I know it's hard to swallow.  But in a down economy, marketing efforts should be increased.  Yes, increased.  There, I said it.  The elephant in the room has been identified.  And now for the oxymoron; when the economy is down, we should all be tightening our belts.  "Cut costs, and we'll be better prepared when the crisis passes".  "We've got to pay attention to our overall profitability now more than ever".  And so on and so on.  I would challenge you though, to do this each and every day, whether economic forecasts are good or bad.  Why is it that, only when things are on the downturn, do companies look at such detail?  Isn't it much like seeking help only when one is in trouble, instead of preventative maintenance to avoid the problem in the first place?

     In a world of layoffs, downsizing (or more politically correct "corporate restructuring"), budget cutbacks, decreased production, and faltering incomes, why would anyone in their right minds spend more money on marketing?  Afterall, marketing is the most difficult tool in your arsenal to measure the effectiveness of, right?  The fact of the matter is, history tells a solid tale of this being one of the best times to increase your marketing efforts.

     Look at it from a broad perspective.  In a down economy, the first reaction for most organizations will be to reduce their marketing efforts.  That, people, is the very reason to increase yours.  Starting to see the picture?  Repetition breeds retention.  If your competitor is reducing their marketing efforts, and you are increasing yours, whom do you think the client is more apt to remember, and contact, during the recession itself as well as the upswing?  McGraw-Hill Research, in a study of US recessions, showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their marketing efforts during the recession back in the early 80's averaged significanlty higher sales growth, both during that recession, and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased their efforts.  By that mid-decade, sales of companies that were aggressive recession marketers had risen 256% over those that didn't put forth aggressive efforts. 

     How are some companies actually positioning themselves in the market?  Some are relying on their online efforts, some are utilizing face-to-face tactics, and some are diversifying their portfolios.  I would suggest a combination, and then some.  Here are some thoughts:

     -  Some will remember the television commercial about the President who assembled the entire management team, and then disbursed airline tickets so the team could spread out and go and visit their clients.  Seems the company had neglected this critical step, and were losing customers because of it.  When asked where he was going, the President slipped his airline ticket into his back pocket and said, "I'm going to visit that old friend of ours who just fired us".  

     -  The Fortune 500 List.  I dare anyone to look at today's Fortune 500 list and compare it to the same list 10 years ago, and not notice a significant face-lift.  It's a completely different list.  Those who were not proactive, those who didn't listen to their customers, and those who didn't remain flexible to fluid market conditions, are gone.

     -  Look for new, creative ways to drive your message home.  Social networking is one example.  Turn your customers into your greatest advocate.  Used properly, social marketing has the ability to amplify the conversation surrounding your brand like no marketing tool before. 

     -  Search Marketing  -  Search Engines are vastly becoming the means by which people find the goods and services they need.

     -  E-Marketing  -  To be effective, e-mail marketing has to communicate and not annoy its way into inboxes.  Your clients want to hear from you, so communicate with them.  

     -  And speaking of communication, communicate with them like you've never done before.  Get out and see them.  Your presence in the field alone will reassure them that you are still there, you are weathering the storm, and you are there to stay.  If you do not do this, you will lose.  And while you're at it, be positive in the process.  The world has had enough doom and gloom attitudes.  If you were to come to a client with a positive, upbeat attitude about your company, your products or services, and the economy as a whole, who do you think they will remember?  It's always easier for a client to buy from someone they like being around, and from someone who is actually excited for a change about what they do.   

     -  Bring your customer into the very lap of your decision-making process.  I have long been disgruntled with the concept of sitting in ones office and dreaming up ways to make your customers happy, or conceiving things you think they will buy from you.  Why not go out and find out what the client needs from you, and then reassemble as a team to figure out a way to give them what they want.  Talk about differentiating yourselves from your competition.       

     -  Ready/Fire/Aim  -  All of your ducks do not need to be in a row every time before any kind of new product or service pre-launch.  Get yourself as ready as you can, and instead of aiming and then firing, fire first.  Then, talk to your customers.  Find out what they liked, and what they didn't.  Find out what improvements can be made, based on their feedback.  Then, go back to that office of yours, and aim.  Test markets only please.  Not recommended for a full-blown production environment.    

     If you think all of this is too difficult, think of the consequences, which is the risk of going out of business.  At the very least all of the branding efforts you have put into your company, product, and service have been minimized.  That's an investment you must protect.  Do not let the pace of today's economy hinder your marketing efforts, your creative processes, and your attitudes.  Now is the right time to lay the groundwork for your future movements.  Consider it a Law of Process.  Better explained, stand 20 feet away from a tree, and try to hit it with a ball.  Most will miss the first time.  But, stand 2 feet away, and you're much more likely to hit it the first time.  Then, stand 3 feet away, and then 4, and then 5.  Repeat this until you've  reached that previous 20 foot failure, and your chances of success increse dramatically.  It's a process, much like cultivating a relationship with a client that is sure to be around for years to come.