Biggest Social Media Moments from the Evolving Trade War

Hey all,  

Hope you're getting ready for the week ahead. I’m Julia, and every week in this newsletter, I break down marketing insights I’ve learned building software and consumer products (bootstrapped + VC-backed) and lean into the organic, creator, and paid strategies that fuel viral growth. No fluff, just real insights you can apply.

This week, I had the opportunity to guest lecture at the University of Wisconsin School of Business in Madison. This is my third year lecturing here, and this was my first time doing a ‘super day’, which consists of three 1.5-hour lectures to 120+ students ranging from Undergraduate to Master’s and PhD candidates. The topic of leveraging social media for influence came up numerous times, so I thought it was only fitting to weave it into this week’s newsletter.

Let’s leave politics aside. The global trade war that’s unfolding before our eyes is living… on social media. World leaders are communicating with their nations via X, China is launching AI short-form videos as threats, and millions of people are commenting on their beliefs.

Let that sink in for a second. Leaders are using X to publish firsthand decisions as a real-time global trade war escalates, not just in policy but in posts. This trajectory reveals a deeper cultural script, one where platforms are no longer reserved for polished, strategic updates. They are the diary, the press conference, the reaction shot. The feed is a modern-day battlefield. Leadership today requires constant participation.

Presidents, countries, and major orgs are using social media as launchpads to announce not only products (like our favorite brands) but also positions. What’s happening isn’t just economic maneuvering. It’s a playbook in marketing at the highest stakes. The world is quite literally watching as the global economy responds.

What happens if you tweet the wrong thing… make a catastrophic typo… or simply don’t read the room? For all the consumers consuming the media, how often do you misinterpret text on a screen?

Below are five key social media moments that reveal how digital platforms now serve as strategic territory for global influence, positioning, and power, and what you need to know as a brand leader: 

On April 2, Trump, to his 102M followers, dubs the new wave of tariffs “Liberation Day.” In one phrase, he frames the economic restrictions as a freedom movement. He’s branding his actions from the front to leaders and people worldwide trying to control the narrative.

Takeaway: Trump immediately named this big moment and move… in a weirdly similar way to a new product launch? Branding doesn’t just describe; it declares.

In response, China released a full-blown social media campaign on X:

Takeaway: The Chinese government is leveraging AI to generate creative. These videos are effectively social media bullets targeted towards their opponent. China focused on entertaining, surprising, taking a “different” approach, and owning the medium. Creating scripted AI videos means that they wanted to go viral.

When Trump hints that TikTok’s U.S. sale could influence tariff negotiations, China pulls a move and delays its TikTok approval, which gets shared everywhere. It’s not just politics; it’s platform warfare. According to an AP source, “ByteDance representatives called the White House to indicate that China would no longer approve the deal until there could be negotiations about trade and tariffs…”

Takeaway: Platforms are leverage. Who controls distribution (and where the eyeballs go) holds real power. Trump was forced to push the TikTok ban another 75 days.

China implemented and broadcasted a response tariff. State accounts and media flooded feeds with bold announcements and messaging. The U.S. coverage was also hot and heavy on the news.

Takeaway: Flooding feeds with an aggressive response is one way to capture attention online; it’s bold that China implemented something strangely familiar to what many brand leaders do when they want to drive momentum.

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President:

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada:

Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain:

and more…

Final Thoughts:
Leaders are using social media to shape strategy and influence. In this online trade war, perception is power. And we’re watching a playbook develop in real time: how to frame the stakes, command attention, and control the narrative.

This is a huge lesson: Your brand isn’t competing in a vacuum. It’s competing in a feed. And your brand touch points, from tweets to TikTok videos, build your momentum and credibility… or give it away.

How did you like this week’s newsletter? Reply with any questions or thoughts, and if you are new here from any of my lectures this week, WELCOME!

Julia