Continuing Your Lead in Contentious Times: Your Communications Playbook

Carly Snider

In moments of uncertainty, economic, political, or social, brands are faced with a choice: go quiet or go strategic. But, in times like these, the leaders are the ones who keep showing up. While others pull back, your strategic communications need to reinforce your market position, deepen trust, and even grow your audience.

Here’s your playbook for continuing your lead when the waters get rough.

Double Down on Brand Consistency

When uncertainty hits, inconsistent messaging erodes trust, fast. Studies have shown that consistent branding increases revenue by up to 23%. That means that in contentious times, clarity is currency.

This is where strategic marketing earns its keep:

Revisit your positioning and voice: Is it still relevant? Does it reflect your values and direction?
Align across every channel: your website, email, social, PPC, internal communications. Inconsistency is more noticeable when audiences are paying closer attention.
Create templates for your communications infrastructure: crisis messaging frameworks, content pillars, brand tone guidelines. The last thing you want to do improvise under pressure.

Leading brands don’t try to be all things to all people when the going gets tough. They know exactly who they are and stick to it, no matter what comes at them.

Get Ruthlessly Strategic with Paid Media

In volatile markets, every dollar needs to work hard and give you a measurable return. That’s why it pays to be smart about where and how you advertise, focusing your ad budget on what actually drives results.

Start with the data. Costs per Click (CPCs) often drop during downturns. For example, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, average CPCs on Facebook dropped by over 40%. That means more reach for less, if you’re smart about your targeting.
Prioritize conversion-focused campaigns. Brand awareness still matters, but retargeting, lead generation, and bottom-funnel performance can yield more immediate and fruitful results.
Audit and optimize weekly (at least). Strategy in contentious times isn’t static. It has to evolve constantly. Build in ad performance reviews that allow for flexibility without abandoning your north star.

Lead With Valuable Content

When the market is noisy, value cuts through. Brands that show up with empathy, insight, and usefulness earn loyalty long before you make the sale.

Create for your customer’s current mindset. Are they cautious? Overwhelmed? Looking to pivot? Build content and talk the talk that reflects and supports their reality.
Stick with formats your audience trusts. Many people still turn to blogs and email newsletters for useful, reliable content, and email marketing continues to deliver one of the best returns on investment, earning an average of $36 for every $1 spent. But it only works if you’re actually saying something they care about.
Commit to a publishing cadence. Inconsistency = invisibility. Build and stick to a realistic calendar for your organization that builds momentum and consistently shows up for your audience when they need you.

Your Response Is Your Reputation

Contentious times don’t improve in silence, they demand strategy. Be the brand that shows up with clarity, adds value, and acts with purpose. Your audience will remember who stayed visible, who stayed focused, and who continued to lead.