• Forbes CMO Network, Friday, August 7, 2009 11:30 AM

With the assistance of data-crunching from CoreBrand, Helen Coster and Kurt Badenhausen take a look at eight venerable brands that have actually had positive earnings and sales growth during the recessionary years of 1990, 1991, 2001 and 2008.

Several of them maintained steady earnings because they sold their more volatile businesses. H&R Block, for example, quit its loan-origination and brokerage businesses. And ConAgra sold its more volatile, commodities-based businesses such as the Eckrich, Armour and Butterball meat brands.

Other familiar names have thrived by focusing on inexpensive products. There's Wal-Mart, of course, but also H.J. Heinz and Kroger. And ConAgra itself has seen steady growth for $1 Banquet frozen dinners. A slideshow with write-ups of each of the eight brands featured -- the others are Automatic Data Processing, Johnson & Johnson, Walgreen and McCormick -- begins here.

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