Are you as well read as your competitors?
With crude oil prices continuing to tumble, creating uncertainty in the maritime market, your communications and marketing strategy is the key to ensuring you survive shipping’s lengthy downturn.
Let me explain. Following the recession of the early 1980s, McGraw-Hill studied 600 companies and found those that continued to market themselves during the lean years managed to hit a 256% growth rate by the time the recession came to an end, in 1985. Those companies that had slashed their marketing and advertising spend continued to struggle, with a number of companies ceasing to trade.
Advertising continues to play an important role in the marketing canon, but well crafted, strategically placed editorial content is proven to be the most effective aspect of the marketing function. Indeed, according to a 2014 Nielsen study, PR is 90% more effective than advertising. It also costs about three times less per A4 page.
As has been well documented, potential buyers consciously engage with editorial content in a way they do not with an advert. Editorial content is, after all, the reason why industry professionals subscribe to a magazine, newspaper or on-line news service. They want to be informed and entertained.
The articles and stories we generate for our clients do just that: inform, enlighten and entertain. It is trusted content. As a result our clients’ stories are consistently published in leading industry magazines and newspapers, raising industry issues, outlining new developments and creating thought leaders of executives.
The strategies and campaigns we implement lead to increased sales interest. They open doors for clients and create new opportunities for their sales teams. But don’t just take our word for it, ask our clients.
We know the shipping industry, we know your market, we know the maritime media. So let Seaborne Communications make a difference to your bottom line this year. We do not peddle fluff.
For more information, please do drop me a line.
Seaborne Communications Ltd