Mark Issue 2: Blueprint (to surviving in ad land during the recession)

Feeling blue? You’re not the only one. Research by comScore Marketer clearly illustrates where most of our minds are by relating growth in search terms to the current economic downturn.

“Coupons” searches up 161%
“Unemployment” searches up 206%
“Discount” searches up 26%
“Mortgage” searches up 72%
“Bankruptcy” searches up 156%
“Foreclosure” searches up 67%
“Unemployment benefits” searches up 247%

The economic crisis is gripping all industries and the publishing and advertising communities are seeing retrenchments and closures. It’s a hard time. It is also time for change. Y&R’s Executive Planning Director Simon Silvester describes recessions as brooms that brush out the old and make space in the world for new ideas. It was time, wouldn’t you say? How long were we going to cling onto the greedy “let’s develop every plot of green we see”, plastic-everything 90s anyhow?

Uncertainty is part of every recession. We don’t know when it will end: we do know we must all find a way of surviving it. Does your boss know retrenchment is out? Innovative salary solutions and redeployment is in, as managers use inexpensive perks to motivate and keep staff during meltdown: just point him or her to pages 8 & 9. And the traditional concept of ‘an industry’ is crumbling away – the perfect opportunity for breaking the rules of marketing and livin’ (page 6 & 7). Maybe the crisis reminds you that life is not balanced if it means only work (pages 10 & 11). Even giving is changing, from how much to who you are and what you do (pages 14 & 15).

It’s good to see good come from bad times. It helps chase the blues away.

Herman Manson

Editor