When the market tightens, it’s tempting to tighten your marketing budget. But if you’re a B2B brand thinking about pausing or scaling back, this is your reminder: your marketing engine is your lead engine. Now is the time to optimize it—not shut it down.
Q1 and Q2 have been tough for many industries. Trade policy uncertainty is at an all-time high, and teams are navigating NIH funding disruptions, FDA slowdowns, tariffs, hiring freezes, and shrinking margins.
But here’s the opportunity: most indicators point to a market rebound in the second half of 2025. That’s not just a hunch—it’s backed by data. According to the ITR Economics Trade Policy Uncertainty Index, trade-related uncertainty hit a record high in early 2025, reflecting the anxiety many businesses are feeling. However, recent forecasts suggest the index will stabilize in the coming months as market forces and policy directions become clearer.
So where does that leave us? Pull back and risk disappearing, or lean in and lead the way. Let’s look at what the smartest marketers are doing right now and what’s actually working.
The Chicken-or-Egg Problem: Cut Marketing or Lean In to Get Leads?
This moment presents a classic B2B dilemma: Should we cut marketing to save costs or invest in it to generate demand?
It’s the age-old chicken-or-egg question: Do you wait for growth to invest, or invest to create growth? While the instinct to reduce spending is understandable, history and research consistently show that the opposite approach pays off.
A 2023 Nielsen report found that brands maintaining media investment during economic downturns saw significantly stronger long-term ROI and brand lift. And research cited in NinjaCat’s insights shows that brands maintaining share of voice in a downturn are more likely to achieve 5x greater long-term profitability.
These are just two examples but they’re part of a broader pattern that’s hard to ignore.
Pulling Back = Losing Ground
When uncertainty looms, it’s easy to go dark. But brands that stay visible during downturns consistently outperform those that don’t. Instead of asking, “What can we cut?” forward-looking B2B marketers are asking:
- How can we pivot our messaging to reflect what our buyers are going through?
- Where can we gain share while competitors pull back?
- What does a modern, agile marketing strategy look like in today’s conditions?
From Fixed Cost to Flexible Support
Many in-house marketing teams are feeling the pressure: more responsibilities, fewer resources, and tighter timelines. That’s where outsourcing can offer real relief.
And let’s be clear: this isn’t about replacing internal teams. It’s about enhancing them.
Agencies act as flexible, scalable extensions of your team. We bring:
- Fresh perspective and faster execution
- Built-in tech stacks (including AI efficiencies)
- Proven processes for digital and SEM campaign performance
- Strategic focus and accountability
This model reduces fixed costs, increases speed, and makes your in-house marketers look like rock stars.
Signs It’s Time to Pivot, Not Pause
Before cutting your budget or halting campaigns, consider whether it’s time to recalibrate. Here are some signs that your strategy may need a shift:
- Campaigns are underperforming, with no adjustments made
- Content feels disconnected from sales conversations
- Budget cuts are made without a clear plan to sustain pipeline
- Marketing is viewed as overhead rather than revenue-driving
These signs don’t mean failure. They mean it’s time to act strategically. A pivot doesn’t have to be massive; it just needs to be smart.
First and Foremost: What to Do Now
Now is the time to audit your existing marketing content and campaigns. Messaging that feels outdated, overly promotional, or disconnected from the current business climate can come across as tone-deaf or irrelevant.
Start with a simple review of what’s running on autopilot:
- Automated email sequences
- Google Ads and live SEM campaigns
- Prescheduled social media content
- Blog articles and editorial calendars
Ask your team: “Will this message be helpful, timely, and relevant right now?” Minor tweaks can keep your brand aligned with your audience’s reality and top of mind.
Learn more in our recent resource, “Staying Relevant: Adapting Your B2B Marketing for Today’s Economy,” for a deeper dive on auditing, updating, and refining your brand’s content and messaging in today’s shifting landscape.
Talking to Leadership: How to Defend Your Marketing Budget
If your leadership team is asking for cuts, give them context:
- Link marketing KPIs directly to revenue goals
- Share lead and sales impact from SEM, email, and content programs
- Highlight marketing-influenced revenue, not just vanity metrics
- Benchmark competitors who grew during past downturns
One of the earliest and most widely cited studies on recession-era advertising came from McGraw-Hill, which analyzed U.S. companies during the 1981–82 recession. Their research found that companies who maintained or increased advertising saw 256% higher sales post-recession than those who pulled back.
While this study is decades old, its findings have been echoed by more recent research. For example, a 2023 Nielsen report found that brands that maintained media investment during economic downturns saw significantly stronger long-term ROI and brand lift.
What to Double Down On Right Now
Not all marketing is equal. Focus on channels and tactics that offer efficiency, visibility, and ROI. Here’s what to prioritize:
- SEO & SEM: Realign keyword strategy to match current buyer intent
- Retargeting: Stay visible to engaged audiences and increase conversions
- Sales Enablement Content: Equip reps with one-pagers, pitch decks, and ROI tools
- Bottom-of-Funnel Content: Use case studies and “why now” messaging to accelerate decisions
- Email Nurture Sequences: Keep leads warm and engaged while deal cycles lengthen
These tactics are especially effective for lean teams trying to protect the pipeline.
How to Build an Agile Marketing Plan
If your team isn’t already working in agile cycles, now is the time to start. Agile marketing helps teams move quickly, test frequently, and stay in sync with business needs.
Here’s a simple framework:
- Replace annual campaigns with quarterly themes
- Set up rapid testing and iteration cycles (e.g., weekly A/B tests)
- Align closely with sales and customer success through regular check-ins
- Build scenario plans for different budget or demand scenarios
At Sagefrog, we live by our Quarterly Marketing Roadmaps (QMRs), which offer a strategic yet timely and flexible framework for what to market and when in a 90-day world. QMRs help ensure marketing stays focused, aligned with sales, and adaptable to real-time conditions.
If this cadence sounds right for you, let’s talk about how it can work for your business.
Stay Seen. Stay Ready.
B2B brands that stay active and visible during uncertainty come out ahead. Marketing is not a cost center; it’s a growth engine. If you turn it off now, you’ll lose ground just as the market rebounds.
So lean in. Get focused. Get strategic. And keep your lead engine running.
Ready to Rethink Your Strategy?
We can help you reassess, recalibrate, and rebuild smarter. Whether you need SEM support, campaign planning, or a fresh perspective, we’re here to help you move forward.
Let’s talk. We exist to help B2B companies like yours move forward.
