The New Protectionism - Brand Rejection

We don't need tariffs if we basically destroy American branding

This will be a short article, not my longer “tome” analysis. It will be something quick, more than a note, but not a full-blown article.

So I just saw this on Substack:

And the headline was “they’re making it easy.”

Indeed they are.

I do marketing and advertising as my “day job.” I know exactly how to motivate people to vote, buy, acquit, convict, etc.

Making it “easy,” is an effective tactic.

That’s in part why Keto is so appealing to so many. Lose weight, avoid everything with starch and sugar in it.

Simple.

Soon, tariffs may be irrelevant.

Trump is so poisoning the well, that “Made in America,” is soon going to become the same as, made in:

That’s how it will be seen here at the rate Trump is going.

US Liquor is being effectively banned in Canada. Not because of a tariff per se, but because Canadians won’t buy US liquor. US food rots in grocery stores, they can’t give the shit away.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that grocery stores in Canada will stop ordering from US providers. There’s no point. They can’t store food people don’t want to buy, so the food they can’t sell is just an expense.

Liquor can be stored, but if it is not moving fast enough, it damages cash flow. So, liquor stores will stop buying from US producers. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is one of the largest single buyers of liquor IN THE WORLD.

So tariff or no tariff, if they stop buying, then the sun won’t shine bright on their old Kentucky homes. Everyone will be unemployed.

Essentially what Trump has created is a branding problem for every American producer. I wouldn’t have thought that would be possible, but it is.

Coca-Cola, for example, is now hated throughout the Middle East, thanks to Trump and “Gaza Hotels,” and that nonsense. What’s replaced it? Gaza Cola.

I’m not kidding.

In early 2025, the "Latino Freeze Movement" emerged, urging Latinos to halt spending on major corporations like Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Target. This initiative responded to the Trump administration's intensified immigration policies and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The movement emphasized supporting local Latino-owned businesses instead. Rumors also circulated that Coca-Cola had laid off Latino employees in Texas and reported them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though these claims remain unverified. This prompted continued boycotts of Coke.

The fact that the President LOOOOVES Diet Coke means that they’ve seen their shares pounded as a consequence. Nobody wants to drink “Hitler Cola.”

Then… of course… Tesla… and Elon “Fucking” Musk (which I think should become his legal name in the future.)

That’s a Tesla that was vandalized in Vienna. It’s just one photo of zillions of people this is happening to.

Another good one (actual OOH placed in London by a group called “Everyone Hates Elon,” opposing Musk.)

As a consequence, I’ve seen meteors fall with less intensity than Tesla’s stock price:

It isn’t going to matter if there are tariffs. You can’t force people to buy the product if you put a gun to their heads.

Which is why the President, and Sean “Fucking” Hannity (again, another legal name change I encourage), are out saying “no buy Teslas! MAGA!”

Well one, most MAGA are so poor they can’t afford one. Second, Teslas were predominantly purchased by libs.

(Plus there’s the fact that, once again, under Trump, the emoluments clause takes a blow to the marbles.)

So wow, you owned them Trump and Musk. They’re willing to light their cars on FIRE than drive them.

Canada and other countries can’t cancel StarLink fast enough:

This type of damage is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to overcome. I’ve seen venerable brands destroyed by this type of brand damage.

Need a case study? Chevrolet comes to mind.

They went from this…

to this…

This ad kills me. By adding Chevy’s badging, they lost THOUSAND DOLLARS on the price. If the brand was that toxic, I’d have made a new brand, and sold the car for what people were willing to pay. Instead, this commercial demonstrates that Chevy understood (and accepted) its brand was shit. So it turns to the “we have the best value,” pitch… which is always a loser.

Tariffs aren’t going to matter. If this trend continues, US exports will be hammered just by market conditions.

As long as this:

Is seen by the world under Trump as this:

US producers are screwed.

Truly and royally.

Tariffs won’t matter for much longer. American products and services will just be denied outright at the point of sale.

Truly catastrophic.

But hey, the price of eggs was too high. Right MAGA?

Here ends the lesson for today in branding v. tariffs.

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