You started the year with a solid marketing budget and some great plans. But then the unexpected hit. Economic uncertainty. Supply chain disruption. Industry instability. Suddenly leadership is asking for drastic marketing budget cuts. Your plan A is out the window. Now what?
The easy way out is to do an across-the-board straight percentage cut of all marketing activities. If your overall budget was cut 50 percent, you cut the budget for each activity by 50 percent, and you’re done. The problem is the easy way is rarely the best way.
A More Strategic Approach
You need a plan B that is strategic. A plan where you can do more with less. A plan where you can stand out while your competitors are going silent. A plan where you can plant seeds for growing your market share while the competition is hunkered down.
In every previous economic downturn over the past 30 years, research shows those companies who continued marketing during downturns had a notable increase in market share when the economy improved. They also saw an increased return on investment on their promotional dollars at a lower cost than in good times.
So how do you maintain or increase your share of voice with a smaller budget? Shift your mix. When done properly, PR can be more cost effective dollar for dollar than other activities, such as direct mail, advertising and trade shows.
3 Reasons to Double Down on PR During Uncertainty
1. PR Maintains Visibility While Saving Money
Since it’s more cost effective, PR can help you maintain brand awareness and market visibility while you’ve cut high budget items like auto shows, conference sponsorships and customer entertainment events. If you’ve axed your $500,000 trade show expense, 10 percent of those savings shifted to your PR budget can fund some high visibility PR projects that will extend reach, frequency and credibility of your messaging and enhance thought leadership.
We’ve experienced clients boosting their PR spending while cutting more expensive promotional activities during business slowdowns, which has made their business more resilient and more recession resistant.
Earned media coverage not only raises awareness and increases your share of voice, but it also leverages credibility and implied third party endorsement of the media your customers and prospects trust. And it helps improve your company’s organic SEO by leveraging the publication’s domain authority. As AI powered search tools become more prevalent, that kind of third-party validation plays an even more important role in shaping what shows up in AI results.
2. Your Message Hits Harder in a Quiet Market
If your competitors are lying low, you have a less competitive environment. This means your messages are more likely to get through and have an unfettered impact on audiences.
By reminding your prospects that your company is stable, alive, innovating and thinking long-term, you underscore why your company is a preferred strategic partner who will help its customers succeed over the long haul.
You can build prospect confidence by sharing your resiliency and positive vision. According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, businesses remain the most trusted institution in the U.S., with 48 percent of the general population reporting trust in business to do what is right. That compares to 47 percent for NGOs, 41 percent for the government and 40 percent for the media.
PR helps reinforce that trust through credible, earned media coverage that reflects your value and perspective.
3. You Build Share of Mind Now and Market Share Later
By communicating now when your competitors are less active, you can make big gains in share of mind with your prospects.
This traditionally has proven to translate to increased share of market when your customers resume purchasing. This grab of share of mind can help you secure the leadership position in your sector, which sets you up for long-term success, because it’s always easier to defend the top of the hill than to fight an uphill battle.
Perhaps at the beginning of the year, you had $200,000 earmarked for customer entertainment and events. Amidst industry or broader disruption, such high-priced activities may no longer make sense. So how about taking one quarter of that budget and using it to fund a series of customer video case studies, success stories or executive speaking opportunities? These investments can help generate sales leads for months or even years.
Doing Nothing is the Real Risk
According to a 2024 CNN study, even during a recession, building and maintaining strong brands remains one of the best ways to reduce overall business risk long term, with 90 percent of global marketers investing in brand building for sustained success.
In uncertain times, the biggest risk isn’t doing something. The biggest risk is doing nothing. Now is the time to zag while others zig. To reallocate. To build trust. Because the PR you do today will help you win tomorrow.
Jessica Muzik is vice president – account services at Franco. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
