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December 1, 2005
Growing Customers the Old-Fashioned Way: Acquiring and Keeping Them.
Combined with the hectic M&A pace of the last decade, Executives have focused on cost-cutting, improving and streamlining operations, governance, and technology. As a result, they’ve cut most of the fat, some of the meat, and a few chunks of bone from their operations. But the desire to grow top-and bottom line growth continues unabated.
In brief, organic growth is regaining favor. That’s why many organizations are increasing both the intensity and focus of efforts to acquire customers the old fashioned way, by luring them from the competition as well attracting new entrants to new products and services. Companies are starting to focus more attention on acquiring and keeping the customers who will make this possible.
Marketers must become ever more adept at navigating the challenges of a changing media landscape, increasing numbers of customer Touchpoints and ever-more-diverse and demanding customers, and competition that’s smart and focused.
And from where we’re sitting, this is great news for marketers and branding professionals. After all, it’s our job to create the demand that will drive this growth. And the better we’re able to prove the worth of our efforts, the more important we’ll be to the future of those organizations we’re helping to grow. But don’t forget the cynic’s motto, the answer to which drives rewards and recognition throughout the upper levels of any organizations worth its salt: Prove It.
Posted by MCorp. at 01.12.2005 20:17 | Permalink
Comments
Sure, organic growth needs branding. But so does M&A. The value of an M&A target is substantially increased by a strong brand. It seems to me that branding is vital to creating business value, whether you're selling widgets or your company itself.
Posted by: DJHowatt at December 15, 2005 2:10 PM