We live in a time and place where we assume everything should be fast and easy – products, technology and access to people, places, and things. Therefore we do not expect pain to last. The patience and strength of those who lived through or were affected by the Great Depression are starting to fade. While we are demanding that the recession be over, the reality of the recovery is a bit of a myth.
We are in for a long, hard journey ahead of us. The answer is to be relentless about your focus on your Brand, your customer and your bottom line. Make your own way; find your own solutions and work faster, harder, and smarter.
Recovery will come from a new set of “three R’s” – re-invent, refine, and refocus.
Be an active part of your own recovery. Be passionate about your products and customers. Merchandise to match the way a consumer shops not to conform to what you’ve done in the past. And invent new ways to access new customers. Encourage employees to think out of the box to improve management, marketing efficiency, and connecting with your customers, the common folks. There is no panacea (we hope by now you see that Social marketing is not the salvation, but just another opportunity to communicate).
At the same time, we all need to get home to our families, to enjoy the comfort of a good night’s sleep and to save our strength for not only a long recovery, but the strange truth that our time is not always treated equally or fairly.
Marketsmith is now fully practicing what we are preaching, maybe truly for the first time. I have given the people I have chosen to be a part of my Brand the freedom to rise and possibly fail without fear. My team continues to amaze me with their spirit, their vitality, their unbelievable willingness to learn, and their commitment to my Brand, which they shape. I must but celebrate their innovation, courage, and desire to make not only a difference, but to beat this recovery into submission – for our clients and for Marketsmith and for me.
In a just a few days we will be moving to a State of the Art facility twice the size of our current space. We have invested not only in our internal team, but we have also tapped into the College marketplace. We love what this group of young guns is bringing to our organization. We continually hone and refresh our Brand, and we ask for feedback from clients, partners, and vendors to ensure we deliver upon the greatest promise.
For me the recognition that my life is a journey and not a destination has been a great one and it has come at great personal sacrifice at times. But at this very moment I have found myself filled with creative spirit, a re-energized view of my own business, and an understanding that balance is not only necessary, but taking steps to find it is mission critical. This year we have successfully introduced catalogers to DRTV, I am about to launch a women’s network/fund, and Marketsmith is creating a spinoff company to offer our multichannel services solution set in a technology that we have been developing for three years.
Now I have to go home to have dinner with my kids.
May you all have the safest, most fun Summer! Remember it’s up to you and only you to make sure you do not get caught in the non-recovery of business and in life.
My Very Best Always
M-
Inside, look for:
- Congratulations to Carina Pologruto recognized as one of the industry’s 30 up and coming superstars under 30.
- The case studies of how Paul Fredrick and Acacia have been able to tap a new channel.
- A discussion of the unbelievable amount of legislation in the last quarter.
- And, keep an eye out for our new corporate look, coming soon.
Tags: business brand strategy, business marketing, business stratety, DRTV, drtv marketing, marketing, marketing economy, Monica C Smith Category: Letters From Monica C Smith, Newsletter Articles. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.