Why Bother!

I guess most, if not all, bloggers go through the why bother phase! We’ve contemplated our musings on numerous home pages and facebook, we’ve twittered reduced thoughts from mobiles and web-books and posted client and personal videos up to the various community sites to engage with like-minded audiences. Although we generate demonstrable results from innovative multi-channel campaigns there are pitches and even clients who still compartmentalise public relations as physical media communications and web-based activities as something separate. Perhaps it is the earlier relationship between websites and company brochures that these people still cling to, believing their web presence to be linked to their advertising budget rather than a wider communications platform to build brand and image.

The internet has provided access to audiences in a more interactive and often very personal manner that was impossible to achieve previously without large scale guerrilla tactics and an on-street presence. This is not to say that any campaign would not benefit from both web and street activities when appropriate.

How many of us have recently heard the sharp intake of breath when presenting the big idea to prospects and clients. The mantra of previous years - ROI - appears to made way to, sorry budget restrictions.

Louder and more esteemed voices than mine have recently repeated what the most successful companies know - in a down turn the companies that continue to spend on communicating with their audiences and customers witness a faster pick up in sales and maintain a higher than average brand value. There are obvious examples where companies cannot continue with their spending, but for most organisations that will survive the recession they need to plan smart to navigate their way through the hard times. They need to maintain their links to current and potential customers and audiences through plans based on best guess scenarios. Communications professionals can help achieve amazing results but require open and honest briefings. Campaigns can then be created that are highly targeted to rigorously defined audiences that will again demonstrate high levels of ROI.

I guess that my opening statement is in big part rhetorical. Communications professionals know why we bother, because we believe in our clients and our own judgement, and often demonstrate that sharp thinking on campaigns does result in positive up lift for clients even in the hardest of economic times.