The Trump Tarriffs, unveiled on Tuesday, are the rare news story that impacts every industry and every corner of the world. If it were a movie, it’d be a four-quadrant blockbuster. The far-reaching consequences mean that there’s hardly a company we work with where the tariffs don’t in some way impact their communications and marketing program.
We asked members of our public relations team what’s surprised them about the tarriffs and how they’ve tried to break through in an incredibly noisy news environment.
David Asatryan, Account Manager: “There’s been a gap between interviews and coverage, which you need to build into communications plans. We work with a company with data around pharmaceuticals. How much more can the average American expect to pay for drugs? Our client had answers. They gave us the research report a week in advance, giving reporters ample time to digest the report, schedule interviews, and plot coverage. A last-minute pitch would likely have missed the window for meaningful coverage. There were 20 pieces that cited the client’s research – many held until after April 2.”
Rochelle Kelly, account executive: “Niche stories inside the larger tariff discussion sell. We had an economist who said the tariffs would cause a 0.2% decline in the Japanese GDP. The worst damage would be in the auto sector. This was perfect for local and foreign correspondents focused on the Japanese economy and Asian markets. We pitched insights a week before Liberation Day and followed up with real-time analysis. The result? Coverage in Reuters, The Washington Post, The Telegraph, Financial Times, and The New York Times. Niche, data-focused, and timely expertise can cut through even the busiest news cycle.”
Michaela Morales, Vice President and broadcast specialist: “We’ve taken a multi-pronged approach to broadcast, pitching a curated list of guest speakers that align with network interests. For major names, I’ve done more tailored outreach. Television is in a mono-story cycle: it’s all tariffs, all the time. Fox Business expressed interest in a guest from a former client. We couldn’t do that, but we used the contact to pitch an equally strong spokesperson from another client. That follow-up is still in progress, and we’re expecting more movement this week. In broadcast agility, relevance, and persistence matter more than ever.”
Jon Schubin, Director: “The tariffs have been a slow-moving car crash. It’s meant that we’ve worked with data and analytics providers who can examine how tariffs impact the economy as far back as December. Some of that analysis is perfectly valid – in some cases more valid – than it was three months ago. Part of what we’ve been doing is getting that relevant background information back on top of reporters’ inboxes so it can be used as context in analysis pieces.”
