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Take two jewelry stores. One is your basic jewelry store. The other has a strong brand ingrained both in its internal culture and in the community. When times get tough, as they clearly have during the Great Recession, the business with strong brand recognition will ache less and, more important, distance itself from competitors faster when the economy recovers, says Drew McLellan of McLellan Marketing Group.

“I think it is the leveler for businesses,” McLellan said. “(A brand) holds your head above water when times are tough, and it allows you to rise faster and higher on the water when times are good.”

McLellan described it like this. The jewelry store without strong brand recognition relies heavily on buying advertising to market itself. The store with a strong brand relies on advertising as well, but also has the support of a brand that lies in the interactions the business has with its clients, consumers and own employees.

When times get tough, though, many businesses look at marketing as an expense rather than an investment, as something they can cut back on. This means they’ll reduce spending on advertising.

But the problem is, the generic jewelry store is much more dependent on advertising because it is the only way for that business to let the public know who it is. The branded store can cut back on its advertising and yet still has its brand out there working for it.

“Even if a company cuts back on its (advertising), the brand is doing its job every day,” McLellan said. “So that is why I think you see a lot of companies that have a strong brand that have survived the economy better, because even though they might have cut back on their expenditures, their brand is something they do every day.”

McLellan, however, cautioned that having a brand doesn’t eliminate the need for advertising.

“Again, it allows you to hone your advertising and be very focused, and it allows you to ebb and flow your advertising (dollars),” he said. “What it does is, it reminds people that your brand is out there. Your advertising is a lot more efficient because you already laid a solid foundation.”

The long-term strategy of building a brand, while arduous, can help prevent businesses from being dependent on buying advertising, which can save money in tough times. The brand in essence can allow a business to keep its marketing fire smoldering as a falling economy rains down, while the non-branded business’s flame is extinguished.

And when the economy rebounds, the branded company will be further ahead of its competition.

“It is much easier to gain market share when everyone else is quiet,” McLellan said. “So the companies that have been doing well despite the economy, they are now further ahead of their competitors. The branded company is going to keep going. (And when the economy improves) the non-branded company is going to start to make some hay because the economy is coming back, but they are probably never going to close that gap.”