ARE YOU WINKING IN THE DARK

The cliche "Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you're doing, but nobody else does" is as relevant today as when it first appeared in an article in The New York Herald Tribune in 1956, even if it may sound slightly sexist now.

Surveys have shown that companies who continue to spend on advertising during tough economic times will maintain or increase their market share and be even stronger when the economy improves. McGraw-Hill Research reported that following the USA recession in 1981-82, of the 600 companies surveyed, those who continued to advertise aggressively had risen 256% by 1985 over those who had held back on advertising budgets.

http://www.integratedresourcemgmt.com/advertising.html

As the author and journalist Eric Clark has said, "Advertising is totally unnecessary, unless you want to make money". Think like the customer and not like the supplier. What would encourage you to buy a product or a service? An engaging advertisement or strong marketing message on an up-to-date website, or having to trawl through the free listings in the Yellow Pages to do your own research?

So how can you ensure you are maintaining a strong presence with your marketing with a limited budget? Submitting regular press releases or updating your website isn't going to cost a great deal. The relatively new fusion-marketing can be used effectively to build your brand. Even, or especially, in a potentially slow trading period, advertising and brand development should be focussed and consistent and not spread too thinly. An effective message should have layers that can be built on over time, delivering a unique and memorable brand. Keep the light on....we need to see that wink.