Recession? What recession?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting how financial-market problems are threatening a new phase in the global credit crunch, pushing the U.S. economy toward recession.

The New York Times is issuing ongoing reports of business lenders cinching their designer belts, drying up credit flow and stifling economic growth.

This week, Forrester Research issued a report on technology industry's outlook for 2008 and indicating that it looks far worse than it did just two months ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are either in or headed toward recession.

Not great news for a company in any industry with focus on development and expansion in 2008. Fortunately, there's no reason to lose hope. If you can demonstrate that you are NOT participating in the economic downturn, your organization will have a unique opportunity to move into a new economy with a surge rather than a back slide.

Regardless of your business objectives, your perceived value to your revenue-generating audiences will determine how you’ll weather a recession, as well as how well you’ll fare during economic hey days. Recognition and appreciation of your core offering, your management strategies, and thought leadership may well be mitigating factors in how you weather good times and bad.

There is immense power in a well-executed, strategic public relations campaign for developing a widespread reputation and facilitating business retention and expansion – particularly when your competitors slow PR spending. It leaves a wide gap ready to be filled with influential messages geared toward your revenue-generating audiences.

Think of engaging in PR like planting a tree. The best time to plant one is today.