By Ivana Morales, senior account executive Evolve PR and Marketing – 

When economic uncertainty strikes, businesses face difficult decisions about where to cut costs. Often, public relations is among the first expense to go. While it seems like the right decision, it can actually be detrimental to a client’s brand. As a public relations consultant, here’s why:

Why you shouldn't drop a PR Firm or Agency during a recession.

Visibility Is Everything

During a recession, consumer spending typically shrinks, and businesses must compete harder to secure sales. Maintaining a strong presence in the media, through PR strategies, ensures you stay relevant and top of mind while your competitors may retreat.

Visibility isn’t created through just marketing and advertising. Organic media outreach helps you build trust through thought leadership and community engagement. These efforts can influence purchasing decisions when consumers are being cautious about spending their dollars.

Find Ways to Strengthen Credibility

Turbulent times create opportunities to showcase your values and resilience. A consistent PR presence allows you to demonstrate empathy, adaptiveness, and expert leadership. Thoughtful communications geared toward helping your audience survive, and hopefully thrive, during hard times can position your brand as one that prioritizes people over profits.

Credibility and trust are paramount during a recession. When customers are hypervigilant about their spending, they put their hard-earned money into companies they believe in. PR helps to build and reinforce that belief.

Invest in Cost-Effective Marketing

Compared to traditional advertising campaigns that will result in limited deliverables like a commercial or billboard, PR is a cost-effective way to reach large audiences without investing a lot. A well-placed interview or carefully crafted print article can generate significant attention for a fraction of what you’d spend on ads.

Investing in PR allows you to amplify your message and make the most out of your budget. The ROI can be substantial – positive coverage often leads to organic reach and word-of-mouth marketing.

Momentum Matters

Public perception doesn’t pause during a recession or if your company internally is struggling. If you disappear from the public eye, you risk losing the momentum you’ve worked hard to build. Once a recession ends, businesses that stayed engaged with their audience will be better positioned to capture renewed consumer spending.

Whether it’s launching a new initiative, sharing customer success stories, or pivoting to meet your audience’s new demands, PR outreach keeps your audience informed and engaged, and keeps your brand top of mind.

A recession forces businesses to prioritize, but cutting PR is a risky move. It’s not just a marketing expense; it’s an investment in your brand’s reputation, visibility and resilience. By maintaining or even strengthening your PR efforts during tough times, you’re not just surviving—you’re setting your business up to thrive when the storm passes.

Recessions shouldn’t push your company into obscurity. With the right strategy, your brand can emerge stronger, more trusted, and more competitive than ever.

 


Bringing people together through our relationships to promote and enhance their message to the world. Evolve PR and Marketing is a results-driven, full-service public relations firm that has been proudly ranked the number one public relations agency by Arizona Business Magazine for two years running. Located in the greater Phoenix area of Arizona, and expanding across the country, we’re here to elevate your brandenhance your visibility, and create meaningful connections that make an impact.