How marketers are navigating a possible recession (and advice about what you should do during it) [new data]
By juthompson@hubspot.com (Justina Thompson)
Right now, some people will absolutely, 100% say that we’re in, without a doubt, a recession. Others will say that we’re absolutely, positively not in a recession. I think those people should argue with a brick wall. Regardless of where you might personally stand, there’s a lot of ambiguity about what’s actually going on; I’m here to clear it up.
When a recession happens, typically, marketers are the first to see budget cuts, so it’s no surprise that folks (perhaps yourself included) are starting to raise eyebrows at the brands and companies that they work for about what’s to come, whether or not their roles will be impacted, and how priorities might genuinely, quickly shift.
To help you (and other marketers) recognize that these sentiments aren’t felt in isolation, the HubSpot Blog surveyed 150 marketing and advertising professionals to find out exactly how (i.e., through staffing investments, budget reductions, etc.) you’ll be impacted by a recession, how consumer behavior is changing because of financial uncertainties, and finally, in turn, what marketing strategies folks are leaning on to make marketing thrive — even despite constraints.
I’ll also offer tips and resources (with lots of perspective) to help you navigate this transitional time.
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents:
Three Marketing Impacts Caused by Recession Concerns
1. Consumers are spending less and, predictably, exercising more caution/discretion.
Though not surprising, the biggest impact marketers are seeing is that consumers are cutting costs back due to — and you probably guessed this already — a genuine fear of what’s to come.
According to HubSpot’s 2025 survey about marketing during a recession, 42% of marketers expressed negative sentiments about consumers’ shopping habits, overall acknowledging that many customers don’t have a whole lot of disposable income at the moment. One respondent noted that this can even be seen at stages of the buyer’s journey, saying, “It’s taking longer for them [customers] to commit.”
While this number and information aren’t entirely comprehensive, they’re telling of how most customers are thinking about their spending. Additionally, both align well with data found from multiple consumer pulse surveys over the last six months, like this Consumer Confidence Survey from Conference Board.
From inflation to geopolitical uncertainty to lingering COVID-19 concerns, consumers simply have zero idea about what to expect from the future; truth be told, I don’t think we can fault them for feeling this way either. “Spending has decreased for non-essential items greatly. Sales overall are down markedly,” said another survey respondent.
Additionally, a majority (32%) of marketers expect the recession to last more than a year, while only 23% of marketers expect it to last …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
