According to research, Millennials and Gen-Zers typically prefer to do business with companies that take social and political stands they believe in, but it’s important to proceed with care. Choosing a side can jeopardize success if not handled correctly. However, a company’s not taking a stand may appear in some eyes as a sign that its leadership has “flexible” values at best, or worse—has none at all.
Is there a method or time that businesses should pursue—or should avoid—marketing with a strong statement? Below, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share their thoughts on whether or not a business should take political and/or social stands and, if so, the best way to go about it.
Members of Forbes Agency Council weigh in on the advisability of a company’s taking political or social stands.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Build By Your Brand
It’s critical to look inward and at your legacy before making a statement. Any brand can evolve or change, but you need to understand and own your past, no matter how great or complicated it may be. Otherwise, any commitments come off as tone deaf or simply a marketing grab. – Whitney Fishman, Wavemaker
2. Be Sure To Walk The Walk
When taking political or social stands as a marketer, the message must be credible coming from your brand and must be rooted in values demonstrably lived by your enterprise. That said, the most important thing to avoid is to use this type of message to elevate your brand by denigrating others—as this destroys the credibility of your brand’s stance. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding
3. Make Sure All Causes Align
When a brand takes a social or political stance, it should always be a strong one. Haphazard attempts turn a transformational moment into a topical bandwagon one. The North Star should always be whether the topical cause aligns with the organization’s core cause. If it does, dig your heels in and say it loudly. The Millennial and Gen-Z customer will respect (and reward) you for it. – Andrew Au, Intercept Group
4. Take It Seriously
Don’t just hop on the bandwagon to take the free ride. If the trending social message aligns with your mission and values, then go for it. However, crossing the line into adopting a label can open your brand up to scrutiny if you’re simply attempting to capitalize on it. Make sure that if you take a stand it’s for something in which you believe and will continue to support once the hype is over. – Bernard May, National Positions
5. Stay Authentic To Your Identity
Anytime a brand jumps into a conversation that doesn’t reflect their brand identity, it will always fail. Too many times we’ve seen brands try to enter into a topical conversation as a way to leverage the news cycle. Consumers are too savvy for that. Brands should lead a conversation, not hijack one, and the conversation they do take part in should be core to their brand identity. – Rebecca Brooks, Alter Agents
6. Know What Will Turn Off Your Unique Audience
One thing that is very important is to make sure that you are on top of knowing what is controversial to discuss in your industry and what is not. That means that you need to know what is going to turn off your audience and make sure that, while you are socially conscious, you are not acting out of your comfort zone. There are many things you must consider when you are planning pieces like this. – Jon James, Ignited Results
7. Be Respectful, No Matter The Stance
You can take a stand—even one your consumers disagree with—provided it’s authentic to your brand and your values and you do so respectfully. In a hyperpartisan era rife with namecalling, Millennials and Gen-Zers demand respect—and it’s essential to stand out in the crowd as well. And that respect will allow you to do so without offending people, even when they disagree with you. – Craig Greiwe, Rogers & Cowan
8. Stay Away From National Tragedies And Celebrity Deaths
Unless your brand has a solid, universal and direct tie to a national tragedy (as Red Cross does with 9/11) or a celebrity death (as Chevy did with Prince), there is no way for a brand to post about such incidents without coming off as exploitative. By keeping your feeds clean on those days, you’re building authenticity while everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. – Jess Cook, TMV Group
9. Be Prepared To Defend Your Decision
If there is an issue that you and your company feel strongly about, then take a stance and make it a part of your ethos. But sometimes there is a tendency for companies to create PR campaigns around complex issues that they are not familiar with or don’t anticipate the backlash to. The best example that comes to mind is the Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial. Be prepared to defend your stance. – Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
10. Seek To Connect On A Human Level
It’s not about avoiding a time or method, but more about connecting with consumers on a human level. It’s important to understand what matters to people and share their core values with three key ingredients: cultural context, timing and brand DNA. Without these, The North Face’s “Walls Are Meant for Climbing” campaign wouldn’t have had the same success and global impact as it did. – Nicolas Van Erum, Sid Lee
11. Don’t Sacrifice Long-Term Goals For Short-Term Fads
Avoid marketing myopia with overly strong positioning statements that are based solely on current trends or fads that you think will easily grab more followers. Fads fade and trends are constantly changing. Don’t sell out your company’s true beliefs for here-today, gone-tomorrow popular culture crazes that provide no long-term benefits. Your true, loyal followers will see right through it anyway. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
12. Talk About It Only If You Really Care
Certainly, a company gets extra points in the eyes of customers and partners when it demonstrates care and concern about the things they believe in. But there’s a thin line between taking a stand for something of value and speculating on serious social events for the sake of hype. The general advice for a brand is this: Don’t make any bold statements if the issue has nothing to do with your values. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
