News & Views

When times are tough, one of the first things most companies look at is their marketing budget. Where can you cut, where can you save and where can you benefit?

While South Africa is in a recession, now is not the time to hold back or cut back. Uncertain consumers need the reassurance of known brands. You need to position your brand as one that understands the consumer and ‘gets’ what they are looking for in their choice of products. How do you do this you may ask? The answer lies in investing in marketing spend, where you can measure it closely, that’s in digital!

Mark Stecker, managing director at Firewater, said, “Unlike traditional marketing executions, digital is not only trackable and deliverable, but you are also guaranteed to get return on your investment, if you market your company correctly.”

When you're choosing an individual to directly interact with your clients, you're putting your online reputation into the hands of someone that could make or break your image with nothing more than a careless comment or a misplaced word.

You start to notice when certain water outlets in your house are being used, that there is a loud noise coming from the pipes in the walls. You call your plumber and tell him that you think there may be a geyser issue causing the strange sounds. He comes to investigate and begins working on your pipes outside with his assistant. You go outside a bit later to check how things are going, and before they notice you approaching them, you overhear the plumbers saying, “I can’t believe this guy thought it was a geyser issue, obviously it’s a pressure issue coming from the main water supply. How stupid can you get?” Naturally, you’re offended, you haven’t the faintest clue about plumbing, that’s why you called him!