Crunch PR - Musings from Mr PR - Barry Walker. Rule 5.

Rule 5 - Never Cut Your Marketing Budget 

I hear you thinking, ‘yeah right, typical advice from a PR consultancy’, but this is one of the fundamental rules in a soft market. I’ll explain why. Never under any circumstances cut or do away with your marketing budget. A marketing initiative is like a snowball; hard to get going, but builds momentum the more you roll it. It is well documented that brands that increase their marketing in a soft market when competitors are cutting back can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times. As consumer purchasing declines, the consumer will purchase prominent brands. Are you a prominent brand? If not, you must become one. Moreover, your investment in your marketing has a value, as you have been investing in the budget for many years. Stop suddenly, and the tens, even hundreds of thousands of pounds are wasted.