The research says that in three recessions between 1970 and 2001, the category leaders tended to be the brands that out-spent their competitors when it came to advertising.
'The True Cost of Cutting Adspend: The Impact on Premium Brand Shares 1975-2001' is a new piece of research by Dr Stephan Buck, done for the economics committee of the Advertising Association.
It says that the current approach of advertisers to cut spend, especially on television, is the reversal of a very long-term trend, where the most successful top brands tended to advertise more heavily and consistently than their rivals.
Despite the cost pressures faced by brand owners, premium brands may need to reconsider their present advertising policies, as smaller brands -- which are maintaining spend rather than cutting it -- are gaining market share at the expense of the bigger brands.
Tim Ambler, senior fellow at the London Business School, said: "No one with an interest in the effectiveness of advertising and the long-term maintenance of brand franchises can afford to miss the evidence presented here.
"It puts into context recent major developments in a highly complex and important market and raises pertinent questions about the validity of the long-term strategy of some major advertisers."
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