Should brands address social issues?

Over the last few years, we’ve experienced and seen some of the most horrific things happen in the world. War, genocide, riots, hate crimes, adoption laws, a climate crisis… and of course, a pandemic!

These are the sorts of thing that we would only read in history books at school, let alone experience. So, it’s been a difficult few years to navigate through.

These issues have had an impact on everyone, and naturally seen our economy suffer as a result too. So, people and business all over the world are feeling the strain.

But how should brands react to this? This is not an easy decision, so we are sharing our thoughts and findings on this, as this is a question many of our clients ask.

Do our customers care?

First of all, you need to determine whether your customers want to hear you talk about these things.

After all, your marketing speaks to them.

Research shows that more than half of buyers aged 18-29 believe brands should address public issues publicly. This number decreases as the age increases – 47% of those aged 30-44 and 35% of those 45+.

A study by Gallup and Bentley University show that the numbers are higher still in the marginalised groups:

  • 44% of those identifying as women
  • 61% of those identifying as Black or Asian
  • 57% of those identifying as LGBTQ+

So, it’s clear that people do care and want brands to address these issues.

What should brands say?

First of all, you need to ensure that whatever you say is completely authentic. Do not try to mimic what others are saying, or try to “say the right thing”, as if this does not align with your values or your brand.

We recommend asking yourself these four questions:

  • How can this social issue relate to our brand?
  • Do we have a strong stance on any of the issues brought up?
  • Does the issue impact our business?
  • Can we make a difference to this issue?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you can think about how you want to address the topic and ensure that you’re always educating and engaging your audience throughout the process. If you stay true to what you believe and aren’t just talking about the issues for the sake of it, the posts will come across authentic rather than just a PR stunt.

Dealing with the backlash

It’s inevitable that not everyone will agree with what you’re talking about and social issues cause emotions to be extremely high and for people to react differently to how they usually would.

So, you need to expect any post around these topics to spark some debate.

However, if you’ve stayed true to your values and maintained respectfulness, then you have nothing to worry about. You must stand firm.

A great example of this is Bud Light, who received some really negative backlash after they teamed up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

They didn’t know how to handle the backlash, as sales plummeted, and they chose to back away from the campaign. However, they eventually released a statement saying that they stand by the LGBTQ communities. Social issues are divisive by nature and it’s never going to be easy to navigate. But if you always remain authentic (and No Bullsh*t!), then you shouldn’t have any problems.