Hope Is Not Enough: Some Guiding Principles for Marketing through Turbulent Times

Abstract

With President Obama and the Democrats in power, there is a move toward increased government intervention and regulation. In 1974, Webster (1974, p. 6) outlined a range of possible responses to threatened government regulation:

• 1. Deny everything.

• 2. Blame wrongdoing on small marginal firms in the industry.

• 3. Discredit the critics.

• 4. Hire a public relations man.

• 5. Attempt to defang the legislation through lobbying.

• 6. Launch a fact-finding committee to see if improvement is necessary.

• 7. Actually do something.