By Sara Mannix, Founder & CEO of Mannix Marketing
As we look forward to 2026, the economic narrative is split. On one hand, many growth-minded businesses in the Saratoga and Glens Falls regions are entering the first quarter with record-breaking volume. On the other hand, a “wait-and-see” attitude has taken hold at the enterprise level, with major corporations slowing spending as they anticipate a potential market correction or the bursting of the “AI bubble.”
For local business owners, this contradiction represents a rare window of opportunity. While large-scale competitors hesitate, local businesses can use their agility to claim market share that’s currently being left on the table.
The data behind the “Downturn Dividend” tells a clear story. It is a common reflex to cut marketing budgets at the first sign of uncertainty. However, history proves this is often a brand’s most expensive mistake. Research into the 1981–82 recession found that businesses that maintained or increased their advertising saw sales growth 256% higher by the time the economy recovered than those that cut their budgets.
We saw a modern version of this “Downturn Dividend” right here in our own backyard during COVID-19 in 2020. While much of the country was closing its doors and going quiet, leaders in Lake George pushed forward to aggressively market the region as a safe outdoor destination. By being the first movers to lean into the uncertainty rather than retreat from it, Lake George outpaced all of its competitive markets that summer and the following summer.
When competitors go quiet, your share of voice becomes exponentially louder and cheaper to acquire. In 2026, marketing is not an expense to trim; it is the strategy that ensures you gain ground while others simply hope to survive.
