This is a tough time to be in the business of selling brand-building advertising. Companies large and small are tightening their belts and cutting their budgets, and the marketing budget is often the first on the chopping block. Our clients--law firms, real estate brokers/developers, interactive marketing firms and the vendors who serve those fields--are struggling to survive in this recession, and we have certainly felt their pain.

And yet...

At a time when business models are changing and the world is awash in stories about "structural change", you would think that firms would want to get their message out--to clients, to prospective clients, to future recruits and potential business partners. It would seem the perfect opportunity for professional service firms to be out front, saying "We're still here and we're still fighting. The reasons to use us as you weather the storm in your business have never been better. Our product is superior to what others provide".

James Surowiecki made a similar point in a recent column he wrote for The New Yorker called "Hanging Tough". If you are in marketing or advertising sales, you should read it. http://tinyurl.com/cuwt8m. He cites studies done over the last 75 years that show, in recession after recession, that "firms that kept ad spending stable or increased it...saw their sales hold up significantly better than those that didn't". He cites a McKinsey study done after the 1990-91 recession that "found that companies that remained market leaders or became serious challengers during the downturn had increased their acquisition, R&D, and ad budgets, while companies at the bottom of the pile had reduced them".

This is the kind of serious economic recession in which there will be big winners and big losers. The ranking lists that we publish are likely to see dramatic changes over the next several years, as some firms rise to the challenge while other's fade away. We need to be identifying those leaders who have great ambition for their firms and companies, and the willingness to invest at a time when others are running scared. And, once identified, we'll need to work with those marketers on innovative programs--print, online and in person--that help them grow market share at a time when the world is in flux.

Being a marketer at a time when all the world is telling you to hunker down, conserve cash and wait for a better day must be pretty tough. However, the opportunity to rise above the crowd is increasingly evident, and I'm excited to see which of the firms we work with have the fortitude to stick with or launch branding programs that will catch the attention of our audience.

And for those who sell advertising, is this economic environment difficult? You bet. I don't remember a tougher time to be out selling. But the opportunity is there to help nurture ambitious challengers who can take advantage of our products, audience and capabilities to both protect the customers they have and reach out for new ones. That's the message we should be communicating to our clients and prospects every day. That's the challenge that we face. Are you up to it?