• by Masha Geller , March 21, 2003

In the last few days, MediaPost has had to cover everything from commercial-free broadcasts of the war on cable networks to some advertisers pulling their campaigns because they don’t want to be, as our Dana Blankenhorn put it, the company “this war is brought to you by.”

It’s all painting a potentially dangerous picture, and with every passing day, I’m reminded of what many columnists, including myself, were writing right after September 11, 2001 - now is not the time to give up. If we give up – they win. That holds just as true today as it did then, and I’m happy to report that many advertising experts are urging their clients to “Keep Marketing,” as Yankelovich puts it.

The firm today released a 10-page document outlining what companies can do to keep their brands visible and the marketplace strong in its "Staying the Course: Twenty-One Guidelines for Marketers During War With Iraq."

"The fact is that consumption needs to continue. War with Iraq will not eliminate people's needs for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, comfort, family, security, entertainment and more," said J. Walker Smith, a leading consumer trends analyst and president of Yankelovich, Inc. "The issue is not whether marketing will continue, but how. If the American economy stumbles because of war with Iraq, there is a real impact from the loss of jobs, income and productivity. Marketing during wartime is not just about selling products, it's about sustaining the viability and strength of the marketplace."

According to Yankelovich, marketers must keep advertising – “take responsibility for providing leadership and inspiration to consumers and don't send the wrong signal by retrenching or stopping all marketing.”

Also, according to the guidelines, marketers must:

Avoid flag-waving and exploitation. Stay away from messages that are at odds with consumers' sensitivities. Don't wrap your brand in the American flag.

Provide comfort and connection. Offer small indulgences and quick escapes. Help bring people together. Offer products for home and family.

Concentrate on your best customers. Do less broad-based prospecting and new customer acquisition. Put more focus on maintaining and growing your existing customer base.

Segment customers by war worries and formulate marketing plans accordingly. Identify the ways people are dealing with worries and add this knowledge to the segmentation that guides marketing efforts.

Re-examine niche marketing vehicles. Identify the lifestyle interests of your customers and increase your presence in media focusing on those specific lifestyle interests.

"A strong economy, as much as a strong military, is how America secures world peace,” said Smith. “Keeping fit requires marketing that stays active and committed. Now is the time for American business to reinvest in the American dream."

Amen to that!