How an agency’s new task force aims to help clients navigate tariffs and the economy

As marketers grapple with the effect the Trump administration’s shifting tariffs will have on their business, global ad agency Dept has created a dedicated 10-person task force to advise them on how to reframe their marketing and communications efforts amid shifting economic winds. Rather than step into finance or supply chain strategy, the unit is focused on helping clients answer pressing communications questions about how to approach media, content strategies and brand messaging. “This is above and beyond our day-to-day work. We had an overwhelming number of Slack messages going back and forth today,” from the agency and its clients about how to navigate the tariffs, Andrew Dimitriou, Dept’s global chief client and growth officer, said Wednesday. Dept said this specialized guidance is more needed as tariff policies swing—President Donald Trump on Wednesday paused many of the tariffs for 90 days—and clients deal with the resulting confusion. Dimitriou said he met with five clients yesterday alone to discuss the current tariff situation. So far the agency has been mainly helping brands think about value messaging and building brand trust among consumers. But it’s also advising them on ways to use AI, personalized content, and other forms of technology to cut costs in their marketing. A main focus “is going to be how are we using AI to do things differently, talk to consumers differently, be more efficient, and help save money,” Dimitriou said. Dimitriou called the situation the next “COVID moment,” noting that just as digital transformation advanced in the marketing world during that time, the tariffs will spark an AI and technology boom in the industry. “When we have crisis moments, acceleration happens,” Dimitriou said. “This is our acceleration moment as it comes to AI and marketing.” The genesis for the team came from a conversation among Dimitriou, Dept CEO Dimi Albers and a few other senior leaders. Within 48 hours of its April 7 launch, 19 of the agency’s top 25 clients had utilized the team’s resources. Currently, clients aren’t being charged for insights from the newly created team, and Dept said it will share its insights with the overall industry with newsletters and public reports in the future. While Dept declined to name which clients have tapped into this new offering, some of its clients include Google, Moody’s, eBay, Logitech, Foot Locker, Netflix, Lufthansa and OpenAI. The task forceis made up of mostly strategists from different verticals in CRM, digital transformation, consulting and more who will coordinate with client team leaders at the agency. More: Tariffs and recession fears—tracking the ad industry’s response to the economy

How an agency’s new task force aims to help clients navigate tariffs and the economy

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