In recent years, there has been an explosion of activism on the internet. Some businesses have opted to stay away from addressing sensitive topics or anything that may be construed as controversial, for fear of alienating their target audiences. While this may be a smart marketing decision, it gives up a chance for the business to establish authority and inject authenticity into its branding.
Even so, not every taboo topic is worth investing time and content into, while others can significantly boost a brand’s visibility and help it ultimately draw in more potential customers. Nine members of Forbes Agency Council delve into the taboo topics that can help a business connect to its audience and establish a sense of personality to the brand without being too offensive.
Members share some controversial but important topics that business content can and should cover.
Photos courtesy of the individual members
1. Issues Relevant To The Customers
If you’re making content that is focused on and meant specifically for the customer, they are where the topics should come from. Writing for the customer, you will find it’s important for content to be emotion-based, not product-based. Discussing things besides your company can be great, so long as it’s a topic that will appeal to the customer interested in your business. – Dmitrii Kustov, Regex SEO
2. Any Topic Relevant To Your Brand
Don’t intentionally wade into controversy or respond in a reactive manner. Providing articulate, non-defensive explanations, interpretations or defining your position relative to current events or industry developments that affect your brand or your customers in a manner authentic to your brand voice (e.g. humorous or serious) can be a powerful way to establish a leadership position. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding
3. Your Past Mistakes
In PR, we often see companies quick to downplay mistakes, seeking to elevate any positive in order to avoid potential business risk. Those missteps are not what kills a brand, but rather a company’s response. Stakeholders increasingly want to see brand authenticity. One way to build this is through accountability — address shortcomings while providing a clear, actionable solution for the future. – Megan Humphreys, Convé Communications
4. Competitors’ Strengths
It’s no secret that you have competitors. Your customers are researching them at the same time they are researching you. When you acknowledge this by including the names of your competitors in your content — even citing their accomplishments or strengths once in a while — you will be seen as more honest and transparent. That’s who customers want to do business with today. – Scott Baradell, Idea Grove
5. Any Current Social Issues
Commercial gain is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Businesses need to become an integral part of society. Businesses and business leaders should not shy away from articulating their opinion and taking a stand on issues relevant to the society such as climate change, gender equality. sustainability. Marc Benioff of Salesforce is an example of a leader who takes a stand on social issues. – Hareesh Tibrewala, Mirum India
6. Women’s Health
Women’s health is often sidestepped by companies, but in 2020 these topics should be explored openly. Growing up, I was told a family friend died due to a female disease — breast cancer. When misinformation crosses generations or topics are avoided because of cultural taboos (e.g. menstruation), it underscores the need for women to have sources they can rely on for education. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
7. Gender Equality
Gender equality is long overdue for positive exposure. While this may already be “baked into” your values, expressing this in your content, media, branding, etc. can go a long way, showing that you are striving to be a positive part of the conversation. From Gillette’s “First Shave” commercial to Nike’s “Dream Crazier” ad, there are many effective ways to approach this “taboo” subject. – Bernard May, National Positions
8. Immigration And LGBTQ Rights
What makes addressing “taboo” subjects seem inauthentic is the difference between representation and editorialized positioning. Our rostered director, John X. Carey, is known for approaching topics like immigration or LGBTQ rights to start a conversation, not promote a perspective. Without leveraging a political position to further the brand, you can create a conversation through representation. – Dustin Callif, Tool of North America
9. Politics
Politics can be viewed as kryptonite for fear of putting valuable political relationships at risk. Our advice is not to ignore controversial issues, but to stick to the two I’s: issues and impact. When a business leader can provide detailed, apolitical insight on how different policy moves will affect an industry, they show that they are making informed decisions without being divisive. – Margy Sweeney, Akrete
