Market or Die: Fastest Route to Obscurity

Why Failing to Market in Volatile Times is the Fastest Route to Obscurity

Let’s not sugarcoat it: If you’re not marketing right now, you’re disappearing. And in a volatile economy, disappearing isn’t just dangerous—it’s deadly.

When the market is unstable, companies tend to pull back. They freeze spending. They wait for “better timing.” But history and data have shown this one truth, over and over: the companies that push forward with smart, strategic marketing during uncertainty are the ones that survive and thrive. The ones that wait? They get replaced.

The Great Illusion: “We’ll Wait It Out”

Pulling back on marketing may feel fiscally responsible in the moment—but it’s not a strategy. It’s a fear-based reaction. According to a Harvard Business Review study of recessions across multiple decades, companies that invested in marketing during downturns saw up to 275% growth compared to those that cut spending dramatically (Gulati, Nohria, Wohlgezogen, 2010).

During the 2008 recession, brands like Amazon and Kellogg increased their marketing investments. Kellogg doubled its ad spend, launched new products, and came out of the recession with increased market share and record profits. Amazon pushed its Kindle and free shipping initiatives—and grew by 28% in one of the worst financial years in modern history (Business Insider, 2019).

Let that sink in: They didn’t wait. They marketed. And they won.

Customers Aren’t Gone—They’re Just Smarter (And More Emotional) In a volatile market, customer behavior shifts. People don’t stop buying—they just become more cautious. They research more. They delay gratification. And they look for brands they can trust.

This is where most businesses get it wrong. They assume that a quieter market means fewer opportunities, when in reality, the playing field just got more competitive. Buyers now want:

•Proof over promises

•Reassurance over risk

•Connection over cleverness

According to the Theory of Reasoned Action and Consumer Decision Models, decisions made under stress or uncertainty are more emotionally influenced than rational (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). That means brand emotion, storytelling, and perceived stability weigh more than price tags or feature lists.

Marketing Is Not a Line Item—It’s Life Support

In times of crisis, most businesses look to cut “non-essentials.” Marketing often tops the list. But that’s the equivalent of being lost at sea and throwing your life vest overboard to save weight. Marketing is not a luxury. It’s the one thing that keeps your brand breathing when customers are holding their breath.

Here’s why you must stay visible:

•Top-of-Mind = Top-of-Choice: When things rebound—and they always do—buyers will go with the brand they saw, heard, and remembered.

•Marketing during downturns is cheaper and more effective: Ad costs drop during uncertain periods, making it the perfect time to gain market share at a lower cost per impression.

•Consistency breeds confidence: If you’re visible when times are hard, consumers assume you’ll be reliable when it matters most.

•Psychological trust is forged in chaos: When everyone else goes silent, your voice becomes the only one they hear—and remember.

Five Strategic Moves You Must Make Right Now

1.Get Loud, Smartly

You don’t need to scream. You need to speak clearly, consistently, and emotionally. Focus on value, not hype.

2.Shift Messaging to Match the Market’s Mood

Humor, empathy, and transparency are powerful in tough times. Address pain points head-on. Offer solutions, not slogans.

3.Use Video to Humanize Your Brand

Video marketing is four times more preferred by consumers than reading (HubSpot, 2021).

It builds trust, shows your face, and delivers more emotional connection per second than any other medium.

4.Invest in SEO, Social, and Storytelling

Your digital footprint is your modern storefront. Keep it active. Fill it with relevant, timely, and reassuring content.

5.Build Now, Harvest Later

Marketing is a long game. Plant the seeds during the storm, and you’ll have a forest of opportunity when the sun comes back.

The Cost of Silence is Obscurity

Let’s talk reality:

•If you pause your marketing, your competitors won’t.
•If you wait until it’s “safe,” your customers will already be committed elsewhere.
•If you let fear take the wheel, your business will quietly fade into irrelevance.

This isn’t dramatics. This is data. In 2020, during the COVID crisis, businesses that embraced video marketing, direct-to-consumer messaging, and emotional storytelling saw an average increase of 25% in customer retention and 23% in acquisition compared to those that paused their outreach (Wyzowl, 2021).

Final Word: Obscurity is the Real Enemy

You don’t have to market perfectly, you just have to market now. Be visible. Be human. Be useful. Be unforgettable, because in a volatile world, it’s not the biggest company that wins: It’s the one that keeps showing up—no matter what. And if you don’t?

Well… someone else will.

Citations

Gulati, R., Nohria, N., & Wohlgezogen, F. (2010).

Roaring Out of Recession. Harvard Business Review.

https://hbr.org/2010/03/roaring-out-of-recession
Business Insider (2019).

What Amazon and Kellogg Got Right During the 2008 Recession.

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-companies-got-right-during-the-recession-2010-6
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980).

Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

(Theory of Reasoned Action and behavior modeling)
HubSpot (2021).

The State of Video Marketing Report.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing
Wyzowl (2021).

Video Marketing Statistics 2021.

https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/