When the economy sours or is filled with uncertainty, marketing is often the first area to feel the pressure and face budgetary cuts. At the same time, generating marketing leads becomes mission-critical. In past recessions between the 1980s and early 2000s, companies that continued to promote and advertise saw a higher increase in market share when things leveled out again. They didn’t face brand erosion or the perception of decreased value because they were still in front of their customers.
There is another way to achieve cost cuts while still being able to generate leads. Look at your tech stack. Many companies maintain their tech-heavy stacks, auto-renewing marketing automation software, design software, search engine services, and more. According to the 2025 SaaS Management Index Report by Zylo, the average organization pays for 275 SaaS applications each year, amounting to nearly $49 million in annual expenses. Yet, employees only actively use 47% of the available licenses, meaning nearly $21 million goes to waste annually on unused software.
Marketing automation software is expensive, and that software has varying levels. Our clients barely use the services offered in the more expensive, sophisticated subscriptions. These services can often be cut back or the number of licenses reduced. We also see our clients with costly subscriptions to SEO monitoring services, which can easily be replaced with a bit of manual research in your analytics and some free tools.
While your tech stack is critical, so are your leads, especially during a downturn. By saving money on your tech subscriptions, you can easily add to digital lead generation campaigns to keep brand awareness high while generating new leads.
In uncertain times, every dollar matters—but where you choose to spend (or cut) makes all the difference. While technology and tools remain essential, so does brand visibility and lead generation. Ask us if you want more advice on finding hidden savings and generating leads in a downturn.
