When times are good you should advertise, when times are bad you MUST advertise.

It's a quote right now, which is more significant than ever. 

Right now we are facing huge uncertainty in many area's of life, everywhere you look, you can't help but be constantly reminded of the current circumstances we face ourselves in and the unprecedented events taking place around us.

And arguably the greatest business challenge a lot of us are facing right now is the uncertainty. With so many industries currently left with little option but to put all business on hold, it's leaving many people with the question is it even worth advertising right now? 

 Well, in short, the answer is yes. 

Just 8% of people right now think brands should stop advertising due to this pandemic. And more then that, Kantar estimates a six-month absence from advertising will result in a 39% reduction in total brand communication awareness, even potentially delaying recovery in the post-pandemic world.

In a study of U.S. recessions, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies covering 16 different industries from 1980 through 1985. The results showed that businesses that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years after, compared to those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn’t keep up their advertising.

You can find this exact pattern in any recession, it has remained true for every single post World War II recession and the chances are, will be the case again. 

As Henry Ford once put it, "stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.” 

Now leaves you with the perfect opportunity to think about how you can adapt your strategy to reach your audience during these times and far into the future. People are doing 70% more web browsing, 63% more TV watching, and spending 61% more time on social media. 

Using this disrupted activity, to build brand relationships may prove invaluable in the long run...

And for those that do continue to advertise, now more then ever a clear majority of consumers expect advertising to make a positive contribution to society: ‘Talk about how the brand is helpful in the new everyday life’ (77%) ‘Inform about their efforts to face the situation’ (75%) and offer a reassuring tone.