Keep Calm and Advertise On: Why Brands Should Continue Advertising During Times of Economic Uncertainty

In a moment where tariffs and economic pressures are dominating headlines and influencing boardroom decisions, many brands are reassessing their advertising investments. It’s a familiar pattern, uncertainty hits and marketing budgets are often the first to be scrutinized, but history has a clear message – brands that stay the course and continue advertising during turbulent times don’t just survive, they thrive.

Today’s conversation is once again shaped by economic ambiguity. Tariff announcements, ever-changing policies, inflation worries, and geopolitical tensions have created a ripple of hesitation across industries. For marketers, it raises a critical question – should we pause, pivot or press on?

Luckily, there is more than a century of empirical evidence across a whole range of challenging economic environments pointing toward one answer – keep calm and advertise on.

Historically, companies that invest in advertising during uncertain times and economic downturns grow faster than competitors who go dark. The logic is straightforward – maintaining visibility while others pull back gives an advertiser greater share of voice and in turn share of market. The gains may not be immediate, but the payoff is measurable and lasting. In fact, research shows that going dark on advertising can lead to sharp declines in brand awareness, consideration and purchase intent after six months.

This isn’t theoretical as it’s been continually proven in the real world – most recently during the Covid pandemic and its economically uncertain aftermath. Between 2021 and 2023, as inflation soared and recession fears loomed, a remarkable 931 brands launched their first national TV campaigns. These weren’t all deep-pocketed conglomerates, many were small and mid-sized businesses taking bold steps to grow and their bet paid off.

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What did these advertisers find? They found both immediate and sustaining results.

Among the 201 brands analyzed for website traffic, launching a TV campaign delivered an average double-digit lift in unique visitors – which translated to hundreds of thousands of new customers through brands’ digital storefronts each month. Brands that sustained their TV presence saw even greater returns, especially among data-driven, performance-obsessed, direct-to-consumer marketers. In another study of 38 first-time TV advertisers, those with the longest-running campaigns experienced the most substantial web traffic increases, proof that continuity fuels impact.

This isn’t just about being loud, it’s about being smart.

Today’s marketers are stretching dollars further and placing greater emphasis on effectiveness and efficiency. One of the most powerful tools at their disposal is audience-based buying across multiscreen TV platforms. It lets brands zero in on high-value customer prospects with precision, maximizing reach while minimizing waste – an essential approach in any economic climate, but one that is especially savvy in times like these.

Audience-based TV buying also fuels personalization.

Brands can tailor messaging across screens, reinforcing their value proposition at every stage of the customer’s journey. When a brand message resonates and meets a customer’s emotional and rational needs, it becomes worth the price even in inflationary environments.

That emotional connection isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic advantage.

During the height of economic instability, consumers continued to spend, adding over $1 trillion annually in retail sales between 2020 and 2023. Many remained loyal to brands they loved even as prices rose. Some even reported feeling empathy for their favorite companies, understanding the pressures of inflation and continuing to buy despite it. That kind of brand equity is only built through consistent and compelling communication.

Advertising is not just a lever to pull when the going is good.

It’s a long-term investment in a company’s future, one that becomes even more valuable when others hit the pause button. Marketers who understand this will treat the current economic cycle not as a reason to retreat but as an opportunity to advance.

Of course, caution is warranted.

Budgets are tight and leaders are right to ask tough questions, but smart spending doesn’t mean no spending. It means making informed choices that balance brand building with performance outcomes. It means using tools like multiscreen TV and audience-based buying to connect with consumers in ways that drive real results, and it means not just maintaining presence but extending presence, if budget allows, to drive even greater results.

In uncertain times, silence is a risk.

It opens the door for competitors to take the mic, build mindshare and win customer loyalty. The brands that maintain visibility and build equity now will be the ones leading the recovery when the fog lifts.

So, to the marketers watching today’s economic headlines with growing concern: history, especially recent history, is on your side. Keep showing up. Keep building. Keep advertising. The brands that do will be the ones that consumers remember and reward when stability returns.