Common Sense?

It seems like common sense to tell you to advertise when everyone else stops advertising, right? First, your message is much more likely to be noticed due to fewer ads in the market. Second, your business is more likely to be remembered when everyone else starts advertising again.

It is common sense yet during every recession one of the first things a company does is pull back on their marketing and advertising expenditures.

During the current economic downturn you have an incredible opportunity to INCREASE SALES and BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.  Take a look at some of these marketing facts of the last century recently posted on the ASI Central website:

1920’s – Advertising executive Roland S. Vaile tracked 200 companies through the recession of 1923. It was reported in the April 1927 Harvard Business Review that companies that had continued to advertise during the economic downturn were 20% ahead of where they had been before the recession, while companies that reduced advertising were still in the recession, 7% below their 1920 levels.

1940’s, 50’s and 60’s– Buchen Advertising tracked advertising dollars vs sales trends for the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958 and 1961. They found that sales and profits dropped at companies that cut back on advertising and, that after the recession had ended, those same companies lagged behind the ones that maintained their advertising budgets.

1970’s– An American Business Press study showed that companies who advertise and market aggressively can maintain and increase sales during a recession and in the following years.

1980’s– McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 B2B companies and found that those who maintained or increased advertising grew significantly – both during the recession and the following three years. In fact, by 1985, sales of companies that advertised aggressively had grown 275% over those that didn’t.

1990’s– A MarketSense study concluded the best strategy for coping with a recession is balanced, long-term branding with promotion for short term sales. The study shows brands like Jif and Kraft Salad Dressing experienced sales growth of 57% and 70% respectively after increasing their advertising budget during the recession.

2009 – What will you decide?

Why Promotional Products?

Here’s why promotional products deliver the best return on investment in an unsettled economy and why they should be a crucial part of your marketing budget (Information provided by ASI Impact and Exposures Study, October 2008)

Increased Sales. 62% of customers did business with the company after receiving the promotional product.

Brand Awareness. 84% of customers remembered the business that provided them the promotional product.

Improved relations. 42% of customers viewed the business more favorably after receiving the item and virtually none indicated a negative feeling.

Frequency and repetition. A key to advertising, promotional products are kept on average for 7 months and many are used every business day!

This quote sums it up perfectly…

“I have yet to see any study that proves timidity is the route to success. Studies have consistently proven, companies that have the intelligence and guts to maintain or increase their overall marketing and advertising efforts in times of business downturns will get the edge on their timid competitors.”

1969 to 2009; Then and Now

In 1969, Richard M. Nixon was elected President and wanted to bring our troops home from Vietnam. The Dow Jones hit a high that year of 952 and the median household income was $8,389. Platform shoes and bell-bottom jeans were in style, a 1st Class stamp was $0.06 and gasoline was $0.35/gallon. The Beatles made their last public appearance, The Love Bug was released at the Box Office and a Pontiac Firebird TransAm was released for the first time. Joe Namath and the NY Jets upset the mighty Baltimore Colts 16-7 in the 3rd AFL-NFL Championship game, known thereafter as the “Super Bowl”. Data Business Forms, Inc. opened our doors with the goal of providing cost-effective, quality print services to our customers while offering superior customer service.

Forty years have passed and our world has changed dramatically in some ways, not so much in others.

In 2009, Barrack H. Obama was elected President and wants to bring our troops home from the Middle East. The Dow Jones is at 7,590 and the median household income is $53,100. We buy jeans with holes in them and wear flip-flops with everything, a 1st Class stamp is $0.42 and gasoline is $1.79/gallon but was over $4.00/gallon last year! Hip-Hop is on the rise, and we listen on our iPods, but Bruce Springstein and ZZ Top are still going strong as well, the hot Movies are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and one about Nixon and the cars range from a SmartCar to a Hummer! The Cardinals finally made it to the Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIII but were beat by the Pittsburg Steelers 27-23. Data Business Forms, Inc. is celebrating our 40th anniversary and still offering cost-effective, quality print services to it’s customers with superior customer service. We have added promotional products, warehousing and fulfillment and eCommerce to our offerings and are still going strong!

Some things have changed dramatically in the last 40 years, but many things have remained steady. Thank you for 40 years of friendship and business relationships, we are looking forward to the next 40 years.

Welcome!

Welcome to DATA’s blog page! We will post here on a regular basis about everything from exciting news about our company or employees  to technical information within the print or promotional field. Check back regularly and leave us a comment on what you like!