In the midst of a severe downturn, with budgets being cut across the board, the axe tends to fall more heavily on marketing. In a recent Forrester study, 30 of the 90 marketing leaders surveyed expect to be the first to find their plans on the line when the company has to cut budgets. CFOs in a MarketingSherpa study agree – 43% of them felt marketing was the first place to cut in a downturn.

As a marketer, you know this pattern isn’t new. And, you may already be planning to deal with these cuts in the same three ways marketers indicated in the surveys:

1. Build better measurement dashboards to prove marketing effectiveness
2. Shift spending from traditional media to more measurable direct and online channels
3. Cut overhead expenses (staff) while protecting program dollars

These actions may sound appropriate. But, I would assert that they’re akin to putting on a band aid when major surgery is called for. The fundamental issue here is marketing credibility. Too often marketing is viewed as a discretionary staff function, a luxury during good times that can be cut without risk during tough times. Better measurements don’t change this basic perception.

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The Year of the Intelligent Customer

As a new year dawns, we are each afforded the opportunity to look back on the past one, but more importantly to look forward. And as we look towards the future, we continue to believe that today’s customers are not spectators. Rather, they want to be involved and engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship with their service providers.

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