Following what the world went through in September and October of 2008, corporate strategic planning took a hit in the fiscal solar plexus. The reaction? Complex, near-mad fluctuations of market behavior and institutional collapse can lead CEOs and marketing departments to make really bad decisions. Such days defy simple descriptions.

Fear-driven decisions are rarely sound, so where should we be looking for solutions? Consider this: History does show that those who resolve those difficult decisions can convert potentially dark days into memorable transformation, setting the stage for real growth.

What’s been happening in many sectors? The unfortunate response often yield traditional solutions: pull in the budget reins and hang on. For marketing, advertising and PR people, what looked good during last summer’s pre-budget meetings may well now look like the fantasy marketing league. Faced with a perceived economic challenge of high magnitude, CFOs choke down on budgets outside of bare-bones fixed costs, yours included. What was already challenging can get tougher.

What can CEOs and marketing executives truly do to keep attracting prospects, fill up new business pipelines, retain current market share and carry on with satisfied customers?

Here some guidelines to help you not only survive, but to tee up opportunities for heretofore unseen growth.

1. Start with the end in mind. Now more than ever, marketing in the 21st century is truly performance focused. To measure performance, you have to have metrics. To win, dispense with the fuzzy objectives. What exactly are you and your marketing plan expected to achieve? Additional percentage increase in identified sales leads? Percentage increase in call center action? Answer these questions: what will be the market position of my company in December, 2009? How will my efforts and strategy directly help my company achieve that position? A key point? Be reasonable.



2. Marshall your assets and max out ROI. What’s your real brand promise? What can you truly deliver on? What market segments truly resonate with your brand and its components? Go after those with everything you have.



3. Neutralize Groupthink. If you have a great plan for marketing in tough times, defend it. Fear-driven peers can look for safe bunkers to hide in and try to drag you in with them. This mindset can kill a company, particularly in uncertain times.



4. Break the mold. In challenging economic times, effective marketing can’t reflect business as usual attitudes. Mine customer data. Ask tough questions. Act on the answers.



5. Jettison marginal or non-performing elements of your marketing mix. Real, measurable performance represents the standard in tough times, so be relentless. If a marketing tool doesn’t perform, throw it under the bus.



6. Embrace and fuel your star performers. Just because direct mail is traditional doesn’t mean it’s ready to be retired. Find out what’s really working in your marketing mix and maximize it.



7. Take a hard look at your delivery platforms, including digital media. Online media opportunities – rightly executed – resonate with many target markets and cost less than traditional television and other high-expense marketing tools. Effective social media programs, coupled with strategic media relations placement and PR execution, can produce third-party brand evangelists who will dramatically strengthen and extend your outreach. An added benefit? All of the above is highly measurable.



8. Partner with your CEO and executive management team. In the 21st century, marketing represents an integrated discipline with IT, product development, sales, corporate culture and policy response to the outside world. The emails, buck slips, blow-ins, banner ads and PR placements should reflect an application or execution of integrated companywide strategy. If it doesn’t, start over.


Does the above reflect everything you need to do? Of course not. But it does give you a place to start. For more ideas and information, visit The MEK Dynamic section at www.themekgroup.com. Tough times produce top winners, so develop an opportunity-driven mindset and take your company straight on through.