Tariff Tsuris.

The hell with economic ditches dug out by erratic policy. 

So, okay, there’s a temptation to talk about zigs, zags, and remote Pacific Islands with zero US trade facing a 10% tariff hit.

But that’s noise. Let’s talk opportunity.

Choose to effectively address the moment, and I’d argue a health plan could start shifting the emergent narrative that its business model is all about denial of service. 

A utility could make strides in rebuilding trust with ratepayers and policymakers.  A pharmaceutical company could underscore that a viable public health system is critical to a healthy economy. A food manufacturer could focus attention on the essential value of choice in both price and products as a key to weathering tough times.

I’d even go so far as to say a political party, finally understanding the advantages of acting like a challenger brand, could reposition itself by replacing endless talk about outrage and autocracy with a heartfelt and concrete discussion of ways to protect the bottom 90% from fallout.

How? We dive into VUCA — the unlovely acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity — to find something elegant, maybe even beautiful. 

No question, we’re living in a black swan riddle wrapped in an own-goal error, planted squarely in the middle of a public affairs minefield. After all, if history is to be believed, this is the most polarized period since the 1880s, give or take a decade.   

Unlike previous backward slides where it was almost mandatory to take a consumer-aligned stance on the recessionary dip, this is different: while calling out the tariff policies might provide an emotional zing, a lot of companies — particularly those government or government-adjacent — really don’t want to dip a toe, finger, or other fleshy body parts into the political meatgrinder.

So, what’s a forward-looking, empathetic brand seeking to do right by its customers, shareholders, and the future to do? 

Act now. Because this is one of those rare situations where necessity intersects with possibility and the sooner you move, the bigger the upside.

That’s where clarity comes in. And at the risk of sounding (scratch) sounding (scratch) sounding like a broken record, here’s the thinking:

Step one is to set the foundation for clarity via a quick recalibration on your core value proposition — not so much for changes, as for a smidge of dial-up here, some nip and tuck there.

Step two is to plot the Venn diagram that shows where that value most powerfully connects with the audience’s most relevant needs. 

Step three, and maybe most critical, is to turn the lens on your audience, not yourself. The story is NOT about tariffs or politics or VUCA or even, gasp, you.

It’s about making people feel heard, understood, and addressed at a time when everything else seems to be slipping out of control.