Have you heard of these companies: American Cotton Oil, American Sugar, American Tobacco, Chicago Gas, Distilling and Cattle Feeding, General Electric, Laclede Gas, National Lead, North American, Tennessee Coal and Iron, U.S. Leather and U.S. Rubber? They are the original 12 companies that made up the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1898. Of the 12, only two are still operating under their original names (General Electric and Laclede Gas). National Lead changed its name to NL Industries, but still is a lead smelter. Six of the 12 were either purchased in mergers or changed industries along with their names, two were broken up by federal legal action and went out of business, and one went bankrupt. How many are still part of the Dow? None of them. GE was the last holdout, but was de-listed in 2018.

Here is the reality of business: when it comes to business longevity, what is considered great today may be forgotten tomorrow. I was speaking to a friend of mine who had worked for 20 years in a Fortune 500 company. He loved the prestige, but hated his job. So, one day he quit and went into business for himself. He had hoped his reputation in the big company would have long coattails for his fledgling company, but it did not. Here is a piece of advice I gave him: you have about three months to reach out to your list of business connections made through your former company and try to persuade them to do business with you. After that, they will forget you. That may be quite depressing to think about, but it is the truth.

Now let me try to lift you up a bit. There is a way to keep your company from circling the drain and disappearing from your consumers’ memories forever: consistent and persistent marketing. Consistency is important because consumers need to hear the same message again and again to remember your brand. Highlighting the best features, attributes and benefits of your brand in the same way again and again will help them remember. We break down marketing into three general categories: marketing for awareness, marketing for first-time sales and marketing for retention. Under the awareness marketing category is the axiom that people will not consider buying your brand until they understand what it is all about. Saying the same thing about your brand in all of your marketing will help them remember it.

Persistency in marketing is important because marketing from a one-shot approach is not really marketing, it is gambling. There is so much that goes into the thinking of consumers before they are convinced to try anything. Because there is so much competition for consumer dollars, you must be persistent in competing for the consumers’ attention. Your brand is not the exception. The other thing to remember is that there are moments when a consumer feels inclined to make a purchase and other times when they are not. Unless you are selling seasonal products and services, figuring out the right moment may be a bit challenging. Persistence in marketing takes the guesswork out of trying to strike at the right moment.

Marketing is charged with keeping your brand in front of your customers. Make sure you are marketing in a way that lasts in the mind of your target market. Otherwise, they will quickly forget you.