The Economy Have You Rethinking Your Ad Spend? Read This First.

3 Min Read

Gas prices are up. Spending is down. And now every talking head on the news is uttering a word that sends shivers down marketers’ spines, “recession.” After all, when times get tough, brand marketing budgets get going—often right out the door. But is cutting back on brand marketing channels like TV the best strategy? What if you didn’t have to turn your back on TV ads at all, but could instead prove their performance impact, their ROI, and justify the marketing team’s budgets and value?

That’s just what Jon Zucker, Senior Product Marketing Manager at MNTN, is eager to discuss. Join Jon as he details why brands need to prioritize ad channels with measurable returns, shares success stories of how brands weathered economic downturns, and proves why TV can be a growth driver in good times and bad. This webinar is going to be critical for any brand with a marketing plan this year—RSVP now for free. Then in the meantime, check out a preview of what Jon will be covering below.

Keeping the Marketing in Your Mix

Despite common belief, taking your foot off the marketing pedal during a recession might be the worst thing you could do. A Harvard Business Review study of the 2008 economic recession found that brands that experienced growth shared three important qualities:

• They maintained ad spend
• They justified their budgets with measurable ROI
• They leveraged a TV presence to build and grow strong brands

And maintaining ad spend isn’t just good for weathering a bad economy now—it pays off when you come out the other end. In fact, companies that maintained ad spend during economic downturns see 250% higher sales later on than their counterparts that cut back. Savvy advertisers understand that marketing plays a crucial role for businesses in volatile times and consumers still need to shop for goods. By maintaining a presence and matching messaging with consumer behavior (via strategies like offering deals to budget-conscious shoppers) brands can both gain market share during hard times and be better positioned for the recovery.

An Optimistic Reason for Every Season

Need further proof that now’s not the time to dial back on ad spend? Despite the economic uncertainty looming, 2022 holiday spending has been remarkably strong already—and is forecasted to stay this way. Check out these numbers:

•  Father’s Day: $20B+ spending in 2022, same as 2021
• Back-to-school: Spending is 7.5% higher than in 2021 and 18.3% higher than 2019
• The holidays: Sales are expected to rise 3.3% to $1.262 trillion

While consumers are pulling back spending in other areas, it’s clear that important events and holidays are still being valued. After years of COVID and lockdowns, along with the sentimental nature of events like the holiday season, people are planning to travel more, see family, and prioritize meaningful gifts and activities.

For brands of every stripe, this is a major opportunity that simply wasn’t present in previous economic downturns—a desire to return to normalcy and spend more during the biggest shopping seasons of the year. While some brands may be dialing back (again, due to a misinformed belief that it’s the better strategy), they’re leaving the playing field wide open for competitors to own the market during key holiday events and build brand loyalty.

We’re Just Getting Warmed Up

We’re not even scratching the surface of topics that will be covered. RSVP to save your seat for Stand By Your Ad: Why CTV is Every Marketer’s Ally in Good Times and Bad to learn how these lessons can be applied, why Connected TV has forever changed how marketers are impacted by down economies, and the top four best practices brands need to know to weather any economic hardships. We look forward to seeing you there.