Bailout, round three

This blog is rapidly turning into my thoughts on the macroeconomic crisis, a shift in focus which would likely amuse my econ professors no end.

In any event, the current macro crisis has real-world implication for marketers and business. Just among my friends and associates, businesses from jet brokerages to bike shops are experiencing significant issues as the credit crunch dries up liquidity and with it their room to maneuver.

It's an aphorism that small business drives the American economy. If so, we'd better hope that the (very) small sample of my friends is not representative of the economy at large.

As for marketing, I think times of fear are also times of opportunity. The current crisis strikes me as an excellent time for working on brand awareness. In times of flux, people change their buying behaviors and are rather likely more receptive to new messages as they seek information. In short, when times are tough, marketers should be aggressive-not just to preserve market share, but also with an eye toward expansion.

In semi-related blog news, I'm going to try and jazz up the format here, especially with links. If you've got a favorite marketing site or are also blogging, please mention it in the comments or email me.