What a week! Just three days after Obama is sworn in as President, which the world media proclaims one of the greatest moments in history, official figures are released in the UK announcing the fact that we are in recession – as if we had all missed the last few months of negative press about the economy!
Personally, I don’t plan to have a recession! As the saying goes (and please forgive me for not quoting the source) – we plan for the worst, whilst hoping for the best! I have decided to be 100% optimistic… Why?
People need PR now more than ever! Companies that increase their profile during a recession achieve two things:
Firstly, they position themselves perfectly to win any business available during the downturn. Companies hiding or running away from marketing opportunities stagnate and fall behind – fatal mistake in troubled times. There is still plenty of business out there in almost all industry sectors; the market just becomes more competitive.
PR provides great credibility, it is third party endorsement so those people achieving coverage and cuttings are cementing their position as experts and thought leaders. The cowboys will be uncovered and fall by the wayside.
Secondly, by positioning a business as an industry leader you are front of mind and best placed during the inevitable recovery. When budgets and currency start to flow once more, which they will, companies with high profiles will be first in line for new customers.
Why is PR so powerful in a recession? Because the right campaign creates your voice, crafts your message and positions you just where you need to be. And lets not forget – as more companies hold back on budgets and freeze their PR activity, those continuing will benefit from less competition for space in the media – whether it be web, print or broadcast.