Marketing Into Headwinds

I've been wanting to post on branding--Business Week just came out with it's annual Top 100 Brands story--but it just doesn't seem relevant somehow!
But, it is. The stronger brands will weather the storm better, and come out the other end that much stronger. We all know that. It's never a good time to STOP investing in your brand but it is a good time to make sure every marketing dollar you spend, is spent wisely. That means focusing on the basics:
---What are the business objectives?
---What is a "must have" program, not a nice to have?
---What's the target audience and how do I reach them in the most efficient manner?
---What story do I have to tell and how do I make it relevant in today's world?
I call this "marketing into headwinds". Something we all need to be thinking about these days.

Oh My, What a Week!

I'm trying to remember what it was like in the dot com bust. Somehow I don't remember the market falling this far, this fast. Or, am I just conveniently forgetting? I talked to my accountant and he is in the market actively buying. He thinks it's a great time to scoop up some deals. I said, you are brave!!