How to Master the Art of Championing Political Topics as a Brand
When Nike first introduced its Colin Kaepernick ad in 2018, the brand broke with the unspoken tradition of businesses avoiding politically-charged topics. Doing so can alienate audiences, and ultimately hurt a business’s main purpose for existing: to generate revenue. But while Nike did suffer a short-term hit, the brand solidified loyalty from target audience segments, which ultimately overturned any sales loss the company initially faced.
How did they achieve such success while tackling a highly sensitive subject? They did so by aligning brand values with a growing cultural movement and embraced it wholly rather than advantageously.
Of course, Nike is not the first, nor the last, brand to wade into political waters. Outdoor clothing company Patagonia used the $10 million in tax savings from Trump’s corporate tax cut to invest in the betterment of the environment and donated the money to environmental groups. The company’s values on environmental sustainability aligned with this political stance and their target audience at large responded well to their financial contributions to the planet.
But they have been lone beneficiaries of these politically charged campaigns.
Adversely, when Stephen Ross, investor, and chairman to the parent company of Equinox, The Related Cos., hosted a fundraiser for Trump’s reelection campaign, widespread backlash ensued. Equinox has always been an inclusive brand that champions all via powerful brand messaging, events, and campaigns. The association with Donald Trump was seen as a direct contradiction to the brand’s image and severed many customer relationships. Equinox and SoulCycle (both under the umbrella of The Related Cos.) were forced to respond with a pledged $1 million donation to various activist groups in an attempt to reconcile customer disdain.
Actions speak louder than words.
It’s easy for a business to pile on the bandwagon and make a statement regarding a political issue or cultural movement. It’s much harder, and takes a lot more investment, to take action. Audiences know this, and recognize that words are hollow but actions have meaning.
When Amazon spoke out in support of the Black Lives Matters movement, the company faced backlash for its continued controversial partnerships with law enforcement regarding their facial technology systems. The company’s external statement was undermined by their corporate practices, and audiences saw the statement as hollow. The brand suffered by making such a statement without taking the appropriate corresponding actions.
PayPal, on the other hand, which announced a $530 million commitment to support Black and minority-owned businesses, to strengthen minority communities and fight economic inequality, during the national rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, followed up with details on the initial investment made into black-led venture capital firms. The company announced an initial $50 million pledge to eight early-stage Black and Latinx-led venture capital funds, which were selected out of a larger group of minority-focused funds. This action not only generated positive publicity for the company but also showcased that the brand stands for more than just monetary pledges and is investing time to allocate the funds in a meaningful way.
Authenticity before opportunity.
When a business decides to take a stance on a political issue, whether it’s climate change, LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matters, or land conservation, it must be authentic if it is going to resonate with audiences. It’s easy to spot the fakes. The campaigns that ride the coattails of cultural movements, rather than aiming to take a stand, feel inauthentic and disingenuous. They almost have the reverse impact - rather than attracting customers, it acts as a repellent.
Take Listerine. In 2019, the brand repackaged their mouthwash, replacing the typical clear bottle with the Pride flag, the rainbow that represents the LGBTQ+ community. The move was met with fervent backlash. The brand, which had never thrown its support behind LGBTQ+-related issues, used the branding switch as an opportunity to generate support from the community. But audiences saw it for exactly what it was: opportunistic.
P&G, on the other hand, decided to make a pointed effort to support all families, as their Chief Brand Officer explained. The company supports Cincinnati PRIDE and actively represents the LGBTQ+ community in their advertising campaigns. This was both a human and a business decision - it was profitable for the company to engage this community, but also simply something that represented their own values. Embracing this issue was an alignment that authentically positioned P&G with the community, and it has paid off.
When a brand aligns itself with political affiliations or tackles a political issue, success boils down to whether or not the advocacy comes across as sincere. Audiences may not know what the inner workings of a successful campaign look like, but they do know what it looks like when brands only do so in an attempt to strengthen their positioning and alignment with marginalized or underserved groups.
