Recession Marketing

Economic times are tough. So how do you sell stuff to people when nobody's buying?

More and more advertisers and marketers are turning to "recession marketing." A recent article, The Secret of Selling When Nobody's Buying, on npr.org talked about this and Mike Beltrame, the President of Beltrame Leffler Advertising, was recognized in this article due to his expertise in branding and marketing in both good and tough times.

The article says that consumer marketers are focusing their marketing not just on the bargains they offer, but also on the "economic value" they can deliver. This is important, along with the opportunity for companies to reframe or redefine their "value proposition" to their consumer target. Companies need to think about redefining what their brand stands for in this tight economy.

The article stated that many companies are addressing this as a marketing opportunity. They include Kraft Foods, Allstate Insurance, Hyundai, Kellogg's, Wal-Mart and the dairy industry.

In the article, Mike states that "A recession is always a good time to cut the waste out of marketing budgets. An economic slowdown forces a company to evaluate the most efficient target audiences and the most effective marketing tools. However, the keys to staying strong during and after recessionary periods include maintaining brand awareness levels and brand image."

At Beltrame Leffler Advertising, we work with clients to help them turn the recession into an "opportunity" and to maintain and even grow their brand awareness and image. These tough economic times are one of the reasons we developed the Brand Machine, which is a cost effective branding process for small to mid-size companies that want to jump start a new brand or re-energize their current brand.

These tougher economic times won't last forever, so do the right things now to be prepared to gain market share and business when things turn around. We can help, give us a call.

Beltrame Leffler Advertising is an independent brand focused Indianapolis advertising agency specializing in strategic planning, positioning, and quality creative execution.