A Funny Thing Happened When I Cut My Ad Spend -- Nothing†

A Recession Will Expose Nonworking Parts of a Marketing Plan

Advertising Age, December 2, 2008 — The current economic crisis will undoubtedly leave a lasting imprint on how all business gets done from this point forward and undeniably be a catalyst for unprecedented change in the advertising industry. And we had better be ready for it.

In any economic crisis, reduction in ad spending is inevitable and necessary as companies adapt, Darwin style. Today's environment is no exception. We're keenly aware that in past recessionary periods advertising has taken more than its share of cuts. This time, while the cuts in spending have already begun, the impact will have even more dire and long-term consequences. As the cuts continue, brand managers will begin to realize that "my current advertising level and spend really wasn't helping to build my brand the way it used to, and when I took it away, nothing bad happened." Or at least "it wasn't as bad as I expected."