The Uncertainty Challenge

Andrew Frank

While American companies have undoubtedly shown great resilience throughout 2025, the past twelve months have been uniquely challenging in several new and unforeseen ways. Many executives across the country agree that at the top of the list are the waves of dramatically evolving tariff announcements, deadlines and reversals that have left a wide array of critical American sectors operating in a near-constant state of uncertainty. As a result, boardrooms across the country have grappled with sudden cost increases, investor anxiety and operational disruptions—all while trying to interpret policy decisions that are often unveiled through informal comments, impromptu press conferences or social media platforms rather than formal regulatory announcements. This volatile business environment is impacting important sectors, including manufacturers, retailers, automakers, agricultural producers and importers.

Notably, rising costs of importing steel and aluminum from such markets as China, Canada, Brazil and Mexico were particularly challenging for American manufacturing, automotive and construction sectors in recent months. Input-cost increases made it harder to compete, hit margins and can threaten job security. Similarly, retailers and small manufacturers that are heavily reliant on critical materials, plastics and textiles, invariably felt the pressure and raised prices accordingly. And the export-oriented American agriculture industry, particularly those involved in soybeans and pork production, continues to face considerable challenges related to complex trade negotiations mired in geopolitics and retaliatory measures from China and other major trading partners.

This reality has forced American companies to fundamentally rethink not only supply chains and pricing models, but also how they engage increasingly cautious consumers and concerned employees and communicate, advocate and protect their interests in Washington.

During the first Trump administration, many American companies absorbed tariffs as a painful but manageable cost of doing business. Those impacts were gradually built into pricing, sourcing strategies and long-term planning and, in many cases, continued through the Biden years. This time, however, the environment is profoundly different, and the stakes are much higher.

What has changed most significantly over the past year is how quickly things change: One day there’s a policy, the next day another country retaliates and then there’s a rollback. The whiplash can make anyone’s head spin; the only predictable factor is unpredictability, which has greatly affected how companies choose to respond. Tariffs are no longer just a trade issue; they’re a messaging and reputational issue with real implications for Americans. And silence or non-action in this climate is not neutrality. It’s a great risk.

To deal with this uncertainty, we have increasingly seen companies turn to strategic communications advisory firms with expertise in crisis and public affairs to help them navigate this turbulent landscape. We’re playing a critical role in helping companies take ownership in defining a narrative that articulates their value to the U.S. economy, simultaneously positioning themselves not as trade liabilities but as domestic stakeholders worth protecting.

For instance, throughout 2025, we’ve seen the automotive industry invest heavily, not just in announcing new U.S.-based factories, but also in critical trade-focused communications strategies, framing tariffs as job-impacting policies—not just cost issues—and coordinating media narratives around competitiveness and worker headcounts. Major retailers opted to explain price inflation to weary customers without placing explicit blame on the administration, ensuring tariff communications didn’t escalate into consumer backlash or political retaliation. Tech and hardware manufacturers utilized PR counsel to help crystallize and deploy messaging that positioned the companies and their technologies as critical for national security. Agriculture enterprises used direct lobbying while also communicating their value to the American economy through humanized narratives around generational family farms grounded in rural communities.

For decades, President Trump has thrived on carefully honing his public persona as a brand. Now, many companies impacted by the administration’s tariffs are discovering, sometimes for the first time, the benefits of honing their public personae. Companies learned that their framing in media coverage, whether it be old-line influential media outlets or social media channels, can directly impact the bottom line and how their story aligns with broader political priorities can directly influence outcomes.

The uncomfortable truth is that many U.S. companies were not previously built for this kind of political visibility. They not only didn’t desire it, but it was also unnecessary. They never felt the need to build internal teams who understand the nuances of federal trade politics or know how to simultaneously communicate effectively with congressional offices, the administration, trade associations and the press. Strategic communications advisors are increasingly filling that role—coordinating messaging, identifying all critical stakeholders and the appropriate platforms for reaching each, monitoring policy signals and aligning communications with broader advocacy efforts.

Another critical shift is in coalition-building. Many companies that import components or finished goods are deeply intertwined with domestic manufacturing, employment, logistics and downstream industries. PR firms are helping American businesses find common ground with trade associations and sometimes even with overseas partners—to present unified, credible arguments about economic impact, job preservation and competitiveness. When American companies speak collectively, the message resonates more robustly with policymakers in Washington.

Information gathering and counsel that’s both timely and accurate has become one of the most valuable assets of all. Understanding who’s shaping the next trade proposal, which voices are gaining traction inside the administration and how regulatory momentum is evolving can determine whether a company is blindsided or prepared. Communications firms are increasingly tasked not just with messaging, but with real-time intelligence, scenario planning across a broad range of platforms and rapid response tactics.

Importantly, this environment can’t be treated solely as a temporary disruption as we head into 2026. While price increases have now been baked into long-term planning and consumers are expected to buy less, CEOs are watching closely how their communications efforts are intertwined with actual policy outcomes.

The fact is, such tactics are now critical, not just under this President but the broader landscape of our nation’s capital. Washington is no longer just a policy capital filled with politicians relying on a handful of newspapers and television channels. It’s now a full-blown media-driven influence ecosystem where decisions are shaped in parallel across cable news, digital outlets, podcasts, newsletters, social platforms and closed-door political conversations. Today’s decision-makers consume information constantly and informally, long before official hearings or regulatory action. At times, a viral TikTok or X post can have more value than a New York Times front page story. American companies that fail to engage across these channels often find themselves reacting to policy rather than shaping it.

Tariff volatility is likely to remain a defining feature of the current administration and beyond. Companies that institutionalize strategic communications, communicate with economic storytelling that’s compelling, creative and human—integrated with government relations and business planning—will be far better positioned to withstand future shocks. In today’s world, companies that master this distinction don’t just survive tariff cycles—they can engage with influential stakeholders to help shape how those cycles unfold.

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Andrew Frank is Founder and President of KARV. More information about KARV’s offerings is available at www.KARV.global or by contacting [email protected].