Double Down on Marketing in Any Economy

One year ago, Integrate merged with Wellington Group Marketing & PR to form the first truly integrated digital and traditional marketing agency in Texas, and it’s been quite an exciting year for us. We had our share of internal challenges merging two teams, but we also achieved great successes for our clients with our expanded integrated offering – now featuring the full-service approach we’ve always believed in.

As we look forward to celebrating our 10-year anniversary later this year, the primary lesson we continue to learn is the importance of investing in our own brand and marketing. Any business owner can tell you how hard it can be to think about marketing when you are inundated with company growth and the challenges that come along with that growth.

Additionally, a big merger always presents its own distractions. It was tempting at times to hunker down on just doing great work for our clients, while telling ourselves we’d return to our marketing efforts later. Typical “cobbler’s children have no shoes” situation.

Thankfully, we have a great internal team who was able to set time aside to invest in our brand and marketing, and the company is reaping the results:

After seeing how our business grew because of our strong focus on marketing, it reminded us of just how valuable it is to double down on marketing, even when it is the furthest thing from your mind.

Several leading economic indicators point toward a bear market slowly lumbering across the horizon for the global economy in general. No one is quite sure of when this will happen, and in an unstable market, it’s easy to understand why some businesses may consider cutting costs and reducing seemingly unnecessary spends. However, even with a potential bear market looming amid political uncertainty, we know that continual investment in your brand will lead the way to success.

Historically, companies drastically reduce marketing efforts during economic downturns in an attempt to save money. Research reveals that ad spending dropped by 10% in 2009 at the start of that recession. While it’s tempting to cut marketing budgets in times of uncertainty, investing when others are cutting back will help you stay ahead of your competitors.

Amid this decreased competition, you should treat a bear market like your personal playground. It’s a time to implement any outside-the-box strategies or approaches you may have shelved while pursuing tried-and-true tactics in the earlier bull market.

Expand the reach of your marketing efforts to a new audience or two.

Do you think one of your personas might scale into a younger demographic? Consider partnering with a new influencer or launch a behind-the-scenes InstaStory of your latest company announcement.

Advertising rates could be lower because of lower demand.

Always wanted to see how billboards can complement your hyper-targeted display ad strategy, but never thought you had the budget? Now’s the time to see if prices have dropped because overall ad sales have decreased.

Media and influencers need the activity.

On the flip side of those lower advertising rates, the journalists and social media influencers who thrive during a bustling market are aggressively pursuing any movement. Craft a timely and interesting media pitch or two, complete with exclusive access and interesting tidbits that they can’t find elsewhere, and people will be clamoring to talk about your company.

While people might like the security of slowing down during an economic downturn, no one likes to play catch-up. So, when you make the decision to attack a bear market head-on, everyone who cut costs will be struggling to get up to speed when the market eventually bounces back (and it always does!). By doubling down on your brand and marketing efforts, you’re already sprinting forward into the future.

Ready to learn more about how your company freshen up your marketing approach so you can outshine the competition and achieve your sales goals in a bear market? Let’s chat !

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