Marketers Under Pressure: How Recession Fears are Shaping Campaign Strategy in 2025

Ask anyone in the industry and they’ll tell you – 2025 has started with a nervous energy. Budgets are tighter. Targets are tougher. And the demand to prove marketing value has never been louder.

In a recent feature by Business Insider, senior marketers from leading global brands shared how they’re adapting to stay valuable in a shaky economy. What’s clear is that the “nice to have” phase of digital marketing is over. This year, it’s all about revenue, retention, and ROI.

If you work in affiliate or performance marketing, you’re already used to these demands. But now, even the biggest brand teams are being asked to think like performance marketers. Everything must tie back to commercial value — and fast.

More scrutiny, fewer layers

One of the biggest shifts marketers are reporting is the flattening of decision-making. CMOs are no longer just fighting for share of voice. They’re being asked to justify every spend, line by line, in terms the CFO understands.

Gone are the days of brand campaigns with vague metrics. Today, marketers are building dashboards that tie media spend to revenue, customer lifetime value, and acquisition cost. And those who can’t? They’re struggling to hold onto their budgets.

This is particularly important for affiliate and partnership marketing. Channels that can show a direct link between cost and result are being prioritised. Those that can’t are being paused or cut.

The return of performance

While some sectors – like entertainment or fashion – still spend on upper-funnel visibility, most are shifting focus to lower-funnel tactics: retargeting, conversion, loyalty, and performance partnerships.

This is where affiliate marketing is starting to shine again.

In-house marketers are turning back to affiliate programs as a way to scale results without fixed overheads. Influencer campaigns are being restructured to include affiliate components. And lead gen is being revisited as a more affordable alternative to broad digital display.

It’s not glamorous. But it works. When every pound counts, predictable return beats creative flair.

Retention is the new acquisition

It’s not just about bringing in new customers anymore. Marketers are also under pressure to keep the ones they have.

That means a renewed focus on CRM, post-purchase journeys, and loyalty platforms. And affiliate marketers who can support this — through refer-a-friend mechanics, cashback partnerships, or subscription add-ons — are becoming more valuable.

Marketers in 2025 are looking for partners who can help them hold onto revenue, not just drive it once. If you can contribute to customer stickiness, you’re speaking their language.

Agencies must prove their worth

Agencies are not immune to this pressure. Brand marketers are pushing their external partners to deliver faster, cheaper, and with clearer accountability. Long timelines and slow testing cycles are out. Rapid iteration and agile feedback are in.

Those that can tie creative, media and affiliate into one integrated plan — and report on it with clarity — are being kept on. The rest are being replaced or dropped.

This has led to a new focus on hybrid roles inside marketing teams too. Performance creatives, content strategists with data chops, and channel leads who understand both brand and bottom line are in high demand.

Is this just another cycle?

Maybe. Marketing always swings between brand and performance, between long-term building and short-term results.

But there’s something different this time. The post-pandemic budget bounce is gone. AI is squeezing production timelines. And leadership teams are under pressure to make every function — including marketing — a revenue centre.

Until the economy finds more stable footing, this commercial mindset is likely to stick.

What marketers should do next

The smartest marketers aren’t waiting to be told to justify spend. They’re building the business case in advance.

• Affiliates should focus on transparency, clear tracking, and value per conversion.
• Agencies should streamline reporting and align KPIs with client revenue goals.
• In-house teams should prioritise channels with short feedback loops and proven impact.

And most importantly — everyone should be prepared to adapt. What worked six months ago may no longer apply.

Final thoughts

Marketing in 2025 isn’t broken — but it is under pressure. The spotlight is on results, not reach. And those who can prove their worth will thrive.

If you’ve built your career on guesswork and gut feel, now’s the time to level up. But if you’ve always been a performance-minded marketer? This might be your moment.