The Buy Canada Movement: Why Motive Matters

By Ingrid Bakewell, Co-founder and Chief Content Strategist, That Tracks Content

When you’re building a newscast, you make tough decisions on the daily — what stays, what goes, who gets a voice, who doesn't, which story gets dropped, who gets 20 seconds more, which story leads, who gets dropped to the bottom of the show. It’s a lot.

For me, the guiding rule came down to motive. If you commit to always leading with your overall objective — and let it guide your decisions — it helps ensure your calls are motivated by a higher intent, and gives you clarity. Especially in high-stakes environments, where there’s a lot of noise and an intense pressure to react quickly.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands firm against the threat of punishing tariffs ~ March 2025

A Story to Navigate, Not Watch

It reminds me of the environment Canada finds itself in right now — caught in an escalating trade war with our southern neighbour. A battle we desperately tried to avoid by (foolishly?) bringing truth and reason to a fight where lies and obfuscation were the accepted weapons.

For Canadian brands, this isn’t just a story to watch — it’s a story to navigate. There are important decisions to be made. Tough decisions about budgets and jobs — but also about messaging. About where you stand, and whether you make that clear to your customers and clients.

As a general rule, most businesses prefer to steer clear of politics — for obvious and good reasons. But this moment feels different — like staying silent could be seen as complacency or, worse, complicity.

American strawberries deeply discounted at a Toronto Loblaws store amid the Buy Canada movement

Anti-American ire on display on a Toronto residential street

Figuring out if and how to engage reminds me of those long, complicated newsroom days when my team had to weigh so many competing interests and make pivotal calls quickly and confidently.

And that’s where motive comes in.

Canadian ice cream brand Chapman’s Ice Cream goes public with struggles amid threats of a tariff war

Your Audience Will Feel Your Intent

As a company, when you’re deciding whether to step into this conversation — or stay out — take a beat and ask yourself why. What’s driving your decision? Is it anger? Outrage? The temptation to capitalize on a rising tide of Canadian pride? Or is it a sincere desire to support the businesses, workers, and communities most likely to be hurt by these tariffs?

Because whether you say it out loud or not, your audience will feel your intent. Trust me on this. They always do.

And just like in TV news, once you put something out there, you can’t take it back. So make sure your motive is one you can stand behind — because in moments like these, motive becomes part of your brand. Whether you meant it to or not.