Welcome to Trend Watch, the monthly dispatch from the Amigo Strategy team. Think of this as your cheat sheet for staying sharp in a world spinning sideways. Big picture: history repeating
If the first 100 days of Donald Trump 2.0 has made geopolitics turn reality show, April has been a reminder that history has a habit of repeating itself.
As God’s representative on earth, the death of the Pope is a momentous and unnerving occasion. This comes amidst devastating developments in Ukraine, Gaza and Kashmir, with hope of ceasefires a distant memory. The Sino-American tariff war continues to escalate with a ricocheting momentum. And the global balance of economic power looks to be reset as the dollar, previously unassailable, weakens significantly.
Musk has pulled back from Doge, showing he will only go so far as his profits allow. UK Parliament has redefined ‘woman’ in ways that feel like a step backwards. And America’s first all-female space crew, courtesy of Bezos, has sparked more memes than momentum.
It’s not a new world. It’s a rerun, but with higher resolution and weirder side plots.
When the world goes topsy-turvy, culture responds. And right now, it’s looking a lot like 2008 again.
Forecasters are calling it “Recession Core.” Think aesthetic nostalgia meets economic anxiety. Style and sentiment are recycling faster than TikTok trends and it’s all part of how people process instability.
Foresight: Understand the emotional undertone of nostalgia. Tap into the need for familiarity, but don’t get stuck in pastiche. Make it mean something now.
Remember when Tesla was the poster child for the future? In 2025, it’s looking more like a cautionary tale.
Tesla’s downfall is about politics, personality, and perception. Musk’s personal brand has become a liability and global audiences are voting with their wallets.
Meanwhile, legacy players like Unilever and P&G are doubling down on local relevance. Unilever is funnelling 16% of sales into marketing, half of it into social and influencers, with hyper-local targeting. P&G is keeping spend flat but watching global sentiment closely, especially in markets where Americanness is a red flag.
Foresight: Neutrality is dead. Be locally fluent, not globally generic. Brands must be ready to pivot and to partner with creators who live inside local culture.
Netflix is no longer just about passive binging. With over 300 million subscribers, it’s now quietly shifting into interactive territory, not to rival AAA games, but to create hybrid experiences tied to its shows.
Netflix Games will soon be playable on smart TVs. They've already produced gamified spin-offs based on franchises like Squid Game and Too Hot To Handle. While these had more buzz than staying power, the move certainly signals intent.
Foresight: Loyalty is now built through interaction. Campaigns shouldn’t just tell stories, they should invite people in. Create content people can play with, remix, and return to. Think brand as world-building.
Trump’s tariff hike (145% on Chinese goods) has hit U.S. brands hard, and Mattel is leading the escape route. They’re slashing Chinese imports to <10% by 2027, moving production to Indonesia, Mexico, and Malaysia.
The Barbie price tag is already feeling it, up 40% in some U.S. stores, but Mattel’s strategy is clear: de-risk, decentralise, and tell a new story about origin.
Foresight: Supply chains are the new brand stories. There’s creative gold in reshoring, provenance, and regional pride. “Made here” could be more than a tagline. It could be a movement.
As the world loops back on itself, the job of marketers isn’t just to predict the future it’s to decode the reruns. Stay sharp, stay sceptical, and remember: every comeback is a chance to do it better.
So come say hello, amigo@amigopartnership.com