Many businesses are unsure what 2011 will bring. Has an upturn started already? How fast will the economy recover? What are the chances of a double-dip?Whilst of course we have to take account of the economic environment in our planning, to what extent should it really be impacting what we do on a daily basis:
Whatever the situation, all businesses still need to focus marketing on the fundamentals:
- Ensure they understand and meet the needs of customers
- Have on-going plans for finding new customer opportunities
- Have in place programmes to maintain regular contact with customers
- Know who their competitors are and how they compare
- Be vigilant in monitoring changes in the market
- Retain the flexibility to respond to change and seize new opportunities
The economic environment may impact exactly how you do this but ignore any of them at your peril.