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Greetings: Most of us will be forced to do more with less this year. This newsletter will give you some ideas on how to make the best use of the time and money you devote to communications with your key audiences. If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to give us a call. We're here to help.
Sincerely,
Lynn Nelson + the rest of the LIN PR Team
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Get more for your limited time and money - do some planning for 2009
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Businesses that have flourished in more benign times are going to have to hunker down and do everything more efficiently this year: customer service, managing employees, managing finances.
Marketing communication is no exception. Companies and nonprofits that have relied on the instincts of their owners and top managers, and have pooh-poohed planning would benefit from marketing planning. It's the best way to make sure your objectives, target audiences, strategies and evaluation measures are aligned. Most importantly, it's the most effective way to manage your limited time and money during a deep recession.
Don't forget your current customers
Part of getting back to basics from a marketing communications standpoint is remembering to take great care of current customers. This involves providing great service and great communications. My Financial Planner Bernie DeLaRosa of Ameriprise in Edina does a great job of this.
During good times and bad, I hear from Bernie in a variety of ways. He sends holiday cards, market updates, and he invites me and my husband to ball games, wine tastings, economic forecasts and dinner. The strength of our relationship has been tested several times over the years by competitors from Wells Fargo, Paine Webber and other now defunct financial institutions. But our relationship bonds are strong. Thanks to Bernie's great service and great commitment to regular client communications.
During the boom times, we could be lazier about cultivating prospects. Nowadays, we'd be foolish not to have a communications strategy for reaching out regularly to top prospects: People I've met, who know what I do, but may not think of me without a little extra nudge in the form of strategic marketing communications.
Advertising during tough times
My colleagues at Mojo, an advertising agency I do joint projects with, point out that running advertising in tough economic times can be one of the best times to market yourself. Their research studies and real-world experiences prove that an increase in marketing spending during a downturn in the economy can gain a long-term advantage for your brand. Consider:
· Competitors tend to cut spending, creating contrarian opportunities.
· Maintaining promotional spending will sustain or even grow market share.
· Stealing share of mind is a bargain during a recession.
· Customers don't "go away" during a recession, they grow more conservative.
· Opportunity for new entrants to encourage brand switching to cost-saving alternatives.
Mirror, mirror on my Web site
Take a hard look at your Web site. This is somewhat like looking in the mirror. You may not notice new wrinkles or bulges that are obvious to people who haven't seen you in a while or may have never met you. The best place to start critiquing your Web site is to think about what you personally like and don't like about other Web sites you visit.
Think ease of navigation, readability, the value of the information, tone and personality, look and feel - all things that make or break a Web site. Be sure and check out your competitors too, to see if and where you can gain a competitive edge.
My associates at Mojo (www.mojogang.com) and I believe that your Web site is one of the most important elements of your brand. It helps identify what you stand for in addition to who you are and what you do. Chances are you and your competition provide a lot of the same products or services, but your brand character and personality reflected on your Web site can be a difference maker.
Even the most optimistic among us are facing the fact that 2009 will very likely be the most difficult business year any of us have experienced. Despite the tough times we are sure to endure, if we plan wisely, and carefully tend our most valued relationships, we should approach 2010 in better shape than we're in now.
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Meet our clients
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As we ring in the new year, LIN PR is reminded of how grateful we are to have had a variety of great clients. We would like to honor two of our outstanding clients who do a great job at using their limited time and money wisely to prioritize their communications.
LIN PR has been working with Fredrikson & Byron P.A. for 15 years.
Fredrikson & Byron is a Minneapolis-based law firm comprised of over 240 attorneys. Its primary areas of practice are banking, corporate, employment, franchise, government relations, health care, intellectual property, international, litigation, real estate, securities, tax and energy. We work with them to ensure that their attorneys appear regularly in their target business media. Recent stories featuring Fredrikson & Byron attorneys can be found at http://www.fredlaw.com/news/ One of Minnesota's top nonprofits, RESOURCE hired LIN PR at the end of 2007 to promote the necessary services they provide in the areas of employment and training, mental health and chemical health. In working closely with Communications Director Dave Wood, we have succeeded in gaining exceptional media results and developing RESOURCE's first e-newsletter. Here are some recent stories about employment challenges that feature RESOURCE's programs: Click here to view RESOURCE's first e-newsletter, which was distributed Dec. 11, 2008.
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