There is what can feel like a widely believed ideology that marketing is a luxury, something to splurge on here and there, a reward that you treat your business to when things are going well, and all is plain sailing.
We have seen it time and time again; when revenue starts to taper, one of two departments is usually the first to be subject to cuts: sales or marketing.
But when you consider it, that could be one of the most reactive and, ironically, costly decisions you make: scrapping a function that may just be adding value that you aren’t even aware of.
Let us explain what we mean.
Why You Shouldn’t Cut & Run on Your Marketing
1. It is Data-Backed and Attributable
In most cases, it is often cut for budget reasons: to preserve cash, reallocate spend, or respond to falling revenue.
Yet, one of the key functions that drives business success is marketing. So it is very often the first to go, but it is equally the most important to keep.
It is understandable that the knee-jerk reaction is to cut the area that feels discretionary, commonly assumed to be marketing, but this narrative has long been untrue.
Marketing is more than a billboard in a city centre, a poster on a shop notice board or a bus stop advertisement, all of which can feel “untraceable”.
It is highly data-driven, with a lot of decisions backed by data analysis. This could be anything from engagement and viewership metrics, ROAS, CPM, CPA, CTR, Ad-Recall Lift, among a myriad of other metrics.
The idea of marketing being a guessing game no longer reflects the industry. Digital marketing is a data science used to drive measurable business outcomes, whether that’s leads, conversions, or brand growth.
2. It Keeps You Visible and Protects Your Market Share
It’s commonly believed that when revenue starts to dip, that’s when marketing has to be pulled back first.
But would you turn off your car’s engine in the middle of a motorway? Probably not.
When things are “going south”, pulling yourself away from the market, away from your customers and out of sight is the last thing you want to do.
Not only because this is how you become forgotten and how memorability dissipates, but it’s also the easiest gateway for competitors.
When people search for your product or service on Google, your competitors are now in the top 3 sponsored results, or they’re returning as the top AI search result, because you’ve removed your business and lowered their barriers to entry.
So, while you may have preserved budget by halting activity, it also hands your competitors your visibility, sends your potential customers elsewhere, and delivers no return on the budget you thought you were saving.
3. It Generates Business and Revenue Opportunities
We can’t deny that in a downturn, the instinct to pull back on spending is completely normal. It makes sense to want to avoid spend that isn’t delivering a clear return.
The thing is, investment, even if it’s scaled-back or minimal, can still be massively worthwhile.
The alternative, cutting your marketing, reduces your revenue opportunities. Whether that is driving leads, generating business enquiries, or increasing online orders, removing the function is cutting off a revenue stream straight at the source.
With even a small investment, you can keep these business goals ticking over, even if it’s on a lower level in the interim.
Businesses that maintain visibility through a downturn are typically the ones best positioned to capture demand when the market recovers, while those that go dark often spend months rebuilding the ground they lost.
It may have been seen as a luxury at a point in time, but industries are evolving and changing, and there is an increasing demand for a consistent, value-adding strategic marketing function that adapts with your changing business needs.
It’s now a function with the same importance as your HR, IT or accounting department, because the idea that it’s untraceable, unattributable, or “just spend” no longer holds up.
The difference is whether you have a partner that understands you, your business, and its changing needs, and one willing to grow and adapt with you.
At Vitamin, we know we are that for our clients, and can be that for you.
Marketing with tangible, measurable results doesn’t have to come at luxurious prices.
Want to know more? Our Digital Marketing page says it all.
And of course, we’re always ready to chat: info@vitamin.ie | 051 585 210