Facing a downturn the best performing companies open up more of a performance gap over their competitors than during more buoyant economic conditions.They do this by continuing invest selectively in the best growth opportunities, ensuring they keep driving profitable areas hard and being rigourous about cost management. In doing this they build capabilities which sustain success in the future. “There’s never a better time to steal market share than in a recession. In the Great Depression, W K Kellogg continued marketing his cereals as all his rivals were cutting back; in doing so, he pulled ahead of Post Cereals in sales, a change that has never been reversed” (Advertising on the Edge, The Economist)