As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, it’s no big surprise that marketing and public relations budgets often come under the microscope during tough economic times.

Indeed, any spending that isn’t seen to be directly adding to the company’s bottom line to keep the wheels of industry turning is on the table for review.

In the current climate, PPR is seeing more and more businesses turning to public relations as a key driver to maintain market presence and stay in front of the competition.

But an increasing number of clients are asking us how they can carry out their PR campaigns using a more targeted, ’smarter’ approach. For many, the answer is simply to move into the digital space.

Australia is in a transition period and it’s only a matter of time before much of the activity in the marketing communications sector migrates across to the Internet. Given the cost-effectiveness of digital PR, the current economic climate is likely to accelerate this change.

In addition, consumers are now demanding to receive information online, particularly the y-generation who grew up in this paper-free space. This is where the conversations are happening and where businesses need to be engaging in what’s being said. 

Right now, PPR is providing its clients with an ‘in-line’ approach, incorporating both traditional public relations strategy with online solutions.

Blogging, twittering, generating LinkedIn connections, managing facebook groups and creating digital content are now standard components of communications strategies. Just five years ago, writing website copy was about as digital as it got in Western Australia.

The speed of change in communications is quite staggering, but it needn’t be overwhelming if you engage the right people to help your business stay in touch.

AMMS09 will see the business innovators and thought leaders of the Perth business community rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s most influential marketing gurus. 

John Cooke, Account Manager, Professional Public Relations WA

PPR is the official Public Relations Partner for AMMS09.

Right now it’s more important than ever to make sure your web presence is tuned specifically to your business needs. Websites are not only cost effective marketing tools - they are worth their weight in gold in terms of client education, management and market research for your business.
 
We all know SEO is critical - Having your website built in with accessibility in mind, and securing links from complimentary websites can score you big points with search engine rankings. But gaining the top 5 ranking in Google is only half the battle. Although visits are important - interaction with your brand should always be the end goal.
 
Lets face it - the day of the glossy brochure website is long gone. Making sure your site has the right content, features, creative, and look to support your brand identity is now king. Taking advantage of popular and free networking sites like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook is a good thing - but even more important is making sure your own website is humming with activity. It makes all the difference in gaining valuable client interactions with your brand, rather than idle clicks.
 
Content syndication, blogs, well thought out viral marketing campaigns, and useful online tools are all brilliant ways of ramping up return-vists. All too often, website strategy is placed in the too hard basket, but there are some very cost effective changes that businesses can make with very little effort - and excellent results.
 
Where is your website headed in 2009?
 
Tune in Tokyo sees the attendees and partners of AMMS09 as the market leaders, and more importantly, the innovators. We’re all about doing things a bit differently - that’s what makes our work stand out. Our clients are willing to take risks with us, and to be honest, it’s really refreshing.
 
Troy Ginbey, Tune in Tokyo, AMMS09 Event Partner
www.tuneintokyo.com.au

Ian Stewart, Senior Vice President MTV Networks Asia

Ian Stewart came to Asia from Australia after university in 1990, and never went home.

He worked on the agency side in market research for several years before moving client-side with Coca-Cola as their North Asia Trend Manager and then with MTV Asia as their Research and Consumer Strategy Director.

Ian then worked as a Strategic Planner for Ogilvy before starting his own Youth Marketing agency Filter, which was acquired by Aegis in 2005. He has since returned to MTV Asia to head up the regional Sales, Marketing, Research and Planning departments. He is currently Senior Vice President for MTV Networks and other Viacom brands in Asia.

In this interview, Amy Smith, Managing Director of Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centres chews the (not so) fat about marketing in tough times…

The word is that now is a time for companies to maintain their marketing spend to keep their business visible and viable. Why and how is this good for business because most economists you talk to say it is natural for businesses to tighten their belts and ride out the storm?

The important point is how the funds are spent differently to make sure the marketing program is aligned with the changing market.  There is too much emphasis on spending levels and too little on the strategic issues.
 
What role do you think that new media / digital communication will have in shaping the way businesses market their brand? Are there any pitfalls can you forsee in businesses rushing in to embrace digital marketing and public relations too quickly?

We can expect consumers to spend more time on-line during the recession.  They compare offers, connect with friends and get free entertainment on-line while cutting back on out-of-home entertainment.  Obviously, it depends on the product offer and the target group - but generally it makes sense to utilize a media to communicate with the consumer when the latter’s use of that media is also increasing.
 
What is your view on the theory that firms should NOT stop hiring skilled employees in the downturn because if they do they will be caught short when the economy turns good again?

In an ideal world companies should take advantage of the many opportunities the recession brings - some great potential employees will become available, some great companies that got caught in the downturn but have great growth potential when growth returns can be acquired, we could increase our marketing spend taking advantage of competitors with weaker balance sheets, we could accelerate our innovation programs, and so on. 

Of course, for the vast majority of companies this is not an option - regardless of how great these opportunities might look.  So the real challenge is to set strategic priorities:  within the limitation of our financial capacity, where should we invest, where should we maintain spending and where should we cut back?  That’s the important question.

When do you think the so-called economic crisis will end?

It depends what you call the ‘economic crisis’.  The recession in the technical sense will end soon.  But in most industry sectors it will take many years before we reach the profits pools we enjoyed just before the recession put a halt to growth.

What is the secret to business success in tough times?

Clear strategic focus.

What do you think of the suggestion that the crisis is one of confidence and has nothing to do with banks not having money to lend?

That’s absolute bullshit.  Of course the lack of confidence is fuelling the crisis.  But do you think one-day people around the world woke up and suddenly felt insecurity and fear? 

Our world economy has some fundamental flaws.  Our standard of living is built on debt.  To suggest that this is just a psychological issue is really missing the point.

What lessons have we learned from this crisis?

Not much.  We have had recessions and bursting bubbles before and look what happened as soon as recovery set in.  Another bubble developed. 

There is no doubt that some consumers will feel different about the world and, going through the recession, will have changed their purchasing behaviour and the way they perceive risk and deal with risk forever. 

Obviously, a number of companies won’t survive and others will not regain their previous positions.  But it would be optimistic to suggest that we - as a global community - have learned not behave differently.

What are the critical tools that businesses might be able to take away from AMMS09 - what’s in it for them?

A positive way forward in difficult times….

In this latest AMMS09 update, MySpace MD Rebekah Horne discusses social networking and its marketing opportunities.

MySpace is a mass media brand, in January 09 there were over 2.4 million Australians on MySpace and internal figures show the consumption of MySpace is heaviest from 4pm – 8pm on weekday evenings (Tues, Wed & Thurs).

Its users come from all walks of life, based on internal data from January 09, NSW has the highest number of MySpace users, followed closely by VIC, then QLD, WA, SA, ACT, TAS & NT.

Marketers and businesses can work with the team at MySpace in six ways to integrate brand and communication through MySpace. Methods include display media advertising (utilising rich media as well as targeting based on user self expressed interests, pre and post roll and global campaigns), MySpace Video, brand communities, sponsorships, technology (including applications and mobile marketing) and events.

 To drive that two way communication and build advocates instead of just users, marketers are utilising brand communities on MySpace. The community allows consumers to connect with your brand, product, as well as communicate, access cool stuff and basically experience what you have to offer.

The team at MySpace know how to make this happen in a credible way - work with us - we have marketing/PR/content production and creative people and insights from local and global campaigns to bring this to life for you and remove any risks sometimes associated with social media.

MySpace.com and IGN.com have demonstrated their impact as valuable marketing destinations, performing solidly on their first Nielsen Online Ad Effectiveness study with advertiser, Nestle’s Kit Kat Chunky Cookies & Cream.

What’s exciting to see is that MySpace and IGN.com are no longer being judged on the one dimensional click through rates, which only measures a small percentage of the impact that the global social destination and the credible gaming and entertainment website has on Australian consumers.

The objective of the Kit Kat Chunky campaign, that ran during Sep 08 to Nov ’08, was to make ‘Chunky’ a more central part of the target audience’s (primary Males 14-24) chocolate repertoire.

This was executed through developing an engaged community of advocates that utilised tools such as video, blogs, competitions, editorial and games that were regularly refreshed during the campaign as well as offline events. Central to the campaign was the game of Chunga (where friends could play each other in the “Chungadome”) and the journey of central character Hans Fagerlund (a former champion of the game).

General display advertising drove consumers to the community generating mass reach across the two sites, MySpace and IGN.com, to deliver over 50 million impressions.

Your views?

NEWSFLASH: People who register before 1 March will go into the draw to join the AMMS09 speakers and sponsors for a seven course degustation dinner on Monday, 16 March.

Companies almost always talk about their agencies as ‘partners’, but the reality of the relationship can often be very different.

In my 20 years experience ‘agency side’, I’ve worked across the full spectrum of client ‘partnerships’- from simply being a supplier at one end, to being a critical and extended part of the client marketing team at the other.  

On the way I’ve learnt what works, what definitely doesn’t and plenty more in between.

More than ever in this economic climate, there are significant benefits to all parties from ‘getting it right’ and I’d like to share my experiences with the Perth marketplace at AMMS09 to help develop real and lasting partnerships to deliver better results. 

Do you share information and learnings with your agency partners? Did it work for you, or have you got horror stories to share? Let me know below and I’ll see you on 17th. 

Annick Perrin
Client Service Director, ikon communications

In order to cater for the increasing number of delegates expected at AMMS09 the event has been moved from the Sheraton Hotel to the Astral Ballroom at the Burswood Entertainment Complex.

The new conference venue is directly adjacent to the Intercontinental Hotel where delegates are staying and provides an even greater level of comfort and facilities.

The shift in location will mean far greater ease of access for conference delegates and eliminate the need for transfers between Burswood and Perth City.

“Moving to a larger, better equipped facility is a bonus and testament to just how widely anticipated this conference is among Western Australia’s business leaders,” Peter Aleksander said.

Yellow Empire’s Peter Aleksander talking with James Lush on the 720 ABC Saturday Breakfast program.

720 ABC interview link