Nobody can predict the future, but we can watch trends and get a pretty good idea of where things are headed. For those of us who earn our daily bread in the field of marketing and branding, our clients and the nature of the work they hire us to do speak volumes.
My own observations fall right in line with recent optimistic reports about our economy improving. I see very positive trends in what people are asking for as the focus of their marketing budgets, as well as their attitudes and approach. Business owners and organizational decision makers provide a great source of qualitative information on the health of commerce in Central Oregon. Here are a few of the trends I am seeing that indicate good news:
• The resurgence of Branding: When the recent recession hit, we saw the interest in branding and re-branding wither significantly. Fewer people came to us asking for corporate identity packages including name, tagline and logo services. They were more focused on the bottom line of tomorrow’s sales than they were on long-term positioning and brand dominance. It was a struggle for survival and, while we know that nothing is more valuable to a business than its brand, people had to focus on making payroll and staying in business. Over the past year, we have seen a significant increase in branding and re-branding projects as those businesses that have survived are seeing, as the dust settles, that they need to once again turn an eye to their branding.
• The rise of New Businesses: “Survivors” aren’t the only ones focusing on brand identity and communications. We are seeing a lot of activity from new entrepreneurs—some who are reinventing themselves after losing a previous business, but many others who feel confident that now is the time to launch their dreams. We are creating a lot of logos, writing business plans and creating new websites. It’s all very exciting and we’re glad to be supporting the entrepreneurial energy Bend is famous for.
• A second look at Social Media: When Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the other social media outlets began to gain popularity as serious marketing tools, a lot of people swarmed to stake their claims. There was a lot of buzz and excitement. Unfortunately, most people went in without a plan, or with ideas more suited to more traditional forms of media. The adoption rate of social media—especially Facebook, was huge, but for many it was a flash in the pan. I’ve talked to many people who felt like they put in a lot of time and got little or no returns.
However, even these people are taking a second look. They see the examples of businesses that have done well with social media conversion, and realize, ‘maybe I didn’t do it right.’ Some have, rightfully so, put social media into its proper context as just one of many tools in the toolbox and are taking a more balanced approach to it now. Additionally, social media itself has been maturing from its adolescence and offering more clearly-defined benefits, and newer options such as Instagram and Pinterest have created more specialized platform choices that cater to particular audiences (Pinterest targets women and Instagram has been adopted by younger people over Facebook).
• Seeing SEO in a new way: We don’t preach anymore about how much more important it is to be on page one online than in the Yellow Pages. Everyone knows that now. What we DO talk about now is how important it is that Search Engine Optimization strategies be centered on consistent, authentic and powerful content. The keyword stuffing and link-farming tricks that got people on page one a few years ago now get them penalized and even booted off the search engines. This is very good news, as it means that serious and sustainable businesses will compete better for page ranking than shady or “here today, gone tomorrow” businesses. SEO should not be viewed in isolation, as something you do. It has to be inextricably linked with everything you do—SEO is what you ARE. The complicated search algorithms can spot a phony from a mile away now.
While nobody can predict the future, if we pay attention to what’s going on around us, we can influence it. The recession has caused us all to market smarter, and learn some very valuable lessons. If we take those lessons and observations to heart, then the future looks very positive for business in Central Oregon!
Kelly Walker is Creative Director for Intrepid Marketing, a Bend, Oregon ad agency.
For more information, contact Kelly at 541- 419-9976 or Kelly@intrepidforward.com.
