting the panic button, here’s how to use the
downturn to recalibrate your marketing, gain market share,
and emerge better off than before.
chicken little was
no marketing expert
The economy is not going to improve overnight.
So, while your competitors are reducing their
marketing budgets and waiting for the sky
to fall, you could be capturing market share.

Now is the time to take advantage of the
inherent opportunities a downturn creates.
what not to do
When sales are down, the 3 most common reactions
are actually the worst things a company can do:


* Reduce customer input by cutting research.
* Reduce product demand by cutting advertising.
* Devalue brands with deep discounts.
your marketing budget
          is not the problem.
           In fact, it’s part of the solution.
            SALES




                                                                                                                         TIME
                       Budget maintained          Zero advertising for 1 year,        Half budget for 1 year,
                       every year                 then back to usual weights          then back to usual weights


                                                                       SALES      PROFIT        BOTTOM-LINE         TIME TO Ł
                                               BUDGET SAVED
                                                                      FORGONE    FORGONE           LOSS             RECOVER

                    Zero budget year 1            $2.9m               $14m       $5.7m            $2.8m            5 years
                    Half budget year 1            $1.3m               $6.9m      $2.8m            $1.3m            3 years




ROI defined as the increments revenue generated from advertising per unit of spend. Source: Data2Decisions. http://www.slideshare.net/geertdesager/ads-on-edge-presentation
“If you turn off the engines of a plane flying at 36,000 ft, it does
not drop out of the sky. As far as the pilot and passengers are
concerned, life continues as normal with the plane only very
gradually losing altitude. It’s exactly the same with brands.”
Moray MacLennan, author of How to get ahead in a recession, Chairman M&C Saatchi Europe
?
so,what can
marketing
do for me in
a recession
tip number two
now is the perfect time to
build up your reputation
* Marketing noise decreases during a recession. Your brand
  message is easier to hear while competitors are quiet.
* Your customer’s needs and priorities have changed.
  Listen to them and adjust your product/service
  to make your brand more relevant.
* Building brand value creates market demand
  which means you won’t have to compete
  on price alone.
“Brands that increase advertising during a recession,
when competitors are cutting back, can improve
 market share and return on investment at a lower
cost than during good economic times...”
professor john quelch, harvard business school



In the Great Depression, W.K. Kellogg
continued marketing his cereals as
his rivals were cutting back. Kellogg
pulled ahead of Post Cereals in
sales, a change that has never
been reversed.
http://www.slideshare.net/geertdesager/ads-on-edge-presentation
tip number three
get to know your customers
                   * Segment your audiences
                   * Research their relevant needs
                   * Develop a profile for each segment
                   * Map their points of influence
                    and buying processes

                   * Interact through social media
tip number four
increase product value
* Your vendors may do more for less during a recession.
* Improve the quality of your product/service and sell it at the
  same price as your competitor.
* Or reduce the cost of your product/service while keeping it
                                             at the same
                                             quality level.
tip number five
increase the impact of your
marketing communications
* Creative advertising that
 gets attention/awareness.

* Relevant messaging           a   awareness
 that generates interest.
                               i   interest

* A unique value proposition   d   desire
 that creates desire.

* A call to action that        a   action

 results in sales.
?
how do i fully
leverage
my marketing
investment
during a
recession
You might assume that, given the economic downturn, there
would be less investment in creativity and more focus on just
“getting the business.”

But there is a growing awareness that creativity is the crucial
“x factor” in getting customer attention and persuading them
to take action.




 left brain strategy    right brain creativity    explosive results
We all live in a “white water” world. We’re surrounded by
product/service choices. The average American is exposed
to more than 2,000 brand messages a day. And the pace of
life is constantly accelerating.

How will customers notice you? It takes a big, bold idea to
get attention. Start by asking two questions: (1) If customer’s
had no price threshold, how would you change your
offering? (2) What could you do to your product
or service that would force customers
to sit up and take notice?
In the past, little ideas were the key to success. Small
improvements in efficiency or design could improve a
product enough to edge past the competition.

But now we are in a noisy, fast-paced market place that
is jammed with product/service options. Incremental
improvements are ignored. Your customers are
looking for ‘game changers.’
tip number six
target the emerging niche
*   If your category is overrun by strong
    competitors, target the emerging niche.


*   Anticipate who will dominate the
    category in the future and deepen
    the appeal of your brand to them.


*   If you own the right niche, you’ll
    become the next category leader.
tip number seven
use interactive marketing
* Your customers are creating
 content about your brand.

* Audiences are no longer just
 receptors. They’ve become
 co-creators and distributors.

* Listening and collaboration
 are the new essentials.

* Today, the #1 trusted source for
 info is now ‘people like me.’
?
how do i build
my brand in
this new
interactive
environment
communication’s
new paradigm                                  facebook
Your challenge is to
                            technorati
influence the conver-
sation so it reflects                                     youtube
your brands accurately.
                                            company
Moving from a mono-                        controlled
                                          messaging:
logue to a dialogue del.icio.us          ads, corporate
                                          website, etc.
is not easy, but it
will result in greater                                    wikipedia
brand loyalty and
more cost-effective           twitter
communication.                                    blogs
“For brands to remain relevant in this (digital) environment, they
           will need to adapt to both emerging technologies and shifting
           consumer behavior without delay. Those who will succeed will…
           act more like publishers, entertainment companies or even
           party planners, than advertisers, such as Nike who recently
           scored a major coup by hosting a global “Human Race.”

                                                      — From Feed, The Razorfish Consumer Experience Report 2008




                                    THEHUMANRACE10K
THEHUMANRACE10K
                  THEHUMANRACE10K




                                                      THEHUMANRACE1
                                                                   0K
Marketing communicators are moving from control to
influence—similar to parent’s role change when their kids
become adults.

Influence starts with listening.
Find out what people are saying
about your brand then join the
conversation. Don’t be defensive.
If people are complaining, try to
be helpful. Respond quickly to
legitimate issues. Be open and
authentic.
Determine what kind of influence you want to achieve, and
how you might engage in order to achieve it.

Don’t try to manage the online communication, just respond
to it. Keep in mind that online conversation will be messy and
often capricious. Don’t overreact to criticism.

Develop a strong brand purpose and use it as
a filter for your responses. This will define your
brand’s conversational voice and will increase
brand influence.
“Brands need to create content that engages…
 consumers, provide valuable services
 over mere advertising and master
an increasingly complicated and
 expansive content distribution model.

“And, of course, they will need to
 rethink the way they create
 relationships (or conversations)
with consumers…”




—From Feed, The Razorfish Consumer Experience Report 2008
tip number eight
create retention equity
* Retaining customers is essential for market growth.
* How loyal are your customers? Do they have good
  reasons to stay “plugged in?”
* This can be achieved by offering unique features and
  benefits, loyalty programs, and by establishing an
  online community.
keep on the sunny side...
tip number nine


Category leaders are entrepreneurial optimists.

They see opportunities in the toughest times.

They’re not afraid of change because they’re
too busy changing the world themselves.



                                   half full
                                 but not full enough
questions
+comments

More Related Content

Tips&Tricks2

  • 1. tips+ tricks to rule the world marketing strategies for recessionary times by
  • 2. tip number one recession is no time to panic Recessions feed our pessimism. But cool-headed marketers can actually leverage economic diversity to their advantage. So, instead of hitting the panic button, here’s how to use the downturn to recalibrate your marketing, gain market share, and emerge better off than before.
  • 3. chicken little was no marketing expert The economy is not going to improve overnight. So, while your competitors are reducing their marketing budgets and waiting for the sky to fall, you could be capturing market share. Now is the time to take advantage of the inherent opportunities a downturn creates.
  • 4. what not to do When sales are down, the 3 most common reactions are actually the worst things a company can do: * Reduce customer input by cutting research. * Reduce product demand by cutting advertising. * Devalue brands with deep discounts.
  • 5. your marketing budget is not the problem. In fact, it’s part of the solution. SALES TIME Budget maintained Zero advertising for 1 year, Half budget for 1 year, every year then back to usual weights then back to usual weights SALES PROFIT BOTTOM-LINE TIME TO Ł BUDGET SAVED FORGONE FORGONE LOSS RECOVER Zero budget year 1 $2.9m $14m $5.7m $2.8m 5 years Half budget year 1 $1.3m $6.9m $2.8m $1.3m 3 years ROI defined as the increments revenue generated from advertising per unit of spend. Source: Data2Decisions. http://www.slideshare.net/geertdesager/ads-on-edge-presentation
  • 6. “If you turn off the engines of a plane flying at 36,000 ft, it does not drop out of the sky. As far as the pilot and passengers are concerned, life continues as normal with the plane only very gradually losing altitude. It’s exactly the same with brands.” Moray MacLennan, author of How to get ahead in a recession, Chairman M&C Saatchi Europe
  • 7. ? so,what can marketing do for me in a recession
  • 8. tip number two now is the perfect time to build up your reputation * Marketing noise decreases during a recession. Your brand message is easier to hear while competitors are quiet. * Your customer’s needs and priorities have changed. Listen to them and adjust your product/service to make your brand more relevant. * Building brand value creates market demand which means you won’t have to compete on price alone.
  • 9. “Brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at a lower cost than during good economic times...” professor john quelch, harvard business school In the Great Depression, W.K. Kellogg continued marketing his cereals as his rivals were cutting back. Kellogg pulled ahead of Post Cereals in sales, a change that has never been reversed. http://www.slideshare.net/geertdesager/ads-on-edge-presentation
  • 10. tip number three get to know your customers * Segment your audiences * Research their relevant needs * Develop a profile for each segment * Map their points of influence and buying processes * Interact through social media
  • 11. tip number four increase product value * Your vendors may do more for less during a recession. * Improve the quality of your product/service and sell it at the same price as your competitor. * Or reduce the cost of your product/service while keeping it at the same quality level.
  • 12. tip number five increase the impact of your marketing communications * Creative advertising that gets attention/awareness. * Relevant messaging a awareness that generates interest. i interest * A unique value proposition d desire that creates desire. * A call to action that a action results in sales.
  • 13. ? how do i fully leverage my marketing investment during a recession
  • 14. You might assume that, given the economic downturn, there would be less investment in creativity and more focus on just “getting the business.” But there is a growing awareness that creativity is the crucial “x factor” in getting customer attention and persuading them to take action. left brain strategy right brain creativity explosive results
  • 15. We all live in a “white water” world. We’re surrounded by product/service choices. The average American is exposed to more than 2,000 brand messages a day. And the pace of life is constantly accelerating. How will customers notice you? It takes a big, bold idea to get attention. Start by asking two questions: (1) If customer’s had no price threshold, how would you change your offering? (2) What could you do to your product or service that would force customers to sit up and take notice?
  • 16. In the past, little ideas were the key to success. Small improvements in efficiency or design could improve a product enough to edge past the competition. But now we are in a noisy, fast-paced market place that is jammed with product/service options. Incremental improvements are ignored. Your customers are looking for ‘game changers.’
  • 17. tip number six target the emerging niche * If your category is overrun by strong competitors, target the emerging niche. * Anticipate who will dominate the category in the future and deepen the appeal of your brand to them. * If you own the right niche, you’ll become the next category leader.
  • 18. tip number seven use interactive marketing * Your customers are creating content about your brand. * Audiences are no longer just receptors. They’ve become co-creators and distributors. * Listening and collaboration are the new essentials. * Today, the #1 trusted source for info is now ‘people like me.’
  • 19. ? how do i build my brand in this new interactive environment
  • 20. communication’s new paradigm facebook Your challenge is to technorati influence the conver- sation so it reflects youtube your brands accurately. company Moving from a mono- controlled messaging: logue to a dialogue del.icio.us ads, corporate website, etc. is not easy, but it will result in greater wikipedia brand loyalty and more cost-effective twitter communication. blogs
  • 21. “For brands to remain relevant in this (digital) environment, they will need to adapt to both emerging technologies and shifting consumer behavior without delay. Those who will succeed will… act more like publishers, entertainment companies or even party planners, than advertisers, such as Nike who recently scored a major coup by hosting a global “Human Race.” — From Feed, The Razorfish Consumer Experience Report 2008 THEHUMANRACE10K THEHUMANRACE10K THEHUMANRACE10K THEHUMANRACE1 0K
  • 22. Marketing communicators are moving from control to influence—similar to parent’s role change when their kids become adults. Influence starts with listening. Find out what people are saying about your brand then join the conversation. Don’t be defensive. If people are complaining, try to be helpful. Respond quickly to legitimate issues. Be open and authentic.
  • 23. Determine what kind of influence you want to achieve, and how you might engage in order to achieve it. Don’t try to manage the online communication, just respond to it. Keep in mind that online conversation will be messy and often capricious. Don’t overreact to criticism. Develop a strong brand purpose and use it as a filter for your responses. This will define your brand’s conversational voice and will increase brand influence.
  • 24. “Brands need to create content that engages… consumers, provide valuable services over mere advertising and master an increasingly complicated and expansive content distribution model. “And, of course, they will need to rethink the way they create relationships (or conversations) with consumers…” —From Feed, The Razorfish Consumer Experience Report 2008
  • 25. tip number eight create retention equity * Retaining customers is essential for market growth. * How loyal are your customers? Do they have good reasons to stay “plugged in?” * This can be achieved by offering unique features and benefits, loyalty programs, and by establishing an online community.
  • 26. keep on the sunny side... tip number nine Category leaders are entrepreneurial optimists. They see opportunities in the toughest times. They’re not afraid of change because they’re too busy changing the world themselves. half full but not full enough