A marketer's survival guide to tariffs, tumult & trouble

As we all know, when the economy panics, marketing is always first on the chopping block.

Prominent ad-spending forecasts have already been cut. CMOs are rewriting their roadmaps. And somewhere out there, a junior strategist is wondering whether now is a good time to go back to school. But we marketers are nothing if not resilient.

In recent years, we’ve weathered pandemics, privacy implosions, platform chaos, and more. We’ve built entire brands on borrowed time and rented attention. Best believe we know how to pivot. So here’s your Tariff-Era Survival Guide to help you ride out the economic chaos, prove your value, and maybe even come out of this smarter and stronger than before. Maybe.

Trump’s tariff move is obviously triggering recessionary alarm bells, and fast.

The economic ripple effects are already being felt, especially in industries heavily reliant on international supply chains. Consumer confidence is wobbling. Purchasing cycles are stretching. And while Wall Street is losing its mind, Main Street is about to tighten its purse strings. All of this spells trouble for marketing departments, which are often still treated like cost centres instead of growth drivers.

But if there’s one thing marketers know how to do, it’s adapt. We’ve been here before. COVID turned marketing into a survival sport. Cookie deprecation forced us to rebuild from the ground up. The creator economy imploded. Algorithms algorithm’d. And yet, we kept our brands moving forward.

Here’s how to bring that energy back:

• Reevaluate your messaging. What felt aspirational last month may now feel out-of-touch. If your audience is watching their wallets, your brand should read the room.

• Double down on customer retention. Your existing customers are gold. Show them love. Lean into loyalty programs, email flows, and real human comms.

• Stay flexible. That six-figure video shoot might need to become a clever UGC campaign. Constraints fuel creativity—just ask every agency in 2020.

The budget cuts are coming, but you don’t have to go down with them. Remember:

• Ruthless prioritisation is your best friend. Focus on what’s actually moving the needle. This is not the time for vanity metrics.

• Own your audience. Your email list, your blog, your SMS database—these are your lifelines. Don’t let Meta or Google dictate your reach right now.

• Performance marketing > spray-and-pray. Every dollar must work harder. If you can’t measure the ROI, it’s not going to survive the next board meeting.

Some of the best marketing in history came out of budget cuts and existential dread. For example…

• Airbnb leaned into brand storytelling during the 2008 crash and became a household name.

• Wendy’s turned a sleepy Twitter account into a cultural juggernaut with basically no budget.

• You? You might finally get to try that weird campaign idea that never got green lit when times were “normal.”

Small budgets = fewer approvals = more chances to take smart, strategic risks.

And if you want to keep your seat at the table, learn how to sell what you do in their language. Here’s how:

• Frame marketing as growth insurance. Remind leadership that brands that cut visibility during downturns often take years to recover.

• Come armed with data and narrative. Finance loves a chart. The CEO loves a story. Give them both.

• Align with business priorities. Show how your work supports short-term revenue and long-term brand health.

Most of all, DON’T STRESS. This is not the end of marketing. It’s the moment we prove our worth.

When every dollar counts, great strategy becomes non-negotiable. We aren’t out here merely selling products. We also help people make sense of the chaos. So, let’s do what we do best - read the moment, adapt fast, and keep the brand alive when everyone else is just trying to survive. You’ve got this.

-Sophie, Writer