As tariff concerns grow, brands like Ford and DSW reposition messaging around transparency and value

Volkswagen’s recent TV spot for its all-electric 2025 ID.4 doesn’t just tout performance and design — it has a message tailored to the current moment. The tagline: “Proudly assembled in Chattanooga.” In a political and economic climate where “Made in America” carries growing significance, it’s a strategic pivot designed to signal stability, trust and value.

And VW isn’t alone.

With new tariffs looming and economic uncertainty rising, brands across industries are rethinking how they show up, what they say and which channels they use. Increasingly, U.S. marketers are shifting away from product-centric storytelling toward messaging that spotlights transparency, fair pricing and adaptability. That means they’re gravitating toward channels that offer greater flexibility such as CTV and audio, as noted in a recent IAB report.

For companies like Ford, DSW and Raymour & Flanigan, this moment feels familiar. Much like the early pandemic days of 2020, marketers are moving fast to reassure anxious consumers while aligning brand values with national sentiment.

“This is the time to do it. People are on edge in a lot of ways. Everyone is thinking about how they are going to navigate the second half of this year. So companies that think about how they can help is well received,” Marla Skiko, global head of media and marketing intelligence at Ford, tells The Current. “It’s just a matter of how they frame that story. It’s an important story to tell if you have that story.”

American sentiment and “pre-tariff pricing”

One of the clearest ways brands are reframing their stories is by doubling down on value. Across retail categories, marketers are promoting discounts, special pricing and messaging around affordability to reinforce trust and drive urgency.

Furniture bargain retailer Raymour & Flanigan, for example, is promoting “pre-tariff” pricing in its latest connected TV (CTV) campaign. The call to action is clear: Buy now before external pressures force a price shift.

As seen in the VW commercial, many brands are highlighting domestic production to reinforce trust. Ford, in particular, has been leaning further into its American roots since 2023, and that messaging is especially resonant. As the current U.S. administration pushes protectionist policies and new tariffs, Ford’s latest campaign, From America, For America, transforms its supply chain footprint into a brand asset.

The campaign doesn’t just spotlight the fact that 80% of Ford vehicles are manufactured in the U.S. — it turns that statistic into a loyalty message. The ad also promotes employee pricing for consumers, framed around national pride and long-term commitment.

The creative, launched in May, states: “Which automaker assembles the most vehicles in the country? Ford. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a commitment. And now, at this unprecedented moment in automotive history, who benefits from Ford’s commitment to America for 120 years? You.”

It’s another example of Ford meeting the moment, just as it did during the pandemic when it shut down its plants and started making respirators, according to Skiko. She says there has been a noticeable uptick in car purchases since the auto tariffs were announced. In some cases, prices are already rising, The Washington Post reports.

“No one knows for certain what’s going to happen in the back half of the year, so if someone needs a vehicle, now is a really good time to buy,” she says. “The tariffs don’t apply to the vehicles on the ground already, or before the tariff cutoff date, so it’s good timing before some of those tariffs take effect.”

Flexibility and transparency

Even if brands can’t tap that “American as apple pie” sentiment in their marketing, a little transparency goes a long way. Couple that with agility, and brands can have a solid tariff strategy.

Take DSW. The value-driven footwear company is moving away from brand-focused messaging to more category-driven choices. It’s prioritizing what shoppers actually need to keep its marketing current amid any potential supply chain issues.

Speaking on The Current Podcast, DSW CMO Sarah Crockett said the company is treating flexibility as a core creative asset. “That might be focusing more on what those unique value points for DSW as a retailer are versus focusing on an individual style of shoe.”

The strategy is built around trust and optionality: If shoppers aren’t sure what they need, they know they’ll find it at DSW — and at a price that still makes sense. In an environment where pricing could shift quickly, this positioning becomes a stabilizing force.

“Our priority is to be transparent with our consumer,” Crockett said. “We know this conversation is on our consumers’ minds, so we wanted to fill in the blank, so they know how DSW is managing this change.”

This transparent messaging is complemented by discounts for “VIP customers.”

Some brands, like shoe brand Keen, are going a step further to guarantee their customers won’t be facing any incremental pricing surges.

Ultimately, this goes beyond the threat of tariffs — it’s a larger reckoning around operational transparency, consumer empathy and marketing agility.

“Tariffs, like the early shocks of the pandemic, do not impact one function in isolation — they cascade,” explains Peter Pawlick, partner and head of experience at brand consultancy Proto Innovation. “A cost increase becomes a sourcing constraint, then a production delay, a margin compression and eventually a shift in how value is communicated and received. These effects are not parallel — they are compounding, with each decision reshaping the next constraint.”

That compounding effect is shaping marketing strategy in real time. Messaging must now serve multiple masters: pricing urgency, emotional reassurance and long-term brand relevance.