Unless you're an ostrich with your head in the sand, you don't need to be reminded that these are some pretty tough times. And when times are tough, our instincts tell us to stop spending, tighten the old belt buckle and adopt a wait-and-see approach. But, it is through this very approach, that we will undoubtedly begin to watch our sales drop, our in-store traffic die down and our anxieties rise.

Economic slow down shouldn't mean a slow down in marketing efforts. In fact, several studies show that advertising during a recession not only maintains your presence in the marketplace for customers who may need your products or services during this period, but after the tough times subside, you're apt to gain more market share than the competitors that chose to be nonexistent, cutting their advertising all-together.