I am CMO-at-large for several companies. One of most important things I am doing for each company right now is finding the absolute greatest impact for the least possible investment – in some cases, no investment. If ever there were a time to put on the Zen monk hat, this is surely it.

So, with this hat on (or head shaved – whichever you prefer), let’s look at the essence of what we are dealing with right now: Less. Much less. You could say scarcity is our most abundant resource this year. Scarcity is your raw material, so get real, dump waste and focus like a laser beam on what matters most to you and your customers. If you handle this resource well you will not only survive, but you’ll also have a far better, more meaningful business in the long run. Here are a few thoughts for using scarcity as a marketing resource:

Ninety Seconds take away:

• Look at every line item in marketing. If you cannot tie it to something that addresses a fundamental need or shows a specific return greater than the investment, eliminate it.
• Consider dumping traditional advertising altogether. For example, opt, for more targeted and measurable social media and online marketing tools(such as the eBlast/blog you are reading now) over expensive, hard-to-track print ads instead.
• Look at your customers, potential customers and those with whom you do business. Focus on your lowest cost to acquire sales and new leads: your existing customers and those with whom you do business.
• Zen Master take away: “Pay it forward” with your clients. Think of what your customers are facing in this market and find a way to help them. Don’t worry about making a sale – just help. If you take this approach, the goodwill you generate will find its way back, especially if you don’t weigh your efforts down with expectations of how it will return to you. Just know that it will. Everyone I know who has run a successful business for more than 20 years knows this is true. It not only feels good, but it is a way to take scarcity (something we have always thought of as lack) and turned it instead into goodwill – the stuff that long-term companies are made of. And yes, sales, too.

Can we bag the word Brand? Lets unload this cow for good, okay? Don’t get me wrong, I believe in branding. It’s the difference between the success and failure of any business. But the word is so overused and misunderstood it is almost meaningless. The word is a patchwork quilt of confusing euphemisms, half-truths, narrow definitions and things that are just flat wrong. I have heard BRAND mean a logo on a golf hat, clever but meaningless slogans or designs, “wow” factor…the list goes on. The word “brand” also has a disproportionate share of baggage. It seems everyone has a story about a recklessly expensive branding project gone awry with nothing to show for it. So let’s just kill it and put us out of our misery, deal? It was a great word, and my peers have made katrillions on it…say your prayers and let’s move on.

Ninety Seconds take away:

Instead of using the word BRAND, why don’t we focus on what it really means…YOUR TRUTH. I propose from now on, we say let’s get OUR TRUTH out on our business. It’s not perfect, but it’s closer than…what’s that word?