By Blaise Patrick Tracy
Over the past five years or so, because trust in government institutions has fallen to an all-time low1, people are increasingly looking to businesses to provide leadership in all things. Businesses have increasingly been willing to engage based on polling that shows some consumers are more likely to be loyal to companies who support causes they believe in.
While customer loyalty is important, is there a cost to businesses who support quasi-partisan causes that encourage loyalty from some, but alienate other customers? Or, as a friend of mine once said, “I just want to buy a warm coat without making a political statement.”
According to the 2018 Edelman Earned Brand study2, 59% of consumers in the United States buy or boycott a brand based on social or political stance alone.
Unless an organization is directly involved in the industry itself – a supermarket advocating for beer and wine in their aisles – it may be best for that organization to steer clear of endorsing any cause that doesn’t directly make strategic business sense. But, if you are going to do it, own it and see it through. Don’t just be performative.
Let’s take a closer look by diving deeper into seemingly harmless decrees, like endorsements, to better understand the impact and consequences. In this case, I’ve identified five reasons why I recommend organizations DO NOT take sides…
A corporate voice doesn’t speak for every employee.
We hear it all the time, a media outlet endorses so-and-so for President of the United States, this corporation stands up for oil drilling, that one stands up for not drilling, and those national organizations promote ketchup on scrambled eggs.
Imagine we’re working for a company, and it comes out with a public statement advocating for one of the causes listed above – and we just happened to believe strongly on the other side of the issue.
Sounds ridiculous, until reality hits us in the head. Today, there is debate on issues that were once not controversial or even an issue at all – prisoners voting, wearing masks for the rest of our lives, fracking, Christopher Columbus, the thirteenth Zodiac sign, Halloween moved from October 31 to the last Saturday in October (I’m still torn on this one.)
A “corporate voice” is really the voice of a select few who’ve decided on the endorsement for their entire organization. This isn’t helpful in bringing people together, in fact…
It creates division, not inclusion.
There are always two sides to the coin. Yes, always – in this world, anyway. So, if we choose one side, we exclude the other. Rivalry can be fun when it comes to sports teams, sports cars, and soft drinks – but when it’s about serious issues that could alter the course of an organization’s decision-making, it can be devastating.
Diversity and Inclusion is a priority in our organization, isn’t it? Therefore, how can we justify a single voice for an entire organization? We can’t and we shouldn’t. History has provided us with proof. Kings tried it with religion, dictators tried it with censorship, both of my daughters tried it with dating. It doesn’t last. And neither will our organization, because…
We may lose employees.
Undoubtedly. Whether we lose them in body or spirit, or tomorrow or next month, once something crosses the line against our morality, we usually move on and away. Why? Because people want to be near and help champion something they believe in – a leader, a product, a cause. And if our cause differs significantly with the choice someone else made for us… bye bye.
A better option is to let adult individuals choose their own cause. If we’re paying attention, employees, contractors, and partners who may differ with our cause are all around us – how many bakers are living sugar-free? Or vegans employed at a steakhouse? Or Republicans working at a Democrat convention. (In jest, people. In jest!)
Yes, we’ll lose employees, and also…
We may lose customers.
Sadly, the word ‘boycott’ shows up too much these days for my taste. Personally, I don’t want to live in a world where I only shop at the stores, listen to the music, or dine at the restaurants where the ‘corporate voice’ completely aligns with my voice.
How many times have you heard the statement “shut up and sing!” from the crowd when an entertainer decides to take a side. The same occurs with our organizations, although perhaps not as obvious or immediate.
Customers will go elsewhere if we push a cause down their throat. Just look at the fluctuation in ratings (usually down) for controversial positions that have been taken by sports organizations, movie stars, manufacturers, singers, and politicians.
And what’s worse…
It never ends.
The late great Gilda Radner’s character, Roseanne Roseannadanna put it so eloquently, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another! It’s always something.”
Worse yet, what if our endorsed cause that we’ve linked our organization to, becomes toxic. Now we must distance ourselves, back out, and probably hire an awesome full-service PR agency to lead us beyond the crisis.
So, if we choose to pick a side, no matter how great the cause may seem on the surface, we may alienate our employees, our customers, and our partners – simply because, one voice does NOT serve all. Someone somewhere in your organization may agree with the other side of that coin. And in America that is fine, just beware of the consequences.
No matter what our industry, the business world is always changing. So, maybe it would make sense to hire that PR agency before trouble begins to brew.
