Recession Ahead? Public Relations: Tech Businesses' Foundation for Stability

Economists and global institutions are raising alarms: a recession looms. Trump's tariff wall and aggressive policy are pushing the U.S. and global economy into a recession this year, according to JPMorgan; the probability of a recession remains at 60%. The challenges will go beyond managing the tariff shocks and descend into import, export, investment, and technology bans and possibly millions in job losses.

While the 90-day tariff pause offers a temporary breather, business leaders can’t be in denial: the ripple effects of one economy’s decisions (the U.S.) will force businesses into survival mode. But survival isn’t enough.

This is where PR becomes your smartest investment.

Instead of damage control, raise your voice and turn chaos into opportunity—shield your reputation amidst trade wars, secure stakeholder trust, and position your brand as a leader while competition falters.

Staring down a fractured global economy, PR isn’t just preparation—it’s power.

Invest where it matters most

Unlike paid advertising, PR offers credibility, validation, and trust—priceless commodities during uncertain times and when customers are cautious.

A recent blueprint? The pandemic.

When lockdown hit, many businesses leveraged PR to address security concerns and earned global goodwill. Brands like Slack and Zoom capitalised on remote work trends, positioning themselves as a lifeline for dispersed teams across nations. Their combined media coverage surged almost 400%—they understood crisis demands communication, not silence.

This isn’t new—PR has turned crises into wins for decades.

Similarly, during the 2008 recession, IBM launched its “Smarter Planet” campaign—an initiative to encourage sustainable development, societal progress, and economic growth. Sam Palmisano’s agenda was to use technology and intelligent systems to create smarter power grids, food systems, water, healthcare, and traffic systems.

IBM used PR to build the conversation around tech-driven solutions for global challenges. The campaign generated 4,000 new client engagements for a total of $3B in new revenue for IBM, and IBM’s stock outperformed the S&P 500 from 2008 to 2012.

Lobby against tariffs: Guard your business

When the economy takes a hit, governments frequently roll out policies that directly affect businesses, whether it's tightening budgets and raising taxes or imposing trade barriers and launching stimulus efforts.

At this point, lobbying isn’t only about backroom negotiations—it starts with public relations. When business leaders like Mukesh Ambani and Sundar Pichai openly link tariffs to job losses, supply chain discrepancies, and price hikes, it makes policymakers listen.

But here’s the challenge: many execs lack confidence discussing trade wars.

This is where PR steps in—by arming C-suite leaders with narratives that frame tariffs as threats to national progress and not just profits.

The best time to share those perspectives—earnings! It’s a perfect opportunity to address tariffs—where businesses can talk about their forecast, opportunities, and challenges for the year ahead.

By merging data, storytelling, and crisis readiness, executives don’t just survive policy battles—they model the rules of the game.

Shape market conversations

The next step is to articulate visionary narratives—recessions are when industry shifts accelerate—your business’s op-eds, whitepapers, or keynote speeches can shape market conversations.

Address customer pain points by aligning with their priorities—customer-centric messaging, emphasising ROI during a crisis, can help retain customers.

Earned media builds lasting brand equity, whereas ads vanish once budgets dry. For SaaS firms, whose sales cycles rely on trust, this is pivotal. HubSpot, which ramped up content marketing during the 2008 crisis, grew ARR by 50% annually from 2009–2011, attributing success to thought leadership and media partnerships.

Recessions reward the bold - as COVID-19 and 2008 proved, visibility and credibility are lifelines. In 2025, as uncertainty looms, the question isn’t whether leaders can afford PR—it’s whether they can afford silence.