Outlook for 2009 or What if I don’t want to be depressed?
Written on January 16th, 2009 by McKinnon Diane
Written on January 16th, 2009 by McKinnon Diane
But what if it isn’t?
I’m not often accused of being PollyAnna. And I see the anguish of many people who have lost jobs, homes, etc. But what if there is a ton of marketing work to be done out there for those who are willing to unhinge the old joints like Harry Houdini slipping out of a strait jacket? Think about it. As bad as it is, the world has not stopped turning. There are newspapers and magazines and TV channels and movies and Websites and restaurants and cell phones and airplanes and doctors’ offices and grocery stores and datacenters and… well, you get the picture. And guess what? They still need stuff. Maybe not as much as before. Maybe not even the same stuff. But they/we all need stuff. And when you’ve got stuff, you’ve got marketing.
Somewhere, someone is finally going to take a deep breath and get back to business. And the rest of us will fall back in like dominos. Now granted, it may not be pretty. There will be some dog fights over scraps. But the best of us, the nimble, the daring and the fiercely determined will step out of our stupors and rock some great work. Here’s where it begins:
Don’t Look Back – even if it did work before, get over it. The market needs some innovation. If you can’t give out 125 million pairs of 3-D glasses for your super bowl commercial, then you better think of something pretty cool on a smaller scale. Or maybe just something that works and helps your client sell their stuff.
Stop Talking about How Bad Things Are – just move on to another topic. Really.
Be Open – in both your heart and your mind. The work may come to you in an unexpected form. It may start small. It may take you out of your comfort zone. It may require that you give much more than you thought you could. Just be open to it.
I have no way of knowing what 2009 will bring, but I do not fear it. I am shaking off my holiday torpor, shining my shoes and heading out to greet the possibilities. Could be a glimmer of blue sky out there, if I’m not mistaken. Sure hope so.
