If we all got a fiver every time someone mentioned that the recession was making them cut back on ‘luxuries’ like marketing communications we wouldn’t have to work.
The only problem is that, if businesses continue to cut back on promoting their organisations, they won’t be working either.
Last week I met the Director of a fascinating, but relatively new, museum.
Finding the funding to run a museum is a tricky business, these days. Grants have been cut and funders are extremely specific about what they will and won’t pay for.
The Director was finding it fairly straight forward to acquire funding for the structural aspects of the museum, utilities and education programmes but the one thing she was having no luck with was communications and marketing materials.
“If you get a leak in an old building, or the electrics fail, you can’t open it to the public” she explained “but what people don’t understand is that , to a museum, print is like the bricks and mortar holding it together. You have to explain things to people, and spark their interest; you have to attract new visitors by telling your story and inspiring them to come and see. Print is absolutely essential”.
Slashing your budget for marketing communications – whether that’s print, website content, display materials or feedback surveys – might save you a bit of money, but what is it doing to your business?
When you’re putting your budget together for 2012 think about the new clients/service users/visitors who could be totally in the dark about what you can offer them if you don’t spend a few quid on communications.
You don’t have a party without sending invitations, so why spend money on a business if you’re not going to tell anyone about it?
It’s a tough time for everyone at present but good communications really are the vital bricks and mortar that will stop your business falling down.
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