With the looming threat of U.S. tariffs hanging over Canada – business leaders from coast to coast are wondering what proactive steps they can take to protect their companies and their workers.
In response to a flurry of executive orders from the newly minted U.S. President Donald Trump, many U.S. companies like JPMorgan Chase have established war rooms to assess how Trump’s rapid policy changes could affect their industry, their workers, and their stakeholders.
A war room is not necessarily a physical space – it is a dynamic and agile team dedicated to monitoring developments, analyzing data, developing solutions and strategies to changing situations, and reacting in real-time. In uncertain times like these, war rooms should be seen as a critical function for any company that could be affected by tariffs.
War rooms have long been a critical tool in political campaigns – a tried and tested method for effectively managing high-stakes issues. Canadian companies, like their counterparts in the U.S., should leverage this encompassing strategy to address the issues posed by any potential U.S. tariffs.
Recently, Trump engaged in a short diplomatic spat with Colombia, where the threat of new tariffs on the South American country led to the quick resolution of an issue surrounding criminal deportations. This issue highlighted how the Trump administration is using tariffs to achieve strategic wins from the U.S. – not to punish their neighbours. This is good news for Canadian companies, who are worried about tariffs disrupting their supply chains, increasing their costs, and hurting their overall competitiveness. Still, however, companies should be hoping for the best in diplomatic dealings with the U.S., and planning for the worst.
We found that it is critical to offer powerful solutions help companies plan for major policy changes coming out of the U.S., including traditional war room services that would be part of any serious political campaign – services that could be adopted by a wide-range of industries, from oil and gas, to banking, to automotive manufacturing, to agriculture, to tourism.
SHIFT can support companies with all the critical war room functions. This includes, but is not limited to, crisis management and spokesperson services, digital and multimedia products, and media and intelligence reports powered by our ground-breaking Flashbulb technology that ensure our clients are always leading conversations and shaping their own narratives.
No one knows what the future holds with respect to tariffs, which is why companies should empower themselves and be ready for anything. We can help Canadian companies prepare for any possible scenario and be ready to react, should the worst happen.
The current geopolitical environment is rapidly changing, but by preparing now, companies can position themselves to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities. Through our expertise in real-time media monitoring and intelligence, strategic planning, and crisis management, SHIFT is your advantage.