via Think Ahead While Cutting Back: Marketing Priorities in a Recession : MarketingProfs Articles.
The Dour Marketer just caught a tweet from MarketingProfs’ Ann Handley pointing to this free piece by some smart people at MarketingNPV (disclosure, which has quoted me in a white paper penned by former colleague Rob O’Regan on marketing ROI in the past).
This is really good, n0-nonsense advice on how to cut when the mandate comes down from on high, and what not to cut during our current Depressionary pothole. There’s been a lot of this advice slung around recently, with rainbows-and-unicorns advice about “don’t stop the authentic conversation,” this sounds more like the real deal:
“First, get your head out of the emotional sand. You’ve lost the battle over the power of Marketing to drive the business in the near term. Don’t let disappointment cloud your future. Suck it up, look ahead, and don’t take it personally.
Second, take a step back and define the objectives for making smart cuts:
- Achieve the target reductions the CEO is asking for (most people stop right here).
- Support the company strategy for competing successfully.
- Conduct a thorough and unbiased analysis of all options.
- Preserve your credibility. Live to fight again another day.”
