It has been about six months since our economy and the world has realized the United States is officially nursing a massive hangover from an insatiable appetite for excess. And it’s going to take more than a special hangover cure of greasy eggs, pickles and aspirin to relieve this pain. We understand the reality now. Thank God! This is why I see this recession as a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, this is going to be tough for a lot of individuals and companies, but I feel It will ultimately be good for the foundation of our economy and more specifically, the design industry. This includes every possible form of design: print, product, interactive, motion, and even industrial – Yes, I am talking to you GM. And here is why:
Less is More
As marketing budgets are getting trimmed across every industry, it is going to force everyone involved to creatively do more with less money. In the “bubble” years, the simple solution would be to throw money at a project to enable more resources or add some expensive flair to reach a target audience. Now, more than ever, sound thinking and strategy is key. If we truly want to reach our audiences we will need to focus in on the idea(s) that will reach people and resonate with them in more unique and emotional ways. Knowing the behaviors and psyche of our target audiences will create effective campaigns, brands and advertising. This has always been the case. However, now we will all need to finesse our execution habits and processes. Researching discussion boards, forums or other forms of virtual conversation is just one example of how we can learn about peoples thoughts, habits and opinions on current and future brands, products or applications.
Doing more with less is already starting to become the norm and with the abundance of brilliant people we have in this country and around the world we will find ways, very quickly, to adapt in creating effective design and marketing.
Quality vs. Quantity
Just like the past trends in design that have led to glutenous executions, this new frontier will force quality over quantity – a philosophy we at Brick Studios have always believed in. With less money and the continued expectations of the past ten years, comes succinct ways of thinking. No longer will it be appropriate to blanket people with ads that are irrelevant in a direct mail approach. With the internet, and even DVRs, we have the quantifiable ability to target individuals and groups based on their behaviors and personal interests. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have proven that this is the model of the future. Now all we have to do is convince our clients and partners in our industry that fear is no longer an option when utilizing these technologies. I believe we will see more great work before we see more mediocracy. This recession will remove the out-of-touch and uninspired while replacing it with the authentic and passionate. Granted, it will no be easy, or without growing pains, but once we get a clear view of the future ahead we all will be armed with more efficient and creative ways of designing the world around us.
The Positive of Downsizing
The “D” word has been used far to often lately. A quick Google search of the word yields over five-million results, but there are other ways to think about it. Particularly if you are working with a larger agency or consultancy. Cutting costs doesn’t necessarily mean cutting out quality work or killing future projects. There’s a bounty of smaller firms that house equal or better talent than these larger corporations. Where do you think these huge ad agencies poach their talent from? With smaller studios and firms you get less layers of bureaucracy and more concentration for the task at hand. Not only that, but the cost of business is usually half because these smaller companies have less overhead and filtration channels. The access to talent and great strategy has NOT vanished like your 401k. On the contrary, it has become more accessible to companies looking to market, design or develop ideas. Now is the time to strike your competition and let the marketplace become aware of your existence. Now is the time to spend the appropriate amount of money on smart ideas and marketing channels that reach target audiences. Now is the time to evaluate if you have the right design partner to make an impact. The preverbal iron is hot. Let’s not get burned twice in one recession.
Final Word
This may be one of the worst recessions we have had to endure, but it’s certainly not the first. Once we get past the fear that comes with every recession we will start to grow. A focused mentality on more efficient ways of working will help, along with putting quality work and ideas over those that promote the mundane and ineffective. Lastly, if being effective is all about the right fit, is your partner agency too big? Or, too costly?
