Uncertainty isn’t going away. Here’s how to sharpen your marketing, protect performance, and accelerate out of the slump.
The announcement of new US tariffs yesterday – sweeping, aggressive and immediate – might feel like a distant geopolitical issue. But for UK businesses, the ripple effects are real.
Market jitters. Supply chain shocks. Shifting customer behaviour. We’ve been here before. But this time, it lands just as many hoped for a calmer 2025.
If you’re a CEO, MD or CMO trying to plan your next move, the message is clear: uncertainty is back on the table, and it’s not going anywhere soon.
So what now?
This is not the moment to freeze. It’s the moment to focus.
Specifically, it’s the time to look closely at how your business is using marketing: where you’re spending, how it’s performing, and whether it’s helping your business adapt and grow in the current environment.
Where to Focus Now
1. Don’t just cut marketing spend — reallocate it with commercial intent.
Audit everything. If it doesn’t tie to margin, retention, or revenue, challenge it.
2. Use AI to increase efficiency — not just output.
Free up teams to focus on what drives performance. Automate the rest.
3. Fix the data gaps you’ve been avoiding.
If reporting’s slow or incomplete, clean it up. Connect marketing metrics to real outcomes.
4. Revalidate your customer insight.
Behaviour shifts fast when prices change. Make sure your offer and message still land.
5. If you’re exposed to global shocks — pivot fast.
Don’t wait. Reposition. Test new angles. Let marketing lead the adaptation.
6. Streamline your marketing function.
Silos waste time and money. Align teams around a single commercial outcome.
7. Use slowdowns to build capability.
Upskill. Automate. Improve journeys. Use this window to prepare for the next surge.
8. Adjust your tone for today’s market.
Now’s not the time for hype. Be useful, relevant, human.
9. Work in shorter cycles.
Ditch the annual plan. Set 90-day goals. Review. Reset. Repeat.
10. Treat marketing as a lever — not a luxury.
If it’s not driving performance, fix it. If it is, scale it.
Trump’s tariffs have changed the tone of the year — again. This isn’t the time to stand still. The businesses that use this moment to tighten up, simplify and focus will be the ones that accelerate out of the slump while others hesitate.
Marketing should be part of the solution — not a leftover from better times.
If you’re reassessing your plans or want a fresh perspective on how to unlock growth in this climate, I’m happy to have that conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. Reallocate spend with commercial intent rather than simply cutting it. Audit all activity and challenge anything that does not tie to margin, retention or revenue. If marketing is driving performance, scale it; if it is not, fix it. Treat marketing as a lever, not a luxury.
Work in shorter cycles. Instead of relying on an annual plan, set 90-day goals, then review, reset and repeat. Alongside this, fix reporting gaps so marketing metrics connect to real outcomes, revalidate customer insight as behaviour shifts with prices, and use slower periods to upskill teams, automate and improve customer journeys.
