The looming presidential election is affecting brands in many ways, as marketers deal with increased competition for media buys, more public scrutiny over messaging and knowing when to jump into political conversations or stay silent. Politics are even impacting chief marketing officer roles and recruiting, as many brands take a wait-and-see approach to what happens in November.

“It’s an election year and whenever it’s an election year, things get funky,” said Missy Stella, senior unit manager of marketing recruiting at LaSalle Network, at Ad Age’s recent Business of Brands conference in Chicago. Due to election uncertainty, Stella expects to see an increase in interim solutions for brands with open CMO roles in the coming months. For example, many companies are opting for fractional CMO roles right now.

Brands are grappling with how to control their narratives as potential backlash from both sides of the political aisle heats up.

“It’s so tough for brands this year—you have to be so careful,” said Nadja Bellan-White, CEO of SS+K, at the conference. Marketers should think of their brands as a tree that could bend in different environments but also have foundational strength, Bellan-White said.

Most Americans say that they support equality, according to Will Johnson, CEO of The Harris Poll. But when brands start promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), “people turn their consumer brain off and their political brain on,” he said. “As a brand, you don’t want consumers turning their political brain on.” He noted that many find the term ESG to be divisive. Yet, Johnson said some brands that have been vocal about their political stances have strong reputations, pointing to Chick-fil-A and Patagonia as examples.

Certain brands have “earned the right” to wade into “this murky, divisive space,” said Bellan-White, noting that it is hard to cut through the clutter right now. “The work we are seeing is brands are saying ‘No matter what, I need to stay true to my values.’”

Also: Why brands are pulling out of the Corporate Equality Index

One of the biggest challenges for marketers is knowing when to speak out and when to stay silent.

“Even silence is a stance right now,” said Courtney Miller, executive VP and head of strategy at Edelman, noting that doing nothing sometimes also sends a message. She said Edelman is seeing a lot of brands trying to avoid being political by pulling back on everything, which is not the strategy she advises.

If brands speak out on a divisive topic, they should consider that they are potentially speaking to a larger audience than just their core customer base. “This could be the first time an audience is introduced to you, so be agility-ready and be prepared,” she said.