Images Credit: CNBC

International: The World Expo 2025 is Here and You Won’t Want to Miss it – CNBC

For those who are unfamiliar, The World Expo is an international event that showcases the latest advancement in technology, culture and innovation. Expo 2025 will involve 158 countries and take place in Osaka Japan, from April 13rd to October 13rd. The theme for this year is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” and focusing on sustainability, innovation, and the future of society. It will explore how technology, creativity, and cooperation can help tackle global challenges.

• Kenapa harus peduli
  • Indonesia’s involvement: Indonesia will also be present with the theme “Thriving in Harmony – Nature, Culture, and Future”. This is significant from an economic standpoint, as it can attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and showcase Indonesia’s commitment to innovation and global partnerships.
  • Potential sponsorships? Companies can be official or one of the sponsors of the Expo itself, gaining visibility through on-site branding, event and digital platforms accessed by millions of global visitors.
  • Leads to interesting facts: The Expo highlights emerging trends. Meaning that it can foster cross-border collaborations, and positions Indonesia as a key player in the global conversation. Stay woke for futurism, the world is def watching.

Images Credit: Pinterest

Worldwide: Understanding the U.S. Tariff Policy: Why It Matters for Indonesians – Antara News

As of April, the global trade landscape is undergoing significant changes due to new U.S tariff policies introduced by Donald Trump.

Reciprocal Tariff (one country imposes on goods imported from another country): Starting on April 9th, Trump will increase 145% tariff from China and Indonesia for 32% on its exports.

Electronics exemptions: certain electronics including smartphones and semiconductors have received temporary exemptions from these tariffs. The Indonesian government is currently seeking negotiations with the U.S to address these tariffs and navigate the potential economic impacts.

• Y’all the price is gonna go up: This uncertainty can impact trade dynamics and economic forecasts (Market volatility)
• Shifting consumer behavior: U.S brands in Indonesia (hello MCD!) could see price increases and consumers may be more price-sensitive (e.g allocating budget to cheaper options).
• Delay expansion plans into U.S markets: Advertisers may need to reframe narratives to look for regional markets that offer better ROI
• Cultural and Political Tensions: trigger negative sentiments between these countries and affect the tone of global campaigns, we’ve already seen how sentiment toward Israeli brands shifted among Indonesian consumers. Will something similar happen here?
• Korea, Japan and China forming stronger ties. This is a big deal, given that Japan’s invasion of China during WWII, both of these countries have a very complicated history. It’s shocking to see these countries coming together despite their painful history.

Images Credit: Pinterest

Fashion: Prada and Versace are Now One Family – MorningBrew

Prada has agreed to acquire Versace for $1.38 billion from a US company called Capri Holdings (owned brands like Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors). This means that Versace is no longer American-owned, it’s coming home to Italy under Prada. To be fair, Capri bought Versace in 2018 for $2 billion and Versace actually took a loss here.

• Kenapa harus peduli?
  • This is Prada’s most expensive purchase since its founding in 1913. If the goal is to compete with LVMH, a group nearly 20 times its size, the road ahead is steep. But hey, the recent breakout success looks great on MiuMiu. Is this a corporate strategy move?
  • Can the brand’s culture truly return to its roots? fashion isn’t just about who owns the label, it’s about where the ideas are born, the spirit of the place, and how that heritage lives in a brand’s identity. Even though Donatella says she’s proud to see Versace return to an Italian luxury group, will it still feel like the bold, unapologetic Versace of the ‘90s?
  • Is it a corporate strategy move? Knowing that LVMH already took over Italian luxury brands including Fendi and Gucci.
  • Are we seeing monopoly in the fashion industry or just to consolidate power (grouping of brands) with LVMH? This acquisition could indicate that we will be seeing fewer independent brands in the high end fashion.
  • Reshaping culture: Advertising thrives by tapping into culture to stay relevant, and fashion is a major cultural driver. This Prada-Versace deal could shake up the fashion influence pie. Will we see a fresh take on Versace’s identity? We shall see.
  • Are we seeing inflation? Not exactly. Just because Americans are shaking up tariffs worldwide doesn’t mean this Prada-Versace deal is directly impacted by that. This acquisition could actually signal something else, the high-end crowd is still flexing hard.

Kata Untuk Hari Ini:
Market Solidation

Prada’s recent purchase of Versace might not just be about fashion, it’s a play on market consolidation (Fewer companies owning more brands means more control over the narrative).

• P.S, sure, luxury brands don’t compete on price, they compete on image, exclusivity, and hype. Though, when competition shrinks, influence grows. And with influence? Comes power.

Quotes of The day:
From the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.

• We do not always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond. Even if you get run over by a clown car and pissed on by a bus load of school children, it’s your responsibility to interpret the meaning of the event and choose a response. Meaning that we can’t control everything that happens to us, we do control our perspective and reactions.

Kita tidak selalu mengendalikan apa yang terjadi pada kita, tapi kita selalu mengendalikan bagaimana kita menginterpretasikan dan meresponsnya. Artinya, meskipun kita tidak bisa mengontrol segalanya, kita tetap bisa mengendalikan perspektif dan reaksi kita