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The Impact of Economic Contractions on the Effectiveness of R&D and Advertising: Evidence from U.S. Companies Spanning Three Decades

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  • Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp

    (Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599)

  • Eric (Er) Fang

    (College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61822)

Abstract

The critical role of research and development (R&D) and advertising in the marketing strategy of the firm is well established. This paper conceptually and empirically examines why and how much the effectiveness of these two marketing instruments differs between times of economic expansions versus periods of economic contractions--and whether these results depend on the cyclicality of the industry in question. We consider a key marketing metric (market share) and a key financial metric (firm profit). Our empirical setting is 1,175 U.S. firms across a time period spanning over three decades. We find that R&D and advertising contribute to firm performance but that their effectiveness is not constant across the business cycle. Increasing advertising share in contractions has a stronger effect on profit and market share than increasing advertising share in expansions. Likewise, investments in R&D in contractions lead to higher gains in market share and profit than R&D investments in expansions, albeit only in subsequent years. If in contractions the firm faces tight budget constraints and has to choose between either maintaining R&D or advertising, our simulation results show that maintaining R&D is associated with better company performance. We find that advertising effectiveness, in general, and in contractions, in particular, is systematically moderated by the degree of cyclicality of the industry in which the firm operates. In relatively stable industries, advertising effects are small or even nonsignificant, and they do not go beyond the year the firm advertises. However, in highly cyclical industries, advertising effects are long-lasting, its total effect being 50% larger (market share) and 200% larger (profits) than in industries of average cyclicality. The effect of industry cyclicality on advertising effectiveness is especially pronounced in contractions. Collectively, these findings provide valuable and actionable insights into how firms should respond to contractions in order to grow profits and market share.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp & Eric (Er) Fang, 2011. "The Impact of Economic Contractions on the Effectiveness of R&D and Advertising: Evidence from U.S. Companies Spanning Three Decades," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(4), pages 628-645, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:30:y:2011:i:4:p:628-645
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1110.0641
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    7. Marnik G. Dekimpe & Barbara Deleersnyder, 2018. "Business cycle research in marketing: a review and research agenda," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 31-58, January.
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    9. Mian, G. Mujtaba & Sharma, Piyush & Gul, Ferdinand A., 2018. "Investor sentiment and advertising expenditure," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 611-627.
    10. Kashmiri, Saim & Mahajan, Vijay, 2014. "Beating the recession blues: Exploring the link between family ownership, strategic marketing behavior and firm performance during recessions," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 78-93.
    11. Byun, Kate Jeonghee & Park, Jimi & Yoo, Shijin & Cho, Minhee, 2023. "Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the influence of word-of-mouth on purchasing decisions?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
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    13. Dolores Añón Higón & Miguel Manjón & Juan A. Máñez & Juan A. Sanchis-Llopis, 2014. "Does R&D Protect Smes From The Hardness Of The Cycle? Evidence From Spanish Smes (1990-2009)," Working Papers 1411, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    14. Bob Walrave & A Georges L Romme & Kim E van Oorschot & Fred Langerak, 2017. "Managerial attention to exploitation versus exploration: toward a dynamic perspective on ambidexterity," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 26(6), pages 1145-1160.
    15. Paul-Valentin Ngobo & Aurore Ingarao, 2017. "Impact du Moral des Ménages sur la Concurrence Inter-formats : une analyse à partir de l'indice de l'INSEE," Post-Print halshs-02190577, HAL.
    16. Feng, Cong & Fay, Scott, 2020. "Store Closings and Retailer Profitability: A Contingency Perspective," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 411-433.
    17. Imran S. Currim & Jooseop Lim & Yu Zhang, 2018. "Effect of analysts’ earnings pressure on marketing spending and stock market performance," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 431-452, May.
    18. Love, James H. & Máñez, Juan A., 2019. "Persistence in exporting: Cumulative and punctuated learning effects," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 74-89.
    19. Silvestri, Daniela & Riccaboni, Massimo & Della Malva, Antonio, 2018. "Sailing in all winds: Technological search over the business cycle," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10), pages 1933-1944.
    20. Mahabubur Rahman & Saqib Aziz & Mathew Hughes, 2020. "The product‐market performance benefits of environmental policy: Why customer awareness and firm innovativeness matter," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 2001-2018, July.
    21. Rasul, Tareq & Lim, Weng Marc & Dowling, Michael & Kumar, Satish & Rather, Raouf Ahmad, 2022. "Advertising expenditure and stock performance: A bibliometric analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    22. Pilar Beneito & María E. Rochina-Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis, 2013. "Ownership and cyclicality of firms’ R&D investment," Working Papers 1306, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    23. Shalini Nath Tripathi & Dheeraj Misra & Masood Siddiqui, 2020. "Impact of Advertising Intensity on Market Risk of a Firm: A Study on the Indian Consumer Goods Sector," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 21(6), pages 1376-1386, December.
    24. Ambarish Chandra & Matthew Weinberg, 2018. "How Does Advertising Depend on Competition? Evidence from U.S. Brewing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(11), pages 5132-5148, November.

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