To paraphrase Edmund Blackadder, 2009 is likely to be stickiest year for business since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun. If you’re a retailer, you don’t need reminding of the high street massacre occurring right now. But why are so many well-known brands hitting the wall at once?

There’s no doubt the cost of operating a business has increased substantially in the past 18 months. But companies have faced difficult trading conditions before, so what’s changed? Perhaps one factor (but obviously not the only one) is that this is the first downturn to strike during the age of the internet.

Traditional business models no longer apply when consumers have the choice offered by a global marketplace. Woolworths is the prime example of this; a national chain that paid crippling rents for prime retail sites, without quite knowing anymore who it was it was selling to.

Just 10 years ago Woolworths sold 50% of all music in the UK and effectively determined the price and course of popular music in this country. In the age of the internet, the same music can be bought online in physical form or downloaded, at a fraction of the price, without squeezing past pushchairs and elderly ladies perusing dishcloths.

Obviously supermarkets had a significant impact as their product lines extended into clothing and entertainment, but then in doing so, they also embraced the online consumer. It’s near impossible to do a weekly shop at Tesco without stumbling into staff collecting and sorting their own shopping lists; Tesco recognised early on how the internet would change trends in customer spending, and pioneered home delivery for online orders.

The marketplace is changing beyond recognition, and as Woolworths discovered to their cost, you must adapt or die. You may not trade in physical goods, but every company needs to consider how and why their marketplace has is continuing to evolve. Why would a person trust eBay or Play.com over Zavvi? Is it more convenient to buy books from Amazon or Waterstones?

A 60 year-old who needs a plumber might still reach for the phone book; their children will Google. That’s not to suggest traditional media is dead. Of course it’s not, because it’s still consumed by the majority of the population. That said, the Journal is experimenting to make their content more relevant to readers, just as ITV have invested in local online channels. You too need to consider how to embrace the internet in a meaningful and effective way.

Creativity? Bleh. It’s a dirty word to some, especially during the credit crunch. Creativity means change, and change means risk. And taking risks with your advertising is, well, a risky business – more so now than ever.

With markets slowing down, companies are exposed to the double whammy of an increase in operating costs and a downturn in sales. It’s not unlike arriving home to find all your worldly goods on fire, and then receiving an unexpectedly high gas bill.

The temptation is to stick with what you know, what feels comfortable; is now really the time to start messing about with your advertising message? Maybe not, but it’s certainly worth considering what your message says and how it positions you in the market.

If you’ve got a great product, if your offers are the best, if you can genuinely deliver something new or different, now might be the time to change what you say, and how you say it. People are perhaps more susceptible than ever to advertising; frugal spending is king and advertising, like a yellow special offer label on a supermarket shelf, is a divining rod that helps them make purchasing decisions.

So consider a creative health check for your advertising strategy. Being creative doesn’t mean wacky bonkers; not every business can pull off a drumming monkey. So to speak. Creativity in advertising means identifying an effective, engaging idea that clearly identifies your brand and proposition, and ensuring people are likely to act upon it.

Unlike some, we’re not creative snobs at Artemis Media; we don’t hold the majority on good ideas. We do believe that creativity must deliver; in the current climate, it absolutely has to. So talk to us about ideas, and we’ll be nothing but honest with you; we might not tell you what you want to hear, but we’ll always tell you what you need to know.

Right now, your advertising needs stand-out, and that might mean taking a risk. Too risky? Not taking a good hard look at your advertising may be the biggest risk of all.

Our first blog post, and we’re quoting the President-elect of America? Who the hell do we think we are?

Don’t worry, the power afforded by our shiny new website hasn’t gone to our heads. We may not have fought tooth and nail to become the next leader of the free world, but we’ve chanted a similar mantra for years. Artemis Media isn’t going change the world but we could make a difference to yours, especially in the here and now.

The credit crunch and threat of recession is damaging turnover in every type of business, and without doubt you’ve seen an increase in operating costs and overheads. If you’ve kept your cool and not ran around in circles flapping your arms like a chicken, then you’ll probably have an idea how to weather the storm. But what role does advertising play in that plan? The gut reaction for many is to cut their media spend, because it’s not a fixed cost and it isn’t essential. And predictably, we’re going to disagree.

Remember why you created a line in the budgets for advertising. If times are tough, if sales are dropping, then it doesn’t entirely make sense to put a stop to activity that can generate sales.

Instead, it’s worth considering that many businesses are thinking the same way; they’ve been pulling budgets wherever they can. That’s placed pressure on the media outlets – television, radio, print, outdoor – because their trading conditions mirror yours; their sales have dropped sharply while overheads continue to increase. In the case of the press, the cost of newsprint has shot through the roof in recent months and is expected to rise steeply in 2009.

This has forced a rethink in pricing, which creates a great opportunity for you; not only could you buy your existing media cheaper, but there may be outlets traditionally too expensive that are now much more affordable. To be honest, not everyone is dropping their drawers on pricing, but we know the market well enough to hunt out the best deals and deliver the best value for money.

Changing the way you think about media buying could make a big difference, especially when trading is a challenge. With our help, we’ll ensure it’s change you can believe in.

Mark lives and breathes advertising. His passion for media and advertising is second to none, having worked in the industry for over a decade. He believes in the big idea, being different and always exceeding the clients expectations. Mark believes in a “can do” attitude – if a client wants to achieve the impossible – then we must achieve it. Over the years Mark has worked for the Guardian Media Group, EMAP, Chrysalis, Global Radio and NCJ Media, representing a diverse range of clients such as HM Plant Hitachi, Mercedes, the NHS, Snow and Rock, Macmillan Cancer Research. Testimony to Mark’s work came in 2007 when he won the National Young Media Professional of the Year.

Paul is an enigma, a deep thinking creative who is an exceptionally talented copywriter. Paul has written, presented and managed for some of the biggest media groups in the country (if not the world) from the Guardian Media Group to the BBC. Whether it is about being the most effective, creative, thought-provoking, or engaging Paul always meets the brief.

Ben, originally from Newcastle, former graduate of Falmouth College of Art and Senior Designer at Yellow M and Creative Director at Guardian Media Group, has recently moved back to the North East after a career progression through large design and new media agencies in London, Bristol and Cornwall. Ben has 14 years of professional experience in design for print, branding and web design, with an award for Best Car website for Proton cars and a  BIMA award for the Screwfix Direct website.

 Ben’s responsibilities lie in the day to day running and creative direction of our rapidly growing agency. Past client experience: EMI, Smirnoff, Honda, Proton Cars, Kia Cars, Eden Project, Bang and Olufson, Screwfix Direct, Falmouth College of Art, National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Joining Artemis Advertisng at the end of 2009, his edgy and open-minded approach to a clients brief ensures that the objective is always met in the most imaginative and effective way. Whether it be a public sector annual review, a glossy retails brochure, a corporate design or a sassy 15-35 lifestyle magazine, Ben’s work is always a work of art.

Get an early night, sleep in tomorrow morning – we’ll still be working to ensure your media is delivering results. We specialise in campaign management; marketplace assessment; devising media strategies; campaign coordination and delivery; impact analysis.

Value for money matters more than ever when buying media for your business. We can deliver your advertising and marketing at the best rates, as established television, radio, outdoor, press and digital media buyers.

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