How To Market Local Brands In Uncertain Economic Times: 10 Expert Tips
During times of global economic uncertainty, smart local brands can create powerful marketing campaigns that resonate with buyers by leveraging real transparency and building trust. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share strategic ideas for marketing domestically made goods and seizing the opportunity to achieve a win for both businesses and customers.
Highlighting the benefits of buying domestically made goods, especially in light of shifting import and export economics, can help businesses stand out. They should emphasize how purchasing locally supports the economy, avoids import taxes and keeps money circulating within the community—reinforcing the idea that reinvesting income into local businesses benefits everyone and creates a stronger and more sustainable economy. - Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding
Businesses should highlight the delays and costs of overseas goods, then position their product as the faster, smarter alternative. One idea is to run a 'No Boats, No Borders' campaign—emphasizing speed, reliability and pride in locally made goods while others wait on ships. They can use current headlines to fuel urgency and trust. - Miller McCoy, Limitless MFG
Amid shifting global trade, what's always worked still works: Tell the 'why' behind American-made goods and services. You should spotlight your makers, your materials and your mission. Customers want transparency and values they can stand behind, and storytelling turns the supply chain into brand pride. - Mary Ann O'Brien, OBI Creative
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Businesses will gravitate toward campaigns that either highlight the cost advantages of domestic production or that play to a patriotic desire to 'buy local.' This is wrong. Brave companies will talk about the reasons why their products are better; they'll highlight benefits and then offer the financial and speed-of-delivery advantages as an aside to make the product's superiority shine. - Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited
Local influencers are able to reveal the value and significance of a domestic product. They know the audience well, so they can build in native storytelling about the brand, revealing all its advantages. This will generate interest and trust in the product. - Michael Kuzminov, HypeFactory
I recommend focusing on storytelling over slogans. Instead of waving the 'Made in the USA' flag as a reaction to tariffs, you should spotlight the people behind the product—local makers, family-run shops and skilled workers. In uncertain times, customers respond to stability, transparency and the feeling that their purchase supports real people, not just a brand. - Jimi Gibson, Thrive Agency
Businesses can run a 'Tariff-Free Guarantee' with promotional locked-in pricing for 2025. They could go a step further and provide a limited-time swap-out of their existing foreign-made product (in-store only) for a new domestically made product for an additional discount. How far a brand wants to push this comes down to making sure the promo tone aligns with the brand's messaging. - Bernard May, National Positions
You should focus on highlighting what's close to home. You'll want to build a campaign around transparency: who made it, how it was made and why that matters. Consumers today aren't just looking for the next hot thing. They want brands that reflect their values, their beliefs and their story. You should live the narrative your brand presents. - Monica Alvarez-Mitchell, Pulse Creative, LLC
Businesses shouldn't just say their product is made domestically. They should emphasize that its components are also sourced or built in-house or within the country. This signals that their pricing will remain stable and will not be impacted by tariffs or global supply chain issues. In uncertain economic times, buyers value reliability, and full domestic production becomes a key trust signal. - Austin Irabor, NETFLY
Being clever is less important than understanding that these economic shifts can lead to fundamental changes in consumer consumption. For example, during Covid, brands that quickly adapted consumer experience strategies to new consumer expectations captured market share. Predicting these changes, especially using first-party data, helps brands thrive (or at least survive) in uncertain times. - Tate Olinghouse, Acxiom
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