Stop Waiting For The Upturn

Business leaders must stop expecting the market to rebound and instead focus on adapting to permanent structural shifts.

Assia Salikhova, managing director of Wellington-based agency Smarketing Lab, says many businesses are misreading the current climate. “It’s not that marketing doesn’t work. It’s that the way we’re using it needs to evolve,” she says.

The belief that things will soon return to normal has left many firms passive and hesitant. But Salikhova argues that the pace of change now requires an entirely new mindset. “We are no longer in a cycle where patience pays. The environment is changing faster than before and waiting it out is no longer a viable strategy.”

This new reality challenges long-standing assumptions. “What worked five years ago, or even five months ago, is irrelevant if it doesn’t work today,” she says. “Marketing experience doesn’t carry the same weight. Unless the campaign you’re referencing ran last month, it may not apply.”

Tip 1: Reassess how you attract customers

Firms relying on past successes or word-of-mouth alone risk being left behind. The question is no longer ‘Where have the customers gone?’ but rather, ‘How do we adapt to how they now choose and buy?’

Tip 2: Be ready to pivot faster

Salikhova points to how rapidly major political and technological changes occur today.

“We’re not talking about decade-long transitions. Entire markets can shift in weeks,” she says. Businesses must test, measure, and decide quickly. If a Google Ads campaign doesn’t perform in a fortnight, change it. Make faster decisions based on data, not legacy experience.

Tip 3: Update your offer, not just your channel

It’s not the channel that’s broken; it’s often the relevance of the offer. “We hear people say nothing works anymore. But it’s not about the Yellow Pages versus Facebook. It’s about whether what you’re offering still makes sense,” says Salikhova.

She gives the example of a petrol station struggling as travel habits change and fuel prices rise. Advertising alone won’t drive foot traffic. “But transforming into a convenience hub—adding a pharmacy, a café, or speciality retail—shifts the value proposition,” she says.

Understanding demand is now critical

Choice saturation means novelty no longer guarantees success. “We used to be able to rely on curiosity; new BBQs, spas, restaurants. But now, almost everything is surplus,” Salikhova says. In a surplus market, your offer must meet a real need, not just be new.

Empathy is still a competitive edge

Salikhova also urges businesses to listen more closely to their customers. “Understand their changing needs. Walk in their shoes. Build your offers around them, not just around what you want to sell,” she says. Even small steps like adjusting your newsletter strategy can matter if they align with real customer timing and interests.

The upturn may never arrive in the form many expect. The more productive approach is to change what you can control: revise your offer, your expectations, and your speed of response. In uncertain markets, relevance (not history) wins.

About Smarketing Lab

Smarketing Lab is a B2B marketing agency that helps businesses grow their sales and revenue.

Founded in 2003 in Wellington, New Zealand, Smarketing Lab offers customised solutions that combine technology and modern trends with proven sales and marketing strategies. Smarketing Lab serves clients across New Zealand, Australia and internationally.

© Scoop Media