Every few months, another report lands in our inbox proclaiming: “Marketing in tough times requires X, Y, Z…” A recent one from eMarketer struck a chord here at OnDemandCMO, and we all had a pretty predictable reaction:

“Tough times?”
When have times not been tough?

For those of us in the trenches (building brands, driving demand, and navigating budget cuts while still being asked to deliver growth), “tough” isn’t the exception; it’s the operating environment. Always has been. Always will be.

At OnDemandCMO, we serve B2B clients in some of the most complex industries out there from manufacturing to financial services, tech and tech services, and mission-driven nonprofits. These aren’t organizations chasing TikTok trends or quarterly buzz. They’re the ones holding the economy together. And the CMO’s supporting those brands don’t have the luxury of panic.

So let’s clear the noise and talk about what it really takes to maintain a healthy funnel when the pressure’s on.

1. Stop “optimizing” your way out of a starved funnel

When budgets tighten, marketing leaders often start trimming from the top: brand awareness, content, community.

Big mistake.

Brand isn’t a luxury. It’s the oxygen for your sales pipeline.
Cut the top of the funnel, and you’re not “saving money.” You’re suffocating demand.

Strong brands feed every lower-funnel conversion. If you want your ads, emails, and search campaigns to work, your audience has to already know who you are and why you matter.

If they do not, do not overlook the brand building and thought leadership aspect of your campaigns. The ‘’If we build it, they will come’’ concept is flawed.  They will not come if you haven’t given them a reason to.

More on this: Determining the Right Allocation of Acquisition vs. Retention Marketing Resources explores how to balance top- and bottom-funnel investments, even when budgets are under pressure.

2. “Low-cost” doesn’t mean “low-effort”

Everyone loves to talk about “no-cost” tactics. SEO, repurposed content, organic engagement.

Sure, but these things aren’t free. They require strategy, consistency, and expertise.

You can’t throw spaghetti at LinkedIn and call it content marketing.
The winners are the brands doing fewer things, better.

Clean up your messaging. Make sure that you are consistent with that messaging. Double down on your best channels. Measure what matters. That’s how you stay relevant when resources are tight.

See also: Content is Not Only King—it’s the Key to Your Marketing Success explains why doing less, better, will always outperform more, faster.

3. Short-term metrics tell short stories

We love a good dashboard as much as anyone. But CMO’s know that data is just the beginning.

Clicks and impressions don’t tell you if your message is resonating with the market.
Your job is to translate marketing metrics into business implications:  how awareness drives the pipeline, how engagement translates to qualified leads, how loyalty impacts lifetime value.

CMO’s who can connect marketing to money win every time.

4. Your CFO isn’t your enemy; they’re your partner

The smartest marketing leaders we know speak finance fluently.
They don’t wait until budgets get cut to start explaining marketing ROI.

If your CFO only sees a line item instead of a growth engine, that’s on you.
Show them how every marketing dollar ladders up to revenue, retention, or margin. When you do, you’ll have a seat at the strategy table, not the chopping block.

Here’s the truth…

The best marketing leaders aren’t defined by the size of their budgets, or their tactical ‘activities’.

They’re defined by their ability to stay strategic, always.

Because whether the economy’s up, down, or sideways…
Great CMO’s don’t panic.
They plan. They prioritize. They perform.

That’s what we do every day at OnDemandCMO.

OnDemandCMO helps technical, financial, and professional services organizations turn marketing from a cost center into a strategic growth driver.

Ready to increase the ROI of your marketing strategy, no matter what the market is doing?
Let’s talk.