Posts Tagged ‘recession marketing’

Note to CMO: Unreasonable Requests

Tweet Dear CMO: Disruption has a way of throwing out old rules of convention. What is normal in times of good fortune doesn’t always apply when things are going down the drain. For those of us who have been around the block for more than one (or two) of these downturns, we can think back […]


Note to CMO: Three Examples of How Speed and Focus Win in Bad Times

Tweet Dear CMO: “For every pundit who proclaims that smart brands don’t cut marketing in bad economic times there are a thousand business owners who know differently.” But when should you listen to these pundits and actually increase your marketing spend in bad economic times? Here are three cases to consider: When our marketing puts […]


Note to CMO: Seven Rules for Creating Demand in Hard Times

Tweet Dear CMO: For every pundit who proclaims that smart brands don’t cut marketing in bad economic times there are a thousand business owners who know differently. Everything tightens up when demand is down and marketing is no exception. Why do we assume we shouldn’t cut marketing when everyone – including us! – is reducing […]


Note to CMO: Competing on Price. Yes, on Price.

Tweet Dear CMO: Why do people say “discount” like it’s a bad word? This is nonsense. If you’re in a price elastic market and occasionally sell your wares to non-millionaire playboys, pricing is often the difference between window shopping and revenue. We don’t always have to confuse “marketing” with “premium positioning,” although this happens more […]


Note to CMO: Don’t Fall in Love with Typeface

TweetDear CMO: I had the chance to catch up with writer, inventor, speaker and philosopher Roger van Oech on the phone last week. Roger has been very helpful in shepherding Killing Giants along, which is a euphemistic expression for ‘keeping me on track.’ In his gentle manner, Roger warned me about the pitfalls of what Robert […]