2020 Vision

On April 21, 2020 Tom Brady left the New England Patriots. When he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he ended an era in which he led his team to 17 out of 19 division titles while utterly dominating the AFC East. This left little room for the underdogs, like my Buffalo Bills to advance into the playoffs.

When it comes to running your business, it might feel like you're in a division with the Patriots. You're grinding it out year after year but struggling to grow at a pace that allows you to compete with local industry leaders.

Over the past few months, we've witnessed businesses across many categories stop marketing or market themselves without a plan of attack. This is your opportunity. This is the year Tom Brady leaves the team. But, just like the Bills, Dolphins and Jets you'll need to move quickly. The Patriots are still the Patriots. Bill Belichick is still Bill Belichick. The time is now to move up in your division.

So, what can you do?

• Take advantage of a decrease in demand. Both digital and traditional media outlets are seeing significant drops in revenue. Scared advertisers are pausing and cancelling campaigns. Aggressive marketers and smart media buyers should take advantage of this by re-working buys and shifting dollars.

• Create a message that speaks to today. No, not the typical "we're here for you" approach. Wrap your current branding into messaging that reflects how people are living and shopping today.

• Always have your brick and mortar and website messaging reflect your current marketing.

As 2020 Vision continues, we will discuss successful marketing campaigns, how to differentiate between a campaign and buying packages, what makes certain messages stick while others seem to get lost in the clutter and so much more. Follow us on Facebook and, as always, feel free to send us any thoughts or questions at proedgeadv.com.