How a second Trump presidency could impact the ad industry

This past month, Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, marking a pivotal moment in American society and underscoring his continued influence on the nation’s political landscape. With many uncertainties as to what the next four years could hold, we turned to thought leaders within the Amp community to ask for their insights on how a second Trump presidency could impact trade, data privacy, regulation and more, and how all of those possibilities could impact the marketing industry. Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman at S4 Capital (parent of Amp member Monks), recently told Ad Age that he thinks the next four years will be “good” for the American economy. “U.S. businesses don’t like to admit it, but they prefer Trump, as he stands for low tax and low regulation—maybe with some qualification in tech,” Sorrell said. “He has already indicated lower personal and corporate taxes … businesses with significant U.S. exposure, both home and abroad, will benefit. The market is already reacting that way. Maybe the tariffs will be inflationary too, if enacted.” However, when it comes to commerce-based foreign relations, the outlook is less obvious, Sorrell added: “The position for Europe and companies exporting into the U.S. is probably less rosy, given the likelihood of U.S. tariffs.… I think the new administration will be good for South America too—contiguous for supply chains—but maybe a little less good for Asia.” Exploring topics ranging from data privacy and regulation to the growing need for inclusion and increased empathy across divisions, here’s what three Amp leaders had to say on the subject. Natalie Nymark, president, Pereira O’Dell This year has been incredibly divisive, and honestly, we’re all feeling a bit worn out. In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, this is the time for brands to highlight the common threads that tie us together—our shared humanity, values and aspirations. I think 2025 will be about shifting focus from what divides us to what unites us. When you look at the numbers, it’s clear that people are seeking out unity and inclusivity. In fact, according to a Kantar study, 75% of consumers say they’re more likely to support companies that are committed to inclusion. It’s a moment for advertising to really connect with people on a deeper level, fostering empathy and building relationships that bring us together rather than pull us apart. Here are three ways brands can meaningfully connect with consumers: 1. Focus on what’s distinct and special about your brand and use that to connect with people. Highlight your unique qualities and value proposition in a way that resonates with your audience’s needs and aspirations. 2. Lean on emotional benefits that bring to life what makes us human. By tapping into shared experiences and fundamental emotions, brands can create deeper, more authentic connections. 3. Make things easy for your consumers. Recognize that life can feel challenging, so simplifying processes, reducing friction and providing genuine support can be a powerful way to build trust and loyalty. In the end, the most successful brands will be those that understand that connection is not about grand gestures, but about genuine empathy, active listening and a sincere commitment to adding real value to people’s lives. By embracing these principles, we can help transform the current narrative from division to understanding. Lydia Pavach, account director, Hogwash Studios A second Trump administration is likely to reduce regulatory oversight on digital advertising and data practices, creating an even more aggressive use of personal data for targeted campaigns. While this could lead to more exact audience targeting—and consequently, a potential boom in ad spend—it also means consumers will be more skeptical and protective of their privacy. This looser regulatory approach could accelerate the adoption of AI in content creation, driving rapid innovation while presenting challenges in keeping pace with the development of ethical standards and legal safeguards. Brands may increasingly turn to AI for faster, more cost-effective content production, which in turn could make it harder to distinguish between authentic and AI-generated material. This shift raises the possibility of highly convincing AI-generated content (i.e., deepfake endorsements), prompting consumers to scrutinize what’s real. Without clear guidelines, our industry faces the complex task of balancing creativity with credibility in an evolving landscape. With these measures in mind, it is crucial that brands create campaigns that truly resonate with consumer sentiment in order to see success. Today, consumers can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. The most effective content will need to be increasingly transparent, ethical and responsive to concerns around privacy and data use. In this new era, the brands that thrive won’t just know their audience—they’ll respect them. Jasmine Presson, chief strategy officer, Mediaplus North America Let’s be real, we can’t predict how things will play out for advertising under the incoming Trump administration. There are more unknowns than knowns on how the political climate and domestic and foreign policies will impact consumer and corporate behaviors. This doesn’t mean we bury our heads in the sand. It’s a certainty that the policies will impact advertisers and agencies. We would be well served to use this moment to invest in tightening our processes for monitoring trends and for evolving our plans accordingly. An adaptive approach to advertising will become even more important in an increasingly unpredictable environment. In order to increase our ability to adapt—while avoiding being reactive—we must dedicate energies to developing clearer strategies, institutionalizing curiosity and operationalizing agility. Confidence in our strategy: Advertisers and their agencies need to ensure we’ve done the groundwork of understanding the source of growth—namely, deeply understanding who buys a brand’s products and services, why they use the category and choose the brand, and how much they’re willing to pay. Staying confident in the core of our strategy while being flexible in the tactics of how we implement it is the key to being adaptive, not reactive, in the face of a dynamic environment. Institutionalizing curiosity: Curiosity is essential to spotting changing behaviors and understanding potential ramifications early enough to act. Some trends are hard to spot because they precipitate quickly; others are hard to spot because they happen very slowly. We need to nurture curiosity in our people, while also designing processes for data collection and a cadence for analysis that prevent us from falling behind or getting stuck in analysis paralysis. Operationalizing agility: As an industry, we need to shift from an “upfront” mentality on media planning and buying to a more flexible model. For example, at Mediaplus, we embrace an approach of annual strategy to ensure long-term vision as well as quarterly media planning and buying to ensure flexibility to apply learnings and adapt to business dynamics. We must design for agility to test-learn-scale messaging quickly, to easily pause media if inventory gets stuck at ports, and embrace the diversity of who a brand’s buyers are right now as well as who their future buyers could be. When we assume change will come and focus our energies on organizational readiness for it—instead of spinning our wheels on all the “what ifs”—not only do we increase the likelihood of future success, we also walk into tomorrow with more confidence, which is the best antidote for organizational paralysis and reactiveness in a time of uncertainty. About Amp Amp is a platform that’s integrated with Ad Age and Ad Age Creativity, allowing you to leverage our editorial credibility while showcasing your expertise, accolades and campaigns. For more information visit our FAQ page. Not an Ad Age Amp member? Find your page and claim it today.

How a second Trump presidency could impact the ad industry

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