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Archive for the ‘Recession’ Category« Previous Entries Next Entries »The Role of MarketersWednesday, November 25th, 2009 
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA), at its recent annual conference, has urged marketers to lead the United States out of the recession. Chief Marketing Officers of various multinationals – among them Walmart, McDonald’s, IBM, MillerCoors and Google – all spoke at the conference to explain how the actions of marketing departments have led to major turnarounds in fortune or fueled record growth. Included were examples of how, by focusing on the customer and having a deep understanding what their brands were about, stronger reputations have been built and impressive growth achieved. In further news from the ANA, a new study shows that marketers increasingly see themselves as ‘visionaries’. When asked to choose whether they identified themselves as tactician, facilitator, leader or visionary, one-third of the 150 marketers who participated in the online study chose ‘visionary’. The study found that ‘visionaries’ had a much higher level of influence within their respective organizations than those in other categories. For example, 89% were more likely to be leading strategic dialogue (compared to 11% of non-visionaries), two-thirds were more likely to be leading discussions around reinventing the business (compared to 21%), and 60% were more likely to collaborate with financial functions (as opposed to 22% of the non-visionaries). The Positive Side of Smaller Marketing BudgetsTuesday, October 13th, 2009 
Many marketers have been feeling the strain this year as their budgets and resources have come under increased pressure and increased scrutiny from senior management. But achieving more with less is not impossible, and can actually have some positive effects… Budget cuts and recessionary demands have resulted in more businesses focusing on marketing accountability and measurement, as well as improved collaboration between marketing and other organizational departments (i.e. finance), according to the fifth annual Marketing Accountability Survey. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) study spoke to 95 senior-level marketers over the summer. Although the small sample size should be noted, some interesting findings include:
Almost half (46%) of respondents are satisfied with the impact of their marketing efforts on sales/ROI, twice as high a response as last year. The survey also highlighted a greater appreciation of marketing efforts by senior management. To find out more about effective marketing strategies in a recession, please click here to read our free e-book.
Small Is Beautiful – especially in today’s marketplaceFriday, September 11th, 2009
In this week’s Thursday Night Insight, Nick Hague explains why, in his opinion, there will always be a place for small businesses. Every day, when working in the office, I walk through the precinct close to where our UK office is located to go to our local deli to get my lunchtime sandwich. I have been furrowing this same path for the last 12 years and it still fills me with joy every day as I am greeted and welcomed by the local shopkeepers as if I was part of the family. I feel highly privileged to work in close proximity to such a thriving local community where the local precinct holds many such shops that vary from clothing, homeware, aromatherapy and shoe shops through to grocers, fishmongers and butchers (and I defy anybody to show me a better butchers than Corrys). However, as our towns and cities are continued to be overrun with the marauding retail giants of Tesco and Walmart, I think it is refreshing to see how our local community (in the face of adversity with the current economic climate) is utilising its owner-managed enthusiasm to deliver a passion and engagement that is now lost from many of the faceless giants of the corporate world. We have recently completed a piece of research for Business Link in London, speaking to small business owners in the UK’s capital city to find out what impact the credit crunch has had on their business and their future business plans. As expected, a fifth of businesses have been extremely affected by the recession, with 4 in 10 respondents stating that their overall budgets and expenditures have been significantly affected, especially the adverse impact on cashflow, reduced investment and funding, and a decline in national sales. However, even though businesses have been affected, optimism still remains high for the next 12 months with a half of business owners looking to fuel growth through ramping up marketing activity, 4 out of 10 looking to diversify into new markets, and a third looking to launch new products. Like the local shop keepers where our office is based, I see many smaller business owners putting in superhuman efforts to make their businesses stand out and succeed against the competition in this difficult climate. In these uncertain times, small companies do hold many advantages over larger organizations, with lower central costs and greater awareness of changing trends allowing new ideas to thrive, and flexibility to react quickly to shifting demands. Over the last 12 years of running B2B International I have experienced the difficulties and tensions as a company rises from humble beginnings into an organization that now has a global presence on three continents. I remember very early on, speaking to one of our research executives, and her saying “Why do want to grow? It is nice to work for such an intimate, family run company.” The problem is, if you always do what you always have then you always get what you have always got – if you are lucky! From our inception through to our current position we have continually fought to be adaptable, innovative and personal as we believe that customer service prevails in today’s competitive environment and that the future belongs to the smaller company. Of course, larger corporations will always enjoy economies of scale along with greater brand awareness and only large companies can carry out industrial production in the industries of automotive, steel, pharmaceutical and utility provision but, as typified by the example of General Motors, even with their large resources, things can still go horribly wrong. A contrast is the John Lewis Partnership, the British department store and grocery chain. Here the staff really do own the business, and behave like enlightened capitalists rather than bloody-minded union members. It offers world-class service and a lesson in how important it is to keep the customer happy, and herein I think lies the answer. Smaller companies are continually looking to innovate and deliver customer service. They punch above their weight and force larger companies to up their game. In these uncertain times, the smaller business owner will continue to succeed. STOP THE PRESS! Calling All Small Business Owners In LondonWe want to know the challenges you are facing as an SME in the current market conditions. Take part in the Business Link in London SME survey and tell us your opinion. Business Link in London along with B2B International is kicking off its second wave of surveys for its Diverse Business Confidence Index Project. This research will provide an in-depth analysis of how the recession is having an impact on London’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). This survey will be the voice of over 3,000 small businesses in London and the Index will provide a timely and statistically significant insight into how different types of SMEs continue to be affected by the recession and what actions they have taken to combat its effects. If you are a London business owner and would like to take part in the survey of the Diverse Business Confidence Index then please e-mail dbci@b2binternational.com and include your name, company name and London borough where your business is based. How the economy will impact B2B markets and B2B researchThursday, August 20th, 2009
They are the questions on the lips of many b-to-b marketers right now: How is the current state of the economy impacting on b-to-b markets, and which marketing strategies will help me cope with its impact? Fortunately, the Canadian Marketing Research & Intelligence Association has hosted a webinar tackling these topics. The State of the Economy and How It Will Impact on B2B Markets and Research features two guest speakers: David Skelsey of Strictly Financial and Julia Cupman of B2B International. Skelsey, on reviewing the global financial crisis, discusses whether this presents a challenge or an opportunity for the market research community. He also assesses what the impact will be for specific industry sectors and particular research areas, offering some tips for how market researchers can cope with the challenges. Cupman, research and business development manager of B2B International’s US office, expands further on the challenges and constraints faced by B2B marketing professionals in today’s increasingly pressured environment, highlighting how research and marketing strategies have been – and continue to be – affected by the recession. The webinar is now available as a recording by clicking here. Free eBook: Effective Marketing Strategies for a RecessionMonday, August 10th, 2009
B2B International is delighted to present its latest free eBook – Effective Marketing Strategies for a Recession. At the present time, many marketing specialists are asking themselves how the recession has been affecting fellow marketers. They are wondering how competitor organisations have responded to the current economic environment, and what their own strategic responses ought to be. Based on her own primary research conducted among 400 marketing professionals, and drawing upon the work of many well-respected experts in the field, Julia Cupman has authored this new eBook. Focusing on the role of marketing strategy, common reactions to an economic downturn and those marketing strategies that are considered to be the most successful in a recession, this eBook will help marketers worldwide adapt to the pressures brought about by today’s global economic downturn.
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