During times of recession it might appear that the best course of action is to cut back on communications and bury your business head in the proverbial sand. However research recently carried out by the Design Council claims otherwise:
‘In the middle of an economic downturn, SMEs need all the help they can get to survive the tough times. But when revenues are falling it can be tempting to cut marketing budgets, to delay new product development and to reduce research in an effort to save money. But is this the best thing to do?
Design Council research shows that design is an important tool that can help businesses survive a recession. And we have lots of case studies that show how an investment in design can be instrumental in turning the corner to renewed growth.
Our research shows that more than half of the UK’s businesses:
… are looking to design their way out of downturn
Over half (54%) of the firms in our survey thought design would contribute to a large or great extent in helping maintain their competitive edge in the current economic climate.
… think design is more important now
Similarly, 53% thought that design had become more important in helping the firm to achieve its business objectives over the last three years.
… think design is integral to the economic performance of the UK
The same number agreed or strongly agreed that design is integral to the country’s future economic performance.