In Bad Times, You Need To Do Things Better

According to Interbrand and BusinessWeek Magazine, during a recession brands need to spend harder to "not get distracted from their long-term brand-building efforts" or"to get a leg up on weakened rivals." However, the most important piece of advice from BusinessWeek's annual "Best Global Brands" article came from Martin Puris, the creator of BMW's "The Ultimate Driving Machine" campaign. "In good times, people are less apt to try new things. In bad times, they have to start to do things better."

Sales Graphics has been working with clients to help them do just that: sell better, present better, track better and manage better. With Sales Graphics' DesignStudio and CustomShow Software, our clients have access to better creative, better technology and better tracking and asset management. In good times, those are good things to have. But in bad times, they're necessities.

SNL Kagan Expects 2008 to be a Strong Year for Cable Industry

In their 2008 edition of "Economics of Basic Cable Networks," SNL Kagan predicts strong growth in licensing fees and steady growth in ad sales, according to MarketingCharts.com. While the reports warns of "extremely volatile ad markets," they see all of the major indicators increasing in the next year. Those indicators include subscriber, ad revenue, total revenue, cash flow and cash flow margins.

While we don't proclaim to be economic forecasters, from where we stand it certainly looks like our cable clients are coming out with great content and strong marketing messages to reach both advertisers and consumers. So we'd have to agree with the experts on this one!

Ad Age Recession Tips

Advertising Age has more insight into marketing strategies during a recession and has some great tips on what to do when the economy turns sour:

Tips for surviving tough times

• Don't cut that budget: Recessions offer what may be unprecedented opportunities to market in an environment of relatively less noise as others cut back. And, particularly in industries with high ad-to-sales ratios, such as package goods, analysts have become fairly adept at flagging earnings gains that stems from marketing cuts, which can portend slower sales and earnings growth later.
  
• Maintain or increase strong launches: Even in the deepest recessions, things that truly appeal to consumers, be they soap operas, CNN or disposable training pants, still flourished.
  
• Beware that discounting can be addictive: Unless the price reduction is truly strategic -- e.g., a discount retailer or brokerage or a one-time event to drive traffic -- you could live to regret it.
  
• Go with the flow: Some of the most successful recession-era launches were natural offshoots of the conditions created by or causing the crisis, i.e. high gas prices spawning fuel-efficient cars, interestbearing checking accounts that sprang from high interest rates in the 1970s and '80s, or declining gas prices and gas-guzzling SUVs.
  
• You can't go wrong with diversion: Media, entertainment and other forms of cheap frivolity can be the bread-and-circus salve for hard times -- from the soap operas of the 1930s to MTV in the 1980s to the iPod and Axe body spray in 2002.
  

Recession as Opportunity to Innovate

Recesssions are scary to think about and can have disastrous effects on consumers and businesses that aren't prepared. But for marketers, recessions and eceonomic slowdowns can often be periods of great opportunity. Advertising Age has been a frequent proponent of the opportunities that recessions can provide to marketers looking to gain market share, enter new markets or reach new customers, and they're saying it again. ("Innovate in a Recession? Yes") Gains made during recessions are cheaper that those during boom years, and when the market swings back (and it always does), those small gains can turn in to big advantages. The key point of the article is "companies that spent more on innovation during the downturn saw return on capital employed rise 23.8% during the recovery, compared with 0.6% for those that slashed spending."

Sales Graphics has always been at the forefront of ad sales presentations, providing "future-thinking" solutions for sales presentations and sales teams for over 50 years. CustomShow presentation software has revolutionized sales in media, entertainment, technology and many other industries. Sales Graphics' DesignStudio uses the latest design tools and technologies to create engaging and compelling content that brings the sales message home. 2008 is looking to be great opportunity for marketers to innovate and grow, and Sales Graphics is there to help.

Recession? Time for Marketers to Invest!

Every time the economy turns towards recession, the same questions come up. As marketers, do we cut back and save money until the economy turns around? Or do we look at this as an opportunity to invest and get ahead? Advertising Age certainly thinks the latter. ("Your Job for '08? Forget the Recession and Innovate") We whole-heartedly agree with this. When the economy softens, that's often the best time to invest in marketing tools and outlets that will let you gain market share and mind share at a lower cost that during a boom. And when the economy picks up again, even a small increase in market share can transform into a significant advantage. Sales Graphics' DesignStudio and CustomShow software are exactly the kinds of investments that can make a difference for an ad sales team looking to get a competitive advantage and gain share at the expense of the competition.