By Michael Bush, Managing Director of digital marketing agency, Climb Online Amid headlines of a looming recession in the UK, consumers and businesses are likely to start making cutbacks in spend. The kneejerk reaction from many businesses is to begin pulling funding wherever they can, and in these circumstances, marketing and advertising are often the first to feel the pinch. For example, during the 2008 recession, the US saw a reported 13% drop in advertising spend.