2010 is looking to be a positive year for bringing back marketing and brand awareness. Looking back at 2009, companies had to re-evaluate what their key strategies and investments were in order to keep some sort of ROI, but there seems to be a dim light at the end of that bleak tunnel. The budgets will not be what they once were in the previous years of fun and excitement but a little of something is better than the absolute "nothingness" agencies had to prudently work with to maintain a level or even positive ROI.
Unfortunately businesses are and will be living on a completely different mindset of - Less is now more. What does that mean for our industry? Basically the pitching process is probably only set to become more competitive and convoluted as clients are scrutinized more and more thoroughly about the validity of their messaging and scope or intent of their projects.
Only the strong will survive and that survival rate is contingent on companies being flexible, streamlined and industrial - continually looking for ways of re-energizing and reinventing themselves and constantly regrouping to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. As a company we've heard "New business is everybody's business" and the validity of that statement is only as effective as each department/employee strives to create new opportunities for growth, finds new solutions to conquer challenges and maintains a proactive attitude to constantly deliver a high quality product.
So let's celebrate the end of 2009, learn from the challenges, rethink the way we do things and move forward into 2010. The tests of last year continue to face us this year, but we have a greater knowledge of what works and doesn't based on the risks we had to take. And in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of this life we call "WORK," set a resolution to slow down and enjoy the little things...if that's even possible.