a surprisingly well-received piece for RNZ<\/a> about an ornate and rather beautiful Auckland public toilet built while we were losing (well, certainly not winning) World War 2.<\/p>\nPerhaps most optimistically, I founded an independent advertising and design agency 13 years ago and haven\u2019t given up.<\/p>\n
So, you might think I\u2019d be joining the chorus of gung-ho voices urging marketers to spend more, not less, money in a recession.<\/p>\n
A quick Google will turn up plenty of opinion pieces along those lines, usually backed up by evidence that (of course) supports their claims.<\/p>\n
Give me a break.<\/p>\n
Right now, people are doing it tough. Mortgages are expensive. Insurance is expensive. Petrol is expensive (and so, now, is running your EV). Most importantly, though, confidence is in short supply. Spending on something you can do without \u2013 whether it\u2019s a dinner out, a new car or a lounge suite \u2013 is an act of confidence. It shows you believe that the hole that confit of duck, Tesla or La-Z-Boy makes in your bank account will be filled as quickly as it appeared, thanks to your ever-rising salary from that safe, secure job.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re getting the picture.<\/p>\n
So, to convince companies facing decisions of which suppliers they can afford to pay this month so they can make payroll that they really should be investing in expensive brand advertising, requires a level of optimism not even I can muster.<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s a marketer to do?<\/p>\n
Firstly, do what all marketers should do, but often overlook when things are booming and there\u2019s fat to hide behind. Work efficiently. Ask whether the time your people are spending is directly connected to what you need to achieve. Share your business goals with your agency (if you haven\u2019t already) and ask what they think. Put processes in place to identify and track when you\u2019re wasting time and money so you can do something about it. <\/p>\n
Then do what great marketers always do. Stay close to the customer. Understand what\u2019s going on in their lives. Think about how what you offer can make them feel happier, more secure, more confident\u2026 all those things\u2019 families are crying out for right now. <\/p>\n
Finally, put what marketing budget you can afford into getting your offer across in a way that demonstrates that you get it<\/em>. That you\u2019re not lunching in a restaurant while they\u2019re bringing soup from home. That you know what it costs to catch a bus to work because you took one last week. That you understand that meeting human needs is more important than shifting a particular unit because you bought a warehouse full of them when times were better.<\/p>\nWhen things improve \u2013 and my money is on the \u201csurvive till 25\u201d mantra being at least partly self-fulfilling \u2013 people will remember that you were there with them and shop accordingly.<\/p>\n
So, if the spreadsheets tell you that you need to cut your marketing budget to keep the lights on, do what your customers are doing: cut it. Then use what\u2019s left efficiently and empathetically. <\/p>\n
2025 will be here before you know it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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