January 20th, 2009
11:32 am
Events
Check out these photos from our recent events.
And while you’re there, feel free to skim through all events for 2008. You may just find yourself featured in one of these!
Events / by
Robin Tooms
During tough economic times, company executives are looking to cut costs. And unfortunately, often times, Marketing is one of the first sacrificial lambs. But the reality is that reducing your marketing programs during times of economic uneasiness is the worst thing companies can do. In fact, it is during these tough times that your company needs marketing the most.
What companies can do:
- Align your marketing objectives to the overall company objectives. You should already be doing this – but with the changes in the economy some company objectives will most likely change, and therefore, the marketing objectives should be modified. So, be sure to have regular conversations with your senior management team to ensure that your marketing objectives are aligned with the overall company objectives.
- Build positive relationships with your senior management team. If your senior management is receptive to this, you should engage them in discussions and build a good rapport with them. This will help, particularly during tough times, ensure that Marketing is invited when discussions about changes in the business landscape and how this changes will affect your clients and your company are being had. Too many companies leave Marketing in the dark and expect them to live in constant “reactive mode”; but what company leaders need to realize is that by inviting and engaging Marketing in these discussions earlier, the benefit is better designed communications programs that will benefit your company, stakeholders, employees and clients.
- Be strategic, review your brand portfolio and refine your company’s value proposition and key messages. Several companies, including Proctor & Gamble, Intel and Wal-mart, launched new campaigns during tough economic times and are now the leaders in their industry.
- Involve Marketing in your operations/sales initiatives
- While Sales is on the “front lines” – Marketing is the activity that can help you strengthen your relationships with your clients. And during a recession, company-client relationships are extremely important. So, create more content rich materials (e.g. brochures, Web casts, podcasts, etc.) that distinguish your company as a solutions provider.
- Engage Marketing and review your current product portfolio offering. Be creative and look for innovative things you can do to reduce costs and provide more value to your clients.
- Know your clients – inside and out.
- Use formal and informal market research initiatives to understand your clients’ pain points and refine your messages and marketing efforts to address these.
- Build a database – if you haven’t already created one, start one and target customers with refined messages and targeted campaigns based on their pain points.
- Look for targeted or niche opportunities your company can provide solutions and/or products for and become a leader in this space.
- Leverage Web-based initiatives to strengthen your brand loyalty and communications with current and prospective clients.
- Enhance your Web-based messages, solutions, and communications with clients and focus on their pain points.
- Utilize key word searches and analytics to enhance your company’s ability to be “found” on the Internet.
- Build a more robust, content-rich Web site. During tough economic times companies have to do more with less – so your sales force is probably looking for new ways to identify new leads and to foster better relationships with current clients. Like wise, your clients have reduced expenditure budgets, including travel expenses to tradeshows and conferences, but are still in need of solutions. So by expanding the relevant content on your Web site you are helping your sales force while providing more solutions for your clients.
- Build online communities – either through your Web site, Facebook or LinkedIn – and encourage more interaction with your employees and clients. Post presentations, Webcasts, articles, case studies, etc. that your clients and prospects can access.
- Increase your media relations efforts.
- Published articles give your company more credibility than advertising – but this is not to say that advertising is not important. You need to continue your advertising efforts as it builds brand awareness for your company and product portfolio.
- Focus on the pain points that clients are facing and write articles and white papers as to how your company is solving these.
- ost copies of articles your company has published on your Web site and send links to your database inviting customers and prospects can read them.
- Reporters are always looking for news. So, if you can’t find a publication to submit an article to, write a well-written news release demonstrating the solutions your company is providing to clients and send it to your industry and mainstream media contacts.
- Leverage your local chapter of the American Marketing Association and other professional organizations for best practices and resources you can use to help your marketing budget go farther.
- Network, network, network. Attend events that prospective clients attend and add them to your company database and give leads to Sales.
All and all, challenging economic times call for companies to act more collaboratively, strategically and with more transparency. In the end, your clients will appreciate your willingness and ability to be a solutions provider. And if you can gain their loyalty in tough times you will certainly keep them as clients during good times.
Sherri Scott
President, AMA Houston
Senior Marketing Manager, Weatherford International Ltd.
General / by
Robin Tooms
