Why Marketing Matters During Challenging Times

Especially when budgets are tight or revenue goals slip

When financial pressure hits or sales goals aren’t being met, organizations often make the reflexive decision to cut marketing first. It feels like an easy line in the budget to trim—but it’s a decision that can cost you much more in the long run.

Evidence from leading research organizations shows that maintaining, and in some cases increasing, marketing investment during challenging times correlates with stronger performance, higher visibility, and a faster rebound once conditions improve.

Below, we explore why consistent marketing support isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic necessity.

1. Visibility Declines Faster Than You Think

Brand awareness doesn’t wait for better economic news. When you “go dark,” audiences notice—and research shows the impact is measurable. Kantar found that brands going dark for six months risk losing up to 39% of their brand awareness, and 60% saw declines in critical brand health metrics.

This isn’t just a cosmetic effect; awareness loss translates into fewer opportunities to be considered when a buyer is finally ready.

2. Marketing Builds Tomorrow’s Pipeline Today

Marketing isn’t just about immediate lead generation—it builds the foundation for a future pipeline. Historical data show that companies that maintain advertising during downturns can see significantly better returns: analyses have shown brands that increased ad spend during past recessions saw an average 17% higher ROI. 

In uncertain times, steady visibility against a quieter competitive backdrop can compound ROI down the road.

3. Cutting Marketing Is More Expensive Than Maintaining It

Research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) quantifies a counterintuitive truth: for every $1 saved by cutting brand marketing, it can cost as much as $1.85 to rebuild that lost share of mind later.

That’s not marketing fluff — it’s systemic. Brands that reduce investment can see slower long-term growth, lower market share, and weaker shareholder returns compared with those that sustain or boost marketing investments through challenges.

4. Resilient Organizations Invest Through the Cycle

McKinsey research on top-performing companies during downturns found that successful firms didn’t sit still—they often invested more, including in marketing and sales capabilities. Leaders that increased their spend across the downturn grew their total shareholder returns significantly compared to peers who cut back.

Additionally, companies that consistently invested through downturns were more likely to stay in the top performance quintile over time.

Investing in marketing through downturns help organizations stay in the top performance quintile over time.

5. Lower Competition Means More Impact

When competitors pull back, the cost of advertising and media placement often goes down. That means that your voice can cost less and stand out more — a strategic advantage many brands miss when they cut marketing simply to reduce short-term expenses. Maintaining presence when others go silent gives you greater share of voice and increases the chance your audience remembers you first.

6. Brand Health Still Matters — Even Under Scrutiny

While pressure on marketing teams to deliver ROI continues to grow, brand investment remains fundamental to long-term outcomes. According to the 2025 Gartner CMO Spend Survey, 85% of CMOs agree investing in brand drives business results, even if short-term ROI pressure is high.

This highlights a tension many organizations face: short-term pressures vs. long-term brand sustenance.

7. Momentum is Expensive to Rebuild

One of the most powerful arguments for sustained marketing investment is the cost of re-entry. Once visibility and engagement drop, bringing them back to previous levels takes more investment than simply maintaining them in the first place. BCG found that brands that cut spending suffered not just financially but also in conversion and brand health metrics.

In short: brand momentum is like a trust account — deposits made consistently pay dividends; withdrawals cost you more than you think.

8. Smart Marketing Doesn’t Have to Mean Big Spending

Big spend isn’t required for meaningful impact—smart spend is. McKinsey research suggests that when companies apply performance marketing techniques to brand investments, they can achieve efficiency gains up to 30% and incremental revenue growth up to 10% without increasing total budgets, because spend is optimized where it matters most.

The key is a strategic mix of data, measurement, and alignment between marketing + sales and business goals.

The Bottom Line

When revenue goals aren’t being met or budgets tighten, cutting marketing may seem like the fastest way to save money — but the data shows it’s often the most expensive.

Marketing is not just a cost center; it’s the growth engine that keeps your brand visible, your pipeline active, and your competitive position strong.

Research consistently shows that organizations that sustain or strategically invest in marketing during tough times outperform their peers — both during and after economic stress.