Marketing in a Cost of Living Crisis: What Responsibility Looks Like for Brands
Okay, let’s have a real conversation about the elephant in the room…or rather, the shrinking balance in everyone’s bank account. Everyday purchases are being questioned like never before. “Do they want it?” is no longer the question. “Can they justify it?” is the question as everyone’s electric bill balloons.
This environment requires brands to react thoughtfully. Frantic marketing reeks of desperation, and people can smell it from a mile away. It’s our responsibility to shift from “How do we take their money?” to “How do we offer enough value to deserve some of their budget?”
What We’re Talking About When We Say “Cost of Living Crisis”
If we want to market responsibly, we need to accept this math: global inflation rates soared in 2024 across the board. In the US, we saw inflation rise to roughly 3.4% midway through the year. In the UK, inflation peaked at over 10% towards the end of 2022 and into early 2023. Though those numbers will come down (and have been coming down for a while), we are left with the financial hangover. Higher costs of living, driven by rising housing, food, and energy prices alongside stagnant wages, continue to affect households across key markets. Even in 2025, the U.S. Consumer Price Index (a key measure of living costs) still rose 2.7% year-over-year, with food prices up over 3%, meaning many families continued to feel price pressure on essentials.
What does that mean? There has been a colossal shift in consumer psychology. Research from Deloitte highlighted that 76% of consumers say they’re more budget-conscious now than they were two years ago. We are not just budget shoppers. We are talking about a weary, annoyed population that is tired of pinching pennies.
What “Responsibility” Actually Means for Brands
Responsibility in marketing is a framework of ethical choices that benefits both the business and the consumer.
Key components:
Honest value articulation: Show exactly why your offer is worth the spend. No fluff, just facts.
Contextual pricing strategy: Adjust your approach to meet people where they are without devaluing your entire category.
Meaningful empathy (not pity): Speak to the human experience in a way that feels grounded in reality, not exploitative.
Shared value creation: When the consumer wins, you win. This builds the kind of long-term brand trust that lasts far longer than a quarterly recession.
Pricing Strategy: Value Over Discounts
Here’s our hot take: generic sales offering percentage discounts are a race to the bottom. They signal weakness, not value, and they train your customers to never pay full price again. Instead of a fire sale, consider these four responsible pricing approaches.
Transparent pricing: Explain what drives your price. Whether it is material costs, sourcing, labor, or anything else, sharing the "why" builds understanding and gives a perception of fairness.
Value-led pricing: Bundle solutions that save money in the long run. Think kits, memberships, loyalty rewards, or subscription bundles that lower the cost per use.
Pay-what-makes-sense or tiered options: Give consumers a choice without demeaning your core value. Contribution to charities or sliding scales for services can be used thoughtfully in nonprofit contexts, but they are also applicable to community-oriented brands that want to remain accessible.
Messaging With Empathy And Not Exploitation
This is a critical differentiator because you can still advertise boldly as a brand while leading with empathy based on reality. There is a common misconception that being responsible means being quiet or "small" in your marketing, but that is not the case. Boldness is necessary to cut through the noise; it just needs to be anchored in a genuine understanding of your customer's current world.
The goal is to speak as a partner rather than a hustler. Don’t use tone-deaf messaging that relies on scare tactics to exploit vulnerability. Acknowledge real stress without dramatizing it, go for a simple, "We know things are tight, so we’ve made this more flexible," rather than a "LAST CHANCE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!" banner. When you market from a place of reality, your boldness feels like an invitation to a solution rather than ignorance of a struggle.
Responsible Brand Marketing in Action
Let’s look at two brands that are getting this right.
1. Patagonia: They aren't a discount brand, but they are incredibly responsible. They lean into sustainability, product longevity, and repair services. Their ‘Worn Wear’ program reframes buying as a long-term investment rather than an impulse. Consumers feel supported rather than sold to because the brand value is tied to the product's life.
2. Airbnb: During economic fluctuations, Airbnb has leaned into value narratives. They focus on cost-efficient travel and hosts' ability to earn extra income. They position themselves as a tool for economic resilience rather than just a luxury travel app.
What Not To Do: Pitfalls & Brand Missteps
Want to maintain trust with your audience and brand reputation? Here’s a quick guide at what not to do:
Fear-Based Discounts: Discounting based on your customers' fears feels predatory. It breaks trust before it can be built.
Pity-Please Baiting: Using terms like “struggling” or “these difficult times” to guilt someone into buying feels condescending.
Insensitive Scarcity: Forced scarcity, like countdown clocks and made-up low inventory, is completely insensitive when people are struggling.
A Playbook for Responsible 2026 Brand Marketing
Ready to put this into practice? Here is our 6-step checklist for the year ahead:
Audience Listening: Use social tools to hear what your customers are actually worried about right now.
Content Audit: Review your automated emails and ads. Do they sound out of touch or insensitive to current climates?
Value-Centered Offers: Create bundles or entry-level versions of your service that solve a specific problem.
Messaging Guidelines: Brief your team on the tone of voice. No pity, no hype, just helpfulness.
Multichannel Flow: Ensure your message of value is consistent everywhere from TikTok to your email list.
Feedback plus Iteration: Ask your customers if your offers are helpful, and be prepared to pivot.
In a time when people are careful with their dollars, they’re even more careful with their attention. So if you show up in their feed right now, make sure you earn that space. Brands that honor that reality (those that prioritize transparency, genuine value, and human empathy) earn a type of loyalty that outlasts the crisis itself. Stop rushing to fill a calendar with sales and start moving the needle with responsibility.
Chat soon,
The Content Queens
