PurposeTaking into account the resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities theory, the main aim of this research is to analyse how the intensification of the internationalisation process entails a solution for the problems generated by an economic crisis in the national market. To do so, we establish two specific goals. The first is to find out the mediator value of the dynamic marketing capability in the relation between the strategy of increasing markets and performance. The second is to determine if there exist differences in this relation between firms of incremental internationalisation and firms of early internationalisation, called international new ventures (INV).Design/methodology/approachThe study provides information on these problems via testing hypotheses of a conceptual model, which uses a sample of 145 Spanish export firms. The data analysis employs a structural equation modelling (SEM) through partial least squares (PLS) as a statistical instrument.FindingsThe results lead to two main conclusions: (1) in times of economic crisis, the dynamic marketing capability plays a mediator role between the increase of the number of international markets served and the international and national results; (2) the dynamic marketing capabilities bring about learning effects in the internationalisation process, which affect incremental firms and INV differently.Originality/valueThis work explores, in times of crisis, how internationalisation becomes a way out for firms to increase the levels of demand and improve their general performance. Furthermore, it also analyses the mediator role of the dynamic marketing capability in the relation between the increase of the level of internationalisation and the firm performance. In this relation, it establishes that there are significant differences in the results obtained between incremental internationalisation firms and INV, determining the notable strategic differences between the two management models when facing periods of economic recession.