Monday, May 25, 2009

Cutting Costs: Why Marketing?

While watching TV today, I saw a commercial for Bud Light which originally aired on the Oscars of the Advertising World; Super Bowl Sunday. The commercial is a pretty light-hearted one- a bunch of employees sitting around a conference table suggesting different ways to reduce costs until one guy suggests cutting out Bud Light from their meetings... and proceeds to get thrown out of a window. The idea is clever and the commercial is quite humorous, but after re-watching it I realized it carries a pretty somber message.


Before the 'prankster' suggested cutting out the Bud Light, one of his coworkers remarked that the company could "cut back on marketing", and no one thought twice about the prospect. Now granted, times are tough and many companies must figure out new ways of looking at their budgets, but is cutting back on marketing really the way to go? While it seems like the easiest initial solution, I think that, especially today, all office members (from executives down to interns) must realize that marketing is vital for stream-lined business to succeed.

Today's economic environment requires consumers to be much more thoughtful with every dollar that they spend. And good marketing convinces people what to spend their money on. So you'd think it makes sense for companies to look at marketing as a guiding hand for the distribution of their products. Now I'm not saying that flashy, expensive commercials are what the customer wants, or much less needs. What I am saying though, is that companies must reinvent the way they deliver their products to the consumers, and understand that cutting out marketing communication is not a solution, not for the short term and not for the long haul.

We must then ask ourselves, what is it about brands and companies that really resonates within us? So many substitutes exist for the products we use every day, its often impossible to differentiate one from the other. So what makes us decide? Sometimes it's hereditary, we'll drink what our father drank (or even refuse to touch the stuff) but more often, its something that caught our attention be it from a print ad, commercial or even something that we read. My point is, while companies may be quick to judge, and cut the satisfaction that marketers deliver, steps must be taken to prove our worth and show our work.

Think about it.

DVN

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