Your audience says "Hi!"

A slowdown like the one we're in isn't fun for anyone. But it has inspired some interesting possibilities for how savvy marketers approach campaigns. If what we've been spending on is coming under such scrutiny, what better time to put how we spend under the microscope? All of this to ultimately connect better with our audiences (and prove our budgets' real worth.)

For instance: First Independent was eager for new clients who'd open new checking accounts. As engaging as checking accounts are in and of themselves, we tweaked First Independent's offering to be a checking account for Control Freaks.

A mobile texting campaign, initiated by a strategically placed outdoor board, along with TV spots on local cable, each prompted viewers to unleash their inner Control Freak online. All to spark engagement, connection with a brand – that paid off in new numbers for our client. It wasn't about a blast of big budget; it was about applying the budget more creatively.

Another quick example: ICS, a company who makes concrete cutting chainsaws (yes, chainsaws that. cut. solid. concrete.!) needed help in getting awareness and acceptance in their construction market. Our solution: a viral web video twosome, along with real attention-getting print ads, that self-selected an audience who'd start the chatter after visiting the companion sitelet we developed. Dark, funny, and just right.

The point? You don't have to hammer a medium to be effective; use each channel for its greatest strength. Create the right message for each channel. Then connect the dots. Connect one message to another, to another, to another so that each one spins up the momentum of the campaign effort, and ultimately, of your brand.

Cutting budget and going dark to your audiences is really not the relief you need in a tight market. Your audience is still there, and they're looking. For engagement, for brands who get them. Understanding who your audience is, where they are, how they interact with your brand is where real creativity is today. Less wiggle room in a budget requires you to work a lot smarter – and potentially look even better than before.

And we can work with that, bigtime.