What is the best way that a corporate entity can combat sagging sales and manufacturing to deal with an economy in downturn? Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Nor does pretending that there isn’t a solution will work either. Just as bad is coming up with unrealistic, unmarketable expectations for a corporation in the times of economic uncertainty and uneasiness.
In times of hard financial numbers, a corporation just like any other business has to be creative in their marketing and advertising efforts in order to stay above their competition. They must look at non-traditional models and applications, seeking ways to bring attention to their mission. And, not to try to overuse an already over-used phrase, but yes, they must think “outside the box.”
Just recently, McDonald’s introduced their new “McCafe”, a new social community designed for coffee drinkers/lovers who also love the networking scene. In a time when places like Starbuck’s, Joe Mugg’s and even the local coffee houses are dominating, McDonald’s knew that they had to be creative and forward-thinkers in their marketing strategy. The McCafe concept is following closely along the base model of Twitter and Facebook and reaching out to the social community as a voice with something to say. And, they’re using all available resources to get it.
McCafé launched a Twitter account at McCaféYourDay. As of press time, McCaféYourDay had 134 followers.
Although it’s not new, it’s definitely creative and companies would do well to embrace what is available and make full use of their resources.
The economy doesn’t have to be detrimental to a corporation. It doesn’t have to end in disaster, and no rule book says that they have to go away because business is declining! New strategic methods, creativity and resources are the essentials in building and sustaining your business in this questionable economy. What strategies can YOU use for your platform.
How can a corporation tell when it’s time to start the creative flow going? It’s time to start the creativity immediately and preferably at the business’ inception. Corporations typically do not advertise like other public companies, therefore, they must subtly market through their resources. Finding creative ways is a must.
Being creative can involve a lot of different ways to get attention. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the impact that a marketing campaign by Kraft had on the media. Apparently, the post was so viral, people were trying to enter the contest here at our blog at Corporate-Eye! In the space of an afternoon, Lucy (the editor) and I saw a host of entries with people trying to enter the contest through our site, all from a post that went viral, full of information. .
You must be both enticing and creative when you are trying to wow customers. As a corporation, you may not have the edge that you’d like in your marketing tools, but again, using what you already have is the key.
How can your company maximize its growth rate? What creative flow can you think of that will help your corporate entity thrive right now?
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
