| PR is important in good times and essential in hard | | | | economy is slow you, more than ever, want to reach |
| times. It is always important to promote, market, and | | | | your target market and separate yourself from the |
| advertise your business. The good news is that | | | | competition. Most business owners and entrepreneurs |
| compared to other forms of marketing, PR is generally | | | | react in the typical knee- jerk way by climbing into their |
| less expensive and always more validating. | | | | shell and waiting for business to improve. |
| McGraw Hill did a study and found those businesses | | | | So these times offer even greater opportunities; while |
| that boosted their public relations, marketing and | | | | you competitors are in hiding, get yourself out there. Be |
| advertising during a recession grew 275% over the 5 | | | | creative. Think of ways to use the recession, or |
| years proceeding. However, those businesses that cut | | | | economic downturn as a part of your pitch. If you're |
| back, if they were still in business, only grew 19%. | | | | targeting the high-end market, focus on the most |
| Hard economic times are, ironically, the best times to | | | | expensive product or service you offer. Go against |
| aggressively launch a PR campaign. When times are | | | | the flow and offer the media a different type of story. |
| challenging, often one of the first decisions a business | | | | If you're targeting consumers that are being impacted |
| owner will make is put a halt to any and all marketing; | | | | by the economic downturn, come up with a unique |
| where in reality, the most important time to market a | | | | cost-saving offer or market an unusual product or |
| service or a business is precisely during those slow | | | | service. Each business will need a different approach, |
| periods. The Chinese symbol for danger is also the | | | | but keep in mind that doing nothing PR-wise during |
| symbol for opportunity. If you're smart, you'll focus on | | | | economic tough times, will result in just that - nothing. |
| the opportunity aspect. Think about it, when the | | | | |