“Sure, it’s common sense that you need to continue to entice customers to buy your product or service at a time when they are less likely to do so. But the reality is, when sales are tanking, something has to give, and usually it’s the marketing budget. Why? Because marketers have the most trouble justifying their investments. (So, to a lesser extent, does IT, which is why you see similar headlines proclaiming, “Don’t stop investing in IT during a downturn!†Same message, different audience.) They’re not equipped to say, “If we stop advertising, our sales will drop X%.†By speaking in generalities, marketing becomes vulnerable to any belt-tightening effots to offset falling revenues.”
