How ‘America First’ is Impacting American Brands Abroad: What it Means to Buy American in 2025 

Published

Global opinion towards the United States, and particularly U.S. political leadership, has fallen dramatically in the first half of 2025. Weber Advisory – Weber Shandwick’s modern corporate advisory unit – set out to explore how the falling reputational stock of the United States of America was changing the context for American brands and multinational companies operating around the world.

 

 

To give American companies a sharp, culturally attuned picture of an ‘America First’ global context, Weber Advisory conducted a series of in-depth conversations with public and corporate affairs market leaders around the world. The experts surveyed – collectively representing decades of experience guiding Fortune 500 companies and other iconic American brands through geopolitical and reputational risk – shared first-hand observations about how American policy and politics are shaping the business context in 15 global markets.

 

 

The resulting report “How ‘America First’ is Impacting American Enterprise Abroad: What it Means to Be and Buy American in 2025” shares insights from these conversations and answers a fundamental question of what strategic pivots American corporations should consider to protect their brand and reputation overseas amid new power dynamics in Washington, DC.

 

 

Key Insights form the Report:

  1. American brands transcend America’s politics
  2. As America steps back, competitors step up and in
  3. Uncertainty reigns globally, but all politics is local
  4. America First has emotions running high abroad
  5. Positive sentiment in the Middle East stands out
  6. American brands need to localize their global playbooks

 

 

This report aims to equip C-suite leaders of American brands with a robust trend assessment and early warning system to interpret America First narratives and vibe shifts through local market perspectives at the intersection of business, policy, media and culture. It offers a grounded analysis – not just of where reputational pressure is building, but of how signals can guide a proactive strategy. In an increasingly fragmented world, the ability to detect reputational fault lines before they widen is no longer a competitive advantage: it’s a business imperative.

 

 

Explore the full report below and learn how Weber Advisory’s global experts are counseling clients to navigate today’s uncertain and complex market context.