Why brands’ ‘no politics’ policies are obsolete: Opinion

On April 2, 2021, Major League Baseball took a stand against Georgia’s controversial new voting laws, not with words, but with actions: It pulled this year’s All-Star game out of Atlanta. And just like that, the MLB, which oversees America’s National pastime, thrust itself into the divisive political fray. This is just the latest example of a big brand inherently choosing a political side in the name of company values—beliefs that have been inordinately pressure-tested over the past 12 months. The killing of George Floyd, the politicized pandemic, the Capitol insurrection, Asian hate crimes and Georgia’s SB 202 “election integrity act” are only some of the events that have sparked more brands to speak out. This year’s The CMO Survey saw a nearly 50% year-over-year increase in marketers who believe it’s appropriate for brands to take a stand on politically charged issues. If, when, and how to respond to politics is now a front-and-center quandary for marketers. As part of the research for my latest Forrester report which tackles this topic in detail, I spoke with over 30 business-to-consumer chief marketing officers (prior to MLB’s announcement). Here are three key observations from those conversations: CMOs are recognizing that human issues are political issues. Some of the CMOs I spoke with told me their brands have a “no politics” policy. But then they explained how they’ve made exceptions for social justice issues—viewing them, instead, as “human issues.” As Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer expressed: “Our belief is that diverse and inclusive companies are better for business, period. We don’t see that as a political issue. People have made it into a political issue. If it’s a human issue that’s authentic to our brand, we’ll do what’s right.” Yet, as the U.S. becomes increasingly more divisive, human issues and political issues are often one and the same. This makes it next-to-impossible for a brand to avoid politics altogether. Chloé Chanudet, the CMO of Adore Me, agrees: “Some things that don’t seem like political stances, actually are political stances. We started a big pivot towards sustainability. And while this seems like a no brainer, it turns out it’s actually a political issue.” There’s a three-way tug of war between purpose, politics and partisanship. In pursuing their brand purpose—even when it intersects with politics—brands are resolute to be seen as non-partisan. As Tony Ambroza, chief brand officer at Carhartt put it: “Political parties have now become an outsized part of our world. This shouldn’t be interpreted that brands should become partisan. However, people are more politically active and issue-aware. And that’s pulling in brands because they play an important role in culture and society.” While it’s smart for companies to say they’re non-partisan (even Ben & Jerry’s does), let’s be real: Most issues today fall along party lines. The moment a brand responds to an issue (even if it’s a social justice issue), it will be judged by the court of public opinion as being partisan. In response to the growing list of brands speaking out against voting restrictions, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “My advice to the corporate CEOs of America is to stay out of politics. Don’t pick sides in these big fights.” Yet, 68% of U.S. adults believe that CEOs are best positioned to drive real change in America. In a March 2021 survey, Forrester (my employer) found that 47% of U.S. adults (51% of Gen Z adults) associate the political issues that a CEO expresses with the values of their company. Company values determine when to choose a side. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred explained the league’s actions regarding Georgia as being driven by its values. Speaking overall, Carhartt’s Tony Ambroza advised: “Companies should rely on their values and use their mission and purpose to guide them. And if politics turn a firmly held belief into a partisan matter, you should still remain true to the values that define your company and authentic brand promise.” Forrester’s data shows that 53% of U.S. adults prefer to buy from brands that stay true to their own values. And that means a given brand should not take on every single issue. Ian Stewart, CMO of Toms Shoes, shared: “You don’t have to react to every single situation. The issue has to be near and dear to the company. It has to be authentic. There has to be a rigorous top-to-bottom internal audit to make sure that the issue that the company is going to get behind is an issue that the company is really getting behind and prepared to address any feedback.” In the end, if a company’s response to a political issue is unequivocally anchored to its values, then they’re standing up for what’s right in interests of their company, employees, consumers, investors … and greater society. A brand’s values must withstand the pressure of politics.

Why brands’ ‘no politics’ policies are obsolete: Opinion

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