Create a Recession Brand

Consumer companies with resources should consider creating low-price recession brands to protect pricing and margins on their established products.

These brands are designed to last just as long as the recession, then evaporate or continue when economic times improve.

Why not just lower prices to begin with? For some consumers, price slashing lessons the value of the original brand. And it's difficult to raise prices back up later.

The so-called "fighter brand" offers a similar product as your flagship line, but under a different name and at a lower price, according to an article on CFO.com.

"You bring this brand out just to cater to this recessionary environment," says John Quelch, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School, as quoted in the piece. "Others may have no option but to cut their price or fiddle with packaging on existing brands. But if you are a market leader, you can use your clout with retailers to get the shelf space for it."