With risk comes reward

I recently moved back to Indiana from Texas to be closer to family after the birth of my son.  And, now, we just put an offer on a house.  Lots of big changes in a short period of time, which often leads to reflection.  

We took a big risk when we moved to Texas more than 11 years ago.  My boyfriend (now husband) got a job in Houston.  But, we had zero family or friends there, and I didn’t have a job.  We were young, though, so we saw it as an adventure. 

Now, looking back, the risk reaped great rewards – we made wonderful friends, we found great jobs, we experienced so many new things and had access to exceptional medical care when we struggled to have a baby.

And, then, deciding to move back to Indiana, while it felt right and was important to me, there is always a measure of risk when big change is involved.

This holds true in business and marketing as well.  We recently created an ad for Griffin Communications Group targeting the entrepreneurial spirits of the commercial space industry that said, “Real reward comes when you dare to be different.”  This is so true.  We produced a new creative campaign for the College of the Mainland as part of a strategic marketing communications plan to increase enrollment. 

The clean, hip design deviated dramatically from past initiatives.  But, edgier creative was needed to reach the younger demographic they were trying to target. 

They took a risk and reaped the reward.  The campaign generated nearly three million impressions and approximately 4,000 click-throughs to the COM Web site.  The College reached 105% of its fall 2009 enrollment goal.  Compared to fall 2008, overall enrollment was up by 11%. 

With the current state of the economy, taking financial risks is even scarier.  Believe me, I know.  I am a conservative realist when it comes to financial decisions (like talking my husband down from the latest “toy” he thinks “we” need).  Too often companies slash their marketing budgets in a weak economy.  I came across a good article by Steve McKee, author of When Growth Stalls.  He said, “Marketing is muscle, not fat. Be careful about cutting it.”  He went on to say, “the savviest marketers know recessions are a great time to pick up market share,” which means maintaining or even increasing your marketing efforts.  The key is being smart, having a strategy and sticking to it.

As I get older, and especially after becoming a mom, my risk aversion is increasing.  But, this doesn’t mean I don’t believe great reward can come from taking risks.  It just means that my analytical side kicks in, like Ben Stiller in “Along Came Polly.”  I like to think I’ve assessed the situation and made a smart decision.

Happy holidays!

Stacy Sarault