Now's The Time For Carpe Diem Branding
Don't wait too late to re-commit to your advertising program
By Kim Parrish
In recent months, I have had contacts from several marketing managers who seemed to have a few things in common; they all seemed a bit desperate for new marketing materials. All of them had similar, mournful stories; “Sales really dropped last year, and I've been trying to tell the company owner we need new branding,” or, “I was just telling the board that our old sales materials are no longer competing in this market, and we need some help.”
Like most design firms, we make call-backs if we don't hear from those who request quotes. Unfortunately, in my followup calls I am seeing a disturbing trend—most of these marketing pros are no longer employed at those firms!
What made them wait so long?
It's been a tough year for many businesses. In my experience, some marketing directors have been willing, but unable to move forward with new image work, because entrenched management has been waiting and watching. We used to call this “analysis paralysis.” It's advisable for marketing managers to press hard—right now—for better branding and advertising to help lead their source of livelihood into a solid recovery. Why? Because the risk of doing nothing far outweighs the costs, and the competition may not be waiting. Let's face it—many companies gutted their advertising programs during the “Great Recession” of 2008/2009—but not ALL companies did this. Some have made big gains in market share, simply because they remained committed to their marketing plans and advertising programs. Those companies are now formidable competition.
Carpe diem is a term borrowed from a Latin poem by Horace; usually translated as “seize the day.” As consumer confidence begins to slowly tick up—and it is—those competitors will now be in a position to siphon off business from the market share of your company or the company you work for. At best, that can put you in a very negative light with your employer. In a worst case scenario, it can even cost you a job or your entire business, in what is still a very tough job market. Now is the time to seize the day! Are your brochures and other sales materials old or obsolete? Call in your graphics team and creative people, tell them it's time for a new approach. Have your internal solutions failed to boost sales? Outsource a design firm with a proven track record of quality solutions. If your advertising, store displays, product packaging or website is getting stale, invest the time and money now before it's too late to re-capture any lost market share.
Speaking only for my company, I am pleased to say; those clients of ours, which continued to invest in their branding during the last two years, are now reporting very positive sales—and some have seen major opportunity in the last three months, which would not exist had they not made that commitment. Are you a business owner or marketing manager, still waiting to make advertising or branding improvements in 2010? Are you encountering “analysis paralysis?” Don't wait any longer, carpe diem!
Kim Parrish is an award-winning creative consultant, his Orlando advertising firm develops cohesive branding, campaigns, website solutions and SEO, print collateral, and package design for a wide spectrum of companies—from small start-up firms to global brands like Wal-Mart® and NBC/Universal®.
Copyright 2009-2010 Kim Parrish Creative Services, Inc.
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