Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog, “Consumers Expect Brand Activism”

Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Consumers Expect Brand Activism" uncovers what consumers are now expecting of brands in this age of activism. In the social media war of words doctrine that has emerged as a communication barometer of sorts, every single post, reply, interaction and debate has consequences for individual brands, as well as, iconic corporate brands.

According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 80% of consumers, or eight out of ten have stated they prefer brands that take a stand. In short, consumers are looking to engage with brands that stand for something, and moreover, brands that can walk the walk, and not just talk the talk.

Brand Leadership

Top CEOs have long been admired for their leadership and expertise when it comes to solving an organization's challenges, and of course improving ROI. The game has changed. Today's CEOs can possibly find themselves embroiled in consumer scrutiny in the event a brand is perceived to be supporting an unpopular societal issue.

Take a look at what some iconic brands have recently been facing. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz raised the possibility of a Starbucks boycott due to his desire to run as an independent in the 2020 presidential race. Gillette was signaled out with overwhelming reactions to their take on the #MeToo moment with their ad, "The Best Men Can Be." Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to be under fire for allowing sensitive, private user information to be sold and hacked from within the Facebook platform.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple has taken his share of blow back from consumers alleging that the brand's practices of late are becoming more and more questionable. To that end, brand activism and CEO leadership is now being taken seriously, so much so, that Weber Shandwick produced a CEO Activism study. The central point of the study concentrates on marketing and communication executives in the U.S., UK and China. A few noteworthy points gleaned from this survey were:

Communications and Marketing Execs

• 53% are spending more time discussing and planning for executive and brand activism
• 62% stated they'd have a more favorable opinion of a CEO if he or she spoke out on a hotly debated current issue
• Of those CEOs that have spoken out, 67% alluded to it having a positive impact on their company reputation

It is now obvious that brand leadership requires more responsibility when it comes to improving brand equity and brand reputation. Brand's that take a stand will improve their bottom line just because of what they believe in and how they communicate that position to the general public at large, their customer base and prospects alike.

Can a Brand Afford to Lose 62%?

Can your brand afford to lose 62% of its customer base? In most cases, a 62% loss would lead to insolvency, and possibly bankruptcy. That 62% loss number is attributed to a December 2018 Accenture Strategy Global Survey of close to 30,000 customer respondents . The results from this survey stated that 62% of customers prefer brands to take a stand on current issues, such as fair employment practices, transparency and sustainability.

In recent posts, we have alluded to the idea that it's not so much as what a brand says, but moreover what a brand does. Not anymore! Thanks to social media, the new reality is that it now matters what a brand says and what a brand does, and more importantly, what a brand stands for.

In addition, this new brand activist game points to examining everything a brand executes, from advertising campaigns, to marketing strategies and most importantly, CEO statements, are all inclusive in brand communications, which reverts back to brand image.

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk

Brands that either walk the walk but fail to talk the talk, and vice versa, could find themselves in uncomfortable or even untenable positions among their customers. Using the recent Gillette debacle as a benchmark of a brand not walking the walk after their ad was supposed to be talking the talk, it's quite easy to understand why consumers lit up Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in protest.

Gillette was attempting to denounce toxic masculinity in their ad, "The Best Men Can Be." Part of the blow back was focused on why Gillette continued to advertise on Tucker Carlson, and incidentally, was the last major advertiser to leave.

This new order of brand activism and the resulting communications that emerge from CEOs, advertising and marketing initiatives also have to be inline with walking and talking from a single sourced perspective. Brands that fail to unify their positions in any manner from within the company will suffer the wrath of consumers for engaging in conflicting perspectives.

In today's world, brands must speak truth to activism. If a brand is communicating support for a green economy, then that brand also needs to demonstrate that they are and have invested in environmental infrastructures that support those claims. Further, in the instance of a brand speaking to diversity issues, consumers will investigate what type of diversity the company has within its executive ranks and board members.

Lastly, brands and marketers are becoming increasingly aware of how serious brand activism plays in the success of brand equity and reputation. Look for more brands and marketing strategies to include an activism component into their communication mix going forward. As far as how brand activism actually has the capability to influence purchase decisions remains unclear.

At the end of the day, there is a strong possibility that new reports and surveys will emerge that can provide more insight into brand activism. That said, it makes good sense to keep an eye on the activism directive consumers are placing on brand treatment and sales. It is apparent that 80% of consumers are looking for brands that take a stand.

The Net-Net

The data is clear. Consumers are evaluating brands by more than what products or services they sell and how clever their advertising may be. Sixty-two percent of customers now expect brands to engage in activism and to that end, brands will need to take a stand, and stand for issues that consumers are focusing on. Brand communications is now being judged by the values a brand represents, over and above advertising and marketing communications. Where does your brand stand on the issues of the day? Silence on issues consumers are bringing to the fore may cut into profitability. Thanks for reading "Consumers Expect Brand Activism."

Not to toot our own horn, but Dove Direct is the Southeast's leading print, marketing and mailing organization with over 30+ years experience. We would be pleased to discuss your needs with no obligation. If you like, let's have a conversation about data management, brand equity and unified marketing collateral during our next Open House. You can join us on Thursday, February 28th, 2019, anytime between 9:30 am to 4:30 pm ET. Let us show you how to improve your document processes to optimize your workflow, reduce your costs, and maximize your organization's printing, letter shop and mailing capabilities. And, if you bring us your files, we will create a demo file for you. For more information call Carla Eubanks at 404-629-0122 or email Carla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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