Workforce

Snow turns the world white. As I look out of the window, I can see a blanket of fresh snow covering the flat roof outside. It’s still beautifully untouched, and I can make my mark on it however I like.

I could make a snow angel or a snowman, leave my footprints or I could do nothing at all. The latter’s not an option of course - doing nothing. Stagnation equals decline. Now that the market is picking up again, on all sides, it’s becoming painfully obvious who has been standing still.

Many companies reduced their workforce during the crisis. Often among the first to go are the marketing professionals, of course, because ‘they only cost money’. Extra tasks are shared out among the remaining employees, who are expected to do the marketing in addition to their own role. You might find a hidden gem who has a real talent for marketing, but usually the main result is a further increase in the already heavy workload. Marketing is just kept ticking over so that the company doesn’t disappear off the map altogether. 

Things are on the up again now, but marketing continues to be neglected. “Things are just fine like this, aren’t they?” people say. “Why should we hire a marketing manager? We’ve already got a website. They’ll find us.”

Alas, you might indeed make the best products, but if you don’t communicate that well how will anyone hear about them? Communication remains an important part of business – especially based on what we know today: the importance of being creative, storytelling and continuously building brand awareness. The key is to attract and retain people’s attention!

So I’ve decided: I’m going to make a snow angel and use my footprints to create a path towards it, to set my customers on the right track.

Saskia Stender