Volatility in FX markets has created an inflection point – and media opportunity.
We are living through an age of unprecedented currency volatility. Your FX strategy is ready, but are your spokespeople prepared?
As we head into TradeTech FX – Europe’s Biggest Buy Side FX Conference – in Barcelona this week, former journalist Joanna Wright shares her trade secrets of how to seize the agenda to become a leading market commentator.
Record trading volumes, driven by tariffs, inflation, and geopolitical shocks, are pushing FX from a niche asset class into the headlines.
Journalists are paying closer attention, with Reuters, the Financial Times and others reporting on the growing role of FX hedging.
For FX market players, this moment presents both opportunity and risk from a communications standpoint.
On the one hand, this increased visibility is a chance to make your firm stand out as a market authority.
On the other, mixed messages while under the media spotlight – or missing the spotlight altogether – brings serious risk.
Untrained spokespeople lacking a clear message can derail the trust and credibility your firm has worked hard to develop amongst market participants.
For decades, GT has guided heavily regulated financial firms through the ebbs and flows of calm and crisis in markets.
Below are three battle-tested ways to seize the moment and avoid common pitfalls.
1. Translate complex communications with clarity
High currency volatility has made hedging strategies crucial. The costs and risks of being unhedged are well known. Surveys show that 81% of corporates now hedge FX risk, while 76% admitted to losses from unhedged exposure in the past year.
But what about the risks of not communicating your strategy clearly?
Journalists are hungry to explore these statistics.
Just in 2025, headlines spanned from “Donald Trump’s tariff threats boost demand for currency hedging” and “When does it pay to hedge FX?” (The Financial Times), to “Corporates face tough FX hedging decisions as the dollar smile sours” (Euromoney).
Your clients are reading about hedging in their preferred media; are your spokespeople prepared to seize the opportunity?
To resonate, spokespeople must be able to translate complex topics into plain language.
Instead of, “We’re extending hedge ratios,” you might say, “We’re protecting clients from prolonged volatility in global trades.”
It is key your spokespeople understand what matters to their audience,
2. Invest in your trusted spokespeople
In volatile markets, journalists look for authoritative voices who can deliver incisive quotes, often at very short notice.
Speaking to the media in a way that explains complex moves without oversimplifying or lapsing into technical jargon may not come naturally to most — but it absolutely can be trained.
Media-trained spokespeople can handle contentious, deeply political topics such as tariffs or central bank policy with credibility, deliver consistent messages across teams and geographies, and signal prudence and foresight across your institution.
Media training is also a valuable skill that enhances internal communication as much as external communications. It is a valuable skill-set for mid-level professionals through to C-suite executives.
From an organisational standpoint, getting the balance right means your executives become trusted voices and go-to sources with top-tier, respected media titles, whether that’s for thoughtful interviews on hedging strategies in the daily papers, or a quick soundbite on market swings for national TV.
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3. What NOT to say
In institutional FX, saying the wrong thing can be as damaging as saying nothing at all.
Firms operate in highly competitive, regulated environments where disclosure rules, client sensitivities, and market-moving potential all set hard limits.
The best communicators understand these limits yet remain engaging. Partnering with specialist public relations experts means internal capital markets teams are supported by those who understand both the media opportunity and risk, and compliance needs and limitations.
There is huge opportunity at the moment for buy-side FX firms to capitalise on current media appetite and demand for their specialist perspectives – don’t risk damaging potentially fruitful journalist relationships with cavalier commentary. Seize this opportunity with compliant, informed media relations.
Meet us at TradeTech FX
16-18 September 2025
We would love to discuss these and other pressing communications issues facing FX market participants.
Get in touch to arrange a coffee meeting or head straight to the Press Office at TradeTech FX, Europe’s Equity Trading Conference, to speak with the GT team.
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