Speak Embedded

As the recession continues, it amazes me how many companies begin to make advertising cuts to save money.  While I understand that less money in means less money to go out, I also realize that marketing your company and product helps to bring in that money in the first place.  Without getting your brand seen, you may very well get overlooked and be forced to make even more cuts in the future.

That being said, I do however think the recession is a good thing for marketing.  It makes us reanalyze things and focus our dollars on the items that are truly vital to lead generation and not just spend money hand over fist because its available in the budget….and we have to do something with it.

An example would be billboard advertising in left field of a baseball field.  Think about it.  Name five billboards on the outfield fence of a minor league game that you have attended in your life.  (That is assuming you like baseball)  Did any of those billboards lead you to purchase their product or service?  I doubt it.  Most of us don’t even recall what they were or know what product that company offered.  They are usually just simple designs with a logo, slogan, and simple image.  Thats not really something you pay attention to when you go to a game, but these placements can costs thousands over the course of a season.  To me its all about using the money you have where it can be most effective and not where everyone else is using it.  In regards to this aspect of marketing, I think the recession helps us to all bring in the reigns and gain a little more focus until we can all let loose again!

Joel Deer
Marketing Communications