Message Received: Lights, Camera…Tariffs?!

Published: October 1, 2025

The federal government may be shut down, but our newsletter remains fully operational. While Congress works through its impasse, we're here with everything you need to stay informed and engaged, without the political gridlock.

Hollywood Tariffs: Lights, Camera, Trade War

President Trump’s floated 100% tariff on films made abroad has the industry bracing for impact. On paper it’s about protecting U.S. jobs, but in practice it could upend how movies get made and where the money flows.

What we’re seeing:

  • Many “Hollywood” blockbusters are actually global projects—shot in Canada, animated in Asia, scored in Europe. Hollywood executives estimate that 60%+ of big-budget projects rely on international or cross-border production elements.
  • For once, unions and studios share common ground: tariffs would squeeze everyone from crew members to small businesses in production hubs.
  • International partners are already warning of retaliation—threatening U.S. films’ access to foreign markets.

Why it matters:

  • The stakes go beyond Hollywood's bottom line. Tariffs risk weakening one of America’s most powerful exports: culture.
  • For decades, Hollywood has been a soft-power asset. Turning it into a trade weapon could backfire fast.

The takeaway for communicators:

  • Frame this around jobs and communities, not celebrity paychecks. Highlight the caterers, set builders, and local economies that depend on film production.
  • Build coalitions across unions, studios, and states.
  • And when the cameras roll, keep the message simple: tariffs don’t protect Hollywood, they weaken it.
Is Your “Work Voice” Wearing You Out?

Many full-time working women shift their tone, vocabulary, and style to sound more professional or confident, or simply to blend in. According to Preply, 82% do this “work voice” dance, but for most, it feels less like a power move and more like wearing a mask that’s exhausting to keep on all day.

What we’re seeing:

  • Slang, sarcasm, and swearing are usually the first to go.
  • Why code-switch? To look polished (76%), prove they know their stuff (37%), or avoid standing out (22%).
  • The higher women climb, the less they code-switch—authority, it seems, buys authenticity.

The bigger picture:

  • Yes, code-switching can help women fit in. But it comes at a cost: one in four say it’s emotionally draining.
  • Maybe the problem isn’t how women talk – it’s how narrowly we define “professional.”

Key takeaways:

  • Create cultures where voices don’t need to be filtered to be heard.
  • Make space for real talk, not just “work talk.”
  • Boost well-being and equity by embracing all voices, not just the polished ones.
  • For allies, especially men: listen without policing, back colleagues who speak authentically, and model openness that makes “work voice” unnecessary.
Nonprofits: Bracing for the Bigger Storm

There’s an existential risk hanging over nonprofits right now: the tax-exempt status that makes their work possible is under attack. No organization can change the trajectory alone: this is a sector-wide fight (lots of ideas btw on how the sector can take a more proactive and aggressive stance to show that philanthropy and nonprofits aren’t an easy target).

So what can they do? Keep showing up. Keep serving vulnerable communities. Keep doing the work for as long as they can. But at the same time, it’s worth being prepared for different outcomes.

That’s why BG has built simple, affordable offerings to help nonprofits see around corners, steady themselves when things shift, and then get back to what matters most—their mission.The basics are straightforward but powerful:

  • Identify your core team. Decide in advance who makes the calls when the pressure hits.
  • Set clear protocols. Map out what “day one” looks like for different crisis scenarios so you’re not scrambling.
  • Draft message templates. Create values-first language that can be quickly adapted.
  • Run a practice drill. Even a short tabletop exercise can reveal gaps and strengthen your response.

Prepared organizations can weather uncertainty without losing sight of the people and communities that count on them. Want to learn more? Let’s talk.

The Mouse Has Spoken

Hats off to our client Heat Initiative for helping spark Disney’s latest cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI. In its letter, Disney cited Heat's recent search report with ParentsTogether Action documenting how Character AI's chatbots were hijacking beloved Disney characters to groom and manipulate kids. The research was released in an exclusive in the Washington Post earlier this month and featured in the Post's flagship podcast, but Disney's letter is evidence that Heat didn't just raise alarms, it drove action. In a digital landscape where Big Tech runs wild, Heat is on the front lines making sure child safety is front and center.

Until Next Time

Keep your priorities front and center and don’t forget to pause and breathe. We’re here to support you through the challenges and celebrate the wins, no matter what comes your way.

—Bryson Gillette