B.C. anti-tariff campaign a risky play

A political scientist at the University of British Columbia (UBC) says there is a lot of risk with an upcoming digital campaign from B.C. on tariffs.

Stewart Prest believes the blowback on the campaign is already on its way as Canadians are worried about stoking the fires and inviting more tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

B.C. Premier David Eby says the province plans to push ahead with anti-tariff advertisements despite an Ontario ad, featuring audio of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, prompting Trump to end trade negotiations with Canada and raise existing tariffs by 10 per cent.

“If that’s the outcome of this campaign, I think it will reflect poorly on the decision-making of this government,” said Prest. “So, it’s a risky play with quite a lot of downsides just given where the conversation is.”

Speaking at a press conference at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Eby says it’s essential to talk to Americans about tariffs.

“We will continue to work to get the word out about the unfair and absurd treatment of the United States of Canada, but we can’t control the man in the White House,” said Eby.

“All we can do is control our own destiny by ensuring that we are working with trade partners that value the resources and the work that Canadians bring.”

Eby says the campaign will explain who wins and who loses when it comes to the tariffs imposed on Canadian lumber entering the United States.

Amid economic uncertainty, Prest says Eby has to find ways to demonstrate effective leadership and a clear vision for the province, including the defense of its economic interests. A recent poll from the Angus Reid Institute also found many British Columbians aren’t happy with the governing BC NDP.

“I don’t think there are many safe days ahead for Mr. Eby, and he’s going to have to make choices carefully if he is to hold on to his position in the party,” said Prest.

A spokesman for Eby’s office says the timber tariff ads are expected to run in November.

Campaign comes amid critical advertising period

While the campaign faces risks, the province also has an opportunity to generate a lot of support for BC and Canada as a whole.

Mikie Basi is the Managing Director at Rely Digital, a Vancouver-based marketing agency. He says we are entering a critical advertising period where B.C. could amplify its engagement.

“We’ve got Black Friday in the U.S. just around the corner,” Basi told 1130 NewsRadio. “It’s sort of like the Super Bowl of digital advertising…so any media that’s going into market over the next month or so would be coming in at a higher cost.”

Basi says the advantage of having a digital campaign is that the province can target specific demographics and adapt very quickly.

“B.C. can run an additional campaign and then monitor reactions in real time, tweak messaging, or even change who they are targeting if they are seeing potential blowback,” said Basi. “If the content and if the creative is strong enough, there is an opportunity for B.C. to…amplify their engagement.”

Basi adds that we are in an extremely unpredictable political climate, and the outcomes of these ads are a bit unknown. He says these campaigns do come with risk, but says there is a huge opportunity in terms of reach at a lower cost.

With files from The Canadian Press.