"A study by McGraw-Hill Research showed that companies that maintained or upped their advertising during a recession had great gains."

(Here’s an article of great value to small business owners, www.GBN-Online.com)

United States of America (Press Release) December 4, 2008 — The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) confirmed on December 1, 2008, that the U.S. economy has been in a recession since December 2007. Many economists believe the current recession will be the worst since the recession of 1981-82. Times are rough, but that doesn’t mean you should lower your advertising budget; you actually should maintain or raise it, or just advertise smarter.
A recent study by McGraw-Hill Research showed that companies that maintained or upped their advertising during the 1981-82 recession, had gains in sales in the short-run as well as the long-run. The McGraw-Hill Research study analyzed 600 companies from 1980 to 1985, and found those that advertised aggressively throughout the recession had sales 256% higher than ones who cut back on advertising.

source: FPR

For most companies during recessionary times, it is hard to maintain or even raise their advertising budget. This is why it’s important for companies to get the most return on their marketing budget investment. There are many types of advertising to choose from, but some work better than others. One form of advertisement is imprinting your company logo on promotional products that people use every day. It leaves a lasting impression much longer than an advertisement in the newspaper, on TV, or on the internet. Through the creative use of these products, companies can strengthen their brand and ultimately build their business. Promotional products will drive customers to your company website and or a physical retail location, which leads to measurable results. Data can also be captured for future marketing use.

Companies like Imprintables Etc. (www.imprintables-etc.com) have been in business for 20 years because this type of advertisement works. For a business, recession or not, it is very important to keep your company name in the minds of current and future customers. Research has shown that even during tough economic times, well planned marketing programs and strategic advertising pays off. And then as the economy picks back up, they will be well positioned for continued growth.

Contact Maureen today at www.imprintables-etc.com for creative ideas on how you can maximize your marketing dollars.