The growth in the UK economy has slowed almost to a halt, with every industry sector feeling the squeeze. This has focussed the minds of company bosses on cutting costs across all business functions and it is usually the marketing budget that suffers first.

This can prove to be a false economy, however. In order to survive in difficult economic times it is vital that companies maintain and even grow their market share And often this needs to be done in markets that are shrinking and which are more competitive.

Bridge PR & Media Services, based in Electric Wharf, Coventry, has been helping local and national companies to maintain their place in the market by taking a strategic approach to marketing. Company director, Denise Taylor, said, “The most important stage of any marketing activity is having a really good plan. Businesses need to know where they are heading and why. When you couple a strong strategy with great stories and campaigns, a company can really stand out from their competitors. In a recession this could make all the difference.”

These days, marketing doesn’t have to be so expensive. There are so many low-cost or free digital marketing tools available, including social media, which can help businesses create highly effective campaigns.

Denise added, “Spending on PR and marketing is never wasted if the key business messages are strong and companies really understand their target audiences. What we’ve also seen is a revolution with social and digital media opening a whole new world of marketing opportunities. We’d really like to see Coventry and Warwickshire companies taking full advantage of this, and ride out the recession with creativity and flair.”

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