There’s no better time than a slowdown in spending to revive and renew your company brand. It’s kinda like the “double-down” effect so that your business is in a position of strength when the economy recovers.
Yeah… I know you’ve heard this mantra every time business cycles down since 1981. Rah-rah hoop-lah… (yawn) And, yeah, we all agree that innovation is the only way out of the current mess that both mature and just-born companies are in. Anything that will get consumers spending again, and preferably the kind of spending that involves the beginning (or deepening) of a relationship with your brand.
Examples:
1. FedEx
FedEx Office recently drew attention by extending a helping hand to job seekers, offering free printing (on March 10th) of up to 25 black-and-white copies of their resume at any of the company’s 1,600+ stores across the United States.
An iPhone application developed for 7-Eleven Sweden combines a store locator with coupons for a free coffee and biscotti. After downloading the app, users plug in their phone number and receive a unique coupon code on their iPhone. To claim their coffee, they just show the code to a 7-Eleven clerk; no purchase necessary. The coupon is only valid once, and free coffee in April will be followed by free ice cream in May.
3. No Doubt
The band is giving away free downloads of their entire digital audio catalogue to high-end ticket buyers for the band’s tour that kicked off in Atlantic City.
4. Haagen-Dazs
Haagen-Dazs Five is an all-natural ice cream made from only five ingredients- skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and one of a few natural flavors like mint, ginger and coffee. What makes this product stand out is its simplicity; in uncertain times, bringing back the classics can appeal to consumers longing for comfort and nostalgia.
Experts agree that the time is now to make fresh inroads on your brand platform; there is less clutter in the marketplace due to diminished business activity. Companies are taking their brands and brand positions more seriously… the noise is less, so this is the time to speak out.
