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96 Managing Customers Through Economic Cycles

factor on the airplanes (industry’s measure of occupancy)
and degradation in the brand because of discounting. This
balance can be best achieved by applying price sensitivity
algorithms and opinion surveys on the discounting
strategy.

Recession marketing

The 2008 meltdown which can also be known as the
current perfect storm comes to us with two economic “storm
fronts”.

1. Most organizations have lagged behind their invest-
ments in interactive media and well behind consumer’s
adoption rates.

2. We have had a fundamental shift in the consumer
environment – from abundant to scary.

Both marketing dimensions must be addressed now …
Not tomorrow, not next week, now. The consumer is in
survival mode and so is your business. Your business will
not survive these scary times without:

● creating an edict of acute listening to the consumer’s
changing needs;

● transparent collaboration and participating in THEIR sur-
vival of the scary times;

● bringing them generous and genuine value.

Do these three things and you will go beyond survival to
significance in their eyes.

Now is the perfect time to advertise!
Media prices have been lowered and you’ll stand out
above your competitors and show consumers that you are
strong enough to advertise and weather this downturn. The