Elon vs Trump: A Branding Fallout with Billions at Stake

In this episode, Tom and Ben unpack the branding implications behind this week’s biggest business headlines.

They start with Apple’s latest developer conference and whether the company is still seen as an innovation leader or has shifted into incrementalism.

They also discuss a quirky new hold-music feature that Tom is excited about, and how Apple’s brand promise of “things just work” creates high stakes when launching new products.

They then shift to the protests in LA, examining how Trump’s political maneuvers reframe the Democratic brand—and whether brands should speak up or stay silent in politically charged moments. The conversation moves into the Musk–Trump fallout, including stock crashes, retaliation threats, and what it means for Tesla’s brand and Elon’s decision-making.Next, they dig into Mondelez's lawsuit against Aldi for Oreo copycats, highlighting how brand confusion can spark legal battles. From there, they analyze Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to spin off streaming and cable units, the larger trend of strategic brand separation, and what it means for the media landscape.The episode closes with insights on global layoffs, the rise of the “AI economy,” how brands should handle internal messaging during cutbacks, and Alibaba’s new AI-driven virtual try-on feature—what it signals for fashion, e-commerce, and marketing creativity.