With the rise of cloud computing and social media, you might think the need to backup your data is decreasing.

Say you get your organization to switch over to Google apps for all of it’s convenience, simplicity and security.  No more trying to figure out who’s computer has the latest version of the document you need to present at the upcoming meeting. Best of all, everything is safe and sound because it’s on the Google servers, you never have to worry about backing up your files, right? Not so fast.

The tech support people who spend their days answering phone calls from desperate people who can’t get their computers to do what they want them to have an acronym they employ for most of the calls: PICNIC. Problem In Chair Not In Computer. Backupify is one service that protects you from the problem in the chair. One more level of security for your WordPress, Facebook, twitter and Google apps.

1. Brands becomes “Brand Stands”

A recent Advertising Age Article written by Pete Blackshaw is a must read for anyone interested in branding in the digital age.  In this provocative article Pete asks the question…. In the age of social media, do companies sill need a website? Along with addressing some of the most critical challenges facing your marketing team, he examines, in wonderful detail,  how to create a website that will fit the social media usage patterns of your customers and prospects.

As companies like Nike, Adidas and numerous others shift their marketing dollars from promoting their website to promoting their Facebook page, he argues brands are becoming decentralized. Companies will no longer have one “home” for their brand.  Instead the company brand will reside on various social networks he calls your “brand stands.” Your brand stands are the representations of your brand on-Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.. He wraps up the article by walking you through how to use your website effectively to feed your “brand stands” and create an  integrated online marketing system. I strongly recommend this approach for my clients and Pete does a great job outlining what your system should look like.

2. Brands will be Built on Individuals Leveraging Personal Relationships to Make Buying Decisions.

Rich Kiley and I were discussing the importance of engagement and the crumbling of the traditional advertising model over coffee the other day.  He said, and I am paraphrasing here…”Beth the future is about people making buying decisions based on personal relationships.” I agreed with him, when a customer or client makes a buying decision they could care less about what an ad does or doesn’t say.  They want to read the review of the product on the internet. At that point Rich looked at me and said, “No, I am talking about one-on-one personal relationships. Not reviews, but a “direct ask.” If someone is about to make a buying decision, they’re not going to be interested in reviews written by strangers when social networks make asking a trusted friend an effortless process. They will just ask their network for a recommendation.

3. How to Play in the New World

1. Market Research

Your market research system needs to be interactive and digital:  Historically employing market research has meant a big hit to the bottom line, if a company could even afford it in the first place. The good news is, if you are using interactive media and social networks, market research becomes  infinitely  more affordable. Two great examples are Mystarbucksidea.com and the Gold Corp story.

2. Customer Service

Your customer service needs to be flawless. If your product or service is not up to snuff, word is going to spread quickly if not instantly. Your company is going to have to be paying attention and able to take action quickly.  The more nimble you are the better. Your competitors are going to be using the relationships they’re building on social networks to adapt quickly to customers needs, you can either join them or loose customers to them. For most companies this means a wholesale restructuring of their internal approval processes and internal communication system to leverage these new tools and create a new digital communication structure.

3. Your Product or service

The bottom line is that it’s going to become increasingly difficult to hide poor quality products or service and increasingly important to adjust your product or service offering to meet changing customer needs.

As Jeffrey Immelt said when he spoke here in Cincinnati in the spring, “Today the biggest challenge companies face, is the rapidly changing business environment.  Everyday it’s a new game.”

Start your branding engines!

Marketing should create an emotional connection, convey the true nature of your company, and most important it should be fun!

Freking & Betz’s Opening Day Card hits a home run on all three counts.

The Emotional Connection:

The firm loves baseball and while most of the year they are fighting for workers’ rights, they close the office every year on opening day to enjoy the excitement of the new baseball season.

The Card Conveys the True Nature of the Firm:

The folks at Freking & Betz are hard working attorneys who truly love baseball. (They held their Holiday Party at The Green Diamond Gallery in Montgomery, a fascinating baseball memorabilia museum.) The Opening Day card campaign, a planned communications tool we’ve been creating for them for four years, shares their love of the game with their clients and prospects.

It’s Fun:

What could be more fun than baseball in the spring? Tree buds are ready to burst, winter is behind us and cold beer and hot dogs await. But it’s not just about the fun of baseball. What makes this campaign work is that it’s unique.

When you’re ready to launch your next marketing initiative, take some time to create a real experience for your audience. Going that extra mile says a lot about your brand.

Another example from 2008 when Dusty Baker was named manager:

2008 Card (inside)

What do successful companies do in an economic downturn?

American Express

“In tough times your instinct is to hold back, but your competitors are going to be distracted. That’s the time to be aggressive and on the balls of your feet! …invest in your own success while others are afraid and burying their heads. As a result, your public relations program will stand out among your competitors … and give your organization a clear competitive advantage with sales, reputation growth and brand management.”

—American Express CEO Ken Chenault

Microsoft

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.”

—Bill Gates Microsoft

Seth Godin

“[This down turn] is the best thing that could ever happen to you because it makes it easier to be the winner when so many other companies are dropping out.”

—Seth Godin

Volkswagen

“When we invest in marketing, things happen. We think it’s important to stick to our roots and stick to our value message. We’re getting a higher percentage of the dwindling marketplace. And when this crazy situation comes straight side up again, we’ll be positioned to increase our share even further.”

And what does the research say about marketing in an economic downturn?

McGraw-Hill Research

“McGraw-Hill Research in a study of U.S. recessions showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn’t keep up their advertising.”

Kellogg School of Management

An article titled Innovation Through Recession by Andrew Razeghi examines the effects of increases in innovation and communication on business growth and illustrates example after example of why a recession is actually the best time for a business to invest more energy and resources in marketing, research and development.

Penn State

A  study by Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and the University of Texas, “Turning Adversity Into Advantage: Does Proactive Marketing During a Recession Pay Off?” found that,  “For well-positioned companies, an economic recession should not prompt marketing cutbacks, but rather an aggressive increase in marketing spending to achieve superior business performance”

Do you have any great “marketing in a down economy” experiences you want to share? I’d love to hear about it. You can leave a comment or send me an e-mail: beth@robesonmarketing.com