Back when the U.S. was first in lock-down, most business owners may have presumed it was short-term pain but nothing that couldn’t be recouped. Now, some of those same business owners may be asking themselves if there is more they should have done — or that they could do now — to pandemic-proof their businesses. Media Relations Agency CEO Lonny Kocina‘s interviews on this subject have received quite a bit of media attention.
Kocina emphasized that now is the time to take action, not dial back your marketing. “It’s true that personal selling is still taking a hit and traffic into brick-and-mortar stores is sparse. You cannot even sample consumers in grocery stores. What you lose in personal selling marketing power, you will have to make up in marketing power using other promotional mix channels.
“Beefing up publicity efforts is a quick way to replace some of the face-to-face contact that will be lost with the lack of personal selling. That’s one place you can still reach the big groups. Publicity as a sales tool is underutilized by most companies and it is relatively easy to ramp up.”
If you’ve got a great salesperson who is now spending time calling on clients from home, consider arranging for us to connect that person with the media. As Lonny said in the article, “Putting your best salespeople in front of reporters and producers who have big audiences is always a win. Plus, unlike expos and trade shows, your competition isn’t right there beside you. I see a lot of trade show money shifting toward publicity and media coverage.”
Now more than ever, you also need a solid marketing process in place. There’s no room in the budget for marketing that’s not on point. Many businesses are approaching us after having read Lonny’s best-selling marketing book, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing; the book every marketer should read before their boss does.” It outlines the same Strategically Aimed Marketing process we pioneered.
As Lonny commented, “When you’ve got to change marketing strategies on the fly, you’d better have the basic marketing concepts down pat so you can make intelligent marketing decisions. Many marketers ride the wave in good times without fully understanding what underpins good marketing.”
In this challenging marketing environment, be cautious about trusting your precious marketing budget to people who don’t have a proven process and a successful track record. Whether you have $10,000 or $100,000, let’s talk about how to use that money strategically. Call 952-697-5269 or submit your information on this form.