There's an old line in advertising that the smaller your hammer, the sharper your nail has to be. And while traditional business intelligence says spending more in a downturn is a sure means to build market share, most companies are busy making their hammers smaller.
Today the news is that the world's largest advertiser, P&G has slashed media spending and competitors like Unilever are doing much the same. If even the big guys are killing their budgets what is the lesson to be learned?
You need a sharper nail. It seems that broadcast and general print are taking most of the hit. What the smart marketers know is that better targeting through data analysis and data intelligence is the answer. When your marketing budget is smaller you've got to be sure that every dollar is highly targeted. Using data analysis to pinpoint your target and then delivering your message in targeted communications like email and direct mail are just a couple elements of an integrated campaign. Use all your marketing intelligence to keep the nail sharp!
