Getting Involved in The Presidential Election
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
According to a recent survey, nearly 80% of consumers believe brands should take positions on social and political issues in order to gain their support. As we have discussed before, brands need to do more than just sell their product. They need to show their values and take action in what they believe is their brand purpose. Over the recent years, brands started realizing that doing and saying nothing doesn’t give consumers a reason to want to support them, especially with gen z and millennials. In fact, we believe it is safe to say the risk of inaction isn’t worth risking at all. Brands have been called out in the past for not taking enough action. That can include posting a “solidarity” message with no tangible actions to it or hashtagging without reflecting on themselves and their own practices. If you are going to say that you have a value for something, show that you do because it’s what consumers are wanting more than anything from brands. Today, we’re seeing historic numbers of public-facing activations of civic responsibility from consumer brands helping drive record voter turnout.
With the election coming up in just a few days, you can bet the past few months have been filled with “Vote” messaging encouraging consumers to go to the polls. More so, we have seen an abundance of heavy messaging regarding the country’s dual economic and health crises, as well as the social justice movement sweeping the U.S. With this all happening, consumers want to see more than just a statement from brands and want to see them taking it a step further. Now you can probably recall when we were younger that our parents told us to stay clear of topics around politics or religion if you want to avoid “stirring the pot” per se. As that holds true, there are still some ways brands can play their part without necessarily taking a political side. Many brands today are really pushing the envelope to get both their employees and consumers voting. Brands like Patagonia, Uber, and Stuart Weitzman are leveraging their platforms for ongoing registration, early/absentee vote promotion, and time off for voting. When it comes to how you want to participate and take a stance, you need to first reflect on your own values, audience, and data in order to determine how you want to send out your message. Data is one of the most telling signs of who your audience is, so lead with those results. You will also have to take into account what trends are going on and see where your brand fits in. The point of you doing this is not to hop on some trend, it’s because you value freedom of expression and want to help educate and encourage your audience to exercise their rights. Just remember that if you do end up taking a side on politics, you must take action on those values. If you support climate change, don’t just say it, go out and volunteer. It’s about making a real difference, not selling an idea. If you say you support racial justice, but treat minorities unfairly in the workplace, it will only result horribly for you. You will get called out.
When it comes to politics for brands, it’s important to understand that with some risk management measures in place, and if your company culture permits, you can voice your political side. Just do so respectfully and know that you might lose supporters, but you might also gain new ones. That’s your call. When pursuing a voter engagement campaign, regardless of the scope and scale, what matters is staying on brand and personalizing that message for your audience. Solicit the best practices and advice from nonprofit organizations then translate that into what works with your audience. Getting involved in politics for a political brand of course has few boundaries when it comes to being “too political”. But for many other brands, the goal of sending out voting messaging to consumers is simply to empower them to get out and vote, regardless of their political stance. It’s about supporting freedom of expression and democracy, which is a great thing for any brand to encourage. In the digital age we live in, we are constantly interacting online, and with traffic being at an all-time high this year, you can bet it will play a part in the outcome of the election, especially with a new group of voters, gen z. How they perceive your company is going to really affect your brand success, so really apply your values to your campaign. There is a lot of messaging going on right now, and getting that message right matters. Your consumers are waiting for you to step up and show them your brand purpose and what you believe in. We are here to help you do that the right way.
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy needed for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have watched marketing evolve from traditional to digital. Whether you need a website refresh, more attractive email, or a quality online presence, we can do it all. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.marketingweek.com/marketing-lessons-from-the-us-presidential-elections/
https://fortune.com/2020/10/28/election-2020-voter-turnout-consumer-brands-get-out-the-vote/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/09/brands-are-marketing-right-vote/616532/