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It's hard to believe we're nearly a month into a new year already. With a fresh year ahead, many of us fall once again into the same routine of making so many lofty plans to improve every single aspect of our lives that we inevitably set ourselves up for failure. Sound familiar? Perhaps a better, more realistic approach is to focus on the simple things we can do each day to lead us toward healthier, happier lives. As Oprah put it, "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." We're never one to argue with Oprah, so read on for things that you can do to get it right in 2009. |
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Best,
Principal/Co-founder Principal/Co-founder
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FOCUS
 A colleague recently said, "In difficult times, there are those who cry, and there are those who sell handkerchiefs." While some of our clients are scaling back in 2009, some are staying the course, others are increasing their budgets, and still others are shifting marketing tactics due to changing goals. Regardless of how your company is faring right now, every company needs to take a hard look at expenses. Yet even if you're downsizing, there are straightforward marketing recommendations to consider:
1. Long lead times.
The efforts you put forth today can yield significant results six months from now. If your product needs to be featured in monthly magazines during the spring or summer, you have to make it happen now. The news and event cycle will pass you by if you ignore long-lead opportunities.
2. PR is not a one-shot deal.
PR works best when there are both long- and short-term corporate goals included in the program. We once had a client that ended his contract with us because we "did such a great job getting the company visibility" that he "didn't need us anymore." Guess what? The visibility ebbed away and he came back.
3. Good news is suddenly news.
If you communicate momentum, your targets will see momentum. I just read a news brief about a company that secured $1 million in financing. A number that low would never have hit the press last year. Further, one of our clients recently hired 12 people and had two banks vying to offer them a significant line of credit. That certainly wouldn't have been newsworthy a year ago, but it is today.
3. Leaner times can create internal opportunities.
If business is slow, you may have talented staff who can be redeployed to support marketing objectives: a salesperson with the soul of a writer or an IT person with a creative flair who can improve your website or collateral.
4. Bring your audience to you.
Think about your office or retail space. Can you create opportunities -- seminars, roundtable discussions, networking events -- in your office and invite colleagues, customers and prospects? Face-to-face communications can still be the best marketing tool there is.
5. Get out...do more.
Go to networking events and conferences. Leverage your memberships beyond event attendance; meet with association executives to see whether you might be able to be an event speaker or moderator. You'll get visibility through the sponsoring organization AND have opportunity for that face-to-face at the same time.
6. Consider your assets.
Do you have a creative presentation that can be repurposed for your website, as a bylined article, and as a speaker abstract? Take inventory of the marketing materials that already exist and creatively leverage them to create new opportunities.
7. Partner wisely.
Consider a marketing co-opportunity (event sponsorship, co-authored op-ed, online promotion) with a non-competing organization that targets similar audiences. You can leverage your marketing dollars by sharing resources and achieving a similar goal together.
8. Review your online presence.
This is a good time to make the most of your image online. Make sure you're maximizing SEO opportunities, posting new materials to your site, participating in online groups through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, Twittering and blogging. All free, and all marketing. Be the company that's making the most of this downturn. To revisit the saying referenced earlier, sell handkerchiefs. B2B and consumer demand still exists -- the winners will be those that best continue to meet those demands. If you can afford to maintain or increase your visibility, your handkerchiefs will look pretty good amongst all those tears. |
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Give  A new year typically means a fresh start, but 2009 will have greater economic challenges than in 2008. Luckily, great volunteer opportunities are readily available. By helping someone else, you are not only making another person's life a little brighter, but in turn, you are left feeling more appreciative of the wonderful, often overlooked things in your own life. Always a good thing.
At the beginning of the holiday season, Castle Client Eos Foundation, the Highland Street Foundation, the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation, and a fourth foundation donating anonymously announced the creation of a $1.1 million Emergency Assistance Fund. These funds were immediately deployed to nonprofit organizations across the state to help residents meet their food and fuel needs. These organizations are actively encouraging people throughout the state to consider charitable giving, whether it be in the form of financial support, donation of food products, or volunteering to help those in need.
Want to support a great organization while enjoying a fun social event and winning fabulous prizes? The Center for Women & Enterprise helps women from a wide variety of racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds start and grow their own businesses. Save April 4, and attend their Annual Auction and Gala Dinner, co-chaired this year by Castle Founder Sandy Lish and featuring Keynote Speaker Jeannette Walls, MSNBC contributor and author of "The Glass Castle." | |
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Create
Creative ideas and innovative thinking are critical to our success. Every year, Castle rings in the New Year with a contest we like to call "TheThing." Everyone gets an art project to work with and can take it any direction they wish. This year, the material of choice was Wikki Stix: a fancy name for wax-covered string. While some creations fell short of greatness -- such as Mark's model of the DNA chain or Sarah's plate of spaghetti -- others, such as Linda's multi-media movie trailer, took the contest to another level. Linda cast herself as director of a dark thriller starring the very characters she created. Catch the preview here.
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WISH
As we say goodbye to 2008, it's natural to reflect back on what you may have done differently: not buy that new Audi when you're still living with mom and dad, pass on that second -- ok third -- helping at Thanksgiving, etc. A more positive approach, however, may be to think about what you want for yourself in the New Year. We thought we would share some Castle wishes in hopes of sparking some inspiration:
Mark: For the world to take a deep breath. It's just the economy, it's just snow, it's just a bad day. There's brightness out there if we just look hard enough.
Linda: To learn how to surf.
Kelly: To give back more to the community, in lieu of all the TV I watched in 2008!
Hilary: That ringing in the new year, along with the inauguration, will inspire people to focus their energies on how to build their businesses and create momentum in this challenging economic climate.
Stacy: To meet Ray Allen.
Sandy: To never see a misplaced apostrophe or hear a misused "I" vs. "we."
Keri: That more people (myself included) begin thinking, eating and buying locally. Community matters!
Wendy: To manage an event on the scale of the inauguration!
Whitney: To be able to run the Falmouth Road Race next summer.
Kristi: To be more financially conservative this year.
Deb: To start checking things off my "bucket list."
Sarah: To spend more time with family and friends that I don't live close to and don't see very often.
Danielle: To learn French.
Scott: That people begin driving less, and start using more sustainable forms of transportation, like cycling.
Mike: That Americans -- both individuals and corporations -- never again fall victim to the kind of irrational exuberance that has gotten us into the financial mess we are in today.
Dana: That all of the Castle wishes come true! | |
