Part 1 of 4: Why Recessions Are a Fork in the Road for Brands
It’s one of the most iconic lines from Friday, and it hits even harder today:
“(Brothas) is broke these days!”
We laugh because it’s true; and in a recession, it’s especially true. But the joke has a hidden message for brand builders: when people are broke, every dollar becomes emotional.
That’s the real reason brands either win big or become dinosaurs during an economic downturn.
The Middle Gets Cut First
When money’s tight, consumers don’t just spend less; they spend differently. They either:
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Double down on what they believe in (the brands they love, the products they trust), or
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Trade all the way down to the cheapest option (because love is expensive and survival is practical).
But here’s the hard truth:
Every brand stuck in the middle? Loses.
Those mid-tier, nice-to-have, kinda-cool brands get left behind. They don’t feel essential. They don’t feel special. They don’t feel cheap. They just… disappear.
You might have a decent product. You might have a clean logo. But if you’re not building brand love, you’re building a business that’s easy to delete.
This Is Not the Time to Go Quiet
When the economy turns, most brands do the same thing:
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Slash budgets
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Delay promotional events
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Postpone launches
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Pray they survive
But what they don’t realize is that this is the moment that matters most. If you go quiet, someone else gets the mic; and when the music comes back on, they're the ones still dancing.
In other words: Recession is not the time to play defense. It’s the time to play offense.
Brand Love Is a Recession-Proof Strategy
The brands that win in a downturn aren’t always the cheapest or flashiest; they’re the ones people believe in. The ones that feel like a reflection of identity, values, and aspiration.
If your customer is going to spend $60 on a tee shirt when they’re worried about rent, it better be more than just fabric.
It better mean something.
It better tell a story.
It better say, “This is who I am.”
What You Can Do Right Now:
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Audit your brand story.
If a stranger saw your Instagram or website for 5 seconds, would they know what you stand for? -
Cut dead weight.
Trim what doesn’t build love. Streamline the parts of your business that don’t drive emotional value. -
Tell your story louder.
Content. Community. Consistency. Make people fall in love with you or remind them why they did.
Playlist + Watchlist
Set the mood as you rethink your brand strategy:
🎵 “Grinding All My Life” by Nipsey Hussel
🎵 “heart pt. 6” by Kendrick Lamar
🎥 Friday (1995)
Final Word
A recession doesn’t care how good your margins are.
Your brand either makes someone feel something… or they’re gone.
“Because (brothas) is broke these days.”
And broke people don’t gamble on maybe.