What Trump’s second presidential statement means for media and advertising

Traders are about to face a steep slope. Trump’s electoral support marks a critical moment in the culture wars, as opponents clash over issues such as transgender visibility and abortion rights. CMOs, eager to increase the value of their products, have joined these controversial discussions, believing that including these topics can increase their market presence. Sometimes it worked, often it didn’t – just ask the Bud Light salesmen.

As they look to the future, CMOs will need to tread even more carefully. Whether you call it “washing-up” or a genuine commitment to producing valuable content, this trend isn’t going anywhere. It will only grow. In addition, capitalism has the ability to adapt: ​​as new generations feel alienated from the economic, social and political system that supports society, small businesses that put their ideas into practice are and a wise policy.

But it is a double-edged sword. Trump has vowed to fight the so-called wake-up culture if he regains the White House, promising to use federal powers to reform education, health care and policing. To gauge the impact of that battle on advertising, keep a close eye on Trump ally and X owner Elon Musk and his lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers. The results can be telling.

Since Trump’s 2016 bid, his relationship with the media has been a tumultuous mix of rapprochement and conflict. His controversial viral videos attracted many people to the media but at a cost.

Trump’s attacks — calling the media “fake news” and the “enemy of the people” — have eroded public trust and undermined media integrity. His administration’s efforts at critical reporting have raised serious doubts about democracy itself.

Now, emboldened by his latest victory, Trump intends to intensify this attack. He has demonstrated the ability to manage reports through threats. Last year, he promised to bring agencies like the FCC and FTC back “under the authority of the president,” threatening their independence.

Currently, he is pushing regulators to scrutinize media mergers, particularly pushing the Justice Department to investigate AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner. Expect something in this storyline as he continues his campaign against the press.

Planets

As with the media, Trump’s relationship with platforms like Alphabet and Meta has been stormy at best. In September, he threatened to sue Google for showing “bad stories” about him. Weeks later, he said Google was treating him “a lot better.” He even suggested the possibility of not hacking Google, which is what the Justice Department of the Biden administration is trying to do.

But Trump is nothing if not capricious.

What he said on his way to the White House may not reflect what he does while there. His vice president JD Vance has publicly supported Federal Trade Commission chief Lina Khan’s efforts to use big technology, which he says “controls” what Americans can say. The extent of Vance’s influence over Trump could be one of the key strengths of the next administration.

Regardless of Vance’s status, Khan and his Justice Department colleague Jonathan Kanter are Democratic nominees and their futures remain uncertain because of it.

Which is to say that the future of life under Trump is unclear. Although his past has made these ventures less successful, and it’s true that the platform tried to please him last year, it would be foolish to think that everything will be smooth sailing from here on out. first.

One platform (except for X with Musk, of course) will be breathing in Trump’s victory is TikTok. Four years after he became the biggest threat, now he seems to be his only hope of survival in the US He showed that he will not stop the short video program, which under’ of the new law, which must cut ties with its Chinese owner, ByteDance, in January. However, preventing the implementation of that law will not be easy; Trump may need to stop the DOJ from working on it.

A productive AI

Speaking of technology, AI is on track to be one of the areas most affected by the second Trump administration, especially in terms of its business. Trump has already vowed to rescind President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI, which promotes governance, competition and safeguards.

He and his team have argued that rolling back these regulations will promote innovation based on free speech and progress, emphasizing AI’s economic potential over societal risks.

This hands-off approach could also boost investment in startups and AI technologies, and Trump may change immigration policies to attract tech talent despite his historically tight immigration profile. H-1B visas.

While this could accelerate the commercialization of AI, it also raises concerns about safety and ethics. The influence of AI entrepreneurs and business entrepreneurs can push to reduce market-driven regulations and policies.

M&A

Examining dealmaking at the marketing and advertising level, the initial consensus suggests that Trump is unlikely to cause much of a stir — at least for now. This idea was a key takeaway from the recent MadTech Money conference. His views on abortion, immigration and the economy are not expected to change the way businesses approach the state of the nation with fewer third-party cookies.

Executives who deal with the situation tend to view these changes simply: changes in the system often have significant effects on deals, but by the time the effects are felt, there is little that can be done to adapt. As a result, they often spend little time considering the political implications of their plans, preferring to focus on quarter-to-quarter shifts.

The long-term outlook for the deals, however, is very limited. This uncertainty stems not from Trump’s promises of lower corporate taxes and reduced regulation, but from the possibility of unpredictability, trade wars, protectionism and inflationary pressures – all of which will measure the flow of mergers and acquisitions.