Editor’s Leader

Many years ago, my father was running his own business merchandising bulk farm produce. One lean year, he announced there would be no annual holiday for us, because he was going on a big fishing trip with a group of farmers. We were appalled at this apparent selfishness, but Dad explained: “I need new business contacts, to make sure we can afford family holidays in the future.”    It worked. This was my first real appreciation of the value of networking.
    
    Next month, many international direct marketers trying to peer through the financial gloom will be making similar sacrifices, in order to attend the USA DMA’s annual conference and exhibition, this year being staged in Las Vegas. I reckon it’s a gamble likely to pay off.There are myriad events around the world which are enormously worthy and we all know it would be beneficial to attend as many as possible. But if you can only afford one major trip this autumn, as budgets shrink, this particular ‘mecca’ is an excellent bet: the sheer volume of business associates attending every year has to ensure viable bang for your buck.
    
    It will always be true that people do business with people they know. It’s human nature. Just as brands work hard to build relationships with consumers, B2B relationships flourish when the people in those organisations form a rapport. So, at the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, the more personal contacts you have, the more likely you are to stay upright in a downturn.
     
    But it’s not always hard cash which keeps us from networking – sometimes we feel too busy to take time out of our daily routine. Research shows some people resort to reading emails in bed in order to keep up with messages and the jury is still out on whether ad messages via mobile will become similarly commonplace or be forever deemed too intrusive. Whichever medium is favoured, we remain constantly challenged by today’s ‘always-on’ society, which removes all time limits from our working day . . . the sun never sets on modern wage-slaves.
    
    No wonder stress levels are soaring. We’ve made our world smaller through technology . . . but happier?
One canny company connected with that ‘don’t let the grass grow under your feet’ sentiment: marketers for confectioner Krispy Kreme have been giving out ‘mobile meadow’ grass-growing flip-flops to harassed commuters longing for their very own park to stroll in. Cute.
    
    Another example of finger-on-the-pulse marketing is for the Florida state lottery, which offers a first prize of $250,000 and a second prize of free petrol for life. Hands up all those who want the second prize . . .
 

Sally Hooton is editor, DMI magazine.