President Trump has set April 2 as the date when new tariffs will go into effect. And as uncertainty indexes reach record highs, there is no telling what the future holds. If you’re leading a government affairs team, it’s time to brace and prepare for what this could mean for your organization and how you can respond through advocacy.
Here are five practical steps to get ready — and how Quorum can help:
1. Map Your Economic Footprint
Start by identifying where your organization has a presence—sales offices, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, etc.—and match those locations to their corresponding congressional districts. This allows you to have highly localized conversations with Members of Congress about how tariffs affect their constituents.
If price increases are causing a dip in sales, or if a plant might go offline due to supply chain disruptions, you’ll want to have that data ready. Getting ahead of this analysis now means you’ll be equipped for more informed and persuasive advocacy later. Quorum Impact Reports can help showcase your impact in a visually appealing and effective manner
2. Prepare One-Pagers for Key Districts
Use that economic footprint data to create tailored one-pagers for each relevant district. These should outline your organization’s economic impact in that area and highlight any tariff-related challenges.
Handing a member of Congress a concise, district-specific briefing will help you cut through the noise and get their attention. With the right tools, this can be done quickly—just give yourself enough time to do it right.
3. Start Banking Impact Stories
Personal stories resonate in ways that numbers often can’t. Start collecting testimonials from employees, suppliers, and even customers who are experiencing the effects of tariffs firsthand.
You can crowdsource these stories via email or internal communications, asking individuals to submit written or video accounts. Thanks to advancements in grassroots technology, it’s easier than ever for someone to record a quick video with their phone and submit it directly. These personal narratives can be powerful when shared in meetings with lawmakers.
4. Build Toward Full-Scale Grassroots Engagement
If tariffs lead to new legislation, regulatory changes, or public comment opportunities, you’ll want to be ready to mobilize. That means having your messaging written, your campaign infrastructure in place, and your target audience identified.
Whether submitting comments to a White House portal or coordinating a broader grassroots push, setting up now will allow you to move swiftly and effectively when the time comes.
5. Map Your Stakeholders
Know who you need to talk to. Every week, new officials are confirmed or appointed in the administration, and the cabinet-level names do not always hold the most influence. Often, the key players are a few layers down.
Stakeholder mapping—identifying the right decision-makers and influencers—will be essential to get your message heard. Tools like Quorum’s KnowWho database can help you zero in on the people who matter most.
Tariffs bring both uncertainty and opportunity. Whether you’re looking to build one-pagers, collect impact stories, map stakeholders, or launch a full-scale advocacy campaign, Quorum is ready to help.
If you’d like to discuss how to apply any of these tactics using Quorum’s platform, we’d be happy to talk.