When brands go dark

Looks at the decision to 'go dark', scale back or eliminate the advertising budget, and both the short- and long-term implications this can have for brands.

The decision to scale back or eliminate the advertising budget is never easy for marketers. The decision to "go dark" can have various causes, from a broad economic recession to narrower industry or company-specific revenue or growth challenges. Whatever the cause, "going dark" has both short- and long-term implications.

Background overview

Most empirical findings on the impact of "going dark" reflect marketing choices taken during recessionary periods. However, the insights are also relevant when industry and company-specific factors drive "darkness".

Let's start with the most extreme situation: recession. The economy contracts, most often because consumer spending declines (admittedly some recessions...

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