By Mark Jones
The start of a New Year gives most leaders a psychological and emotional lift. Optimism and energy are much easier to find after a good break.
So, can we afford to think sunny thoughts in 2025? Yes, but there’s an important catch.
If the pundits are correct, the scale of geopolitical, technological, and economic issues shaping our world suggests we can expect more uncertainty, change, and even disruption. For example:
- Interest rates are tipped to remain on hold well into 2025, households are in pain, and there’s been persistent talk about whether we’re in, or heading towards, a recession.
- The Federal Election will slow government spending at a time when the economy needs it most.
- The economic impact of US President Donald Trump’s policies, including tariffs, are unknown.
All told, not great. But the catch is, to borrow a speculative metaphor, how will you play the cards you’re dealt?
Leadership in tough times is all about mindset, courage, and smart thinking. Hold back and ride out the storm? Or double down and invest when competitors are under pressure?
My money’s on the latter as the smartest move. After all, we just relearned this lesson in COVID times – companies that invested during lockdowns inevitably came out ahead.
So, if 2025 is shaping up as a perfect moment to put the foot down, what’s the best way forward?
Here are three ideas:
- Keep up to speed with AI
Commit yourself and your team to learning, experimenting, and implementing the AI tools, systems, and agents that promise to transform or impact your business.
If it looks like a possible threat to the status quo, dive in. Better to understand and work with the perceived threat than close your eyes.
Why? Simply put, the scale, speed, and adoption of AI development is almost without precedent.
Sure, it’s still following the Gartner Hype Cycle, but my sense is 2025 will see AI move from the ‘Trough of Disillusionment’ out into the ‘Plateau of Productivity’ much faster than any other technology in history.
- Double down on your difference
In marketing, we talk about your unique differentiator, or USP – Unique Selling Proposition. In tough times, this matters more than ever.
A simple way of thinking about this is the old Cheap, Fast, and Good model – you can only ever really be good at two of them.
Customers become hyper-focused on the right combination that suits them in a down economy. For example, Amazon tends to offer Cheap and Fast, with ‘Good’ the variable. By contrast, when has the cheapest legal advice ever seemed like a great idea in a crisis?
So, what’s your two? And can you make the most of the single most important reason why customers keep coming back to you, even when the outlook isn’t super rosy?
- Invest in lead gen
Don’t take clients and customers for granted. Identify new markets, customer segments, and product or service offerings that will drive growth.
Sure, it’s a good way to operate all the time but when the outlook isn’t super rosy it’s time for sales and marketing activities to really deliver. There’s less margin for error when boards, CEOs, and department leaders are feeling the pinch.
Practically speaking, some of the tactics that are working well for us and our clients are highly targeted in-person events, incentivized referral programs, and savvy use of integrated marketing programs that span creative-led SEO, social media, content marketing, PR, and digital advertising campaigns.
When you take these ideas into account, an old sporting quote seems fitting: “The best athlete is made during the off-season.”