By Jon Crane, Client & Commercial Director, FreshBritain
We live in an uncertain world – words like “permacrisis” pepper newspaper articles and TV debates. A super-charged election year adds to the unease. There’s a feeling that economic, political and societal tectonic plates are shifting.
Many brands are feeling uncertain, unsure of what they should stand for and where they fit in, as they try to keep up with fast-changing consumer attitudes. It’s a good time to take stock and explore what brands can learn from what’s been happening in politics in recent years.
We all remember the 2018 Trump vs Clinton election – how beliefs trump (groan!) facts. We learnt that people tend not to be moved by facts alone. But they do remember and get behind leaders who “stand for something” especially where that conviction is rooted in feelings and beliefs.
Before I go on, this is most definitely not a political piece. We are NOT saying that brands should incite hatred, adopting the politics of Trump/Johnson/Farage etc, courting controversy and seeking to polarise. Yet politicians like them have been brilliant at making people feel something and follow them Pied Piper like, by “saying things like they are”.
When brands cave in and when they stand their ground
This cohort of politicians have made an art of chucking opinions around willy-nilly; Teflon-like, none of the shit seems to stick. They’ve lost any fear of being cancelled or bullied – they actively court controversy and revel in outrage.
Yet when cornered, too many brands, like some mainstream politicians, are running scared, wary of holding strong opinions and potentially offending. In a world where someone, somewhere is going to be upset or triggered by something you say, the potential to offend will always be there.
Maybe industry people like me have been part of the problem. We’ve made brands into living things; we’ve given them human emotions and vulnerabilities. Little wonder then that they can overreact in the face of criticism. Our job should be to build confident brands that stand for something and against something. Brands that understand how to engage with and motivate their audiences and stay true to their convictions.
Don’t have a victim mentality
So, what are brands to do? When shouted down by a vocal minority, which can happen even when they’re doing nothing wrong – simply living the brand promise – they need to have confidence in that promise and stand firm. In other words, develop a much thicker skin, and ‘grow a pair’.
A strong brand has understood what it stands for as well as what it stands against. But that doesn’t mean being brave and remaining true to a belief system is easy for a brand to do.
When it finds itself in the eye of the storm and there’s money and reputation at stake, caving in can be the path of least resistance. Most brands just haven’t had a politician’s practice in finding themselves in the firing line (although that is changing in our increasingly polarised world), and that’s why they can find it so hard to stand their ground.
Brands with convictions, brands that need more practice
Bumble found itself navigating a crisis of its own making recently when it removed ads that were accused of shaming women who were not sexually active. Here’s the thing: Bumble is a dating app; it’s in the business of empowering women to meet/have sex with/develop relationships with whoever they want. It should never have apologised for a campaign that was in tune with its brand promise. Sure, consumers should be able to express opposition, but equally brands shouldn’t back down in the face of a vocal minority. Starting relevant, meaningful conversations and holding a point of view is something strong brands have always done.
In contrast to Bumble’s retreat is Nike’s 2018 “Dream Crazy” ad campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the tagline, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it,” showed a brand with the courage of its convictions. Kaepernick had become a polarising figure for kneeling during the US national anthem to protest against racial injustice and police brutality. In the face of widespread criticism, from none other than Donald Trump himself as well as many consumers posting videos of themselves destroying Nike products, the brand refused to stand down.
Storytelling plus “story doing”
A brand, like a politician, needs great storytelling to engage people. But it’s vital to back that up with a great product and effective policies; essentially delivering on the storytelling, with “story doing”.
Our polarising, feelings-first politicians will learn that lesson sooner or later. They might do great storytelling, but their “story doing” can be lacking, hence the constant cycle of political leaders.
A powerful combination of storytelling and “story doing” allows a brand to deliver on its promise; to boldly ensure the dream it sells is backed up by a reality. It’s the only way to secure a long term relationship with customers and the public.
Customers don’t want to buy your brand because you are a bit like a competitor.
They want to buy a brand that tells its story to the world and backs it up.
Be that brand.
