Post-Election Blues

Written by Brook Schaaf

 

. . . or perhaps reds, if polls are to be believed. As of this writing, election results have not yet been announced — but economic blues seem the most likely outcome.

With election day behind us, attention may turn toward holiday sales and the economy. It’s difficult to get a clear perspective on this prior to voting because good and bad news tend to be politicized. That said, the current indicators aren’t looking so great:

Multiple companies in tech, most notably Twitter and Facebook, have announced layoffs.

The brightest news for Shopify has been its lending business to cash-strapped sellers.

Marketing budgets around the world are projected to decrease.

Consumers are heading into the holiday shopping season with more spartan budgets.

But while these all make for a gloomy Q4, past economic downturns have taught us that it doesn’t necessarily spell doom. In 2008, when shoppers were faced with an economy not dissimilar to ours, they didn’t simply stop spending — they shifted behaviors and searched for deals and coupons before purchasing. Since then, technology, networks, and partnerships have only grown and improved, so even if we’re staring down a deep blue horizon, keep your eye on the silver lining that is affiliate.