4 Strategies for a Brutal Budget Season: How to Defend Spending and Benefit from Recovery. Turns out opportunity actually knocks for brands that recognize the current zeitgeist. There's a carpe diem moment for marketers that defend their share of voice (SOV). Data suggests that brands that cut their SOV during a recession end up spending more during the recovery to get back SOV and marketshare. It also shows that brands that continue to invest with the same dollars gain an ROI that makes up for continuing to spend. Brands that spend wisely during recessions reap a myriad of benefits. Balancing brand spending with sales activation messaging is essential.