As many of you know, this week, we’ve done a 5-part series on Good Economic News. Our point-of-view, which is supported by the data, is that while times are tough, they’re not nearly as bad as the news media would lead you to believe.

How many of us have watched in horror as CNN or NPR or CNBC does a “special report” on the “global economic disaster”?

To be sure, times are tough. They’re downright B-A-D. But the world isn’t ending. The sky is not falling. In fact, you and your business will be here tomorrow and the next day — if you stop focusing on the negative and start focusing on the positive.

Joe Rollins writes one of the best financial blogs on the web. He’s frank, honest and outspoken on his opinions on what’s really going on. As Joe points out in a recent blog posting, the news media paints a worst-case-scenario even when the story is relatively positive.

In one recent story, the spin was negative even though the data in the story was about the fact that the Fed is forecasting a significant turnaround in the economy only six months from now, which should progressively increase to extraordinarily high growth by 2011.

Why all the negative press? What’s going on here?

We’ll tell you what’s going on – good news doesn’t sell. Which is why news about plane crashes, murders and economic disasters gets a disproportionate amount of coverage. (Anybody who tells you differently is pulling the wool over your eyes.)

The chart on the right was borrowed from the Rollins Financial Blog. It points out that the GDP in the United States at the beginning of 2001 was essentially at $10 trillion. As of today, the U.S. GDP is at aproximately $14.3 trillion. Therefore, the GDP has grown at a stunning 43% over the past 8 years!

For those of you who didn’t have time to read every one of our postings this week on Good Economic News, here’s a run-down of what we reported:

• PepsiCo revenue grew 10% last year to $43.3 billion.
• Walmart sales rose 6% last quarter, net sales rose 1.7% to $108 billion.
• McDonald’s global comparable sales were up 7.1% in January. More specifically, the U.S. was up 5.4%, Europe up 7.1, Asia/Middle East/Africa up 10.2%.
• Coca-Cola had an 11% increase in revenues in 2008 to $31.9 billion; net income was up 17% to $7.4 billion.
• Oil is 76% lower today than last summer.
• H. J. Heinz fiscal 3rd quarter net income climbed 11% to $242.3 million, up from $218.5 last year.
• Box Office receipts for the movie industry are up 28%.
• Interest rates at historic lows.
• Home prices dropped/most affordable level since 1971.
• BKV (the parent of 60 Second Marketer) is growing at double-digit rates and is on a hiring spree.
• The S&P 500 is predicted to rise as much as 20% towards year end (Source: NPR).
• In December, inventories declined at twice the rate than was anticipated, which means manufacturers will have to make more stuff to compensate for low inventories.

So, as you can see, things aren’t nearly as bad as the news media would lead you to believe. The 60 Second Marketer is part of a small but growing community that has decided to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Our belief is that companies that are poising themselves for growth today will be well-positioned to benefit when the economy starts growing in earnest later this year.

All week long, we’ve asked our readers to join our list of companies that refuse to participate in the recession. It’s grown quite long. Have you jumped on board? Leave us a comment and let us know that you’re going to join the team that’s preparing for growth now and in the near future.

Onward.

Here’s our list of companies that are focusing on the bright side of things: 

• Harris Interactive Media
• Insol
• PinC Bubble
• Mike Wittenstein
• Southside Broadcasting
• RadioX
• Whitestone Marketing Services
• Spiritus Marketing Directory
• Bella Web Design
• FORTE’partners
• VoiceQuilt.com
• Todd Miechiels + Partners
• SleepytimeStore.com
• Piano Expectations
• Response Mine Interactive
• 60 Second Communications
• 60 Second Online University
• 60 Second Marketer
• BKV Interactive and Direct Response
• A School Bell Rings

Thursday, February 26th, 2009, 12:00 pm   |   General Business, Twitter  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback