How to lead marketing through economic uncertainty

Marketing in a downturn feels chaotic. But it doesn’t have to. Lisa Cole shares how to regain control with audits, AI and bold GTM moves.

By ,
Head of Content & Media
June 25, 2025 • 2 minutes read

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    Feeling the squeeze of economic uncertainty? You’re not alone. With tariffs and geopolitical tensions weighing heavily on the economy, marketing leaders everywhere are searching for a clear path forward.

    In this episode of Conversations with MarTech, we sit down with Lisa Cole, an award-winning marketing leader and four-time CMO who’s currently at the helm as CMO of marketing managed services firm 2X. Lisa shares her invaluable expertise on how to not just survive, but thrive during uncertain economic times.

    Discover why making across-the-board cuts isn’t the answer. Lisa reveals why reallocation, not cuts, is the strategic move, drawing on lessons from past downturns that show businesses recovering fastest are those that lean in, especially with their go-to-market (GTM) strategy.

    Before you can strategically navigate the challenges, you need to get your house in order. Lisa stresses the importance of auditing marketing’s operating model as the crucial first step. We’ll also explore the powerful roles of outsourcing and AI in boosting efficiency and streamlining workflows, enabling your marketing team to work smarter, not harder.

    Dig deeper: More Conversations with MarTech

    Episode highlights

    0:52: Meet Lisa Cole, CMO of 2X.
    1:47: What makes this downturn different? 
    3:16: Your first move when uncertainty hits.
    6:11: “Cutting is not a strategy.”
    8:42: Unlocking efficiency.

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    MarTech is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.

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    Mike Pastore
    Head of Content & Media

    Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media at Third Door Media, the publisher of the Martech and Search Engine Land websites and the producer of the SMX and MarTech Conferences. In nearly three decades in B2B marketing, Mike has worked as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

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