When the economy gets shaky, marketing budgets are often the first to get cut. But brands that keep their campaigns on-air don’t just survive. They outperform. In fact, more than half of brands that maintain or grow marketing budgets during a downturn see stronger ROI.
In this Adweek webinar, Marketing Architects Chief Client Officer Angela Voss joins 1-800-HANSONS CMO Pete McGuire to explore how recession-ready brands use linear and Connected TV to drive both performance and long-term growth.
1. Why Smart Brands Double Down on TV
Search and social are getting harder to trust. Costs are up. Attribution is fuzzy. And as soon as you adapt, the algorithms shift.
TV, however, keeps delivering what digital can’t: reach and credibility.
That’s how 1-800-HANSONS pulled ahead. While competitors paused campaigns, they stayed on-air. And they kept growing well after the economy had returned to normal.
TV is more than just a brand-building channel. For brands focused on growth, it delivers results you can measure.
2. How Downturns Create Media Advantages
When advertisers pull back, media costs drop fast.
TV CPMs can fall 30–50%, making premium inventory suddenly affordable. That means brands that are still in-market access placements that were previously out of reach. And with fewer competitors on air, your message stands out even more.
But timing matters. The brands that win plan ahead. They secure buy-in from finance early, prepare creative that resonates in sensitive moments, and build campaigns designed for both immediate return and lasting impact.
3. The Performance TV Playbook
TV can work during a downturn if you treat it like a performance channel.
That starts with measurement. Every campaign needs to prove its value, which means attribution isn’t optional. 1-800-HANSONS tracked every lead source so they could connect their TV investment directly to business results.
Creative matters just as much. When economic anxiety is high, tone-deaf messaging can damage a brand’s reputation overnight. But ads that show empathy and offer something useful build trust that lasts well beyond the moment.
Media strategy is also crucial. The goal isn’t to buy the biggest names on TV. It’s to find the most efficient paths to your audience. That’s where technology gives savvy advertisers the edge: helping them buy smarter.