Gone are the days when companies can rely solely on the strength of their product to drive sales. Well, maybe not entirely, but now consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on a brand鈥檚 position on societal or political issues. According to respondents in the study:
- 67 percent bought a brand for the first time based solely on its position on a controversial topic;
- 51 percent will be loyal buyers, buying only the brand that speaks up, and buying it more often;
- 23 percent will pay at least a 25 percent premium for a brand that supports their belief.
Belief-driven buyers not only want, but expect, brands to weigh in on issues, which introduces new dimensions of scrutiny and risk to a company. But this also means the biggest risk may be staying silent.
Without a thoughtful point of view on topics that are important to your company, it鈥檚 easy to misstep when trying to respond in the moment to controversial issue (think ). Or maybe you think your response is genuine, but it is perceived as self-serving or inauthentic (think featuring a woman learning to drive). 极乐视频鈥檚 Digital Crisis practice recommends the taking the following steps to avoid such pitfalls:
- Don鈥檛 wait until an issue comes up to determine and define your brand鈥檚 POV. Take the time now to understand what issues are important to your brand, how they affect the company, employees, and how to articulate this POV within your key audiences.
- Be true to your brand and your people. Understand what aligns with your goals and mission as an organization, and define your position from there. Nobody wants to hear from the same company on every single issue, so pick what鈥檚 important and makes sense for your brand.
- Plan for various scenarios. Divisive issues bring risk and uncertainty, and while you might know your POV, you can鈥檛 always predict how a situation will play out. Dedicate time to conduct scenario planning for potential risks and then put processes in place that will help protect the brand when issues arise.
- Red-team brand POV(s) with employees and trusted advisors. It鈥檚 easy for the same group of people to feel like a position is on-brand and airtight, but additional perspectives can shed new light on unexpected red flags. Bring in objective groups (internal or external) to fully vet new company position statements or provocative ad concepts to minimize risk or potential backlash.
Neely Dockins is a senior account supervisor, Digital, Washington, D.C.