Communications during Recession

If the US recession is for real... Communicators should get ready to do MORE with LESS. Or should it be MORE square with MORE!

Recession means less consumers.
Declining consumer base means less demand.
Inadequate demand means more efforts to stimulate demand.
Inadequate demand means Marketing & Advertising needs to work harder.

Traditionally, organization worldwide toe this line - when people buy less, spend less on marketing, branding and advertising. According to research firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson, advertising in the US dropped 9% in the 2001 recession and Internet advertising specifically fell 27%. This applies to B2B communicators as well, because as consumer spending drops the businesses that sell to those consumers reduce their spending as well.

But shouldn't the advertisers be doing the reverse - spend more on advertising when the going gets tough? Please share your opinions?