Gearing up for survival and beyond

We’ve all heard about Noah who continued to build his ark while all others thought he was crazy, discouraged him and looked on with distain. We also know that the ones who believed in him were the only ones to survive the storm.

Just like Noah’s three-deck ark represented the heavens, the earth and the waters beneath, marketers need to build a sustainable plan focusing on budgets, better communication and customer satisfaction to achieve their bottom-line.

You don’t need to change your business or interests depending on conditions; what needs to change is the approach you use. Know exactly what to change and when. Redefine the business strategy constantly to catch up with the pace of the ever-so-dynamic economy.

While we’re heading into another promising year, it’s the perfect time to analyse and rethink old techniques. Next year seems to be bringing traditional methods back in the game. I’m not telling you to have a time warp — innovating new concepts built on traditional methods is what I’m talking about.

There will be a move towards traditional concepts that can curb advertising expenses. We all know that when there is a situation, it’s the marketing department that gets least priority, though this shouldn’t be the case.

Saving money on advertising is unwise on so many levels, because doing business and not letting anyone know is like taking a shot in the dark. Even charity these days is announced — that’s the era we live in; sad but true.

Healthy internal outlook

Marketers need to focus on an age-old theory called “optimum use of resources”. Your manpower is your greatest strength, and you need to use it wisely. It is important to maintain a healthy internal work culture so that employees stand by you and support your ideas.

Face-to-face marketing techniques are a great way of getting noticed, maybe old but definitely not obsolete. Encourage employees to talk to clients and see them personally more often. This helps build good relations when times are slow — when things pick up you’re the first one to get lucky.

Noah had also taken a pair of every living thing — it was another strategic approach to ensure sustainability. Putting a little thought into it — indulging in partnerships and affinities ought to serve as the perfect budgeting plan to overcome issues of “sustaining while marketing”.

Sharing the expenses of a seemingly high advertising campaign benefits both parties and does not hamper the brand image in any way. Affinities have always worked wonders, even for the most premium brands in the market.

The synergy of two brands put together has double the power and yields the desired visibility and benefits.

All said and done, I strongly believe, the one thing that will hold steady is innovation. Studies suggest that online marketing trends will dominate 2016, with mobiles taking over desktops, apps replacing mobile-optimised sites, an upsurge in video ad acceptance, dozens of virtual reality devices, a host of wearable technology, and a lot more on the digital front.

Rebound

Innovation seems to be the only chance of survival while you’re still in the game.

Another important aspect of the event involving Noah’s ark was that after the storm ceased, he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded. At first it returned without good news, but after several attempts it brought back a leaf — plainly showing that greenery had begun to appear above water.

Much like it, I recall the rebound in 2012. Reports suggest than more than 200,000 companies fell prey to the downfall during 2009, but the recovery since has been tremendous. New businesses have been flourishing and with a good knowledge of surviving tactics.

This is the time to prove your determination. Everything you’ve been planning over the past deserves a backup through the envisaged storm. Beyond the storm is greater opportunity, a stronger reason to survive and a brighter future.

Your persistence and zeal to make it happen will not just help you sustain but will lift you above the pile of quitters. Just remember to collate, evaluate and innovate.

The writer is Managing Director of BuyDoBuy Advertising LLC and Diplomats Summit Limited, UK.