The Good Stuff
Tariffs rise, retail evolves, punctuation divides generations
Hello Friends,
Brand narratives are being reshaped by major economic and cultural forces this week. As tariffs rattle supply chains and threaten small businesses, AI hiring policies are transforming workplaces, and Gen Z continues its assault on millennial aesthetics. Here's what you need to know to navigate the shifting landscape.
Let’s get into it….
The Good Stuff
Tariff Tension
MrBeast Takes On Trump's Tariffs
For someone who usually avoids politics, MrBeast came in hot—calling Trump's new tariffs a "nail in the coffin" for small businesses. The 20% price hike impacts U.S. goods, making it cheaper for him to produce Feastables abroad. Small biz owners, take note. Hollywood Reporter
Sneaker Brands Sound the Alarm
Footwear companies—from Nike to smaller startups—are bracing for major fallout from the proposed tariffs on imports from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The new policies could drastically raise prices on sneakers and hurt both innovation and equity in the industry. As Matt Priest of the FDRA noted, some are calling it potentially catastrophic. NBC News
Wall Street Reacts: Brace for a Crash?
Markets are anxious over Trump's tariffs, potentially triggering trading circuit breakers. For marketers: expect shrinking consumer budgets, stalled campaigns, and ROI pressure. Brands with clear value propositions will weather this economic uncertainty best. Wall Street Journal
Companies Adding "Tariff Surcharges" to Receipts
Companies are adding "tariff surcharges" at checkout, creating friction points and opportunities for transparent, affordable brands. If the ACA became "ObamaCare," is this the "Trump Tax"? Wired
Retail Shifts
Boycotts and Traffic Drops
Some consumers are calling for a "Blackout" boycott of Walmart, Amazon, Target, and McDonald's. Whether it sticks remains uncertain, but Target's foot traffic has already dropped for nine consecutive weeks following their DEI policy reversal. Newsweek
Retail Partnerships Cooling?
Ulta Beauty has halted expansion of in-store shops at Target, suggesting a possible cooling of the retail partnership trend that's been hot in recent years. Retail Brew
Amazon's AI Shopping Revolution
Game-changer alert: Amazon's new AI lets users shop from other retailers via Amazon. Friend or frenemy to e-commerce? This could fundamentally alter how consumers discover products across the web. The Verge
Brand Moves
Kim Consolidates Her Empire
SKIMS acquires SKKN by Kim, folding Kardashian's skincare line under her booming fashion brand. The move comes as SKIMS opens a luxe brick-and-mortar flagship in Los Angeles. From DTC viral sensation to retail powerhouse in record time. WWD
Entertainment
White Lotus Shake-Up
The Emmy-winning composer behind The White Lotus' iconic theme is departing before Season 4, marking a significant creative shift for the acclaimed HBO series. New York Times
MTV VMAs to Level Up
The VMAs are hitting the big network stage this year, airing on CBS for the first time. More eyeballs, more drama. Variety
Brian Cox Gets Wild
The Succession star shows off a new side—part cheeky, part chaos—in Malibu's latest rum campaign. Rolling Stone
Disruption Defined
Building a Better Platform
BlueSky CEO Jay Graber is reimagining social media—less toxic, more transparent, and fully decentralized. A New Yorker profile highlights her vision to break Big Tech's grip and give users real control, showcasing a woman founder disrupting tech's male-dominated landscape. The New Yorker
A Brief History of the Sports Bra
Originally crafted from two jockstraps sewn together, the sports bra has evolved from DIY innovation to cultural icon. The Athletic traces its journey through feminism, fitness, and fashion—from resistance to empowerment. It’s a reminder that even the most everyday items can carry decades of meaning—and marketing power. The New York Times
Pattern Recognition
Gen Z Culture Codes
Gen Z Rewrites Gym Dress Code
Gen Z has embraced loose-fitting gymwear, with Pinterest searches for "baggy gym outfits" up 400% year-over-year. Nike leads in oversized women's activewear, while leggings have dropped from 47% to 32% of activewear bottoms since 2021.Vogue
Zoomers Call the Em Dash a “Mom Punctuation”
After skinny jeans, Gen Z now targets the em dash, calling it "Facebook mom energy." While linguists defend the dash as expressive, younger writers prefer cleaner, minimalist sentence structure—making punctuation the latest battleground in generational culture wars. Personally, I find this amusing since it’s literally part of the Goodstory branding. The Washington Post
Future State
AI Reshaping Work
Shopify announces "no new hires unless AI can’t do the job" policy
OpenAI makes ChatGPT free for college students in its first major marketing push
LinkedIn reports 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change—with AI as the catalyst.
A new survey reveals most non-tech workers don’t trust AI—and fear job loss
Google’s AI Shakeup Rattles the WebGoogle's AI-driven search updates are gutting traffic to many websites. Publishers feel betrayed and are bracing for fundamental changes to their business models. Bloomberg
Platform Evolution
TikTok Clock Ticking
The Trump administration’s TikTok sale deadline approaches as U.S. officials scramble for a deal. Meanwhile, a new Adweek survey reveals most Americans are surprisingly indifferent about a potential shutdown. Reuters
Meta's Big Antitrust Battle
The FTC's lawsuit against Meta could force divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp. Their argument: Meta creates nothing, just copies or acquires rivals—a practice so notorious that Snap's CEO jokingly changed his LinkedIn title to "VP of Product at Meta." The outcome could transform social media's landscape. Bloomberg
WhatsApp to Block Chat ExportsMeta is tightening privacy controls by stopping users from exporting chat histories to other apps. The Verge
Sustainability Scene
Climate Tech Heats Up
Climate innovation is surging across carbon capture and agri-tech. INC's 2025 climate tech startup list reveals where capital and consumer attention are flowing as sustainability becomes a core brand value proposition. Inc
Good Question
Jeff Bezos' Favorite Interview Question
Bezos swears by this: "Are you a lucky person?" The Amazon founder is known for asking candidates about their relationship with luck and life decisions—a question psychology experts call brilliant for revealing authentic thinking patterns. Personally, I like to ask what they're currently watching or how they load a dishwasher. Inc
The Good Life
Spring is here in Portland which means more rain and occasional pretty days where Olive can work on her Instagram skills….
Until Next Time…..
That's our view of the landscape this week. As tariffs reshape markets and AI reshapes work, the brands that maintain transparency and value clarity will likely weather these storms best.
That’s The Good Stuff for this week. Keep watching the spaces between what brands promise and what they deliver—that's where all the good stuff happens.
Until next time,
Gina
Curated by Goodstory, where brand narratives break boundaries. Questions or submissions? Reply to this email.