What to do now and where to pivot

We are in the middle of a pivotal moment for business owners, consumers and entire countries.There's a lot of confusion about what to do, what to avoid and how to pivot.In this short episode I reveal a few things I'm doing, how I'm helping my clients and 4 Case Studies Why You Shouldn't Cut Back on Marketing During An Economic Downturn...Dry Cereal:In the 1920’s, Post was the category leader in the ready-to-eat cereal category. During the Great Depression, Post cut back significantly its advertising budget and rival Kellogg’s doubled its advertising spend, investing heavily in radio and introducing a new cereal called Rice Krispies, featuring “Snap,” “Crackle” and “Pop.” Kellogg’s profits grew by 30% and the company became the category leader, a position it has maintained for decades.Imported Automobiles:The 17-month recession of 1973-75 was triggered by the energy crisis. In late 1973, the U.S. government issued its first miles-per-gallon report in which Toyota Corolla was second to Honda Civic in fuel efficiency. Since Toyota was experiencing strong sales, when the economic downturn hit, the temptation was to drop their ad budget, which they resisted. By adhering to its long-term strategy, Toyota surpassed Volkswagen as the top imported carmaker in the U.S. by 1976.Quick Service Restaurants:In the 1990-91 recession, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell took advantage of McDonald’s decision to drop its advertising and promotion budget. As a result, Pizza Hut increased sales by 61%, Taco Bell sales grew by 40% and McDonald’s sales declined by 28%.Technology:Amazon sales grew by 28% in 2009 during the “great recession.” The tech company continued to innovate with new products during the slumping economy, most notably with new Kindle products which helped to grow market share. In a first, on Christmas Day 2009, Amazon customers bought more e-books than printed books. As a result, in the minds of consumers, Amazon became an innovative company by introducing a lower cost alternative to cash-strapped consumers.ADDITIONALLY...If you're interested to see how I'm helping my clients use this time right now to build audiences and double down on authentic, intimate connection, email at [email protected] and use subject line: "build an audience" to let me know.Good luck out there, stay safe and stay inside. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bradcostanzo.substack.com