Measurement and creativity are important in tough times

Tips from communications experts on cutting costs without cutting corners

Times are tough all over, and communications industry is no exception as many shops feel the bite of staff and budget reductions.

But the pain doesn’t have to be terminal. PR professionals say that by making savvy choices and focusing on the fundamentals, it’s possible to succeed in a difficult environment. The key? Careful analysis to determine the strategies that work—and focusing on those tools and delivery options that provide the most bang for your buck.

Here’s some advice from communicators and experts on dealing with the lean times.

Keep at it. In a down economy, cutting back on PR and marketing may seem like a good way to save, but experts say it’s a bad idea.

“The biggest mistake companies make [in down economic times] is to turn off the spigot and stop or reduce marketing,” says Scott Seroka, a vice president at Waukesha, Wis.-based Seroka & Associates.

Michelle Love-Johnson, a PR industry veteran who recently opened her own firm, Milwaukee-based Clearvision Strategic Marketing, agrees with that assessment. “I’ve never met a client who has enough budget to do what they should do or need to do at that particular time,” she observes.